I have been a fortnight in the country, and had ordered all my

to be kept till I came to town, or I should have written to

you sooner about my sister-countess. She is not arrived yet,

but is certainly coming: she has despatched several letters to

notify her intentions: a short one to her mother, saying,

"Dear Madam, as you have often desired me to return to

England, I am determined to set out, and hope you will give me

reasons to subscribe myself your most affectionate daughter."

This "often desired me to return" has never been repeated

since the first year of her going away. The poor

signora-madre is in a terrible fright, and will not come to

town till her daughter is gone again, which all advices agree

will be soon. Another letter is to my Lady Townshend, telling

her, "that, as she knows her ladyship's way of thinking, she

does not fear the continuance of her friendship." Another, a

long one, to my Lord Chesterfield; another to Lady Isabella

Scot,(1052) an old friend of hers; and another to Lady

Pomfret. This last says, that she hears from guccioni, my

Lady O. will stay here a very little time, having taken a

house at Florence for three years. She is to come to my Lady

Denbigh.(1053) My brother is extremely obliged to you for all

your notices about her, though he is very indifferent about

her motions. If she happens to choose law (though on what

foot no mortal can guess), he is prepared; having from the

first hint of her journey, fee'd every one of the considerable

lawyers. In short, this jaunt is as simple as all the rest of

her actions have been hardy. Nobody wonders at her bringing

no English servants with her-they know, and consequently might

tell too much.

I feel excessively for you, my dear child, on the loss of Mr.

Chute!--so sensible and so good-natured a man would be a loss

to any body; but to you, who are so meek and helpless, it is

irreparable! who will dry you when you are very wet

brown-paper?(1054) Though I laugh, you know how much I pity

you: you will want somebody to talk over English letters, and

to conjecture with ),on; in short, I feel your distress in all

its lights.

The citadel of Tournay is gone;(1055) our affairs go ill.

Charles of Lorrain(1056) has lost a great battle grossly! He

was constantly drunk, and had no kind of intelligence. Now he

acts from his own head, his head turns out a very bad one. I

don't know, indeed, what they can say in defence of the great

general to whom we have just given the garter, the Duke of

Saxe Weissenfels; he is not of so serene a house but that he

might have known something of the motions of the Prussians.

Last night we heard that the Hungarian insurgents had cut to

pieces two Prussian regiments. The King of Prussia and

Prince Charles are so near, that we every day expect news of

another battle. We don't know yet what is to be the next step

in Flanders. Lord Cobham has got Churchill'S(1057) regiment,

and Lord Dunmore his government of Plymouth. At the Prince's

court there is a great revolution; he, or rather Lord

Granville, or perhaps the Princess, (who, I firmly believe, by

all her quiet sense, will turn out a Caroline,) have at last

got rid of Lady Archibald,(1058) who was strongly attached to

the coalition. They have civilly asked her, and Crossly

forced her to ask civilly to go away, which she has done, with

a pension of twelve hundred a-year. Lady Middlesex,(1059) is

mistress of the robes: she lives with them perpetually, and

sits up till five in the morning at their suppers. Don't

mistake!-not for her person, which is wondrous plain and

little: the town says it is for her friend Miss Granville, one

of the maids of honour; but at least yet, that is only

scandal. She is a fair, red-haired girl, scarce pretty;

daughter of the poet, Lord Lansdown.(1060) Lady Berkeley is

lady of the bedchamber, and Miss Lawson maid of honour. Miss

Neville, a charming beauty, and daughter of the pretty,

unfortunate Lady Abergavenny,(1061) is named for the next

vacancy.

I was scarcely settled in my joy for the Spaniards having

taken the opposite route to Tuscany, when I heard of Mr.

Chute's leaving you. I long to have no reason to be uneasy

about you. I am obliged to you for the gesse figures, and beg

you will send me the bill in your first letter. Rysbrach has

perfectly mended the Ganymede and the model, which to me

seemed irrecoverably smashed.

I have just been giving a recommendatory letter for you to Mr.

Hobart; he is a particular friend of mine, but is Norfolk, and

in the world; so you will be civil to him. He is of the

Damon-kind, and not one of whom you will make a Chute. madame

Suares may make something of him. Adieu!

(1052) Daughter of Anne, Countess of Buccleuch, and Duchess of

Buccleuch and Monmouth, the wife of James, the unhappy Duke of

Monmouth. Lady Isabella Scott was the daughter of the duchess

by her second husband, Charles, third Lord Cornwallis. She

died unmarried, Feb. 18, 1748.-D.

(1053) Isabella de Jonghe, a Dutch lady, and wife of William

Fielding, fifth Earl of Denbigh. She died in 1769.-D.

(1054) Mr. Mann was so thin and weak that Mr. Walpole used to

compare him to wet brown-paper.

(1055) The treachery of the principal engineer, who deserted

to the enemy, and the timidity of other officers in the

garrison, produced a surrender of the city in a fortnight, and

Of the citadel in another week.-E.

(1056) He was brother of Francis, at this time Grand Duke of

Tuscany. On the 3d of June, the King of Prussia had gained a

signal victory over him at Friedberg.-E.

(1057) General Churchill, or, as he was commonly called, "Old

Charles Churchill," was just dead.-D.

(1058) Lady Archibald Hamilton, daughter of Lord Abercorn, and

wife of Lord Archibald Hamilton.

(1059) Daughter of Lord Shannon, and wife of Charles, Earl of

Middlesex, eldest son of Lionel, Duke of Dorset. Her favour

grew to be thought more than platonic.

(1060) George Granville, Lord Lansdowne, one of Queen Ann,-'s

twelve Tory Peers styled by Pope, who addressed his Windsor

Forest to him, "the polite." He died in 1735.-E.

(1061) Catherine Tatton, daughter of Lieutenant-General

Tatton. She married, first, Edward Neville-,, thirteenth Lord

Abergavenny, who died without issue in his nineteenth year, in

1724. She remarried with his cousin and successor, William,

fourteenth Lord Abergavenny, by whom she had issue, one son,

George, afterwards fifteenth Lord Abergavenny, and one

daughter, Catherine, who is mentioned above. Lady Abergavenny

herself died in childbed, Dec. 4, 1729, in less than one month

after the detection of an intrigue between her and Richard

Lyddel, Esq. against whom Lord Abergavenny brought an action

for damages, and recovered five thousand pounds. In a poem

written on her death by Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, she is

praised for her gentleness, and pitied for her " cruel

wrongs." Her husband is also called "that stern lord." All

further details respecting her are, however, now unknown.-D.

421 Letter 168

To George Montagu, Esq.

Arlington Street, June 25, 1745.

Dear George,

I have been near three weeks in Essex, at Mr. Rigby's,(1062)

and had left your direction behind me, and could not write to

you. It is the charmingest place by nature, and the most

trumpery by art, that ever I saw. The house stands on a high

hill, on an arm of the sea, which winds itself before two

sides of the house. On the right and left, at the very foot

of this hill, lie two towns; the one of market quality, and

the other with a wharf where ships come up. This last was to

have a church, but by a lucky want of religion in the

inhabitants, who would not contribute to building a steeple,

it remains an absolute antique temple, with a portico on the

very strand. Cross this arm of the sea, you see six churches

and charming woody hills in Suffolk. All this parent Nature

did for this place; but its godfathers and godmothers, I

believe, promised it should renounce all the pomps and

vanities of this world, for they have patched up a square

house, full of windows, low rooms, and thin walls; piled up

walls wherever there was a glimpse of prospect; planted

avenues that go nowhere, and dug fishponds where there should

be avenues. We had very bad weather the whole time I was

there! but however I rode about and sailed, not having the

same apprehensions Of catching cold that Mrs.

Kerwood had once at Chelsea, when I persuaded her not to go

home by water, because it would be damp after rain.

The town is not quite empty yet. My Lady Fitzwatter, Lady

Betty Germain,(1063) Lady Granville,(1064) and the dowager

Strafford have their At-homes, and amass company. Lady Brown

has done with her Sundays, for she is changing her house into

Upper Brook Street. In the mean time, she goes to

Knightbridge, and Sir Robert to the woman he keeps at

Scarborough: Winnington goes on with the Frasi; so my lady

Townshend is obliged only to lie of people. You have heard of

the disgrace of the Archibald, and that in future scandal she

must only be ranked with the Lady Elizabeth Lucy and Madam

Lucy Walters, instead of being historically noble among the

Clevelands, Portsmouths, and Yarmouths. It is said Miss

Granville has the reversion of her coronet;

others say, she won't accept the patent.

Your friend Jemmy Lumley,(1065)--beg pardon, I mean your kin,

is not he? I am sure he is not your friend;--well, he has had

an assembly, and he would write all the cards himself, and

every one of them was to desire he's company and she's

company, with other pieces of curious orthography. Adieu,

dear George! I wish you a merry farm, as the children say at

Vauxhall. My compliments to your sisters.

(1062) Mistley Hall, near Manningtree.

(1063) Second daughter of the Earl of Berkeley, and married to

Sir John Germain.

(1064) Daughter of rhomms, Earl of Pomfret. She was Lord

Granville's second wife.

(1065) Seventh son of the first Earl of Scarborough. He died

in 1766, unmarried.-E.

422 Letter 169

To The Hon. H. S. Conway.

Arlington Street, July 1, 1745.

My dear harry,

If it were not for that one slight inconvenience, that I

should probably be dead now, I should have liked much better

to have lived in the last war than in this; I mean as to the

pleasantness of writing letters. Two or three battles won,

two or three towns taken, in a summer, were pretty objects to

keep up the liveliness of a correspondence. But now it hurts

one's dignity to be talking of English and French armies, at

the first period of our history in which the tables are

turned. After having learnt to spell out of the reigns of

Edward the Third and Harry the Fifth, and begun lisping with

Agincourt and Cressy, one uses one's self but awkwardly to the

sounds of Tournay and Fontenoy. I don't like foreseeing the

time so near, when all the young orators in Parliament will be

haranguing out of Demosthenes upon the imminent danger we are

in from the overgrown power of King Philip. As becoming as

all that public spirit will be, which to be sure will now come

forth, I can't but think we were at least as happy and as

great when all the young Pitts and Lytteltons were pelting

oratory at my father for rolling out a twenty years' peace,

and not envying the trophies which he passed by every day in

Westminster Hall. But one must not repine; rather reflect on

the glories which they have drove the nation headlong into.

One must think all our distresses and dangers well laid out,

when they have purchased us Glover'S(1066) Oration for the

merchants, the Admiralty for the Duke of Bedford, and the

reversion of Secretary at war for Pitt, which he will

certainly have, unless the French King should happen to have

the nomination; and then I fear, as much obliged as that court

is to my Lord Cobham and his nephews, they would be so partial

as to prefer some illiterate nephew of Cardinal Tencin's, who

never heard of Leonidas or the Hanover troops.

With all these reflections, as I love to make myself easy,

especially politically, I comfort myself with what St.

Evremond (a favourite philosopher of mine, for he thought what

he liked, not liked what he thought) said in defence of

Cardinal Mazarin, when he was reproached with neglecting the

good of the kingdom that he might engross the riches of it:

"Well, let him get all the riches, and then he will think of

the good of the kingdom, for it will all be his own." Let the

French but have England, and they won't want to conquer it.

We may possibly contract the French spirit of being supremely

content with the glory of our monarch, and then-why then it

will be the first time we ever -were contented yet. We hear

of nothing but your retiring,(1067 and of Dutch treachery: in

short, 'tis an holy scene!

I know of no home news but the commencement of the gaming

act,(1068) for which they are to put up a scutcheon at

White's--for the death of play; and the death of Winnington's

wife, which may be an unlucky event for my Lady Townshend. As

he has no children, he will certainly marry again; and who

will give him their daughter, unless he breaks off that

affair, which I believe he will now very willingly make a

marriage article? We want him to take Lady -Charlotte Fermor.

She was always his beauty, and has so many charming qualities,

that she would make any body happy. He will make a good

husband; for he is excessively good-natured, and was much

better to that strange wife than he cared to own.

You wondered at my journey to Houghton; now -wonder more, for

I am going to Mount Edgecumbe. Now my summers are in my own

hands, and I am not obliged to pass great part of them in

Norfolk, I find it is not so very terrible to dispose of them

up and down. In about three weeks I shall set out, and see

Wilton and Doddington's in my way. Dear Harry, do but get a

victory, and I will let off every cannon at Plymouth:

reserving two, till I hear particularly that you have killed

two more Frenchmen with your own hand.(1069) Lady Mary(1070)

sends you her compliments; she is going to pass a week with

Miss Townshend(1071) at Muffits; I don't think you will be

forgot. Your sister Anne has got a new distemper, which she

says feels like something jumping in her. You know my style

on such an occasion, and may be sure I have not spared this

distemper. Adieu! Yours ever.

(1066) The author of Leonidas.

(1067) Mr. Conway was still with the army in Flanders.

(1068) An act had recently passed to prevent excessive and

deceitful gaming.-E.

(1069) Alluding to Mr. Conway's having been engaged with two

French grenadiers at once in the battle of Fontenoy.

