On his way to the north he heard that he had been nominated for Bristol, but the nomination had for certain electioneering reasons not been approved by the party.

As it happened, Burke was no sooner chosen at Malton than, owing to an unexpected turn of affairs at Bristol, the idea of proposing him for a candidate revived.

Messengers were sent express to his house in London, and, not finding him there, they hastened down to Yorkshire.

Burke quickly resolved that the offer was too important to be rejected.

Bristol was the capital of the west, and it was still in wealth, population, and mercantile activity the second city of the kingdom.