STRAWBERRY HILL, _Oct._ 3, 1762.
I am now only the peace in your debt, for here is the Havannah. Here it
is, following despair and accompanied by glory, riches, and twelve
ships-of-the-line; not all in person, for four are destroyed. The
booty--that is an undignified term--I should say, the plunder, or the
spoils, which is a more classic word for such heroes as we are, amounts
to at least a million and a half. Lord Albemarle's share will be about
£140,000. I wish I knew how much that makes in _talents_ or _great
sesterces_. What to me is better than all, we have lost but sixteen
hundred men; _but_, alas! Most of the sick recovered! What an affecting
object my Lady Albemarle would make in a triumph, surrounded by her
three victorious sons; for she had three at stake! My friend Lady
Hervey,[1] too, is greatly happy; her son Augustus distinguished himself
particularly, brought home the news, and on his way took a rich French
ship going to Newfoundland with military stores. I do not surely mean to
detract from him, who set all this spirit on float, but you see we can
conquer, though Mr. Pitt is at his plough.
[Footnote 1: Lady Hervey, the widow of Pope's Lord Fanny and Sporus, had
been the beautiful "Molly Lepel," celebrated by Lord Chesterfield.
Had I Hanover, Bremen, and Verden
And likewise the Duchy of Zell,
I would part with them all for a farden,
Compared with sweet Molly Lepel.