(1070) Lady Mary Walpole, youngest daughter of Sir R. Walpole,

afterwards married to Charles Churchill, Esq.

(1071) DAUGHTER of Charles Viscount Townshend, afterwards

married to Edward Cornwallis, brother to Earl Cornwallis, and

groom of the bedchamber to the King.

424 Letter 170

To sir Horace Mann.

Strawberry Hill, July 5, 1745.

All yesterday we were in the utmost consternation an express

came the night before from Ostend with an account of the

French army in Flanders having seized Ghent and Bruges, cut

off a detachment of four thousand men, surrounded our army,

who must be cut to pieces or surrender themselves prisoners,

and that the Duke was gone to the Hague, but that the Dutch

had signed a neutrality. You will allow that here was ample

subject for confusion! To-day we are a little relieved, by

finding that we have lost but five hundred men(1072) instead

of four thousand, and that our army, which is inferior by half

to theirs, is safe behind a river. With this came the news of

the Great Duke's victory over the Prince of Conti:(1073) he

has killed fifteen thousand, and taken six thousand prisoners.

Here is already a third great battle this summer! But Flanders

is gone! The Dutch have given up all that could hinder the

French from overrunning them, upon condition that the French

should not overrun them. Indeed, I cannot be so exasperated

at the Dutch as it is the fashion to be; they have not forgot

the peace of Utrecht, though we have. Besides, how could they

rely on any negotiation with a people whose politics alter so

often as ours? Or why were we to fancy that my Lord

Chesterfield's parts would have more weight than my uncle had,

whom, ridiculous as he was, they had never known to take a

trip to Avignon to confer with the Duke of Ormond?(1074)

Our communication with the army is cut off through Flanders

and we are in great pain for Ostend: the fortifications are

all out of repair. Upon Marshal Wade's reiterated

remonstrances, we did cast thirty cannon and four mortars for

it-and then the economic ministry would not send them. "What!

fortify the Queen of Hungary's towns? there will be no end of

that." As if Ostend was of no more consequence to us, than

Mons or Namur! Two more battalions are ordered over

immediately; and the old pensioners of Chelsea College are to

mount guard at home! Flourishing in a peace of twenty years,

we were told that we were trampled upon by Spain and France.

Haughty nations, like those, who can trample upon an enemy

country, do not use to leave it in such wealth and happiness

as we enjoyed; but when the Duke of Marlborough's old

victorious veterans are dug out of their colleges and repose,

to guard the King's palace, and to keep up the show of an army

which we have buried in America, or in a manner lost in

Flanders, we shall soon know the real feel of being trampled

upon! In this crisis, you will hear often from me; for I will

leave you in no anxious uncertainty from which I can free you.

The Countess(1075) is at Hanover, and, we hear, extremely well

received. It is conjectured, and it is not impossible, that

the Count may have procured for her some dirty dab of a

negotiation about some 'acre of territory more for Hanover, in

order to facilitate her reception. She has been at Hesse

Cassel, and fondled extremely Princess Mary'S(1076) children;

just as you know she used to make a rout about the Pretender's

boys. My Lord Chesterfield laughs at her letter to him; and,

what would anger her more than the neglect, ridicules the

style and orthography. Nothing promises well for her here.

You told me you wished I would condole with Prince Craon on

the death of his son:(1077) which son? and where was he

killed? You don't tell me, and I never heard. Now it would

be too late. I should have been uneasy for Prince Beauvau,

but that you say he is in Piedmont.

Adieu! my dear child: we have much to wish! A little good

fortune will not re-establish us. I am in pain for your

health from the great increase of your business.

(1072 The French had been successful in a skirmish against the

English army, at a place called Melle. The consequence of

this success was their obtaining the possession of Ghent.-D.

(1073) The army of the Prince of Conti, posted near the Maine,

had been so weakened by the detachments sent from it to

reinforce the army in Flanders, that it was obliged to retreat

before the Austrians. This retrograde movement was effected

with considerable loss, both of soldiers and baggage; but it

does not appear that any decisive general engagement took

place during the campaign between the French and Austrians.-D.

(1074) ant`e, p. 195; Letter 45 (note 334).

(1075) Lady Orford.

(1076) Princess Mary of England, daughter of George the

Second; married in 1740 to the Prince of Hesse Cassel, who

treated her with great inhumanity. She died in June, 1771.-E.

(1077) The young Prince de Craon was killed at the head of his

regiment at the battle of Fontenoy.-D.

425 Letter 171

To sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, July 12, 1745.

I am charmed with the sentiments that Mr. Chute expresses for

you; but then you have lost him! Here is an answer to his

letter; I send it unsealed, to avoid repealing what I have

thought on our affairs. Seal it and send it. Its being open,

prevented my saying half so much about you as I should have

done.

There is no more news - the Great Duke's victory, of which we

heard so much last week, is come to nothing! So far from

having defeated the Prince of Conti, it is not at all

impossible but the Prince may wear the imperial coat of

diamonds, though I am persuaded the care of that will be the

chief concern of the Great Duke, (next to his own person,) in

a battle. Our army is retreated beyond Brussels; the French

gather laurels, and towns, and prisoners, as one would a

nosegay. In the mean time you are bullying the King of

Naples, in the person of the English fleet; and I think may

possibly be doing so for two months after that very fleet

belongs to the King of France; as astrologers tell one that we

should see stars shine for I don't know how long after they

were annihilated. But I like your spirit; keep it up!

Millamant, in the Way of the World, tells Mirabel, that she

will be solicited to the very last; nay, and afterwards. He

replies, "What! after the last?"

I am in great pain about your arrears; it is a bad season for

obtaining payment. In the best times, they make a custom of

paying foreign ministers Ill; which may be very politic, when

they send men of too great fortunes abroad in order to lessen

them: but, my dear child, God knows that is not your case!

I have some extremely pretty dogs of King Charles's breed, if

I knew how to convey them to you: indeed they are not

Patapans. I can't tell how they would like travelling into

Italy, when there is a prospect of the rest of their race

returning from thence: besides, you must certify me that none

of them shall ever be married below themselves; for since the

affair of Lady Caroline Fox, one durst not hazard the Duke of

Richmond's resentment even about a dog and bitch of that

breed.

Lord Lempster(1078) is taken prisoner in the affair of the

detachment to Ghent. My lady,(1079) who has heard of Spartan

mothers, (though you know she once asserted that nobody knew

any thing of the Grecian Republics,) affects to bear it with a

patriot insensibility. She told me the other day that the

Abb`e Niccolini and the eldest Pandolfini are coming to

England: is it true? I shall be very Clad to be civil to them,

especially to the latter, who, you know, was one of my

friends.

My Lady Orford is at Hanover, most Graciously received by "the

Father of all his people!" In the papers of yesterday was this

paragraph; "Lady O. who has spent several years in Italy,

arrived here (Hanover) the 3d, on her return to England, and

was Graciously received by his Majesty." Lady Denbigh is gone

into the country so I don't know where she is to lodge-perhaps

at St. James's, out of' regard to my father's memory.

Trust me, you escaped well in Pigwiggin's(1079) not accepting

your invitation of living with you: you must have aired your

house, as Lady Pomfret was forced to air Lady Mary Wortley's

bedchamber. He has a most unfortunate breath: so has the

Princess his sister. When I was at their country-house, I

used to sit in the library and turn over books of prints: out

of good breeding they would not quit me; nay, would look over

the prints with me. A whiff would come from the east, and I

turned short to the west, whence the Princess would puff me

back with another gale full as richly perfumed as her

brother's. Adieu!

(1078) George Fermor: who, on the death of his father in 1753,

became second Earl of Pomfret. He died in 1785.-E.

(1079) Henrietta Louisa, Countess of Pomfret, mother of Lord

Lempster.

(1080) A nickname given by Walpole to his cousin Horace,

eldest son of "Old Horace Walpole," afterwards first Earl of

Orford of the second creation. He died in 1809, at the age of

eighty-six.-E.

427 Letter 172

To George Montagu, Esq.

Arlington Street, July 13, 1745.

Dear George,

We are all Cabob'd and Cocofagoed, as my Lord Denbigh says.

We, who formerly, you know, could any one of us beat three

Frenchmen, are now so .degenerated, that three Frenchmen(1081)

can evidently beat One Englishman. Our army is running away,

all that is left to run; for half of it is picked up by three

or four hundred at a time. In short, we must step out of the

high pantoufles that were made by those cunning shoemakers at

Poitiers and Ramilies, and go clumping about perhaps in wooden

ones. My Lady Hervey, who you know dotes upon every thing

French, is charmed with the hopes of these new shoes, and has

already bespoke herself a pair of pigeon wood. How did the

tapestry at Blenheim look? Did it glow with victory, or did

all our glories look overcast?

I remember a very admired sentence in one of my Lord

Chesterfield's speeches, when he was haranguing for this war;

with a most rhetorical transition, he turned to the tapestry

in the House of Lords,(1082) and said, with a sigh, he feared

there were no historical looms at work now! Indeed, we have

reason to bless the good patriots, who have been for employing

our manufactures so historically. The Countess of that wise

Earl, with whose two expressive words I began this letter,

says, she is very happy now that my lord had never a place

upon the coalition, for then all this bad situation of our

affairs would have been laid upon him.

Now I have been talking of remarkable periods in our annals, I

must tell you what my Lord Baltimore thinks one:--He said to

the Prince t'other day, "Sir, your Royal Highness's marriage

will be an area in English history."

If it were not for the life that is put into the town now and

then by very bad news from abroad, one should be quite

stupefied. There is nobody left but two or three solitary

regents; and they are always whisking backwards and forwards

to their villas; and about a dozen antediluvian dowagers,

whose carcasses have miraculously resisted the wet, and who

every Saturday compose a very reverend catacomb at my old Lady

Strafford's. She does not take money at the door for showing

them, but 'you pay twelvepence apiece under the denomination

of card-money. Wit and beauty, indeed, remain in the persons

of Lady Townshend and Lady Caroline Fitzroy; but such is the

want of taste of this age, that the former is very often

forced to wrap up her wit in plain English before it can be

understood; and the latter is almost as often obliged to have

recourse to the same artifices to make her charms be taken

notice of.

Of beauty, I can tell you an admirable story. One Mrs.

Comyns, an elderly gentlewoman, has lately taken a house in

St. James's Street: some young gentlemen went there t'other

night;--"Well, Mrs. Comyns, I hope there won't be the same

disturbances here that were at your other house in Air

Street."--"Lord, Sir, I never had any disturbances there: mine

was as quiet a house as any in the neighbourhood, and a great

deal of company came to me: it was only the ladies of quality

that envied Me."--"Envied you! why, your house was pulled down

about your ears."--"Oh, dear Sir! don't you know how that

happened?"--"No; pray how?"--"Why, dear Sir, it was my Lady

**** who gave ten guineas to the mob to demolish my house,

because her ladyship fancied I got women for Colonel Conway."

My dear George, don't you delight in this story? If poor

Harry(1083) comes back from Flanders, I intend to have

infinite fun with his prudery about this anecdote, which is

full as good as if it was true. I beg you will visit Mrs.

Comyns when you come to town- she has infinite humour.

(1081) Alluding to the success of the French army in Flanders,

under the command of Mareschal Saxe.

(1082) Representing the defeat of the Spanish armada in 1588,

and surrounded by portraits of the principal officers who

commanded the fleet. This noble suit of hangings was wrought

in Holland, at the expense of the Earl of Nottingham, lord

high admiral.-E.

(1083) The Honourable Henry Seymour Conway.

428 Letter 173

To Sir Horace Mann.

July 15, 1745.

You will be surprised at another from me so soon, when I wrote

to you but four days ago. This is not with any news, but upon

a private affair. You have never said any thing to Me about

the extraordinary procedure of Marquis Riccardi, of which I

wrote you word. Indeed, as his letter came just upon my

father's death, I had forgot it too; so much so, that I have

lost the catalogue which he sent me. Well, the other day I

received his cargo. Now, My dear child, I don't write to him

upon it, because, as he Sent the things without asking my

leave, I am determined never to acknowledge the receipt of

them because I will in no manner be liable to pay for them if

they are lost: which I think highly probable; and as I have

lost the catalogue, I cannot tell whether I have received all

or not.

