facts concerning the affair of Minden, the opinions of foreign officers relative to P(rince) Ferd(inand’s) whole conduct in respect of Lord George, the faction and partiality and injustice in the proceedings of the court martial, with so many arguments and precedents against the Question of yesterday, that poor Cov(entry) had not a word to say but that he had been soliciting privately—­which I do not credit—­the Lords in Opposition not to bring on this question, which at the same time he rejoiced at.  Lord Ash[burnham] is among many others one whom Cov(entry) is practising constantly his astucity upon, and whom he thinks that he deceives.  I was extremely entertained.

I have no liking and esteem for Lord Sack(ville), or ever had, any more than acquaintance with him, but from the first to the last I have believed that he has been sacrificed to the implacable resentment of P(rince) Ferd(inand), the late Duke of Cumb(erlan)d, and the late King, helped on by all the private malice and flattery in the world; and all which I heard last night, of which I cannot have the least doubt, confirms me in that opinion.  I am clear in nothing concerning his personal merit, or defects, excepting of his abilities, and when these could be of any use to Party, they were extolled, and his imperfections forgot.  He was invited to take a share in Government by the people who think, or have pretended to think, him a disgrace to the peerage.

I am sorry for it, but Lord Carm(arthen)(200) has in all this made but a miserable figure.  I am sorry, from wishing well towards him, that I had not been apprised of this.  I could have assured him of what even the best of his own party would think of his Motion, after it was made.  I know that Lord Cambden(201) was strongly in his private opinion against it. [The] Lord Chancellor(202) spoke out I hear; his speech was admirable, en tous points; and upon the whole, I believe Lord Sackville to have been infinitely more served than hurt by this proceeding.

I saw on Brooks’s table a letter directed to you from Hare, so I hope that it was to give you an account of these things, partial or impartial.  I have no doubt but his account will be an amusing one.  I left him in his semicircular nitch at the Pharo table, improving his fortune every deal.  I wish Monsieur Mercier would come here and write a Tableau de Londres as he has that of Paris, and that he would take for his work some anecdotes with which I could furnish him.

It is thought that we shall be run hard in the House to-morrow.  And so we shall, but we shall not be beat, as Charles gives out, and does not believe.  I suppose our majority will be about twenty.  Absentees in the last Question on both sides will now appear.  I hope that Government will send two Yeomen of the Guard to carry the Fish down in his blankets, for he pretends to have the gout.  He should be deposited sur son maniveau, and be fairly asked his opinion, and forced to give it, one way or the other, en pleine assemble, for at present it is only we who can tell s’il est chair ou poisson. . . .