Airtnoirs of the Lift of the lLigKt,Hiinf J/'tn,,i*lHi 



am 



finfling himself defeatt'cl a third time; 

 his motion, ;>f( or ii long ch-hale, being 

 nqjatived by 248 to 174. This was his 

 last attempt to obtain a reform in par- 

 K^mcijt. Having upon this occasion 

 made every rflort, aiid exeated all the 

 iafliicnce in his power, both publicly 

 and privately, and failed by so consi- 

 derable a majority, he was convinced 

 that any A^rther' trial in the present 

 House of Couomoas, must be iuelfectual 

 s^Eul therefore he desisted ; and we shall 

 see, that soon aft(!r the next jfeneral 

 election, he thought it his duty, on 

 account of a most material cliauge in 

 the situation of the country, to oppose 

 a motion upon tlie subject, brought 

 forward by another person. 



FIRST ILLNESS OF aEOHGE III. 



' In file early part of the summer of 

 this year, the hciilih of theKinj^had in 

 s<unc deforce declined ;' and the day 

 after the prorogation of Parliament, he 

 went to <J!u-ltenliam by the advice of 

 hjs physicians, but did not derive the 

 expected beuefit from the medicinal 

 waters of tiiat place. He returned to 

 Windsor on the 16th of August, and, 

 not long after. Ills disorder took a most 

 uBfortuuafe turn. Symptoms of mental 

 derangement occasionally appeared, and 

 gradually increased bo(h in frequency 

 and iu degiee, so that in the course of 

 the next six or eight weeks he was se- 

 veral times unable to hold his levees at 

 St. James's. On the 21st of October 

 he wrote to Mr. Pitt, desii ing to see 

 him at AFiudsor; and adding, that 

 though an invalid, it would be an 

 amusement to him to talk over busi- 

 ness with Mr. Pitt. At the le^ce on 

 Friday the 24th, his manner and con- 

 versation were such, that the nature of 

 his indisposition was evident to all who 

 were present. Mr. Pitt was greatly 

 affected when he attended his Majesty 

 in the closet after the levee, which the 

 King observed, and noticed in writing 

 to him the next day from Kew. In 

 this letter, he said thqi he held a levee 

 to prevent false reports, and a fall of 

 the stocks ; and probably in some de- 

 gree aware of his situation, he directed 

 jjljfr. Pift^^ot to allow any political pa- 



» Oil the 12th of June the King wrote to 

 Wr. Pitt from Kew, complaining- of a bilious 

 disorder, and saying that Sir George Baker 

 (his physician) would not allow bim to go 

 to town on that or the following day, quiet 

 being essential to him. On the 18th the King 

 wrote -again to Mr. Pitt from Kew, infoim- 

 ;in»him he was-bettiet^ ; r ■,..,• ;■.:;;•• 



pers to be sent to him, before tlic neift 

 Icvce on Wednesday. 0« Saturday- th# 

 25th he went (o Windsor ; hut neither 

 his Majesty, nor any of tbe royal family' 

 attendfd divine service on the follow'-- 

 ing day, a decisive proof that he wa<r^ 

 then seriously ill. Nor was he per-' 

 mitted to go to London for the pTirposii' 

 of holding a levee on Wednesday tlie 

 29th; but four days afterwards he' 

 wrote to Mr. Pitt, iuforniing him, that 

 he was better, aiul able to sign war-" 

 rants, but hot to read dispntches, and 

 therefore he desired to see Mr. Pitt ?* 

 Windsor. In neither of these let(er# 

 is there a sinarlc incoherent expression.' 

 Hitherto the tlisorder had fluctuated; 

 but the jjaroxysnis of the malady, at!- 

 companied with highly bilious aflfec- 

 tions, now brought on so violent a fe- 

 ver, that his Majesty became totally* 

 and constantly deprived of the use of 

 reason, and his life was for several day^' 

 in imminent danger.* Sir George Ba- 

 ker, the physician, who had attended 

 his Majesty at Kew. from the 1 7th ia 

 the 2.5th of October, afterwards visiferf 

 him at Windsor; and from the 5th of 

 November, he and Dr. Warren, aji(l 

 Dr. Reynolds remained there day and 

 night; Sir Lucas Pcpys, and Dr. Aff* 

 dington attending occasionally. Tile 

 Prince of Wales and the Duke of York 

 took up their residence at Wimho'", 

 ami the ministers frequently repaireft 

 thither to confer with the physicians, 

 The Gazette of November the 11th an- 

 nounced, that the King had passed th* 

 preceding night quietly, but that there 

 was no abatement in his coin plaint. 



• Just at this moment Mr. Pitt wrote: to 

 mc at Buckden, saying, "The etfect moHt 

 to be dreaded is on the understaiuling, If 

 this lasts beyond a celtain time, it will 

 produce the most difhcult and delicate crir 

 sis imaginable, in making provision for the 

 government to go on. It must, however^ 

 yet be some weeks before that can reqqirf 

 decision > but the interval wi I J be a truly 

 anxious one. You shall hear soon again^ ' 

 but, if in the course of a few days, you 

 could spare the time to come to tbwn, 1 

 should be very glad to talk -with ybn^ as 

 there will be a thousand particulars you 

 must wish to know, which I cantiot write. 

 I shall not stir from hence, exeept tor go- 

 ing to enquire at Windsor." 



I went to town immediately, and late at 

 night foamd Mr. Pitt expecting a messen^ 

 ger every moment with the aeconnt efthe 

 King's death, but the iutelligence, which 

 did not arrive till two in the Dsorning, 

 proved more favourable. 



Abot»t 



