Adam Hay, Lord March’s Member for Peebles, died yesterday, I am afraid to say suddenly, because it is a suspicious word, and will be more so in his case, as I believe Fortune has not been favourable to him.  But I do not believe anything of that sort; his general state of health has been bad for some time, and I was told that his last and fatal attack was in his bowels.  The two Lascells and (sic) dined at his house not a week ago.  Sir R. Keith comes in, in his room.  Lord N(orth) and Lord Suffolk recommend him.  March has demurred upon it, but seems not determined for particular reasons.  I have been employed about this, this whole day at Court, and then with Lord North, and going backwards and forwards.  March will not do what he should, at the time it ought to be done, and then things are in confusion, when they should be adjusted, and carried into execution.  It is to no purpose endeavouring to persuade him; if you tell him what may happen, he silences you with some adage, or a qu’importe, and so drives everything off till he does (not) know what party (parti?) to fix upon.

(127) Lord Carlisle declined the offer of a Lordship of the Bedchamber, see Trevelyan’s “Early Life of Fox,” chap. iv.

(128) On November 16th Burke moved for leave to bring in a Bill for composing the present troubles and for quieting the minds of his Majesty’s subjects in America.  The motion was negatived, after an important debate, a little before five o’clock in the morning, by 210 to 105 votes.

(1775,) Dec. 9, Saturday m(orming), at home.—­By accident you will receive no letter from me to-morrow, but by no accident facheux.  For the future, however I conclude my day, I will begin it by writing to you, when the day comes that I am to write.

Yesterday I dined at Lord Gower’s; there were the B(isho)p of Worcester, Lord Stanley and Lady Betty, Lord March, Storer, K. Stewart, and la famille; en verite votre beau-pere est bien servi; le diner fut superbe.  I was obliged, without staying for my coffee, to go to the House, where we were till about ten.  I hope that it is the last day of business before the Recess.

I sent your letter last night to Lady Carlisle, and wrote to her myself.  But I will defer no more writing to anybody till the evening, excepting to Ald.  Harris, who is at present very clamorous for a letter, for he has not heard from me in God knows how long a time, and at this minute I have mislaid his last letters.

I have contrived to wrench out of Charles’s black hands 50 pounds for Spencer, by watching the opportunity of his play, and should have got from anybody but himself one thousand of the 1,500, for he had won that, and more, the other night, and it was to have been paid to him the next morning.  I sent immediately to Gregg, and it was my design to have carried your bond to Brooks, who should have intercepted the 1,000 for his own use, and then I should have applied the same sum afterwards to the tradesmen; but he was too quick for me, and set (sat) up and lost it and more to Lord Stavordale.  I know that he could have pleaded his debt to Lord Cholmondly, and to Brooks himself, &c., neither of whom probably would have received a groat; but that matter is over for the present.  However, Brooks has promised me that (sic), if any event of this kind happens again, to avail himself of it, for your convenience.