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1753.

MR. RIGBY TO THE DUKE OF BEDFORD.

My dear Lord,

Leicester fields, Dec. 25. 1753.

The enclosed fragment I take the liberty to send to your Grace, to shew the Duchess; Lady Betty's intentions were good, if her mistress had not engrossed her whole time for this evening. She would have related this melancholy story from Ireland* much better than me, and would have interspersed with it remarks which I shall leave to your judgment to supply for me. I have seen her but for an instant as I came from dinner from White's here, and have only to tell you from her as domestic occurrences, that the soldier you wrote to Johnny about, will be received without punishment if he returns to his colours immediately, and behaves as he should do. And for Trentham's information that Lord Gower has been ill these two days of a fever, and has now got the gout in his hand; that I suppose will be of advantage to his health as Mr. Pelham's illness, like every other earthly thing, is like to turn out to his. He has had St. Anthony's fire to a violent degree, broke out all over his shoulders and back, and since it has broke out, is mending apace; the day I saw Roberts's face at the window, they thought him in imminent danger, and so they did on Saturday;

*The disturbances and op- † Private secretary to Mr. position to government during Pelham. the Duke of Dorset's lieutenancy.

but that is over. His brother's turn is now come, for Maxwell, who I saw to-day on the road from Ireland, is gone to Clermount after him, and I imagine it will require all Dr. Shaw's skill to parry the consequences of this fright. You see by the fragment, the money bill, as it is absurdly called, was lost by five, 122 to 117 were the numbers, three of the Castle side deserting during the debate, which lasted till twelve at night. The next question intended after the holydays, for a Christmas box for the Primate, is a motion to the King to remove him from his councils for ever. The Earl, who has always been a great friend of mine, and loves to honour me sometimes with his confidence, I think whispered me a likely conjecture upon Maxwell's coming for leave to prorogue the parliament. You see from Lady Betty's account, and I find from all that Lord Home has reported, they are desirous of making all the world here believe it a national distinction, and that the Irish want to shake off their dependence upon this country; but they must be poor or partial politicians who can't see through such a disguise as that; whenever I see the house of Dorset or of Pelham necessary to the preservation of a third part of the King's dominions, I shall have but a miserable opinion of the whole, but till then shall never believe the most personal opposition that ever was made, is intended for any other purposes, but such as their own honour and ease dictate to them; and in that faith, I heartily wish them all success. The successor,

1753.

1753.

for one must certainly be soon appointed, is variously talked of. Lord President thought very likely, and then the other may be reinstated, and in some measure save appearances. The Secretary of State*, but this I beg among friends, has talked much of himself, and has been told he has done too much so he went so far as to ask a guest of your's to be one of his Aides-de-Camp. Lord Chesterfield says he would by no means accept of it, though as George Selwyn was not by, he ventured a joke upon it, and said he was the properest person, for he understood they made a great noise there, and he was too deaf to hear it. There are stories of Lord George's asking Mr. Malone's pardon; of members of parliament fighting every day; of stopping coaches in the street, and making people declare for England or Ireland, and many more that I will bring you a verbal account of, not worth writing down. I will in two or three days bring you what more intelligence I can pick up and some of the best Dantzick brandy Sir Charles Williams has given me for the Duchess in the world.

Gideon is gone to France to avoid being had before Leheup's Committee †; and I have a strange anecdote to tell you about a certain defence of Leheup's in the House of Commons, which too I am very sorry for. I am, &c.

*Lord Holdernesse.

Mr. Leheup was a receiver of contributions to the lottery for the purchase of Sir Hans Sloane's collections. A committee of the

R. RIGBY.

House of Commons came to a resolution that he had been guilty of a breach of trust; he was prosecuted by the attorney-general, and fined 10007.

ALDERMAN BECK FORD TO THE DUKE OF BEDFORD.

Soho Square, May 21. 1754.

I hope your Grace will excuse the liberty I take in troubling you with the following relation. As I look on myself tolerably zealous for the liberty of this country, and used my utmost endeavours to get as many friends elected into the new Parliament as I well could, with prudence in respect to my fortune; and I think I have no reason to complain of want of success, having carried three cities and two boroughs. Four seats were originally intended for the four brothers, and the fifth for a good friend and patriot. Here were my original intentions; but I was prevented having my younger brother chosen by an old relation, Mr. Thomas Beckford of Ashted, on whom my brothers have great dependence; as he was unwilling to have my youngest brother, Francis, elected, I gave a promise to Sir John Phillipps that he should be the man to succeed me at Petersfield, and thus matters stood when I received a letter from my brother Richard, member for Bristol, wherein he does most earnestly desire that I will use my utmost endeavours to get all four brothers returned, notwithstanding the opposition of Mr. Thomas Beckford to my original plan. The favour I have to ask of your Grace is that, in case you should have a vacancy in any of your boroughs, to think of this brother of mine, and I will venture

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1753.

1754.

to say there are not four men in the kingdom more zealously attached to the Protestant Succession, and to the liberties of the people; more desirous of joining in every attempt to place the administration of public affairs in abler hands than we are. *

Let the respect and veneration I have for your Grace's character plead an excuse for the liberty taken by

Your most obedient, &c.
WILLIAM BECKFORD.

DUKE OF BEDFORD TO THE EARL OF HARDWICKE.

My Lord,

Bath, May 22. 1754.

I do myself the honour to enclose to your Lordship four several lists, as marked in the index, which I likewise enclose. Your Lordship will see upon the perusing them, that they relate to the new Commission of the Peace, which I mentioned to your Lordship during the last winter (as necessary for the good government of that large and opulent county †) to pass the great seal, as soon as it should appear to your Lordship the time and circumstances of affairs in that county should be apt for a work of this nature.

As I am certain there is at present a great want

* Three brothers only appear to have been in parliament, viz: William Beckford, London.

Richard Beckford, Bristol. Julian Beckford, New Sarum. + Devonshire.

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