I beg you will just say what follows to him. That I am

extremely amazed he should think of employing me to sell his

goods for him, especially without asking my consent, that an

English gentleman, just come from France, has brought me a box

of things, of which he himself had no account; nor is there

any letter or catalogue with them; that I suppose they may be

the Marquis's collection: I have lost the catalogue, and

consequently cannot tell whether I have received all or not,

nor whether they are his: that as they came in so blind a

manner, and have been opened at several custom-houses, I will

not be answerable especially having never given my consent to

receive them, and having opened the box ignorantly, without

knowing the contents: that when I did open it, I concluded it

came from Florence, having often refused to buy most of the

things, which had long lain upon the jeweller's hands on the

old bridge, and which are very improper for sale here, as all

the English for some years have seen them, and not thought

them worth purchasing - that I remember in the catalogue the

price for the whole was fixed at two thousand pistoles; that

they are full as much worth two-and-twenty thousand; and that

I have been laughed at by people to whom I have showed them

for naming so extravagant a price: that nobody living would

think of buying all together: that for myself, I have entirely

left off making any collection; and if I had not, would not

buy things dear now which I have formerly refused at much

lower prices. That, after all, though I cannot think myself

at all well used by Marquis Riccardi, either in sending me the

things, in the price he has fixed on them, or in the things

themselves, which to my knowledge he has picked up from the

shops on the old bridge, and were no family collection, yet,

as I received so many civilities at Florence from the

nobility, and in particular from his wife, Madame Riccardi, if

he will let me do any thing that is practicable, I will sell

what I can for him. That if he will send me A new and distinct

catalogue, with the price of each piece, and a price

considerably less than what he has set upon the whole, I will

endeavour to dispose of what I can for him. But as most of

them are very indifferent, and the total value most

unreasonable, I absolutely will not undertake the sale of them

upon any other terms, but will pack them up, and send them

away to Leghorn by the first ship that sails; for as we are at

war with France, I cannot send them that way, nor will I

trouble any gentleman to carry them, as he might think himself

liable to make them good if they met with any accident; nor

will I answer for them by whatever way they go, as I did not

consent to receive them, nor am sure that I have received the

Marquis's collection.

My dear Sir, translate this very distinctly for him, for he

never shall receive any other notice from me; nor will I give

them up to Wasner or Pucci,(1084) or any body else, though he

should send me an order for it; for nobody saw me open them,

nor shall any body be able to say I had them, by receiving

them from me. In short, I think I cannot be too cautious in

such a negotiation. If a man will send Me things to the value

of two thousand pistoles, whether they are really worth it or

not, he shall take his chance for losing them, and shall

certainly never come upon me for them. He must absolutely

take his choice, of selling them at a proper price and

separately, or of having them directly sent back by sea; for

whether he consents to either or not, I shall certainly

proceed in my resolution about them

the very instant I receive an answer from you; for the sooner

I am clear of them the better. If he will let me sell them

without setting a price, he may depend upon my taking the best

method for his service; though really, my dear child, it will

be for my own honour, not for his sake, who has treated me so

impertinently. I am sorry to give you this trouble, but judge

how much the fool gives me! Adieu!

(1084) Ministers of the Queen of Hungary and the Great Duke.

430 Letter 174

To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, July 26, 1745.

It is a pain to me to write to you, when all I can tell you

will but distress you. How much I wish myself with you!

anywhere, where I should have my thoughts detached in some

degree by distance and by length of time from England! With

all the reasons that I have for not loving great part of it,

it is impossible not to feel the shock of living at the period

of all its greatness! to be one of the Ultimi Romanorum! I

will not proceed upon the chapter of reflections, but mention

some facts, which will supply your thoughts with all I should

say.

The French make no secret of their intending to come hither;

the letters from Holland speak of it as a notoriety. Their

Mediterranean fleet is come to Rochfort, and they have another

at Brest. Their immediate design is to attack our army, the

very lessening which will be victory for them. Our six

hundred men, which have lain cooped up in the river till they

had contracted diseases, are at last gone to Ostend. Of all

this our notable ministry still make a secret: one cannot

learn the least particulars from them. This anxiety for my

friends in the army, this uncertainty about ourselves, if it

can be called uncertain that we are undone, and the provoking

folly that one sees prevail, have determined me to go to the

Hague. I shall at least hear sooner from the army, and shall

there know better what is likely to happen here. The moment

the crisis is come I shall return hither, which I can do from

Helvoetsluys in twelve hours. At all events, I shall

certainly not stay there above a month or six weeks: it

thickens too fast for something important not to happen by

that time.

You may judge of our situation by the conversation of Marshal

Belleisle: he has said for some time, that he saw we were so

little capable of making any defence that he would engage,

with five thousand scullions of the French army, to conquer

England--yet, just now, they choose to release him! he goes

away in a week.(1085) When he was told of the taking Cape

Breton, he said. "he could believe that, because the ministry

had no hand in it." We are making bonfires for Cape Breton,

and thundering over Genoa, while our army in Flanders is

running away, and dropping to pieces by detachments taken

prisoners every day; while the King is at Hanover, the regency

at their country-seats, not five thousand men in the island,

and not above fourteen or fifteen ships at home! Allelujah!

I received yours yesterday, with the bill of lading for the

gesse figures, but you don't tell me their price; pray do in

your 'next. I don't know what to say to Mr. Chute's eagle; I

would fain have it; I can depend upon his taste-but would not

it be folly to be buying curiosities now! how can I tell that

I shall have any thing in the world to pay for it, by the time

it is bought? You may present these reasons to Mr. Chute; and

if he laughs at them, why then he will buy the eagle for me;

if he thinks them of weight, not.

Adieu! I have not time or patience to say more.

(1085) The Marshal and his brother left England on the 13th of

August.-E.

431 Letter 175

To George Montagu, Esq.

[August 1, 1745.]

Dear George,

I cannot help thinking you laugh at me when you say such very

civil things of my letters, and yet, coming from you, I would

fain not have it all flattery:

So much the more, as, from a little elf,

I've had a high opinion of myself,

Though sickly, slender, and not large of limb.

With this modest prepossession, you may be sure I like to have

you commend me, whom, after I have done with myself, I admire

of all men living. I only beg that you will commend me no

more: it is very ruinous; and praise, like other debts, ceases

to be due on being paid. One comfort indeed is, that it is as

seldom paid as other debts.

I have been very fortunate lately: I have met with an extreme

good print of M. de Grignan;(1086) I am persuaded, very like;

and then it has his toufie `ebouriff`ee; I don't, indeed, know

what that was, but I am sure it Is in the-print. None of the

critics could ever make out what Livy's Patavinity is though

they are confident it is in his writings. I have heard within

these few days, what, for your sake, I wish I could have told

you sooner-that there is in Belleisle's suite the Abb`e

Perrin, who published Madame S`evign`e's letters, and who has

the originals in his hands. How one should have liked to have

known him! The Marshal was privately in london last Friday.

He is entertained to-day at Hampton Court by the Duke of

Grafton.(1087) Don't you believe it was to settle the binding

the scarlet thread in the window, when the French shall come

in unto the land to possess it? I don't at all wonder at any

shrewd observations the Marshal has made on our situation.

The bringing him here at all--the sending him away now--in

short, the whole series of our conduct convinces me that, we

shall soon see as silent a change as that in the Rehearsal, of

King Usher and King Physician. It may well be so, when the

disposition of the drama is in the hands of the Duke of

Newcastle--those hands that are always groping and sprawling,

and fluttering and hurrying on the rest of his precipitate

person. But there is no describing him, but as M. Courcelle,

a French prisoner, did t'other day: "Je ne scais pas," dit il,

"je ne scaurois m'exprimer, mais il a un certain tatillonage." If

one could conceive a dead body hung in chains, always wanting to

be hung somewhere else, one should have a comparative idea of

him.

For my own part, I comfort myself with the humane reflection

of the Irishman in the ship that was on fire--I am but a

passenger! if I were not so indolent, I think I should rather

put in practice the late Duchess of Bolton's(1088)

geographical resolution of going to China, when Winston told

her the world would be burnt in three years. Have you any

philosophy? Tell me what you think. It is quite the fashion

to talk of the French coming here. Nobody sees it in any

other light but as a thing to be talked of, not to be

precautioned against. Don't you remember a report of the

plague being in the

city, and every body went to the house where it was to see it?

You- see I laugh about it, for I would not for the world be so

unenglished as to do otherwise. I am persuaded that when

Count Saxe, with ten thousand men, is within a day's march of

London, people will be hiring windows at Charing-cross and

Cheapside to see them pass by. 'Tis our characteristic to take

dangers for sights, and evils for curiosities.

Adieu! dear George: I am laying in scraps of Cato against it

may be necessary to take leave of one's correspondents `a la

Romaine, and, before the play itself is suppressed by a lettre

de cachet to the booksellers.

P. S. Lord! 'tis the 1st of August, 1745, a holiday(1089) that

is going to be turned out of the almanack!

(1086) Fran`cois-Adh`emar de Monteil, Comte de Grignan,

Lieutenant-general of Provence. He married, in 1669, the

daughter of Madame de S`evign`e-E.

(1087) As he was, on the preceding day, by the Duke of

Newcastle, at Clermont.-E.

(1088) Natural daughter of James Scot, Duke of Monmouth, by

Eleanor, daughter of Sir Robert Needham.-E.

(1089) The anniversary of the accession of the House of

Brunswick to the throne of England.

432 Letter 176

To sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Aug. 7, 1745.

I have no news to tell you: Ostend is besieged, and must be

gone in a few days. The Regency are all come to town to

prevent an invasion--I should as soon think them able to make

one--not but old Stair, who still exists upon the embers of an

absurd fire that warmed him ninety years ago, thinks it still

practicable to march to Paris, and the other day in council

prevented a resolution of sending for our army home; but as we

always do half of a thing, when even the whole would scarce

signify, they seem determined to send for ten thousand--the

other ten will remain in Flanders, to keep up the bad figure

that we have been making there all this summer. Count Saxe

has been three times tapped since the of Fontenoy: but if we

get rid of his enmity, there is Belleisle gone, amply to supply

and succeed to his hatred! Van Hoey, the ingenious Dutchman at

Paris, wrote to the States to know if he should make new liveries

against the rejoiCings for the French conquests in Flanders. I

love the governor of SLuys; when the States sent him a reprimand,

for not admitting our troops that retreated thither from the

affair of Ghent, asking him if he did not know that he ought to

admit their allies? he replied, "Yes; and would they have him

admit the French too as their allies?"

There is a proclamation come out for apprehending the

Pretender's son;(1090) he was undoubtedly on board the frigate

attendant on the Elizabeth, with which Captain Brett fought so

bravely:(1090) the boy is now said to be at Brest.

I have put off my journey to the Hague, as the sea is full of

ships, and many French ones about the siege of

Ostend: I go tomorrow to Mount Edgecumbe. I don't think it

impossible but you may receive a letter from me on the road,

with a paragraph like that in Cibber's life, "Here I met the

revolution."

My lady Orford is set out for Hanover; her gracious sovereign

does not seem inclined to leave it. Mrs. Chute(1092) has sent

me this letter, which you will be so good as to send to Rome.

We have taken infinite riches; vast wealth in the East Indies,

vast from the West; in short, we grow so fat that we shall

very soon be fit to kill.

Your brother has this moment brought me a letter from you,

full of your good-natured concern for the Genoese. I have not

time to write you any thing but short paragraphs, as I am in

the act of writing all my letters and doing my business before

my journey. I can say no more now about the affair of your

secretary. Poor Mrs. Gibberne has been here this morning

almost in fits about her son. She brought me a long letter to

you, but I absolutely prevented her sending it, and told her I

would let you know that it was my fault if you don't hear from

her, but that I would take the answer upon myself. My dear

Sir, for her sake, for the silly boy's, who is ruined if he

follows his own whims, and for your own sake, who will have so

much trouble to get and form another, I must try to prevent

your parting. I am persuaded, that neither the fatigue of

writing, nor the indignation of going to sea are the boy's

true motives. They are, the smallness of his allowance, and

his aversion to waiting it table, For the

first, the poor woman does not expect that you should put

yourself to any inconvenience; she only begs that you will be

so good as to pay him twenty pounds a-year more, which she

herself will repay to your brother; and not let her son know

that it comes from her, as he would then refuse to take it.

For the other point, I must tell you, my dear child, fairly,

that in goodness to the poor boy, I hope you will give it up.

He is to make his fortune in your way of life, if he can be so

lucky, It will be an insuperable obstacle to him that he is

with you in the light of a menial servant. When you reflect

that his fortune may depend upon it, I am sure you will free

him from this servitude, Your brother and I, you know, from

the very first, thought that you should not insist upon it.

If he will stay with you on the terms I propose, I am sure,

from the trouble it will save yourself, and the ruin from

which it will save him, you will yield to this request; which

I seriously make to you, and advise you to comply with.

Adieu!

(1090) The proclamation was dated the 1st of August, and

offered a reward of thirty thousand pounds for the young

Prince's apprehension. He left the island of Belleisle on the

13th of July, disguised in the habit of a Student of the Scots

college at Paris, and allowing his beard to grow.-E.

(1091) Captain Brett was the same officer who, in Anson's

expedition, had stormed Paita. His ship was called the Lion.

After a well-matched fight of five or six hours, the vessels

parted, each nearly disabled.-E.

(1092) Widow of Francis Chute, Esq.

