g an address
from this neighbourhood, which has been carried with great success,
and has pleased, _particularly_ in the quarter where I was anxious
it should. I received a communication from the King through
Princess Augusta, who was commanded to deliver it to me, that he
should make an exception for his neighbours, and receive it in
person, and that he should afterwards invite the principal persons
to dine with him, directing me to make a proper selection for him
to invite. This has placed me in great awkwardness, for I dare not
avow this permission for fear of offending all my neighbours, and
it is difficult to make a selection where all are perfectly unfit.
However, I have endeavoured to get rid of it, by recommending it to
be confined to those only who have been presented, or to noblemen
and men of rank. Though highly flattering all this, I think you
will agree with me it is highly absurd and _infra dignitate_. My
own opinion is, that he will not come to the neighbourhood this
week, as he proposed; for you may rest assured he is extremely
unwell--I _think_, seriously so. He has been bled twice or three
times; the greatest pains are taken to keep this illness from the
public; but my authority is _good_, and what I can depend upon. He
looked very ill when I last saw him, and I think Lord Grenville
must have found his appearance much altered. The impression of my
mind is that the complaint is in the _head_. He has been agitated
to a degree by the birth of this Clarence child, and by all the
difficulties surrounding him; and not less from finding that he has
no resource, but must submit to whatever his Ministers may decide
as to the Queen. He still presses further resistance, and fancies
the public will open their eyes to all the history which you know
regarding the Princess Charlotte, which they will not believe one
word about, but will only consider a further proof of conspiracy.
On this point, however, he is uncontrollable, and nothing will
convince him. What confirms me in his illness is, that Bloomfield
was to have written to me two days ago to settle about our
reception, &c. &c; he has not done so, and I am persuaded the King
cannot leave town, and he don't like to acknowledge this.

I heard a story--I don't vouch for the truth of it--that the Duke
of Gloucester and Lord C