| Description | Responding to his letter arguing against the proposed posting to America: 'at present Your very imprudent behaviour when abroad in not loving good Company which You Yourself acknowledged, & the dislike of attending to the advice of those who might have guided You has been a means of strengthening the King in his opinion. The imprudent manner in which You attack every Officer under whose Command You have been, & whose experience in their Profession was known to all the World, is another reason which works greatly upon the Kings Mind, & above all, the great value You set upon Your own knowledge & Sense, makes the King look upon the Step as more dangerous...As to what You say about the good or bad Company which is to be kept according to the rank being lower or higher in a Profession can as I told You at Windsor never be an excuse to You. You was at entering the Service as much Prince William & the Kings Son as You are now...You was not on board a Ship in Germany, nor no more Midshipman, there were no Navy Lieutenants. & yet You own You kept bad Company!...Upon Your Conscience tell me are You not even now & were then Your own Ennemy. Actions make a mans Character known, not words, & by what I have said I am sorry to see that Your enclination & not Your situation is the real cause of Your imprudence'
Signed and dated at 'Q. H' [Queen's House] |