Note 91 — Chapter IV

George Bubb Doddington had distinguished himself early in business, and was at the Court of Spain very young with Sir Paul Methuen, who left him there to sign the treaty of Madrid. He flattered Sir Robert Walpole extravagantly, and wrote that epistle to him, from whence Pope quoted the famous line, where he calls him the bard,

In power a servant, out of power a friend.

However, being refused a Peerage, the great object of his ambition, he broke with the Minister, and attached himself to the Prince of Wales, but was undermined by Lyttelton. He renewed his connexions with Sir Robert Walpole, and was made a Lord of the Treasury; but deserted him again on his decline, and contributed greatly to carry the western elections in 1741, against the Court. He continued in Opposition during Lord Granville’s administration; but came into place again on the Coalition, and was Treasurer of the Navy. However, he again quitted the Court, and renewed his engagements with the Prince, and had a new place erected for him at Leicester House, that of Treasurer of the Chambers, for which, when he went to kiss hands at St. James’s, the King burst out a laughing in his face. The Prince’s family were exceedingly averse to receive him again amongst them, and treated him with great contempt, which made Nugent, but a little before the Prince’s death, tell the Princess, that he thought, considering Doddington was united with them, that he was too ill treated there. She replied with warmth, “However the Prince himself treats him, depend upon it he can never forgive him. He knows that even since his coming this last time into his service, he has said of the Prince, Il a une telle tête, et un tel cœur, qu’on ne peut rien faire avec lui.”—(Vide Appendix.)