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168 who imagined that the King ought only to have to call in order to be obeyed. "Have we really," he writes, "Monarchy in this Kingdom, or is there only a puppet dressed out with regal robes to serve the purposes of every interested man, who on every turn is to be buffeted at pleasure. Lord Granby now acts the second part of Mr. Pitt's most offensive Drama, and if Home tells me right goes further still, for he understands Lord Granby will never be in office if Lord George has any place whatever. If this be so, I repeat again the King's a phantom, and this country under a mere oligarchy. The case of Lord George I told you myself some time ago. The King two years ago had promised him, when peace came, to take off the violent proscription against him. The end of last month he sent a person to me, desiring to know what he was to depend on. I upon that got a friend to acquaint Lord George that the King remembered what he had said, but saw so many objections to it that he would not do it, nor could he give him any office as he desired; that there was no objection to his coming to Court, and when he did, he should receive him with his usual civility, and at a proper time, when convenient and unengaged, he should not be against giving him a Civil Office; that if Lord George went over to the faction after this, Lord Bute should look on him as the least of men, and believe every word his worst enemy's said. This was the purport of the message sent by me to Lord George, and what does it imply farther than a wish at this critical minute, to prevent every man of parts in the nation from flying to the common enemy.

"Adieu, my dear Lord, I refer for anything more to Home, and shall only observe that Lord George on receiving this message sank from all his hopes, and looks on himself as blasted for ever.

"This mode of quieting Lord George, both Lord Halifax and I thought the best, before I took any part in it."