en with the burden of years and
hypochondriacal infirmities; yet, up to the last, vacillating in his
resolution. Lord Mornington, who met him at dinner at Pitt's during this
visit, says: "I met old Lifford at dinner at Pitt's, and never saw him
look in better health or spirits; he is, as you may well believe, most
generally _quizzed_ in London." The letter in which he announces to Lord
Buckingham his intention of resigning of the Seals, after many
misgivings before he could make up his mind to it, is thoroughly
characteristic.

LORD LIFFORD TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.

Royal Hotel, Pall Mall,

Saturday, August 30th, 1788.

My very good Lord,

My complaints at times to your Excellency, and my apprehensions
expressed to you that bodily weakness and the infirmities of old
age were coming upon me apace, will prevent your Excellency from
being much surprised when I tell you that my journey hither,
which at first I thought would have relieved me, hath served
only to confirm me in the apprehensions I had conceived that the
hour of infirmity, which is an enemy to all exertion, and first
weakens and slackens the course of business, and soon afterwards
disables, was not far off.

I now grow so clumsy and weak in my limbs, and so soon grow
tired and fatigued to a degree painful to me, that although my
mind seems as well as ever, yet I am sure that I cannot long do
my duty, and there is nothing I dread so much as sitting upon a
great seat of justice as a kind of ruin, and in a state of
decay. In my seventy-fourth year, I am not sure that avarice may
not lay hold of me, and tempt me to stay where I am, until I
feel or am made to feel, by being told that I have stayed too
long; and that peevishness too, an attendant upon old age, may
not put an end to that command of temper, which I have ever
endeavoured to preserve; and that, with such enemies to fair
fame, I may soon impair and sully the character and esteem which
I may at present have.

Under these impressions, my wishes to retire become divided,
which they were not until within these few days past. I should
have been happy in first declaring this to you, wishing in
everything to do that which but expresses my sincere attachment
to and regard for your Excellency. But being going into the
royal presence, I resolved to lay myself at His Majest