after some eloquent denunciations of the
corruption of the times occasioned by the threat
of a political opponent to spend ten thousand
pounds to counteract his views on the borough
of Bodmin, suggests that he has reason to
believe that this little difficulty might be got
over by the promotion of the brother of his
adversary, a lieutenant in the Coldstream regiment,
to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. This
simple plan would, he observes, " make affairs
at Bodmin very quiet, and little expensive,
and lay a foundation to settle that borough
hereafter, in an equable way." The readiness
to give advice is the first fruit of friendship ;
apt to be sour, as first fruits are ; but for
Lord Bute, advice can only tend, like this, to
"make things pleasant."

Some correspondents, we find — even as
absent lovers record their past kisses — remind
Lord Bute agreeably of their past services ;
while others appeal to his magnanimity, by
frankly avowing that they have no claims on
him at all. Thus, Mr. Colborn being, as he says,
" very little known to his lordship, and not
having the least pretensions to found a hope of
his protection on ; " and holding, moreover,
already, he might have added, a lucrative
public appointment ; " desiring his lordship's
happiness, and knowing how blessed a thing
it is to give," applies for a place about
the Court which might be given to his wife.
Mr. Gascoigne, a gentleman of landed estate
in a southern county, being " wholly unknown
to Lord Bute, feels," to use his own words,
" that his application, under such
circumstances, to a gentleman of such high rank and
station, might be looked upon as presumptuous."
" But," he continues, " I consider
your lordship in an abstracted light from your
predecessors, and that your actions are founded
upon patriotism and the most distinguished
reason, and conducted with resolution and a
determination to relieve a country exhausted
of its treasures, if not to restore it to its
ancient power and splendour." Looking at
Lord Bute in this point of view, Mr.
Gascoigne feels no difficulty in applying to the
Minister, " as a gentleman having a regard to
posterity," for a place under Government " for
the support of his family." Some of Lord Bute's
admirers throw themselves upon his
magnanimity, with beautiful reliance. For example,
Mr. Boden only wishes "to have something done
for him, and does not take the liberty to carve
for himself." Mr. Fisher prefers a claim to a
lottery commissionership ; which is distinctly
made out upon the ground of his never having
asked for anything before. Dr. Bentham's
application to be made one of the king's
chaplains is based very fairly indeed on " the
obliging manner " in which his lordship had
"been pleased to accept a former application"
for something else. Says one, " It is
the first time I ever asked bread in the
streets;" and, says another, "Often I 've
begged, and it's not you who ever turned
me off, without my penny."

Mr. Champignon begs Lord Bute to aid his
views by three simple letters of introduction.
This favour he may indeed say that he has
merited by various secret services to the
British Government, " in casting a light " on
certain mysteries connected with the expedition
to the Elbe; and he adds, " If your lordship
will accord me a quarter of an hour's
audience, I offer to enable you to penetrate
into the most intimate secrets of a royal
court, with the same facility that you know
daily what passes in the House of Commons,
and that, too, by a means worthy of you and
of me. You will readily understand, my
lord, that these sort of things are not to be
committed to paper; they are to be
communicated only by word of mouth, and, even
then, in a low tone of voice." Lord Bute,
perhaps, jealous of a rival in magnanimity,
appears to have declined this favour.
Champignon having turned then to the intervention
of a friend at court, had his suit
generously taken up and privately promoted.
Baron Haslang, the Bavarian minister,
transmitting a further appeal from " the unlucky
Champignon," begs his lordship " to give
him something to get rid of him," so that "we
may be no more troubled by his importunity."

It is quite clear that the receipt of favours
grates on the fine mind of a minister. Mr.
Thomas Lowe, of Quality Court, Chancery
Lane, is desirous of submitting to Lord Bute
a plan for obtaining a sum of money for the
public service. Unfortunately, he is not at
liberty in a letter to mention by what means
the money may be procured; but " this," says
he, " I will take upon myself to say, that it
will raise an incredible sum in a few months;
is an imposition of the lowest denomination;
cannot be objected to, with the least reason,
by any individual or body of men; may
be collected at an easy expense, and cannot
fail of bringing in yearly an immense sum."
One is vexed that a secret with such a
combination of recommendations should have
perished; and that Mr. Bull, missing that tide
in his affairs which, taken at the flood, would
have led to fortune, should still be labouring
under an Income Tax and a National Debt.

The imprudent ambition of persons who
build houses too magnificent for their means,
is, if we may judge from the lodging-letting
and auctioneer's departments in the Times'
Supplement, a cause of much inconvenience
in the present day; but it is not sufficiently
known that people troubled with such houses
need not advertise them for hire or sale; but
should throw themselves with confidence upon
their country. Mr. Gregg — previously
unknown to Lord Bute — gives him an epistolary
review of his early life, marriage and settlement
on his country estate, and continues
thus: " After some years, I was tempted,
as my family was not large, to build a better
house than I found upon the property; but
Providence so ordered it, that I had no
sooner finished my building and laid out