to me,

Lord Thurlow's having once said to me, "When Mr. Pitt first became Prime Minister, it was a very unpleasant thing to do business with him; but it afterwards became as pleasant to do business with him as with Lord North." Every one knows, that intercourse with Lord North was peculiarly pleasant. Lord Thurlow strongly disapproved of Mr. Pitt's conduct on the impeachment of Mr. Hastings: how far that contributed to excite ill humour in him I cannot say. Lord North once said "Your friend Lord Thurlow thinks, that his personal influence with the King authorises him to treat Mr. Pitt with humeur. Take my word for it, whenever Mr. Pitt says to the King, Sir, the Great Seal must be in other hands,' the King will take the Great Seal from Lord Thurlow, and never think any more about him." It turned out exactly as Lord North had said to me: the King took the Great Seal from Lord Thurlow, and never concerned himself about him afterwards. I have no doubt, that this conduct of the King was wholly unexpected by Lord Thurlow: it mortified him most severely. I recollect

his saying to me: "No man has a right to treat another in the way in which the King has treated me: we cannot meet again in the same room." But Lord Thurlow had not read the character of his master with the penetration of Lord North. (Note 27.)

CHAP. XIX.

On the Consequences of a King of Great Britain being a German Sovereign.

THE Brunswick family was selected to wear the Crown of England, as the best means of securing us from the return of popery and despotism. The establishment of this family, on the death of Queen Anne, has preserved us from those evils which we dreaded. But the benefits which we have received, have been mixed with some alloy. We have the character of George I. sketched by the hand of the Earl of Chesterfield. He had opportunities of approaching this monarch, and I believe he has given us a correct character of him. He tells us, that he was a dull German gentleman. That he neither understood, nor concerned himself about the interests of England; but that he was well acquainted with the interests of HanOne of his first acts, after his ac

over.

cession, was to prevail on the British Parliament to purchase for him the Duchies of Bremen and Verden, from the King of Denmark, for the sum of 250,0001. This act was unjust, impolitic, and a violation of good faith. During the difficulties of Charles XII. of Sweden, the King of Denmark had seized on these territories. It was evident, that the King of Denmark, who had not a pretence of right, would not be able to keep them. It was, therefore, a purchase of stolen goods from a thief, who, if we had not purchased, must have abandoned them. It was impolitic : for it rendered Sweden the enemy of Great Britain for very many years. It was also a violation of that treaty of Munster, in 1648, which England had guaranteed. I believe the pretence for calling on England to pay this money, was the advantage which she derived from her trade up the river Weser; an advantage which she could not have been deprived of, even if the King of Denmark had kept the territories. During this reign, we were involved in all the mysteries of German politics. We engaged in a war with Spain in 1718, in support of the views of

the Emperor of Germany. It was a subject in which Great Britain was wholly uninterested. Fortunately the war was short.

Perhaps the character of George II. may be drawn nearly in the same words as that of his father. He was a dull German. Possibly the expression gentleman, might be left out; for he was sometimes coarse and brutal. The war of 1741 had originated in a dispute with Spain. It might have been begun for British interests: it was continued in consequence of German connexions. The same may be said of the war of 1756. It was begun for the support of British interests in America

:

;

but the lavish expenditure and the continuance of this war, were for the were for the support of George the Second's views and interests in Germany.

When George III., in his first address to the British Parliament, made use of these words, "Born and educated in this country, I glory in the name of Briton," the expression was hailed with joy. The