ular; and the little attention that
is paid to what was in my earliest days called common honesty, is
now the most uncommon thing in the world. . . .

Let me have the pleasure of hearing that you are going on well in
Ireland,(145) for the loss of that I should have in being there with
you, which is impossible. Keep yourself, as you can very well do,
within your intrenchments, that no one may toss your hat over the
walls of the Castle. I dread to think what a wrongheaded people you
are to transact business with for the next three years of your life.
But I am less afraid of you from your character, than of another,
because I think that you will admit, at setting out, of no degree of
familiarity from those you are not well acquainted with. I hope that
Eden goes with you. I have a great opinion of his good sense and
scavoir faire.

(144) John Robinson (1727-1802), the son of an Appleby tradesman. He
grew wealthy by marriage and inheritance, and locally influential.
He became member for Westmoreland in 1764. In 1770 he was appointed
Secretary to the Treasury, which office he retained till Lord
North's fall in 1782. He was the business manager of the Ministry,
and had in his hands the distribution of the party funds and
patronage. He was an honest, able, and cool man of affairs, who
regarded politics wholly from a business point of view.

(145) Lord Carlisle had this year been appointed Lord-Lieutenant of
Ireland.

CHAPTER 4. 1781 THE DISASTERS IN AMERICA

A drum at Selwyn's--George, Lord Morpeth--Dr. Warner--Sale of the
Houghton pictures--The House of Commons--Pitt's first speech--Selwyn
unwell--Play at Brooks's--London gaieties--Fox and his new clothes
--Gambling--The bailiffs in Fox's house--"Fish" Crawford--Montem at
Eton--Mie Mie's education--Second speech of Pitt--Lord North--A
Court Ball--Society and politics--The Emperor of Austria
--Conversation with Fox--Personal feelings--American affairs--Lord
North and Mr. Robinson--State of politics--London Society.

The year 1781 will remain memorable as that in which the connection of
England with her American Colonies was finally broken. The surrender of
Cornwallis at Yorktown on October 19th impressed the Government with
the futility of a contest which the country had already realised, and
which would have at once caused a change of administration if the House
of Commons had been truly representative of the opinion of the country;
"a sense of past error," w