Page:Life of William Shelburne (vol 1).djvu/356

330

"Your Ladyship," Shelburne wrote to Lady Chatham next day, "sees the delicacy of this situation. My sincere and only wish is to do what is agreeable to Lord Chatham, not so much from a motive of private regard, as a thorough conviction that nothing but his compass and extent of mind can save this country from some great confusion. My reason for not choosing the new department proposed is no dislike to the office, but that I think the general system affected; but if Lord Chatham desires I should do it, I am very ready to take the part he wishes, notwithstanding my own earnest inclinations. Lord Chatham, if he enters at all into the situation, must carry me very strongly to miss no proper opportunity of declining office altogether, where I do not see my way, and have little or nothing to direct my conduct.

"Your Ladyship will judge so much better than I can of the proper time for communicating the contents of this letter to Lord Chatham when he will be least inconvenienced by it, that I flatter myself it will help to plead my excuse for the trouble of it, and that whenever he shall have bestowed a moment's attention on it, he will not withhold his opinion on an occasion, where I should wish so much to have it for my guide."

It was, however, impossible to obtain any reply of a definite character from Chatham, and Shelburne ended by acquiescing in the proposed division of the office, choosing, for the reasons he had indicated to Lady Chatham, to surrender his connection with American affairs. Being now more than ever anxious to obtain an interview with Chatham, and to explain his position, he started for Hayes, but after riding as far as Bromley, was stopped by a message from the great Earl declaring his inability to see him owing to constant illness. He accordingly contented himself with writing thence to Lady Chatham as follows:

"It may be proper just to acquaint Lord Chatham, as he knows what passed before, that the first time I saw the