CHAPTER VIII.

1756. Affairs at Home 245

Mr. Byng publishes a Defence 246

Effect of Byng’s Pamphlet 247

Loss of Oswego 248

Affair of the Hanoverian Soldier at Maidstone _ib._

The King admits Lord Bute into the Prince’s Family 249

Fox discontented with Newcastle, and insists on resigning 251

Precarious state of the Ministry 252

Lord Grenville takes Fox’s resignation to the King 253

Fox, irresolute, applies to the Author 254

Author’s motives in declining to interfere 255

Fox has an Audience 256

Pitt’s objections and demands 257

Prince of Wales’s new Household 258

Pitt visits Lady Yarmouth 259

State of Parties 260

Duke of Newcastle determines to resign 262

Pitt declines acting with Fox _ib._

Negotiations for the formation of a new Ministry 263

Fox labours to obstruct the formation of a Ministry 268

The designs of Fox defeated 269

Duke of Devonshire accepts the Treasury _ib._

New Ministry 270

Duke of Newcastle resigns 272

The Chancellor resigns 273

The changes settled 274

Pitt Minister 275

Parliament meets 276