MADAM:

825. TO THE RIGHT HON. LADY HERVEY.

Strawberry Hill, Oct. 31, 1762.

IT is too late, I fear, to attempt acknowledging the honour Madame de Chabot' does me; and yet, if she is not gone, I would fain not appear ungrateful. I do not know where she lives, or I would not take the liberty again of making your ladyship my penny-post. If she is gone, you will throw my note into the fire.

Pray, Madam, blow your nose with a piece of flannel—not that I believe it will do you the least good- but, as all wise folks think it becomes them to recommend nursing and flannelling the gout, imitate them; and I don't know any other way of lapping it up, when it appears in the person of a running cold. I will make it a visit on Tuesday next, and shall hope to find it tolerably vented.

P.S. You must tell me all the news when I arrive, for I know nothing of what is passing. I have only seen in the papers, that the cock and hen doves that went to Paris not having been able to make peace, there is a third dove3 just flown thither to help them.

2

826. TO GEORGE MONTAGU, ESQ.

Arlington Street, Thursday, Nov. 4, 1762.

THE events of these last eight days will make you stare. This day se'nnight the Duke of Devonshire came to town, was flatly refused an audience, and gave up his key. Yesterday Lord Rockingham resigned, and your cousin Manchester was named to the bedchamber. The King then in council called for the book, and dashed out the Duke of Devonshire's name. If you like spirit, en

voila!

Do you know I am sorry for all this? You will not suspect me of tenderness for his grace of Devonshire, nor, recollecting how the whole house of Cavendish treated me on my breach with my uncle,"

Lady Mary Chabot, daughter of the Earl of Stafford.—WALPOLE.

2 The Duke and Duchess of Bedford.-WALPOLE.

3 Mr. Hans Stanley.-WALPOLE.

4 One of old Horace's sons had married a daughter of the Duke of Devonshire.— CUNNINGHAM.

will any affronts, that happen to them, call forth my tears. But I think the act too violent and too serious, and dipped in a deeper dye than I like in politics. Squabbles, and speeches, and virtue, and prostitution, amuse one sometimes; less and less indeed every day; but measures, from which you must advance and cannot retreat, is a game too deep; one neither knows who may be involved, nor where will be the end. It is not pleasant. Adieu!

827. TO SIR HORACE MANN.

Arlington Street, Nov. 9, 1762.

I Now pay my last debt to you, for I send you the Peace. It arrived at three o'clock yesterday morning, and was signed on the third; includes Spain, saves Portugal, and leaves the hero and heroine' of Germany to scratch out one another's last eye. I do not pretend to minute the particulars to you; you will have heard them from France before you can have received them from me. Nay, I do not know them exactly. Florida for the Havannah is the chief thing mentioned; so Spain pays a little for the familycompact, besides the loss of her ships, and disappointment of the Crown of Portugal. I believe she relinquished her prospect of the latter to save that of Naples; a bombarding fleet was destined thither. The Ministry affect to talk highly of their peace, though I think they are not very proud of it. The City condemns it already by wholesale, and will by retail. Mr. Pitt says it is inadequate to our successes, and inglorious for our Allies; the gentlest words I suppose he will utter. For my part, who know nothing of the detail, I can but rejoice that peace is made. The miserable world will have some repose, and Mr. Conway is safe. I own I have lived in terror about him.

Coupled with the consequences of the Peace will be two great events that have lately happened to one considerable person, and which have occasioned much surprise. The Duke of Devonshire, who has been fluctuating between his golden Key and disgust, ever since the Duke of Newcastle's fall, came from the Bath last Thursday se'nnight; prepared to resign, if ill received. He went directly

1 The King of Prussia and the Empress Queen.-WALPOLE.

2 See the Duke of Newcastle to Lord Rockingham, Oct. 28th, 1762, for an account of what his grace is pleased to call "the most extraordinary event that has happened in any court of Europe." Rockingham Memoirs, i. 355. The Duke confirms the accuracy of Walpole.-CUNNINGHAM.

to Court, and bid the page in waiting tell the King he was there. A flat answer that the King would not see him was returned. He sent in again to know what he must do with his Key and Staff [as Lord Chamberlain],-reply: he should receive the King's orders about them. He went directly to Lord Egremont's and left them there. On the following Wednesday the King in Council called for the Council-book, and ordered the Duke's name to be struck out of it-a proceeding almost novel, having never happened but to Lord Bath [Mr. Pulteney] and Lord George Sackville. There are but faint reasons given for so ignominious a treatment, as his not coming to council when summoned, &c., but the political cause assigned is, to intimidate the great lords, and prevent more resignations, which were expected. Hitherto in that light it has succeeded, for Lord Rockingham alone has quitted. It is very amusing to me to see the House of Lords humbled. I have long beheld their increasing power with concern, and though not at all wishing to see the higher scale preponderating, I am convinced nothing but the Crown can reduce the exorbitance of the peers, and perhaps it will be able; for I believe half those who are proud of twenty thousand pounds a-year, will bear anything for a thousand more.

