forgive or endure Fox; and if they could, his and Winchilsea’s remaining would keep their friends from resigning, and then how would there be room for Newcastle’s zealots or Pitt’s martyrs?  But what I take to be most difficult of all, is the accommodation between the chiefs themselves:  his grace’s head and heart seem to be just as young and as old as ever they were; this triumph will intoxicate him; if he could not agree with Pitt, when his prospect was worst, be will not be more firm or more sincere when all his doublings have been rewarded.  If his vainglory turns his head, it will make no impression on Pitt, who is as little likely to be awed by another’s pageant, as to be depressed by his own slender train.  They can’t agree—­but what becomes of us?  There are three factions, just strong enough to make every thing impracticable.

The willing victim, Lord Holderness, is likely to be the most real victim.  His situation was exactly parallel to Lord Harrington’s,(793) with the addition of the latter’s experience.  Both the children of fortune, unsupported by talents, fostered by the King’s favour, without connexions or interest, deserted him to please this wayward Duke, who, to recover a little favour in the cabinet, sacrificed the first to the King@s resentment, and has prepared to treat the other in the same manner, by protesting that he did not ask the compliment.  But no matter for him!  I have already told you, and I repeat, that I see no end to these struggles without great convulsions.  The provocations, and consequently the resentments, increase with every revolution.  Blood royal is mixed in the quarrels:  two factions might cease by the victory of either; here is always a third ready to turn the scale.  Happily the people care or interest themselves very little about all this-but they will be listed soon, as the chiefs grow so much in earnest, and as there are men of such vast property engaged on every side-there is not a public pretence on any.  The scramble is avowedly for power-whoever remains master of the field at last, I fear, will have power to use it!

This is not the sole uneasiness at Kensington; they know the proximity of the French army to the Duke, and think that by this time there may have been an action:  the suspense is not pleasant:  the event may have great consequences even on these broils at home.  For the King of Prussia, he is left to the coffee-houses.  Adieu!  I can scarce steal a day for Strawberry; if one leaves London to itself for four-and-twenty hours, one finds it topsy-turvy.

(793) William Stanhope, Earl of Harrington, who, though a younger brother, had been raised to an earldom, to be Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and Secretary of State, had been the first man to resign his place in 1746, when the King, his master and benefactor, had a mind to remove the Pelhams, and make Lord Granville prime minister.  He was afterwards sacrificed by the Pelhams to please the King.  Lord Holderness was born to an earldom, but having little fortune or parts, had been promoted by the Duke of Newcastle to great posts.