STRAWBERRY HILL, _Sept._ 9, 1762.
Nondum laurus erat, longoque decentia crine
Tempora cingebat de quâlibet arbore Phoebus.[1]
[Footnote 1: The quotation is from Ovid, Met. i. 450.]
This is a hint to you, that as Phoebus, who was certainly your superior,
could take up with a chestnut garland, or any crown he found, you must
have the humility to be content without laurels, when none are to be
had: you have hunted far and near for them, and taken true pains to the
last in that old nursery-garden Germany, and by the way have made me
shudder with your last journal: but you must be easy with _quâlibet_
other _arbore_; you must come home to your own plantations. The Duke of
Bedford is gone in a fury to make peace,[1] for he cannot be even
pacific with temper; and by this time I suppose the Duke de Nivernois is
unpacking his portion of olive _dans la rue de Suffolk Street_. I say, I
suppose--for I do not, like my friends at Arthur's, whip into my
post-chaise to see every novelty. My two sovereigns, the Duchess of
Grafton and Lady Mary Coke, are arrived, and yet I have seen neither
Polly nor Lucy. The former, I hear, is entirely French; the latter as
absolutely English.
[Footnote 1: "On the 6th of September the Duke of Bedford embarked as
ambassador from England; on the 12th the Duc de Nivernois landed as
ambassador from France. Of these two noblemen, Bedford, though well
versed in affairs, was perhaps by his hasty temper in some degree
disqualified for the profession of a Temple or a Gondomar; and Nivernois
was only celebrated for his graceful manners and his pretty songs" (Lord
Stanhope, "History of England," c. 38).]
Well! but if you insist on not doffing your cuirass, you may find an
opportunity of wearing it. The storm thickens. The City of London are
ready to hoist their standard; treason is the bon-ton at that end of the
town; seditious papers pasted up at every corner: nay, my neighbourhood
is not unfashionable; we have had them at Brentford and Kingston. The
Peace is the cry;[1] but to make weight, they throw in all the abusive
ingredients they can collect. They talk of your friend the Duke of
Devonshire's resigning; and, for the Duke of Newcastle, it puts him so
much in mind of the end of Queen Anne's time, that I believe he hopes to
be Minister again for another forty years.
[Footnote 1: "_The Peace is the cry._" This was the peace of Paris, not
absolutely concluded till February of the next year. The conditions in
our favour were so inadequate to our successes in the war, that the
treaty caused general indignation; so great, indeed, that Lord Bute, the
Prime Minister, was afraid to face the meeting of Parliament, and
resigned his office, in which he was succeeded by Mr. George Grenville.
It was the subject of severe, but not undeserved comment in the
celebrated _North Briton_, No. 45, by Wilkes.]
In the mean time, there are but dark news from the Havannah; the
_Gazette_, who would not fib for the world, says, we have lost but four
officers; the World, who is not quite so scrupulous, says, our loss is
heavy.--But what shocking notice to those who have _Harry Conways_
there! The _Gazette_ breaks off with saying, that they were to storm the
next day! Upon the whole, it is regarded as a preparative to worse news.
Our next monarch [George IV.] was christened last night, George Augustus
Frederick; the Princess, the Duke of Cumberland, and Duke of
Mecklenburgh, sponsors; the ceremony performed by the Bishop of London.
The Queen's bed, magnificent, and they say in taste, was placed in the
great drawing-room: though she is not to see company in form, yet it
looks as if they had intended people should have been there, as all who
presented themselves were admitted, which were very few, for it had not
been notified; I suppose to prevent too great a crowd: all I have heard
named, besides those in waiting, were the Duchess of Queensberry, Lady
Dalkeith, Mrs. Grenville, and about four more ladies.
_TREASURES FROM THE HAVANNAH--THE ROYAL VISIT TO ETON--DEATH OF LADY
MARY--CONCEALMENT OF HER WORKS--VOLTAIRE'S "UNIVERSAL HISTORY."_