"by George was made
Good Marlbro's successor"—
and certainly the probabilities are that he must have been personally known to—had before spoken to him. Sackville must at this very time have been particularly anxious about Swinney and his doings, wise or unwise. That fatal battle of Minden had been the ruin of all his hopes—the overthrow of all his ambition. In my opinion, Sackville had been shamefully and shamelessly run down on that occasion; but whether justly or unjustly stripped of his honours and degraded for his conduct, here was a man about to write a poem on the battle, to immortalise those who fought in it; and Sackville must have been keenly alive to what he might say of him. Swinney foreshadowed what his opinion would be in the First Book, where he enumerates Sackville amongst his "choice leaders"—
"Good Marlbro', Sackville, Granby, Waldgrave bold,
Brudenell and Kingsley."
This was published early in 1769.
In the Second Book Lord George is brought prominently forward. The "bewilder'd Ferdinand," "doubtful himself," summons a council of war, and calls first on Sackville for advice.
"Sackville, disclose the secret of thy breast:
Say, shall we linger in ignoble rest?
Shall we retreat? advance, or perish here?