[11] Mr. Tierney’s speech in the House of Commons.
[12] Lieut.-Col. Gordon (Sir Willoughby), Military Secretary to the Duke of York, speaks of Lord Cornwallis as “an officer whose estimation in the army could not be exceeded.”—Lieut.-Col. Gordon to Sir A. Wellesley, 1807.
[13] “The staff in Kent seems to be calculated solely for the purpose of placing the defence of the country in the hands of Sir D. Dundas. However he may succeed with other people, I think he cannot persuade Mr. Pitt and Lord Melville that he is a clever fellow; and surely they must have too much sense to believe that it is possible that a man without talents, and who can neither write nor talk intelligibly, can be a good general.”—Lord C. to Lt.-Gen. Ross.
[14] “April 12, 1800. The king much improved. Saw the Duke of York for two hours yesterday, on military matters.
“April 13. The king not so well. Over-excited himself yesterday.”—Diary of the Right Hon. Sir George Rose.
[15] “The Duke of York is certainly in a bad way. All that we can do will be to acquit him of corruption; and indeed I doubt whether we shall be able to carry him so far as to acquit him of suspecting Mrs. Clarke’s practices and allowing them to go on. If we should succeed in both these objects, the question will then turn upon the point whether it is proper that a prince of the blood, who has manifested so much weakness as he has, and has led such a life (for that is material in these days), is a proper person to be intrusted with the duties of a responsible office.
“We shall be beat upon this question, I think. If we should carry it by a small majority, the duke will equally be obliged to resign his office, and most probably the consequence of such a victory must be that the government will be broken up.”—Sir A. Wellesley to the Duke of Richmond, 1809.
[16] “General Dundas is, I understand, appointed commander-in-chief, I should imagine much against the inclination of the king’s ministers; but I understand that it is expected that the Duke of York will be able to resume his situation by the time Sir David is quite superannuated, and it might not be so easy to get a younger or a better man out of office at so early a period.”—Sir A. W. to the Duke of R., 1809.
To Goldenhair.
(FROM HORACE.)
Ah, Pyrrha—tell me, whose the happy lot