Unhappily the events of that year did not encourage him to persevere in his good intentions.

As soon as Caermarthen was placed at the head of the internal administration of the realm, a complete change took place.

He was in truth no novice in the art of purchasing votes.

He had, sixteen years before, succeeded Clifford at the Treasury, had inherited Clifford's tactics, had improved upon them, and had employed them to an extent which would have amazed the inventor.
From the day on which Caermarthen was called a second time to the chief direction of affairs, parliamentary corruption continued to be practised, with scarcely any intermission, by a long succession of statesmen, till the close of the American war.

Neither of the great English parties can justly charge the other with any peculiar guilt on this account.