The Creevey Papers
Thomas Creevey to James Currie, 2 June 1804
Park Place, June 2nd, 1804.
“. . . Well—I think, considering we have
certainly been out-jockeyed by the villain Pitt, we are doing famously. Pitt, I
think, is in a damnable dilemma; his character has received a cursed blow from
the appearance of puzzle in his late conduct, from the wretched farce of [illegible] turning out Addington, and keeping those who were worse than him; and from
his having produced no military plans yet, after all his anathemas against the
late Ministers for their delay. The country, I now firmly believe, was tired of
Pitt and even of the Court, and conceived some new men
and councils, and above all an union of all great men, was a necessary
experiment for the situation. Pitt has disappointed this
wish and expectation, and has shown no necessity that has compelled him so to
do. He has all the air of having acted a rapacious, selfish, shabby part; he is
surrounded by shabby partizans; in comparison with his own relations, the
Grenvilles, he is degraded; he has no novelty to
recommend him; his Master* is on the wane,
and to a certain extent is evidently hostile to him. In addition to all this,
the daily and nightly attendance of Dr.
Simmonds and four physicians at Buckingham House must inevitably
increase the Prince’s power, and
diminish that of Pitt. I saw these five Drs. and
Dundass, the surgeon from Richmond, come out of
Buckingham House with Pitt half an hour ago.
Simmonds and one of the physicians allways return at
five in the evening—the former for the night—the latter for some
hours. I have watched and know their motions well. This must end surely at no
distant period—a Regency—and then I hope
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| 1793-1804.] | THREATS OF AN INVASION. | 29 |
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the game’s our own! In
the mean time, these dinners and this activity of the Prince are certainly
doing good, and our friends are much more numerous than expected. We are a
great body—the Prince at the head of us. Fox, Grey, &c., are all
in great spirits. . . . Your humble servant partakes in the passing festivities
of these Opposition grandees. I dine to-morrow at Lord
Fitzwilliam’s, this day week at Carlton
House; Monday I dined at Lord
Derby’s. I really believe I have played my cards, so far,
excellently with these people.”
William Wentworth Fitzwilliam, second earl Fitzwilliam (1748-1833)
The nephew of the Marquis of Rockingham and lifelong friend of Charles James Fox and Lord
Carlisle; he was president of the Council (1806-07) and lieutenant of the West Riding from
1798 to 1819 when he was dismissed for his censure of the Peterloo massacre.
Charles James Fox (1749-1806)
Whig statesman and the leader of the Whig opposition in Parliament after his falling-out
with Edmund Burke.
Charles Grey, second earl Grey (1764-1845)
Whig statesman and lover of the Duchess of Devonshire; the second son of the first earl
(d. 1807), he was prime minister (1831-34).
William Pitt the younger (1759-1806)
The second son of William Pitt, earl of Chatham (1708-1778); he was Tory prime minister
1783-1801.
Samuel Foart Simmons (1750-1813)
English physician who specialized in cases of madness; his most famous patient was George
III, who loathed him.
Edward Smith Stanley, twelfth earl of Derby (1752-1834)
Grandson of the eleventh earl (d. 1776); educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge,
he was a Whig MP for Lancashire, a friend of Charles James Fox, nephew of John Burgoyne,
and a committed sportsman.
