George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 4, 15th edition.

[246] married the Countess Dowager of Dalkeith, first

chap. X.} 1756.

cousin to the Earl of Bute, thought even more meanly of Bute than of Newcastle. ‘Silly fellow for silly fellow,’ said he, ‘it is as well to be governed by my uncle with a blue riband, as by my cousin with a green one.’

Restless at sharing the disgrace of an imbecile administration, which met every where with defeat except in the House of Commons, where corruption could do its work, and ashamed of the small degree of real power conceded to him, Fox was unwilling to encounter a stormy opposition which would have had the country on its side. ‘My situation,’ said he to Newcastle in October, ‘is impracticable;’¹ and he left the cabinet. At the same time Murray declared that he, too, would serve as Attorney-General no longer; he would be Lord Chief Justice, with a peerage, or retire to private life. Newcastle dared not refuse or make more delay. The place had been vacant a term and a circuit;² the influence of Bute and Leicester House prevailed to bring Murray as Lord Mansfield upon the Bench, and into the House of Peers.³ There was no one in the House, who, even with a sure majority, dared attempt to cope with Pitt. Newcastle sought to negotiate with him. ‘A plain man,’ he answered, ‘unpractised in the policy of a court, must never presume to be the associate of so experienced a minister.’ ‘Write to him yourself,’ said Newcastle to Hardwicke. ‘Don't boggle at it; you see the king wishes it; Lady Yarmouth advises it;’⁴ and Hardwicke saw