434 Letter 177

To The Rev. Thomas Birch.(1093)

Woolterton 15th [Aug.] 1745

When I was lately in town I was favoured with yours of the

21st past; but my stay there was so short, and my hurry so

great, that I had not time to see you as I intended. As I am

persuaded that nobody is more capable than yourself, in all

respects, to set his late Majesty's reign in a true light, I

am sure there is nobody to whom I would more readily give my

assistance, as far as I am able: but, as I have never wrote

any thing in a historical way, have now and then suggested

hints to others as they were writing, and never published but

two pamphlets-one was to justify the taking and keeping in our

pay the twelve thousand Hessians, of which I have forgot the

title, and have it not in the country; the other was published

about two years since, entitled, "The Interest of Great

Britain steadily Pursued," in answer to the pamphlets about

the Hanover forces-I can't tell in what manner, nor on what

heads to answer your desire, which is conceived in such

general terms: if you could point out some stated times, and

some particular facts, and I had before me a sketch of your

narration, I perhaps might be able, to suggest or explain some

things that are come but imperfectly to your knowledge, and

some anecdotes might occur to my memory relating to domestic

and foreign affairs, that are curious, and were never yet made

public, and perhaps not proper to, be published yet;

particularly with regard to the alteration of the ministry in

1717, by the removal of my relation, and the measures that

were pursued in consequence of that alteration; but in order

to do this, or any thing else for your service, requires a

personal conversation with you, in which I should be ready to

let you know what might occur to me. I am most truly, etc.

(1093) This industrious historian and biographer was born in

1705, and was killed by a fall from his horse, in 1765. Dr.

Johnson said of him, "Tom Birch is as brisk as a bee in

conversation; but no sooner does he take a pen in his hand,

than it becomes a torpedo to him, and benumbs all his

faculties.--E.

435 Letter 178

To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Sept. 6, 1745.

It would have been inexcusable in me, in our present

circumstances and after all I have promised you, not to have

written to you for this last month, if I had been in London;

but I have been at Mount Edgecumbe, and so constantly upon the

road, that I neither received your letters, had time to write,

or knew what to write. I came back last night, and found three

packets from you, which I have no time to answer, and but just

time to read. The confusion I have found, and the danger we

are in, prevent my talking of any thing else. The young

Pretender(1094) at the head of three thousand men, has got a

march on General Cope, who is not eighteen hundred strong: and

when the last accounts came away, was fifty miles nearer

Edinburgh than Cope, and by this time is there. The clans

will not rise for the Government: the Dukes of Argyll(1095)

and Athol,(1096) are come post to town,(1097) not having been

able to raise a man. The young Duke of Gordon(1098) sent for

his uncle and told him that he must arm their clan. "They are

in arms."--"They must march against the rebels."--"They will

wait on the Prince of Wales." The Duke flew in a passion; his

uncle pulled out a pistol, and told him

it was in vain to dispute. Lord Loudon,(1099) Lord

Fortrose(1100) and Lord Panmure,(1101) have been very zealous,

and have raised some men; but I look upon Scotland as gone! I

think of what King William said to the Duke of Hamilton, when

he was extolling Scotland: "My Lord, I only wish it

was a hundred thousand miles off, and that you was king of

it!"

There are two manifestos published signed Charles

Prince, Regent for his father, King of Scotland, England,

France, and Ireland. By One, he promises to preserve every

body in their just rights; and orders all persons who have

public moneys in their hands to bring it to him; and by the

other dissolves the union between England and Scotland. But

all this is not the worst! Notice came yesterday, that there

are ten thousand men, thirty transports, and ten men-of-war at

Dunkirk. Against this force we have--I don't know what--

scarce fears! Three thousand Dutch -we hope are by this time

landed In Scotland; three more are coming hither. We have

sent for ten regiments from Flanders, which may be here in a

week, and we have fifteen men-of-war in the Downs. I am

grieved to tell you all this; but when it is so, how can I

avoid telling you? Your brother is just come in, who says he

has written to you-I have not time to expatiate.

My Lady O. is arrived; I hear she says, only to endeavour to

get a certain allowance. Her mother has sent to offer her the

use of her house. She is a poor weak woman. I can say

nothing to Marquis Riccardi, nor think of him; only tell him,

that I will when I have time. My sister(1102) has married

herself, that is, declared she will, to young Churchill. It

is a foolish match; but I have nothing to do with it. Adieu!

my dear Sir; excuse my haste, but you must imagine that one is

not much at leisure to write long letters--hope if you can!

(1094) The 'Pretender had landed, with a few followers, in the

Highlands Of Scotland, on the 25th of July. His appearance at

this time is thus described by Mr. Eneas Macdonald, one of his

attendants: "There entered the tent a tall youth, of a most

agreeable aspect, in a plain black coat, with a plain shirt

not very clean, and a cambric stock, fixed with a plain silver

buckle, a plain hat with a canvass string, having one end

fixed to one of his coat buttons. he had black stockings and

brass buckles in his shoes. At his first appearance I found

my heart swell to my very throat, but we were immediately

told, that this youth was an English clergyman, who had long

been possessed with a desire to see and converse with

Highlanders." "It is remarkable,"

observes Lord Mahon, " that among the foremost to join

Charles, was the father of Marshal Macdonald, Duke de Tarento,

long after raised to these honours by his merit in the French

revolutionary wars, and not more distinguished for courage and

capacity than for integrity and honour." Hist. vol. iii. p.

344.-E.

(1095) Archibald, Earl of Islay, and upon the death of his

elder brother John, Duke of Argyll,-D.

(1096) James Murray, second Duke of Athol; to which he

succeeded upon the death of his father in 1724, in consequence

of the attainder of his elder brother, William, Marquis of

Tullibardine.-D.

(1097) This was not true of the Duke of Argyll; for he did not

attempt to raise any men, but pleaded a Scotch act of

parliament against arming without authority.

(1098) Cosmo George, third Duke of Gordon. He died in

1752.-D.

(1099) John Campbell, fourth Earl of Loudon; a general in the

army. He died in 1782.-D.

(1100) The eldest son of Mackenzie, Earl of Seaforth-D

(1101) William Maule, Earl of Panmure, in Ireland, so created

in 1743, in consequence of the forfeiture of the Scotch

honours in 1715, by his elder brother, James, Earl of

Panmure.-D.

(1102) Lady Maria Walpole, daughter of Lord Orford, married

Charles Churchill, Esq. son of the General.

436 Letter 179

To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Sept. 13, 1745.

The rebellion goes on; but hitherto there is no rising in

England, nor landing of troops from abroad; indeed not even of

ours or the Dutch. The best account I can give you is, that

if the Boy has apparently no enemies in Scotland, at least he

has openly very few friends. Nobody of note has joined him,

but a brother of the Duke of Athol,(1103) and another of Lord

Dunmore.(1104) For cannon, they have nothing but

one-pounders: their greatest resource is money; they have

force Louis-d'ors. The last accounts left them at Perth,

making shoes and stockings. It is certain that a sergeant of

Cope's with twelve men, put to flight two hundred, on killing

only six or seven. Two hundred of the Monroe clan have joined

our forces. Spirit seems to rise in London, though not in the

proportion it ought; and then the person(1105) most concerned

does every thing to check its progress: when the ministers

propose any thing with regard to the rebellion, he cries,

"Pho! don't talk to me of that stuff." Lord Granville has

persuaded him that it is of no consequence. Mr. Pelham talks

every day of resigning: he certainly will as soon as this is

got over!--if it is got over. So, at least we shall see a

restoration of queen Sophia.(1106) She has lain-in of a

girl; though she had all the pretty boys in town brought to

her for patterns.

The young Chevalier has set a reward on the King's head: we

are told that his brother is set out for Ireland. However,

there is hitherto little countenance given to the undertaking

by France or Spain. It seems an effort of despair, and

weariness of the manner in which he has been kept in France.

On the grenadier's caps is written, "a grave or a throne." He

stayed some time at the Duke of Athol's, whither old Marquis

Tullybardine(1107) sent to bespeak dinner; and has since sent

his brother word, that he likes the alterations made there.

The Pretender found pine-apples there, the first he ever

tasted. Mr. Breton,(1108) a great favourite of the Southern

Prince of Wales, went the other day to visit the Duchess of

Athol,(1109) and happened not to know that she is parted from

her husband: he asked how the Duke did?, "Oh," said she, "he

turned me out of his house, and now he is turned out himself."

Every now and then a Scotchman comes and pulls the Boy by the

sleeve; "Prence, here is another mon taken!" then with all the

dignity in the world, the Boy hopes nobody was killed in the

action! Lord Bath has made a piece of a ballad, the Duke of

Newcastle's speech to the Regency; I have heard but these two

lines of it:

"Pray consider my Lords, how disastrous a thing,

To have two Prince of Wales's and never a King!"

The merchants are very zealous, and are opening a great

subscription for raising troops. The other day, at the city

meeting, to draw up the address, Alderman Heathcote proposed a

petition for a redress of grievances, but not one man seconded

him. In the midst of all this, no Parliament is called! The

ministers say they have nothing ready to offer; but they have

something to notify!

I must tell you a ridiculous accident: when the magistrates of

were searching houses for arms, they came to Mr. Maule's,

brother of Lord Panmure, and a great friend of the Duke of

Argyll. The maid would not let them go into one room, which

was locked, and as she said, full of arms. They now thought

they had found what they looked for, and had the door broke

open--where they found an ample collection of coats of arms!

The deputy governor of Edinburgh Castle has threatened the

magistrates to beat their town about their ears, if they admit

the rebels. Perth is twenty-four miles from Edinburgh, so we

must soon know whether they will go thither; or leave it, and

come into England. We have great hopes that the Highlanders

will not follow him so far. Very few of them could be

persuaded the last time to go to Preston; and several refused

to attend King Charles II. when he marched to Worcester. The

Caledonian Mercury never calls them "the rebels," but "the

Highlanders."

Adieu! my dear child --thank Mr. Chute for his letter, which I

will answer soon. I don't know how to define my feeling: I

don't despair, and yet I expect nothing but bad! Yours, etc.

p . S. Is not my Princess very happy with the hopes of the

restoration of her old tenant?(1110)

(1103) William, Marquis of Tullibardine.-D.

(1104) John Murray, second Earl of Dunmore; he died in 1754.

His brother, who joined the Pretender, was the Hon. Wm.

Murray, of Taymount. He was subsequently pardoned for the

part he took in the rebellion, and succeeded to the earldom on

the death of Earl John.-D.

(1105) The King.

(1106) Lady Granville.

(1107) Elder brother of the Duke of Athol, but outlawed for

the last rebellion. He was taken prisoner after the battle of

Culloden, and died in the Tower.

(1108) Afterwards Sir William Breton. He held an office in

the household of Frederick, Prince of Wales.-D.

(1109) Jane, daughter of John Frederick, Esq. and widow of

James Lanoy, Esq.-D.

(1110) When the Old Pretender was in Lorrain, he lived at

Prince Craon's.

438 Letter 179a

To George Montagu, Esq.

Arlington Street, Sept. 17, 1745.

Dear George,

How could u ask me such a question, as whether I should be

glad to see you? Have you a mind I should make you a formal

speech, with honour, and pleasure, and satisfaction, etc.? I

will not, for that would be telling you I should not be glad.

However, do come soon, if you should be glad to see me; for

we, I mean we old folks that came over with the Prince of

Orange in eighty-eight, have had notice to remove by

Christmas-day. The moment I have SMUgged up a closet or a

dressing-room, I have always warning given me that my lease is

out. Four years ago I was mightily at my ease in

Downing-street, and then the good woman, Sandys, took my

lodgings over my head, and was in such a hurry to junket her

neighbours, that I had scarce time allowed me to wrap my old

china in a little hay. Now comes the Pretender's boy, and

promises all my comfortable apartments in the Exchequer and

Custom-house to some forlorn Irish peer, who chooses to remove

his pride and poverty out of some large unfurnished gallery at

St. Germain's. Why really Mr. Montagu this is not pleasant; I

shall wonderfully dislike being a loyal sufferer in a

threadbare coat, and shivering in an ante-chamber at Hanover,

or reduced to teach Latin and English to the young princes at

Copenhagen. The Dowager Strafford has already written cards

for my Lady Nithisdale, my Lady Tullibardine, the Duchess of

Perth and berwick, and twenty more revived peeresses, to

invite them to play at whist, Monday three months: for your

part, you will divert yourself with their old taffeties, and

tarnished slippers, and their awkwardness, the first day they

go to court in shifts and clean linen. Will you ever write to

me at my garret at Herenhausen? I will give you a faithful

account of all the promising speeches that Prince George and

Prince Edward make, -whenever they have a new sword, and

intend to re-conquer England. At least write to me, while you

may with acts of parliament on your side: but I hope you are

coming. Adieu!

439 Letter 180

To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Sept. 20, 1745.

One really don't know what to write to you: the accounts from

Scotland vary perpetually, and at best are never very certain.

I was just going to tell you that the rebels are in England;

but my Uncle is this moment come in, and says, that an express

came last night with an account of their being in Edinburgh to

the number of five thousand. This sounds great, to have

walked through a kingdom, and taken possession of the capital!

But this capital is an open town and the castle impregnable,

and in our possession. There never was so extraordinary a

sort of rebellion! One can't tell what assurances of support

they may have from the Jacobites in England, or from the

French; but nothing of either sort has yet appeared-and if

there does not, never was so desperate an enterprise.(1111)

One can hardly believe that the English are more disaffected

than the Scotch; and among the latter, no persons of property

have joined them: both nations seem to profess a neutrality.

