08 Apr 1794: Edward James Eliot to Mrs. Stapleton

My Dear Mrs Stapleton,

I must first beg you to make my excuses to Lady Chatham for not returning her letters till tomorrow or next day, which I had intended to do this afternoon; but am unfortunately prevented by the accident of having left them behind me in Downing Street, being now writing from the Speaker's Chamber House of Commons. I don't think I need say farther in my excuse, that having in addition to other occupations the setting on foot this same undertaking of raising men for His Majesty's service, my time is at present very fully employed, and will probably be so for a good while to come, more or less: indeed the time that it will take up, from first to last, is not a part of the business that I look at with any pleasure; but thinking it, according to the best of my judgement, upon the whole, a right thing to do, it would be as unwise as unpleasant to dwell upon the inconvenience attending it.

The report of yesterday of [Georges Jacques] Danton and Philippo [Pierre Philippeaux] (I think his name is) being arrested, is confirm'd today. it is done by [Maximilien] Robespierre and Barrere [Bertrand Barere] and their faction, who are plainly striving to maintain themselves in power by every proof of vigilance, and act of violence that their imaginations can suggest. How long it may succeed, it is difficult to guess; but in the mean while it is some consolation to reflect that the abominable authors of all the outrages in that miserable Country are more effectually punish'd, one after another, by a continuance of the tyranny they have themselves set up; than they could have been by any restoration of regular government that could happily have taken place.

You will see by the papers something of what pass'd yesterday in the House of Lords: I am told (but it was not from any one who was present) that upon Lord Stanhope's [Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl Stanhope] saying something more violent and disorderly than ever (tho[ugh] address'd particularly to the Chancellor [Alexander Wedderburn, 1st Earl Rosslyn]) his words were taken down; and the House clear'd of strangers, for the purpose of their showing some strong mark of their displeasure; but that it went off upon his making an apology for what he had said.

Mr Harrison [John Harrison, MP for Great Grimsby] having begun his speech I have only time to by my love etc and to [indecipherable word(s)] myself to My Dear Madam
your affec[tionate] h[umble] serv[an]t

Ed J Eliot

Tuesday April 8 [1794]

There is no news, but just what I have mention'd.

*Original letter is part of the Eliot collection at the Cornwall Record Office.
Catalog reference: EL/B/4/3/7