enough to take no steps while
I am in the dark upon the suggestion of others who cannot possibly
interest themselves for me. But I really think it will be a miracle
if this is not a troublesome and expensive Election to me. However,
I will not anticipate the evil by groaning about it before it
happens. . . .

The Duke of Newcastle is to bring Will Hanger into Parliament, but
what is to pay for his chair to go down to the House the Lord knows;
they tell me that there is absolutely not a shilling left.

(117) John, fifth Duke of Argyll (1723-1806). He had married for his
second wife the Duchess of Hamilton, nee Gunning, the famous beauty.

(118) Lady Amelia Mary (1731-1814), daughter of Charles, second Duke
of Richmond, as celebrated for her beauty and charm as her sisters,
Lady Holland, Lady Louisa Connolly, and Lady Sarah Bunbury, The
reference is evidently to her approaching second marriage to Mr.
Ogilvy.

The correspondence of 1775 begins with the frequent story of Charles
Fox's debts. It has been well said of Carlisle, that each fresh
instance of prodigality in Fox "affected his generous heart with
anxiety for the character, the health, and the happiness of his
friend before he found time to compute and lament its calamitous
influence on his own fortunes."(119) Selwyn's solicitude for the
welfare of his friend urged him, as we see in the following letter,
to something like impatient expostulation on his forbearance and
good nature.

(1775?) (Beginning wanting.) . . . Gregg wants me to dun Charles. He
lost last night 800 pounds, as Brooks told me to-day. He receives
money from More the Attorney. He forestalls all he is to receive,
and unless the importunity begins with you, mine will avail nothing.
Besides, I fairly own that I cannot keep my temper. My ideas,
education, and former experience, or inexperience, of these things,
make me see some things in the most horrible light which you can
conceive, and I am far from being singular. Pray write a letter to
Charles, a tella fin que de raison; otherwise there will be no
ability left, and then it will be to no purpose.

What management you choose to have with him is more than I can
comprehend. I can conceive the intimacy between you. Your delicacy
of temper, ten thousand nuances de sentiments. But I can never
conceive that all feeling, all the principle, &c., should be of one
side only. If you don't press it, he will not think it pressing, and
will say so; t