Their money is all gone, and they subsist. merely by levying

contributions. But, sure, banditti can never conquer a

kingdom! On the other hand, what cannot any number of men do,

who meet no opposition? They have hitherto taken no place but

open towns, nor have they any artillery for a siege but

one-pounders. Three battalions of Dutch are landed at

Gravesend, and ,re ordered to Lancashire: we expect every

moment to hear that the rest are got to Scotland; none of our

own are come yet. Lord Granville and his faction persist in

persuading the King, that it is an affair of no consequence;

and for the Duke of Newcastle, he is glad when the rebels make

any progress, in order to confute Lord Granville's assertions.

The best of our situation is, our strength at sea: the Channel

is well guarded, and twelve men-of-war more are arrived from

rowley. Vernon, that simple noisy creature, has hit upon a

scheme that is of great service; he has laid Folkstone cutters

all round the coast, which are continually relieved, and bring

constant notice of every thing that stirs. I just hear, that

the Duke of Bedford(1112) declares he will be amused no

longer, but will ask the King's leave to raise a regiment.

The Duke of Montagu has a troop of horse ready, and the Duke

of Devonshire is raising men in Derbyshire. The Yorkshiremen,

headed by the Archbishop and Lord Malton, meet the gentlemen

of the county the day after to-morrow to defend that part of

England. Unless we have more ill fortune than is conceivable,

or the general supineness continues, it is impossible but we

must get over this. You desire me to send you news: I confine

myself to tell you nothing but what you may depend upon and

leave you in a fright rather than deceive you. I confess my

own apprehensions are not near so strong as they were: and if

we get over this, I shall believe that we never can be hurt;

for we never can be more exposed to danger. Whatever

disaffection there is to the present family, it plainly does

not proceed from love to the other.

My Lady O. makes little progress in popularity. Neither the

protection of my Lady Pomfret's prudery, nor of my Lady

Townshend's libertinism, do her any services The women stare

at her, think her ugly, awkward, and disagreeable; and what is

worse, the men think so too. For the height of mortification,

the

King has declared publicly to the ministry, that he has been

told of the great civilities which be was said to show her at

Hanover; that he protests he showed her only the common

civilities due to any English lady that comes thither; that he

never intended to take any particular notice of her; nor had,

nor would let my Lady Yarmouth. - In fact, my Lady Yarmouth

peremptorily refused to carry her to court here: and when she

did go with my Lady Pomfret, the King but just spoke to her.

She declares her intention of staying in England, and protests

against all lawsuits and violences; and says she only asks

articles of separation, and to have her allowance settled by

any two arbitrators chosen by my brother and herself. I have

met her twice at my Lady Townshend's, just as I used at

Florence. She dresses English and plays at whist. I forgot

to tell a bon-mot of Leheup(1113) on her first coming over; he

was asked if he would not go and see her? He replied "No, I

never visit modest women." Adieu! my dear child! I flatter

myself you will collect hopes from this letter.

(1111) Mr. Henry Fox, in letters to Sir C. H. Williams, of

September 5th and 19th, writes, "England, Wade says, and I

believe it, is for the first comer; and if you can tell

whether the six thousand Dutch, and the ten battalions of

English, or five thousand French or Spaniards will be here

first, you know our fate." "The French are not come, God be

thanked! But had five thousand landed in any part of this

island a week ago, I verily believe the entire conquest would

not have cost them a battle."-B.

(1112) This plan of raising regiment,,; afterwards degenerated

into a gross job. Sir C. H. Williams gives an account of it

in his ballad, entitled "The Herbes." To this Horace Walpole

appended the following explanatory note..--"In the time of the

rebellion, these lords had proposed to raise regiments of

their own dependents, and were allowed; Had they paid them

too, the service had been noble: being paid by Government,

obscured a little the merit; being paid without raising them,

would deserve too coarse a term. It is certain, that not six

regiments ever were raised: not four of which were employed.

The chief persons who were at the head of this scheme were the

Dukes of Bedford and Montagu; the Duke of Bedford actually and

served with his regiment."--The other lords mentioned in the

ballad are, the Duke of Bolton, Lord Granby, Lord Harcourt,

Lord Halifax, Lord Falmouth, Lord Cholmondeley, and Lord

Berkeley. They were in all fifteen-

"Fifteen nobles of great fame,

All brib'd by one false muster."-D.

(1113) Isaac Leheup, brother-in-law of Horace Walpole the

elder. He was a man of great wit and greater brutality, and

being minister at Hanover, was recalled for very indecent

behaviour there.

441 Letter 181

To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Sept. 27, 1745.

I can't doubt but the joy of the Jacobites has reached

Florence before this letter. Your two or three Irish priests,

I forget their names, will have set out to take possession of

abbey-lands here. I feel for what you will feel, and for the

insulting things that will be said to you upon the

battle(1114) we have lost in Scotland; but all this is

nothing, to what it prefaces. The express came hither on

Tuesday morning, but the Papists knew it on Sunday night.

Cope lay in face of the rebels all Friday; he scarce two

thousand strong, they vastly superior, though we don't know

their numbers. The military people say that he should have

attacked them. However, we are sadly convinced that they are

not such raw ragamuffins as they were represented. The

rotation that has been established in that country, to give

all the Highlanders the benefit of serving in the independent

companies, has trained and disciplined them. Macdonald (I

suppose, he from Naples,) -who is reckoned a very experienced

able officer, is said to have commanded them, and to be

dangerously wounded. One does not hear the Boy's personal

valour cried up; by which I conclude he was not in the

action.(1115) Our dragoons most shamefully fled without

striking a blow, and are with Cope, who escaped in a boat to

Berwick. I pity poor him(1116) who with no shining abilities,

and no experience, and no force, was sent to fight for a

crown! He never saw a battle but that of Dettingen, where he

got his red riband: Churchill, whose led-captain he was, and

my Lord Harrington, had pushed him up to this misfortune. We

have lost all our artillery, five hundred men taken and three

killed, and several officers, as you will see in the papers.

This defeat has frightened every body but those it rejoices,

and those it should frighten most; but my Lord Granville still

buoys up the King's spirits, and persuades him it is nothing.

He uses his ministers as ill as possible, and discourages

every body that would risk their lives and fortunes with him.

Marshal Wade is marching against the rebels; but the King will

not let him take above eight thousand men; so that if they

come into England, another battle, with no advantage on our

side, may determine our fate. Indeed, they don't seem so

unwise as to risk their cause upon so precarious an event; but

rather to design to establish themselves in Scotland, till

they can be supported from France, and be set up with taking

Edinburgh Castle, where there is to the value of a million,

and which they would make a stronghold. It is scarcely

victualled for a month, and must surely fall into their hands.

Our coasts are greatly guarded, and London kept in awe by the

arrival of the guards. I don't believe what I have been told

this morning, that more troops are sent for from Flanders, and

aid asked of Denmark.

Prince Charles has called a Parliament in Scotland for the 7th

of October; ours does not meet till the 17th, so that even in

the show of liberty and laws, they are beforehand with us.

With all this, we hear of no men of quality or fortune having

joined him but Lord Elcho(1117) whom you have seen at

Florence; and the Duke of Perth,(1118) a silly race-horsing

boy, who is said to be killed in this battle. but I gather no

confidence from hence: my father always said, "If you see them

come again, they will begin by their lowest people; their

chiefs will not appear till the end." His prophecies verify

every day!

The town is still empty; in this point only the English act

contrary to their custom, for they don't throng to see a

Parliament, though it is likely to prove a curiosity!

I have so trained myself to expect this ruin, that I see it

approach without an emotion. I shall suffer with fools,

without having any malice to our enemies, who act sensibly

from principle and from interest. Ruling parties seldom have

caution or common sense. I don't doubt but Whigs and

Protestants will be alert enough in trying to recover what

they lose so supinely.

I know nothing of my Lady O. In this situation I dare say she

will exert enough of the spirit of her Austrian party, to be

glad the present government is oppressed; her piques and the

Queen of Hungary's bigotry will draw satisfaction from what

ought to be so contrary to each of their wishes. I don't

wonder my lady hates you so much, as I think she meant to

express by her speech to Blair.

Quem non credit Cleopatra nocentem,

A quo casta fuit?"

She lives chiefly with my Lady Townshend: the latter told me

last night, that she had seen a new fat player, who looked

like every body's husband. I replied, "I could easily believe

that, from seeing so many women who looked like every body's

wives." Adieu! my dear Sir: I hope your spirits, like mine,

will grow calm, from being callous of ill news.

(1114) At Preston-Pans, near Edinburgh; where the Pretender

completely defeated Sir John Cope, on the 21st of

September.-D.

(1115) "Charles," says Lord Mahon, 'put himself at the head of

the second line, which was close behind the first, and

addressed them in these words@ Follow me, gentlemen, and by

the blessing of God, I will this day make you a free and happy

people." Hist. Vol. iii. P. 392.-E.

(1116) General Cope was tried afterwards for his behaviour in

this action, and it appeared very clearly, that the ministry,

his inferior officers, and his troops, were greatly to blame;

and that he did all he could, so ill-directed, so

ill-supplied, and so ill-obeyed.

(1117) Eldest son of the Earl of Wemyss.

(1118) James Drummond, who would have been the fifth Earl of

Perth, had it not been for the attainder and outlawry under

which his family laboured. His grandfather, the fourth earl,

had been created a duke by James II. after his abdication. He

was not killed at Preston-Pans.-D.

443 Letter 182

To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Oct. 4, 1745.

I am still writing to you as "R`esident de sa Majest`e

Britannique;" and without the apprehension of your suddenly

receiving letters of recall, or orders to notify to the

council of Florence the new accession. I dare say your fears

made you think that the young Prince (for he is at least

Prince of Scotland) had vaulted from Cope's neck into St.

James's House; but he is still at Edinburgh; and his cousin

Grafton, the lord chamberlain has not even given orders for

fitting up this palace for his reception. The good people of

England have at last rubbed their eyes and looked about them.

A wonderful spirit is arisen in all counties, and among all

sorts of people. The nobility are raising regiments, and

every body else is-being raised. Dr. Herring,(1119) the

Archbishop of York, has set an example that would rouse the

most indifferent; in two days after the news arrived at York

of Cope's defeat, and when they every moment expected the

victorious rebels at their gates, the bishop made a speech to

the assembled county, that had as much true spirit, honesty,

and bravery in it, as ever was penned by an historian for an

ancient hero.

The rebels returned to Edinburgh, where they have no hopes of

taking the Castle, for old Preston, the deputy-governor, and

General Guest, have obliged them to supply the Castle

constantly with fresh provisions, on pain of having the town

fired with red-hot bullets. They did fling a bomb on Holyrood

House, and obliged the Boy to shift his quarters. Wade is

marching against them, and will have a great army: all the

rest of our troops are ordered from Flanders, and are to meet

him in Yorkshire, with some Hessians too. That county raises

four thousand men, besides a body of foxhunters, whom

Oglethorpe has converted into hussars. I am told that old

Stair, who certainly does not want zeal, but may not want envy

neither, has practised a little Scotch art to prevent wade

from having an army, and consequently the glory of saving this

country. This I don't doubt he will do, if the rebels get no

foreign aid; and I have great reason to hope they will not,

for the French are privately making us overtures of peace. My

dear child, dry your wet-brown-paperness, and be in spirits

again!

It is not a very civil joy to send to Florence, but I can't

help telling you how glad I am of news that came two days ago,

of the King of Prussia having beat Prince Charles,(1120) who

attacked him just after we could have obtained for them a

peace with that King. That odious house of Austria! It will

not be decent for you to insult Richcourt but I would, were I

at Florence.

Pray let Mr. Chute have ample accounts of our zeal to figure

with at Rome. of the merchants of London undertaking to

support the public credit; of universal associations; of

regiments raised by the dukes of Devonshire, Bedford, Rutland,

Montagu; Lords Herbert, Halifax, Cholmondeley, Falmouth,

Malton, Derby,(1121) etc.; of Wade with an army of twenty

thousand men; of another about London of near as many--and

lastly, of Lord Gower having in person assured the King that

he is no Jacobite, but ready to serve him with his life and

fortune. Tell him of the whole coast so guarded, that nothing

can pass unvisited; and in short, send him this advertisement

out of to-day's papers, as an instance of more spirit and wit

than there is in all Scotland:

TO ALL JOLLY BUTCHERS.

MY BOLD hearts,

The Papists eat no meat on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, nor

during Lent.

Your friend,

JOHN STEEL.

Just as I wrote this, a person is come in, who tells me that

the rebels have cut off the communication between Edinburgh

and the Castle: the commanders renewed their threats: and the

good magistrates have sent up hither to beg orders may be sent

to forbid this execution. It is modest! it is Scotch!-and, I

dare say, will be granted. Ask a government to spare your

town which you yourself have given up to rebels: and the

consequence of which will be the loss of your Castle!-but they

knew to what Government they applied! You need not be in haste

to have this notified at Rome. Tell it not in Gath! Adieu! my

dear Sir. This account has put Me so out of humour, and has

so altered the strain of my letter, that I must finish.

