ABSTRACT
The dispatches of Braddock and Lord Loudoun and of most of the governors had hitherto been full of complaints of their unwillingness to fight or to pay for their own defence, and the language of Whitehall had re-echoed the carping criticisms. William Pitt treated them as he had the people of England and Scotland— with confidence, and appealed to their patriotism. Pitt had never been more than a minister on sufferance. He had been forced upon the King by the country, but had no majority in the House of Commons. Directly the people seemed less zealous for him, Newcastle’s majority counted on returning to its own. Having gained the goodwill of the people he was bent on making them work. But first they had to be fed. Much of the discontent during Newcastle’s last year of office was due to the distress caused by a sudden rise of 12s.
