HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
removed from that office on account 
of the unpopularity of his adminis- 
tration, he had been recompensed 
for his loss with the seals of the 
homedepartment. Whatever vicw 
was taken by the public of his past 
life and services, no reasun could be 
found for conferring on him so dis- 
tinguished a mark of the royal fa- 
vour. Was it said in justification of 
this transaction, that the ministers 
going oat of office were under no 
obligation to consult the interest of 
their successors; and that in a 
party view, taking party in its most 
grovelling acceptation as a mere 
scramble for places and emolu- 
ments, it was unreasonable to ex- 
pect, they should leave so lucrative 
an appointment to theiropponents? 
It might be answered, that not 
» only did this plea ill accord with the 
disinterested professions of the old 
ministers, and with their declara- 
tions, that they had no thoughts of 
engaging in opposition, nor inten- 
tion of harassing or disturbing any go- 
vernment his majesty might appoint ; 
but why, in that case, not give the 
appointment to lord Eldon, by 
which means his pension might have 
been sayed to the public, or to lord 
Chatham, whose moderate fortune 
required some addition to his in- 
come, and whose near relationship 
to the late minister gave him a claim 
to some remuneration from the 
public, as the representative of his 
brother, whose life aad talents had 
been devoted to its service ? 
The wardenship of the Cinque- 
Ports having been in this manner 
disposed of, and every attempt to 
form an administration from the 
wreck of the late ministry hav- 
ing proved unsuccessful, his majesty 
was at length advised to call in the 
assistance of lord Grenville. A 
21 
message was conveyed to his lord- 
ship on the 26th of January, by 
lord Dartmouth, desiring his atten. 
dance at Buckingham House on the 
following day. Lord Grenville 
having obeyed the summons, was 
graciously informed by his majesty, 
that he had been sent for, to con- 
sult with about the formation of a 
new ministry ; to which he is said to 
have replied, with proper acknow. 
ledgments for so distinguished a 
mark of his majesty’s confidence, 
that his majesty was already in pos. 
session of his sentiments on thatsub- 
ject; he was convinced, that an 
administration, to be of any effec 
tual service to the country, must 
not be formed on an exclusive prin- 
ciple,.but must comprehend all the 
leading men of the country. His 
majesty having graciously replied, 
that it was his wish to have lord 
Grenville’s opinion, who ought to 
be included in such administration, 
his lordship is said to have answered, 
that he felt it his duty thus early in 
the business to apprize his majesty, 
that the person he should consult 
with on the subject was Mr. Fox. 
** [ thought so and I meant it so,” 
is said to have been his majesty’s 
most gracious reply. 
Many were the reflections and 
conjectures to which this answer 
gave rise. They who recollected 
the result of a similar audience in 
1804, could not conceal their sur. 
prize and wonder at so different a 
conclusion to the present. Could 
his majesty, they asked, have 
changed in so short a time the opi- 
nion which he was then said to 
have entertained of Mr. Fox, as 
fram his gracious answer to lord 
Grenville it was most natural to 
infer? But, in that case, what 
were the causes, to which so great 
C3 and 