(1119) An excellent prelate, afterwards promoted to the see of

Canterbury. Walpole, in his Memoires, mentioning his death,

thus speaks of him: "On the 13th of March, 1757, died Dr.

Herring, Archbishop of Canterbury a very amiable man, to whom

no fault was objected; though perhaps the gentleness of his

Principles, his great merit, was thought one. During the

rebellion he had taken up arms to defend from oppression that

religion, which he abhorred making an instrument of

oppression."-D.

(1120) The battle of Soor in Bohemia, gained by the King of

Prussia over the Austrians, on the 30th of September, 1745.-D.

(1121) For an account of this transaction see note 1112,

letter 181, at p. 440. The noblemen here mentioned were,

William Cavendish, Third Duke of Devonshire; John Russell,

fourth Duke of Bedford; John, second and last Duke of Montagu;

Henry Arthur Herbert, first Lord Herbert of cherbury of the

third creation; George Montagu, third Earl of Halifax; George,

third Earl of Cholmondeley; Hugh Boscawen, second Viscount

Falmouth; Thomas Wentworth, first Earl of Malton; and Edward

Stanley, eleventh Earl of Derby.--D.

445 Letter 183

To sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Oct. 11, 1745.

This is likely to be a very short letter; for I have nothing

to tell you, nor any thing to answer. I have not had one

letter from you this month, which I attribute to the taking of

the packet-boat by the French, with two mails in it. It was a

very critical time for our negotiations; the ministry will

say, it puts their transactions out of order.

Before I talk of any public news, I must tell you what you

will be very sorry for-Lady Granville is dead. She had a

fever for six weeks before her lying-in, and could never get

it off. Last Saturday they called in another physician, Dr.

Oliver; on Monday he pronounced her out of danger. About

seven in the evening, as Lady Pomfret and Lady Charlotte were

sitting by her, the first notice they had of her immediate

danger, was her sighing and saying, "I feel death come very

fast upon me!" She repeated the same words frequently-remained

perfectly in her senses and calm, and died about eleven at

night. Her mother and sister sat by her till she was cold.

It is very shocking for any body so young, so handsome, so

arrived at the height of happiness, so sensible of it, and on

whom all the joy and grandeur of her family depended, to be so

quickly snatched away! Poor Uguccioni! he will be very sorry

and simple about it.

For the rebels, they have made no figure since Their victory.

The Castle of Edinburgh has made a sally and taken twenty head

of cattle, and about thirty head of Highlanders. We heard

yesterday, that they are coming this way. The troops from

Flanders are expected to land in Yorkshire to-morrow. A

privateer of Bristol has taken a large Spanish ship, laden

with arms and money for Scotland. A piece of a plot has been

discovered in Dorsetshire, and one Mr. Weld(1122) taken up.

The French have declared to the Dutch, that the House of

Stuart is their ally, and that the Dutch troops must not act

against them; but we expect they shall. The Parliament meets

next Thursday, and by that time, probably, the armies will

too. The rebels are not above eight thousand, and have little

artillery; so you may wear what ministerial spirits you will.

The Venetian ambassador has been making his entries this week:

he was at Leicester-fields to-day with the Prince, and very

pretty compliments passed between them in Italian. Do excuse

this letter; i really have not a word more to say; the next

shall be all arma virumque cano!

(1122) Edward Weld, Esq. of Lulworth Castle. Hutchins, in his

History of Dorsetshire, says, that, "although he ever behaved

as a peaceful subject, he was ordered into custody, in 1745,

on account of his name being mentioned in a treasonable

anonymous letter dropped near Poole; but his immediate and

honourable discharge is the most convincing proof of his

innocence."-E.

446 Letter 184

To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Oct. 21, 1745.

I had been almost as long without any of Your letters as you

had without mine; but yesterday I received one, dated the 5th

of this month, N. S.

The rebels have not left their camp near Edinburgh, and, I

suppose, will not now, unless to retreat into the Highlands.

General Wade was to march yesterday from Doncaster for

Scotland. By their not advancing, I conclude that either the

Boy and his council could not prevail On the Highlanders to

leave their own country, or that they were not strong enough,

and still wait for foreign assistance, which, in a new

declaration, he intimates that he still expects.(1123) One

only ship, I believe a Spanish one, has got to them with arms,

and Lord John Drummond(1124) and some people of quality on

board. We don't hear that the younger Boy is of the number.

Four ships sailed from Corunna; the one that got to Scotland,

one taken by a privateer of bristol, and one lost on the Irish

coast; the fourth is not heard of. At Edinburgh and

thereabouts they commit the most horrid barbarities. We last

night expected as bad here: information was given of an

intended insurrection and massacre by the Papists; all the

Guards were ordered out, and the Tower shut up at seven. I

cannot be surprised at any thing, considering the supineness

of the ministry--nobody has yet been taken up!

The Parliament met on Thursday. I don't think, considering

the crisis, that the House was very full. Indeed, many of the

Scotch members cannot come if they would. The young Pretender

had published a declaration, threatening to confiscate the

estates of Scotch that should come to Parliament, and making

it treason for the English. The only points that have been

before the house, the address and the suspension of the Habeas

Corpus, met with obstructions from the Jacobites. By this we

may expect what spirit they will show hereafter.(1125) With

all this, I am far from thinking that they are so

confident and sanguine as their friends at Rome. I blame the

Chutes extremely for cockading themselves: why take a part

when they are only travelling? I should certainly retire to

Florence on this occasion.

You may imagine how little I like our situation; but I don't

despair. The little use they made, or could make of their

victory; their not having marched into England; their

miscarriage at the Castle of Edinburgh; the arrival of our

forces, and the non-arrival of any French or Spanish, make me

conceive great hopes of getting over this ugly business. But

it is still an affair wherein the chance Of battles, or

perhaps of one battle, may decide.

I write you but short letters, considering the circumstances

of the time; but I hate to send you paragraphs only to

contradict them again: I still less choose to forge events;

and, indeed, am glad I have so few to tell you.

My lady O. has forced herself upon her mother, who receives

her very coolly: she talks highly of her demands, and quietly

of her methods - the fruitlessness of either will, I hope,

soon send her back--I am sorry it must be to you!

You mention Holdisworth:(1126) he has had the confidence to

come and visit me within these ten days; and (I suppose, from

the overflowing of his joy) talked a great deal and with as

little sense as when he was more tedious.

Since I wrote this, I hear the Countess has told her mother,

that she thinks her husband the best of our family, and me the

worst--nobody so bad, except you! I don't wonder at my being

so ill with her; but what have you done? or is it, that we are

worse than any body, because we know more of her than any body

does! Adieu!

(1123) "At three several councils did Charles propose to march

into England and fight Marshal Wade; but as often was his

proposal overruled. At length he declared in a very

peremptory manner, 'I see, gentlemen, you are determined to

stay in Scotland and defend your country; but I am not less

resolved to try my fate in England, though I should go

alone.'" Lord Mahon, vol. iii. P.241.-E.

(1124) Brother of the titular Duke of Perth.

(1125) "As to the Parliament," writes Horatio Walpole to Mr.

Milling, on the 29th of October, "although the address was

unanimous the first day, yesterday, upon a motion 'to enquire

into the causes of the progress of the rebellion' the House

was so fully convinced of the necessity of immediately putting

an end to it, and that the fire should be quenched before we

should enquire who kindled or promoted it, that it was

carried, not to put the question at this time, by 194 against

112."-E.

(1126) A nonjuror who travelled with Mr. George Pitt.

447 Letter 185

To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Nov. 4, 1745.

It is just a fortnight since I wrote to you last: in all that

time the rebellion has made no progress, nor produced any

incidents worth mentioning. They have entrenched themselves

very strongly in the Duke of Buccleuch's park, whose seat,

about seven miles from Edinburgh, they have seized. We had an

account last week of the Boy's being retired to Dunkirk, but

it was not true. Kelly,(1127) who is gone to solicit succour

from France, was seized at Helvoet, but by a stupid burgher

released. Lord Loudon is very brisk in the north of Scotland,

and has intercepted and beat some of their parties. Marshal

Wade was to march from Newcastle yesterday.

But the rebellion does not make half the noise here that one

of its consequences does.

Fourteen lords (most of them I have named to you), at the

beginning, offered to raise regiments; these regiments, so

handsomely tendered at first, have been since put on the

regular establishment; not much to the honour of the

undertakers or of the firmness of the ministry, and the King

is to pay them. One of the great grievances of this is, that

these most disinterested colonels have named none but their

own relations and dependents for the officers, who are to have

rank; and consequently, both colonels and subalterns will

interfere with the brave old part of the army, who have served

all the war. This has made great clamour. The King was

against their having rank, but would not refuse it; yet wished

that the House of Commons would address him not to grant it.

This notification of his royal mind encouraged some of the old

part of the ministry, particularly Winnington and Fox, to

undertake to procure this Address. Friday it came on in the

committee; the Jacobites and patriots (such as are not

included in the coalition) violently opposed the regiments

themselves; so did Fox, in a very warm speech, levelled

particularly at the Duke of Montagu, who, besides his old

regiment, has one Of horse and one of foot on this new

plan.(1128) Pitt defended them as warmly: the Duke of

Bedford, Lord Gower, and Lord Halifax, being at the head of

this job. At last, at ten at night, the thirteen regiments of

foot were voted without a division, and the two of horse

carried by 192 to 82. Then came the motion for the address,

and in an hour and half more, was rejected by 126 to 124. Of

this latter number were several of the old corps; I among the

rest. It is to be reported to the House to-morrow, and will,

I conclude, be at least as warm a day as the former. The King

is now against the address, and all sides are using their

utmost efforts. The fourteen lords threaten to throw up,

unless their whole terms are complied with; and the Duke of

Bedford is not moderately insolent against such of the King's

servants as voted against him. Mr. Pelham espouses him; not

recollecting that at least twice a-week all his new allies are

suffered to oppose him as they please. I should be sorry, for

the appearance, to have the regiments given up; but I am sure

our affair is over, if our two old armies are beaten and we

should come to want these new ones; four only of which are

pretended to be raised. Pitt, who has alternately bullied and

flattered Mr. Pelham, is at last to be secretary-at-war;(1129)

Sir W. Yonge to be removed to vice-treasurer of Ireland, and

Lord Torrington(1130) to have a pension in lieu of it. An

ungracious parallel between the mercenary views Of these

patriot heroes, the regiment-factors, and of their acquiescent

agents, the ministry, with the disinterested behaviour of m

Lord Kildare,(1131) was drawn on Friday by Lord Doneraile; who

read the very proposals of the latter for raising, clothing,

and arming a regiment at his own expense, and for which he had

been told, but the very day before this question, that the

King had no occasion.--"And how," said Lord Doneraile, "can

one account for this, but by saying, that we have a ministry

who are either too good-natured to refuse a wrong thing, or

too irresolute to do a right one!"

I am extremely pleased with the, purchase of the Eagle and

Altar, and think them cheap: and I even begin to believe that

I shall be able to pay for them. The gesse statues are all

arrived safe. Your last letter was dated Oct. 19, N. S. and

left you up to the chin in water(1132) just as we were drowned

five years ago. Good night, if you are alive still!

(1127) He had been confined in the Tower ever since the

assassination plot, in the reign of King William; but at last

made his escape.

(1128) This circumstance is thus alluded to in Sir C. H.

Williams's ballad of "The heroes.

"Three regiments one Duke contents,

With two more places you know:

Since his Bath Knights, his Grace delights

In Tri-a junct' in U-no."

The Duke of Montagu was master of the great wardrobe, a place

worth eight thousand pounds a-year. He was also grand-master

of the order of the Bath.-D.

(1129) In the May following, Mr. Pitt was appointed paymaster

of the forces.-E.

(1130) Pattee Byng, second Viscount Torrington. He had

been made vice-treasurer of Ireland upon the going out of the

Walpole administration.-D.

(1131) @ James Fitzgerald, twentieth Earl of Kildare; created

in 1761, Marquis of Kildare, and in 1766 Duke of Leinster-

-Irish honours.-D.

(1132) By an inundation of the Arno.

449 Letter 186

To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Nov. 15, 1745.

I told you in my last what disturbance there had been about

the new regiments; the affair of rank was again disputed on

the report till ten at night, and carried by a majority of 23.

The King had been persuaded to appear for it, though Lord

Granville made it a party point against Mr. Pelham.

Winnington did not speak. I was not there, for I could not

vote for it, and yielded not to give any hindrance to a public

measure (or at least what was called so) ' just now. The

Prince acted openly, and influenced his people against it; but

it, only served to let Mr. Pelham see, what, like every thing

else, he did not know, how strong he is. The King will scarce

speak to him, and he cannot yet get Pitt into place.

