of this letter, I have been at the coffee-house, and bring you back
verbatim, a very curious article of the _Gazette_. "St. James's, Oct. 9.
The Right Hon. William Pitt having resigned the Seals into the King's
hands, his Majesty was this day pleased to appoint the Earl of Egremont
to be one of his principal Secretaries of State, and in consideration of
the great and important services of the said Mr. Pitt, his Majesty has
been graciously pleased to direct that a warrant be prepared for
granting to the Lady Hester Pitt, his wife, a Barony of Great Britain,
by the name, style and title of Baroness of Chatham to herself, and of
Baron of Chatham to her heirs male; and also to confer upon the said
William Pitt, Esq. an annuity of 3000_l_. sterling during his own life,
that of Lady Hester Pitt, and that of their son John Pitt, Esq!"

A report of this matter got about the day before, and most unfortunately
all the newspapers contradicted it as a scandalous report, set on foot
with a design to tarnish the lustre of a certain great character. This
was the style of the morning and evening papers of Saturday, and of
those who converse upon their authority; so that upon the coming in of
the _Gazette_ about ten o'clock at night, it was really diverting to see
the effect it had upon most people's countenances at Dick's Coffee
House, where I was; it occasioned a dead silence, and I think every body
went away without giving their opinions of the matter, except Dr.
Collier, who has always called Mr. Pitt all the rogues he can set his
mouth on. It appears at present a most unaccountable proceeding in every
part of it, for he seems to have forfeited his popularity, on which his
consequence depended, for a consideration which he might have commanded
at any time; and yet he does not make an absolute retreat, for in that
case one should think he would have taken the peerage himself.

Lord Temple has resigned the Privy Seal, which is commonly said to be