ABSTRACT
William Pitt himself had taken lodgings in Cork Street, Burlington Gardens, but as usual spent most of the summer and autumn visiting friends in the country. He had his turn of attendance on the Prince of Wales at Clifden, but found a coolness there owing to his opposition to Carteret, a favourite with the Prince. After the Queen’s death in 1787 Pitt’s sister Ann had lost her employment at Court, and the two had kept house together while he was in London for the session. She soon, however, showed symptoms of the restless disposition which became more marked with age. In the course of 1742 Carteret displayed vigour and resource in marked contrast to Walpole’s lethargic methods. He promptly raised the Queen of Hungary’s subsidy from £300,000 to £500,000, told the French ambassador the King would allow no diminution of the Hapsburg dominions, and tried to form a great German confederacy to expel the French from the Empire.