The rebels are come into England: for two days we believed

them near Lancaster, but the ministry now own that they don't

know if they have passed Carlisle. Some think they will

besiege that town, which has an old wall, and the militia in

it of Cumberland and Westmoreland; but as they can pass by it,

I don't see why they should take it; for they are not strong

enough to leave garrisons. Several desert them as they

advance south; and altogether, good men and bad, nobody

believes them ten thousand. By their marching westward to

avoid Wade, it is evident they are not strong enough to fight

him. They may yet retire back into their mountains, but if

once they get to Lancaster, their retreat is cut off; for Wade

'will not stir from Newcastle, till he has embarked them deep

into England, and then he will be behind them. He has sent

General Handasyde from Berwick with two regiments to take

possession of Edinburgh. The rebels are certainly in a Very

desperate situation: they dared not meet Wade; and if they had

waited for him their troops would have deserted. Unless they

meet with great risings in their favour in Lancashire, I don't

see what they can hope, except from a continuation of our

neglect. That, indeed, has nobly exerted itself for them.

They were suffered to march the whole length of Scotland, and

take possession of the capital, without a man appearing

against them. Then two thousand men sailed to them, to run

from them. Till the flight of Cope's army, Wade was not sent.

'Two roads still lay into England, and till they had chosen

that which Wade had not taken, no

army was thought of being sent to secure the other. Now

Ligonier, with seven old regiments, and six of the new, is

ordered to Lancashire: before this first division of the army

could get to Coventry, they are forced to order it to halt,

for fear the enemy should be up with it before it was all

assembled. It is uncertain if the rebels will march to the

north of Wales, to Bristol, or towards London. If to the

latter, Ligonier must fight the n: if to either of the other,

I hope, the two armies may join and drive them into a corner,

where they must all perish. They cannot subsist in Wales, but

by being supplied by the' Papists in Ireland(. The best is,

that we are in no fear from France; there is no preparation

for invasions in any of their ports. Lord Clancarty,(1133) a

Scotchman of great parts, but mad and drunken, and whose

family forfeited 90,000 pounds a-@ear for King James, is made

vice-admiral at Brest. The Duke of Bedford goes in his little

round person with his regiment: he now takes to the land, and

says he is tired of being a pen and ink man. Lord Gower too,

insisted upon going with his regiment, but is laid up with the

gout.

With the rebels in England, you may imagine we have no private

news, nor think of foreign. From this account you may judge,

that our case is far from desperate, though disagreeable, The

Prince, while the Princess lies-in, has taken to give dinners,

to which he asks two of the ladies of the bedchamber, two of

the maids of honour, etc. by turns, and five or six others.

He sits at the head of the table, drinks and harangues to all

this medley till nine at night; and the other day, after the

affair of the regiments, drank Mr. Fox's health in a bumper,

with three huzzas, for opposing Mr. Pelham--

"Si quel fata aspera rumpas,

Tu Marcellus eris!"

You put me in pain for my eagle, and in more for the Chutes;

whose zeal is very heroic, but very ill-placed. I long to

hear that all my Chutes and eagles are safe out of the Pope's

hands! Pray wish the Suares's joy of all their espousals.

Does the Princess pray abundantly for her friend the

Pretender? Is she extremely abbatue with her devotion? and

does she fast till she has got a violent appetite for supper?

And then, does she eat so long that old Sarrasin is quite

impatient to go to cards again? Good night! I intend you

shall be resident from King George.

P. S. I forgot to tell you, that the other day I concluded the

ministry knew the danger was all over; for the Duke of

Newcastle ventured to have the Pretender's declaration burnt

at the Royal Exchange.

(1133) Donagh Maccarty, Earl of Clancarty, was an Irishman,

and not a Scotchman.-D.

451 Letter 187

To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Nov. 22, 1745.

For these two days we have been expecting news of a battle.

Wade marched last Saturday from Newcastle, and must have got

up with the rebels, if they stayed for him, though the roads

are exceedingly bad and great quantities of snow have fallen.

But last night there was some notice of a body of rebels being

advanced to Penryth. We were put into great spirits by an

heroic letter from the mayor of Carlisle, who had fired on the

rebels and made them retire; he concluded with saying, "And so

I think the town of Carlisle has done his Majesty more service

than the great city of Edinburgh, or than all Scotland

together." But this hero, who was crown the whole fashion for

four-and-twenty hours, had chosen to stop all other letters.

The King spoke of him at his levee with great encomiums; Lord

Stair said, "Yes, sir, Mr. Patterson has behaved very

bravely." The Duke of Bedford interrupted him; "My lord, his

name is not Paterson; that is a Scotch name; his name is

Patinson." But, alack! the next day the rebels returned, having

placed the women and children of the country in wagons

in front of their army, and forcing the peasants to fix the

scaling-ladders. The great Mr. Pattinson, or Patterson (for

now his name may be which one pleases,) instantly surrendered

the town and agreed to pay two thousand pounds to save it from

pillage. Well! then we were assured that the citadel could

hold out seven or eight days but did not so many hours. On

mustering the militia, there were not found above four men in

a company; and for two companies, which the ministry, on a

report of Lord Albemarle, who said they were to be sent from

Wade's army, thought were there, and did not know were not

there, there was nothing but two of invalids. Colonel Durand,

the governor, fled, because he would not sign the

capitulation, by which the garrison, it is said, has sworn

never to bear arms against the house of Stuart. The Colonel

sent two expresses, one to Wade, and another to Ligonier at

Preston; but the latter was playing at whist with Lord

Harrington at Petersham. Such is our diligence and attention!

All my hopes are in Wade, who was so sensible of the ignorance

of our governors that he refused to accept the command, till

they consented that he should be subject to no kind of orders

from hence. The rebels are reckoned up to thirteen thousand;

Wade marches with about twelve; but if they come southward,

the other army will probably be to fight them; the Duke is to

command it, and sets out next week with another brigade of

Guards, and Ligonier under him. There are great apprehensions

for Chester from the Flintshire-men, who are ready to rise. A

quartermaster, first sent to Carlisle, was seized and carried

to Wade; he behaved most insolently; and being asked by the

General, how many the rebels were, replied, "enough to beat

any army you have in England." A Mackintosh has been taken,

who reduces their formidability, by being sent to raise two

clans, and with orders, if they would not rise, at least to

give out they had risen, for that three clans would leave the

Pretender, unless joined by those two. Five hundred new

rebels are arrived at Perth, where our prisoners are kept.

I had this morning a subscription pool@ brought me for our

parish; Lord Granville had refused to subscribe. This is in

the style of his friend Lord Bath, who has absented himself

whenever any act of authority was to be executed against the

rebels.

Five Scotch lords are going to raise regiments `a l'Angloise!

resident in London, while the rebels were in Scotland; they

are to receive military emoluments for their neutrality!

The Fox man-of-war of twenty guns is lost off Dunbar. One

Beavor, the captain, had done us notable service: the

Pretender sent to commend his zeal and activity, and to tell

him, that if he would return to his allegiance, be should soon

have a flag. Beavor replied, "he never treated with any but

principals; that if the Pretender would come on board him, he

would talk with him." I must now tell you of our great Vernon:

without once complaining to the ministry, he has written to

Sir John Philipps, a distinguished Jacobite, to complain of

want of provisions; yet they do not venture to recall him!

Yesterday they had another baiting from Pitt, who is ravenous

for the place of secretary at war: they would give it him; but

as a preliminary, he insists on a declaration of our having

nothing to do with the Continent. He mustered his forces, but

did not notify his intention; only at two o'clock Lyttelton

said at the Treasury, that there would be business at the

House. The motion was to augment our naval force, which, Pitt

said, was the only method of putting an end to the rebellion.

Ships built a year hence to suppress an army of Highlanders,

now marching through England! My uncle attacked him, and

congratulated his country on the wisdom of the modern young

men; and said he had a son of two-and-twenty, who, he did not

doubt, would come over wiser than any of them. Pitt was

provoked, and retorted on his negotiations and greyheaded

experience. At those words, my uncle, as if he had been at

Bartholomew fair, snatched off his wig, and showed his gray

hairs, which made the august senate laugh, and put Pitt out,

who, after laughing himself, diverted his venom upon Mr.

Pelham. Upon the question, Pitt's party amounted but to

thirty-six: in short, he has nothing left but his words, and

his haughtiness, and his Lytteltons, and his Grenvilles.

Adieu!

453 Letter 188

To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, Nov. 29, 1745.

We have had your story here this week of the pretended

pretender, but with the unlucky circumstance of its coming

from the Roman Catholics. With all the faith you have in your

little spy, I cannot believe it; though, to be sure, it has a

Stuart-air, the not exposing the real boy to danger. The Duke

of Newcastle mentioned your account this morning to my uncle;

but they don't give any credit to the courier's relation. It

grows so near being necessary for the young man to get off by

any evasion, that I am persuaded all that party will try to

have it believed. We are so far from thinking that they have

not sent us one son, that two days ago we believed we had got

the other too. A small ship has taken the Soleil privateer

from Dunkirk, going to Montrose, with twenty French officers,

sixty others, and the brother of the beheaded Lord

Derwentwater and his son,(1134) who at first was believed to

be the second boy. News came yesterday of a second privateer,

taken with arms and money; of another lost on the Dutch coast,

and of Vernon being in pursuit of two more. All this must be

a great damp to the party, who are coming on--fast--fast to

their destruction. Last night they were to be at Preston, but

several repeated accounts make them under five thousand--none

above seven; they must have diminished greatly by desertion.

The country is so far from rising for them, that the towns are

left desolate on their approach, and the people hide and bury

their effects, even to their pewter. Warrington bridge is

broken down, which will turn them some miles aside. The Duke,

with the flower of that brave army which stood all the fire at

Fontenoy, will rendezvous at Stone, beyond Litchfield, the day

after to-morrow: Wade is advancing behind them, and will be at

Wetherby in Yorkshire to-morrow. In short, I have no

conception of their daring to fight either army, nor see any

visible possibility of their not being very soon destroyed.

My fears have been great, from the greatness of our stake; but

I now write in the greatest confidence of our getting over

this ugly business. We have another very disagreeable affair,

that may have fatal consequences: there rages a murrain among

the cows; we dare not eat milk, butter, beef, nor any thing

from that species. Unless there is snow or frost soon, it is

likely to @spread dreadfully though hitherto it has not

reached many miles from London. At first, it was imagined

that the Papists had empoisoned the pools; but the physicians

have pronounced it infectious, and brought from abroad.

I forgot to tell you, that my uncle begged the Duke of

Newcastle to stifle this report of the sham Pretender lest the

King should hear it and recall the Duke, as too great to fight

a counterfeit. It is certain that the army adore the Duke,

and are gone in the greatest spirits; and on the parade, as

they began their march, the Guards vowed that they would

neither give nor take quarter. For bravery, his Royal

Highness is certainly no Stuart, but literally loves to be in

the act of fighting. His brother has so far the same taste,

that the night of his new son's christening, he had the

citadel of Carlisle in sugar at supper, and the company

besieged it with sugar-plums. It was well imagined,

considering the time and the circumstances. One thing was

very proper; old Marshal Stair was there, who is grown child

enough to be fit to war only with such artillery. Another

piece of ingenuity of that court was on the report of Pitt

being named secretary at war. The Prince hates him, since the

fall of Lord Granville: he said, Miss Chudleigh,(1135) one of

the maids, was fitter for the employment; and dictated a

letter which he made her write to Lord Harrington, to desire

he would draw the warrant for her. There were fourteen people

at table, and all were to sign it: the Duke of

Queensberry(1136 would not, as being a friend of Pitt, nor

Mrs. Layton, one of the dressers: however, it was actually

sent, and the footman ordered not to deliver it till Sir

William Yonge was at Lord Harrington's-alas! it would be

endless to tell you all his Caligulisms! A ridiculous thing

happened when the Princess saw company: the new-born babe was

shown in a mighty pretty cradle, designed by Kent, under a

canopy in the great drawing-room. Sir William Stanhope went

to look at it; Mrs. Herbert, the governess, advanced to

unmantle it; he said, "In wax, I suppose."--"Sir!"--"In wax,

Madam?"--"The young Prince, Sir."--"Yes, in wax, I suppose."

This is his odd humour? when he went to see this duke at his

birth, he said, "Lord! it sees!"

The good Provost of Edinburgh has been with Marshal Wade at

Newcastle, and it is said, is coming to London-he must trust

hugely to the inactivity of the ministry! They have taken an

agent there going with large contributions from the- Roman

Catholics, who have pretended to be so quiet! The Duchess of

Richmond, while her husband is at the army, was going to her

grace of Norfolk:(1137) when he was very uneasy at her

intention, she showed him letters from the Norfolk, "wherein

she prays God that this wicked rebellion may be soon

suppressed, lest it hurt the poor Roman Catholics." But this

wise jaunt has made such a noise that it is laid aside.

Your friend Lord Sandwich has got one of the Duke of Montagu's

regiments: he stayed quietly till all the noise was over. He

is now lord of the admiralty, lieutenant-colonel to the Duke

of Bedford, aide-de-camp to the Duke of Richmond, and colonel

of a regiment!

A friend of mine, Mr. Talbot, who has a good estate in

Cheshire, with the great tithes, which he takes in kind, and

has generally fifteen hundred pounds stock, has expressly

ordered his steward to burn it, if the rebels come that way: I

don't think this will make a bad figure in Mr. Chute's brave

gazette. As we go on prospering, I will take care to furnish

him with paragraphs, till he kills Riviera(1138) and all the

faction. When my lovely eagle comes, I will consecrate it to

his Roman memory; don't think I want spirits more than he,

when I beg you to send me a case of drams: I remember your

getting one for Mr. Trevor.

I guessed at having lost two letters from you in the

packet-boat that was taken: I have received all you mention,

but those of the 21st and 28th of September, one of which I

suppose was about Gibberne: his mother has told me how happy

you have made her and him, for which I much thank you and your

usual good-nature. Adieu! I trust all my letters will grow

better and better. You must have passed a lamentable scene of

anxiety; we have had a good deal; but I think we grow in

spirits again. There never was so melancholy a town; no kind

of public place but the playhouses, and they look as if the

rebels had just driven away the company. Nobody but has some

fear for themselves, for their money, or for their friends in

the army: of this number am I deeply; Lord Bury(1139) and mr.

Conway, two of the first in my list, are aide-de-camps to the

Duke, and another, Mr. Cornwallis,(1140) is in the same army,

and my nephew, Lord Malpas(1141)--so I still fear the rebels

beyond my reason. Good night.

P. S. It is now generally believed from many circumstances,

that the youngest Pretender is actually among the prisoners

taken on board the Soleil: pray wish Mr. Chute joy for me.

(1134) Charles Radcliffe, brother of James, Earl of

Derwentwater, who was executed for the share he took in the

rebellion of 1715. Charles was executed in 1746, upon the

sentence pronounced against him in 1716, which he had then

evaded, by escaping from Newgate. His son was Bartholomew,

third Earl of Newburgh, a Scotch title he inherited from his

mother.-D.

(1135) Afterwards the well-known Duchess of Kingston.-D.

(1136) Charles Douglas, third Duke of Queensberry, and second

Duke of Dover: died 1778.-D.

(1137) Mary Blount, Duchess of Norfolk, the wife of Duke

Edward. She and her Husband were suspected of Jacobitism.-D.

(1138) Cardinal Riviera, promoted to the purple by the

interest of the Pretender.

(1139) George Keppel, eldest son of the Earl of Albemarle,

whom he succeeded in the title in 1754.

(1140) Edward, brother of Earl Cornwallis, groom of the

bedchamber to the King, and afterwards governor of Nova

Scotia.

(1141) George, eldest son of George, Earl of Cholmondeley, and

of Mary, second daughter of Sir Robert Walpole.

455 Letter 189

To sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, December 9, 1745.

I am glad I did not write to you last post as I intended; I

should have sent you an account that would have alarmed you,

and the danger would have been over before the letter had

crossed the sea. The Duke, from some strange want of

intelligence, lay last week for four-and-twenty hours under

arms at Stone, in Staffordshire, expecting the rebels every

moment, while they were marching in all haste to Derby.(1142)

The news of this threw the town into great consternation but

his Royal Highness repaired his mistake, and got to

Northampton, between the Highlanders and London. They got

nine thousand pounds at Derby, and had the books brought to

them, and obliged every body to give them what they had

subscribed against them. Then they retreated a few miles, but

returned again to Derby, got ten thousand pounds more,

plundered the town, and burnt a house of the Countess of

Exeter. They are gone again, and got back to Leake, in

Staffordshire, but miserably harassed, and, it is said, have

left all their cannon behind them, and twenty wagons of

sick.(1143) The Duke has sent General Hawley with the

dragoons to harass them in their retreat, and despatched Mr.

Conway to Marshal Wade, to hasten his march upon the back of

them. They must either go to North Wales, where they will

probably all perish, or to Scotland, with great loss. We

dread them no more We are threatened with great preparations

for a French invasion, but the coast is exceedingly guarded;

and for the people, the spirit against the rebels increases

every day. Though they have marched thus into the heart of

the kingdom, there has not been the least symptom of a rising,

not even in the great towns of which they possessed

themselves. They have got no recruits since their first entry

into England, excepting one gentleman in Lancashire, one

hundred and fifty common men, and two parsons, at Manchester,

and a physician from York. But here in London the aversion to

them is amazing: on some thoughts of the King's going to an

encampment at Finchley, the weavers not Only offered him a

thousand men, but the whole body of the Law formed themselves

into a little army, under the command of Lord Chief-Justice

Willes,(1144) and were to have done duty at St. James's, to

guard the royal family in the King's absence.

But the greatest demonstration of loyalty appeared on the

prisoners being brought to town from the Soleil prize - the

young man is certainly Mr. Radcliffe's son; but the mob,

persuaded of his being the youngest Pretender, could scarcely

be restrained from tearing him to pieces all the way on the

road, and at his arrival. He said he had heard of English

mobs, but could not conceive they were so dreadful, and wished

he had been shot at the battle of Dettingen, where he had been

engaged. The father, whom they call Lord Derwentwater, said,

on entering the Tower, that he had never expected to arrive

there alive. For the young man, he must only be treated as a

French captive; for the father, it is sufficient to produce

him at the Old Bailey, and prove that he is the individual

person condemned for the last rebellion, and so to Tyburn.

We begin to take up people, but it is with as much caution and

timidity as women of quality begin to pawn their Jewels; we

have not ventured upon any great stone yet!

The Provost of Edinburgh is in custody of a messenger; and the

other day they seized an, odd man, who goes by the name of

Count St. Germain. he has been here these two years, and will

not tell who he is, or whence, but professes that he does not

go by his right name. He sings, plays on the violin

wonderfully, composes, is mad, and not very sensible. He is

called an Italian, a Spaniard, a Pole; a somebody that married

a great fortune in Mexico, and ran away with her jewels to

Constantinople; a priest, a fiddler, a vast nobleman, The

Prince of Wales has had unsatiated curiosity about him, but in

vain. However, nothing has been made out against him -.' he

is released: and, what convinces me that he is not a

gentleman, stays here, and talks of his being taken up for a

spy.

I think these accounts, upon which you may depend, must raise

your spirits, and figure in Mr. Chute's royal journal.-But you

don't get my letters: I have sent you eleven since I came to

town; how many of these have you received? Adieu!

(1142) The consternation was so great as to occasion that day

being named Black Friday. (Fielding, in his True Patriot,

says, that, "when the Highlanders, by a most incredible march,

got between the Duke's army and the metropolis, they struck a

terror into it scarce to be credited." An immediate rush was

made upon the Bank of England, which, it is said, only

escaped bankruptcy by paying in sixpences, to gain time. The

shops in general were shut up; public business, for the most

part, was suspended, and the restoration of the Stuarts was

expected by all as no improbable or distant occurrence. See

Lord Mahon, vol. iii. p. 444.)

(1143 "Charles arrived at Derby in high spirits, reflecting

that he was now within a hundred and thirty miles of the

capital. Accordingly, that evening, at supper, he studiously

directed his conversation to his intended progress and

expected triumph--whether it would be best for him to enter

London on foot or on horseback, in Highland or in English

dress. Far different were the thoughts of his followers, who,

early next morning, laid before him their earnest and

unanimous opinion for an immediate retreat to Scotland,

Charles said, that, rather than go back, he would wish to be

buried twenty feet under ground. On the following day he

sullenly consented to retreat, but added, that, in future, he

would call no more councils; since he was accountable to

nobody for his actions, excepting to God and his father, and

would therefore no longer either ask or accept their advice."

See Sir Walter Scott's Tales of a Grandfather, vol. v. p. 226.-E.

(1144) Sir John Willes, knight, chief justice of the common

pleas from 1737 to 1762.-D.

(1145) In the beginning of the year 1755, on rumours of a

great armament at Brest, one Virette, a Swiss, who had been a

kind of toad-eater to this St. Germain, was denounced to Lord

Holderness for a spy; but Mr. Stanley going pretty surlily to

his lordship, on his suspecting a friend of his, Virette was

declared innocent, and the penitent secretary of state made

him the honourable amends of a dinner in form. About the same

time, a spy of ours was seized at Brest, but not happening to

be acquainted with Mr. Stanley, was broken upon the wheel.

457 Letter 190

To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington street, Dec. 20, 1745.

I have at last got your great letter by Mr. Gambier, and the

views of the villas,(1146) for which I thank you much. I

can't say I think them too well done. nor the villas

themselves pretty; but the prospects are charming. I have

since received two more letters from you, of November 30th and

December 7th. You seem to receive mine at last, though very

slowly.

We have at last got a spring-tide of good luck. The rebels

turned back from Derby, and have ever since been flying with

the greatest precipitation.(1147) The Duke, with all his

horse, and a thousand foot mounted, has pursued them with

astonishing rapidity; and General Oglethorpe, with part of

Wade's horse, has crossed over upon them. There has been

little prospect of coming up with their entire body, but it

dismayed them; their stragglers were picked up, and the towns

in their way preserved from plunder, by their not having time

to do mischief. This morning an express is arrived from Lord

Malton(1148) in Yorkshire, who has had an account of

Oglethorpe's cutting a part of them to pieces, and of the

Duke's overtaking their rear and entirely demolishing it. We

believe all this; but, as it is not yet confirmed, don't

depend upon it too much. The fat East India ships are arrived

safe from Ireland--I mean the prizes; and yesterday a letter

arrived from Admiral Townshend in the West Indies, where he

has fallen in with the Martinico fleet (each ship valued at

eight thousand pounds), taken twenty, sunk ten, and driven

ashore two men-of-war, their convoy, and battered them to

pieces. All this will raise the pulse Of the stocks, which

have been exceedingly low this week, and the Bank itself in

danger. The private rich are making immense fortunes out of

the public distress: the dread of the French invasion has

occasioned this. They have a vast embarkation at Dunkirk; the

Duc de Richelieu, Marquis Fimarcon, and other general

officers, are named in form to command. Nay, it has been

notified in form by the insolent Lord John Drummond,(1149) who

has got to Scotland, and sent a drum to Marshal Wade, to

announce himself commander for the French King in the war he

designs to wage in England, and to propose a cartel for the

exchange of prisoners. No answer has been made to this rebel;

but the King has acquainted the Parliament with this audacious

message. We have a vast fleet at sea; and the main body of

the Duke's army is coming down to the coast to prevent their

landing, if they should slip our ships. Indeed, I can't

believe they will attempt coming hither, as they must hear of

the destruction of the rebels in England; but they will

probably, dribble away to Scotland, where the war may last

considerably. Into England, I scarce believe the Highlanders

will be drawn again:--to have come as far as Derby--to have

found no rising in their favour, and to find themselves not

strong enough to fight either army, will make lasting

impressions!

Vernon, I hear, is recalled for his absurdities, and at his

own request, and Martin named for his successor.(1150) We had

yesterday a very remarkable day in the House: the King

notified his having sent for six thousand Hessians into

Scotland. Mr. Pelham, for an address of thanks. Lord

Cornbury (indeed, an exceedingly honest man(1151)) was for

thanking for the notice, not for the sending for the troops;

and proposed to add a representation of the national being the

only constitutional troops, and to hope we should be

exonerated of these foreigners as soon as possible. Pitt, and

that clan, joined him; but the voice of the House, and the

desires of the whole kingdom for all the troops we can get,

were so strong, that, on the division, we were 190 to 44: I

think and hope this will produce some Hanoverians too. That it

will produce a dismission of the Cobhamites is pretty certain;

the Duke of Bedford and Lord Gower arc warm for both points.

The latter has certainly renounced Jacobitism.

Boetslaar is come again from Holland, but his errand not yet

known. You will have heard of another victory,(1152) which

the Prussian has gained over the Saxons; very bloody on both

sides--but now he is master of Dresden.

We again think that we have got the second son,(1153) under

the name of Macdonald. Nobody is permitted to see any of the

prisoners.

In the midst of our political distresses, which, I assure you,

have reduced the town to a state of Presbyterian dulness, we

have been entertained with the marriage of the Duchess of

Bridgewater(1154) and Dick Lyttelton - she, forty, plain, very

rich, and with five children; he, six-and-twenty, handsome,

poor, and proper to get her five more. I saw, the other day,

a very good Irish letter. A gentleman in Dublin, full of the

great qualities of my Lord Chesterfield, has written a

panegyric on them, particularly on his affability and

humility; with a comparison between him and the hauteur of all

other lord-lieutenants. As an instance, he says, the earl was

invited to a great dinner, whither he went, by mistake, at

one, instead of three. The master was not at home, the lady

not dressed, every thing in confusion. My lord was so humble

as to dismiss his train and take a hackney-chair, and went and

stayed with Mrs. Phipps till dinner-time--la belle humilit`e!

I am not at all surprised to hear of my cousin Don Sebastian's

stupidity. Why, child, he cannot articulate; how would you

have had him educated? Cape Breton, Bastia, Martinico! if we

are undone this year, at least we go out with `eclat. Good

night.

1146) Villas of the Florentine nobility.

(1147) "Now few there were," says Captain Daniel, in his MS.

Memoirs, " who would go on foot if they could ride; and mighty

taking, stealing, and pressing of horses there was amongst us!

Diverting it was to see the Highlanders mounted, without

either breeches, saddle, or any thing else but the bare back

of the horses to ride on; and for their bridle, only a straw

rope! in this manner do we march out of England." See Lord

Mahon's Hist. vol. iii. p. 449.-E.