I forgot when I named only Lord Rockingham: the duke's brother and brother-in-law, Lord George Cavendish and Lord Besborough resigned their places immediately. None of them but the Marquis of Rockingham in the Bedchamber are yet filled up.

I am an honester prophet than most of my profession. I record my blunders. I foretold that this Ministry would not be able to open the Parliament. See how fair I am; I do not pretend that I only meant on the eleventh-it is put off to the twenty-fifth, and yet I do not brag of the event verifying my prediction. As the Peace is come, they must abide it; and probably will be able to carry it through—and yet they will have to fight their way. The Duke of Newcastle certainly-by certainly I only mean to answer for his resolution at this instant-goes into opposition. Lord Hardwicke, it is said, will accompany him-if he does, I shall not think Lord Bute's game so sure; that is, I have no notion of Yorkes in opposition without a moral assurance of success. If the man Hardwicke comes out of the weather-house, it will certainly be a stormy season.

I write shortly, for I am in a hurry; but my letter, rolled out, would make a very large one. Your own comments will make it last you some time. In short, more than one die is cast.

I am

returning to Strawberry for some days, rejoiced that my friends. are secure; and for events, let them come as they may. I have nothing to do to be glad or sorry, whatever happens ministerially, and do not know why one may not see history with the same indifference that one reads it. Adieu!

P.S. I wish you would trouble yourself to inquire at Rome whether the mould of the Livia Mattei, made by Valory for my mother's' statue, exists. My cast is broken through and through, and the plaster too rotten to be repaired or to last. If existing, will you inform yourself to how much a cast in bronze would amount? If it would pass my pocket, I must be glad of another cast.

DEAR SIR:

828. TO THE REV. WILLIAM COLE.

Strawberry Hill, Nov. 13, 1762.

You will easily guess that my delay in answering your obliging letter, was solely owing to my not knowing whither to direct to you. I waited till I thought you may be returned home. Thank you for all the trouble you have given, and do give yourself for me; it is vastly more than I deserve.

Duke Richard's portrait I willingly wave, at least for the present, till one can find out who he is. I have more curiosity about the figures of Henry VII. at Christ's College. I shall be glad some time or other to visit them, to see how far either of them agree with his portrait in my picture of his marriage. St. Ethelreda was mighty welcome.

We have had variety of weather since I saw you, but I fear none of the patterns made your journey more agreeable.

DEAR SIR:

829. TO THE HON. HORACE WALPOLE.2

Nov. 21, 1762. As soon as I heard that the Parks,' which Lord Ashburnham had

1 On her monument in Westminster Abbey, vol. i. p. lxviii.—WALPOLE. 2 Now first collected, from Walpole's Memoirs of the reign of King George III., vol. i. p. 213.-CUNNINGHAM.

3 The Rangership of St. James's and Hyde Parks. This post was not worth two thousand two hundred pounds a-year by itself, but with the bedchamber, as Lord Ashburnham had held it. Lord Orford was already lord of the bedchamber; so, though I did not know it at that time, the offer was grossly fallacious. Fox, however, might be ignorant too of this circumstance.-WALPOLE.

quitted, were worth 2,2007. a-year (as they certainly are), I thought such an income might, if not prevent, at least procrastinate your nephew's ruin.' I find nobody knows his lordship's thoughts on the present state of politics.

Perhaps he has none. Now, are you willing, and are you the proper person, to tell Lord Orford that I will do my best to procure this employment for him, if I can soon learn that he desires it? If he does choose it, I doubt not of his and his friend Boone's" hearty assistance, and believe I shall see you too, much oftener in the House of Commons. This is offering you a bribe, but 'tis such a one as one honest good-natured man may without offence offer to another.

If you undertake this, do it immediately, and have attention to my part in it, which is delicate. If you do not undertake it, let me know your thoughts of the proposal, whether I had better drop it entirely, or put it into other hands, and whose.

You'll believe me, when I tell you that goodness of heart has as much share in this to the full, as policy.

Yours ever,

H. Fox."

1 George Walpole, third Earl of Orford, grandson of Sir Robert Walpole. Not only his grandfather and father had left great debts, but his own dissipation had involved him in many more.- WALPOLE.

2 He scarcely ever had any thoughts about politics, but lived almost always in the country and at Newmarket, wasting his time and fortune by carelessness, rather than in pleasures and expenses. With a most engaging figure and address, he profited of no one advantage to which he was born; and, without any view of advantage to himself, disgusted every friend he had by insensibility, and every friend he might have had by insincerity.-WALPOLE.

Charles Boone, brought early into parliament by Lord Orford, for Castlerising. Fox had already solicited Lord Orford through Mr. Boone, but without receiving any answer.-WALPOLE.

This artful and disingenuous letter the messenger was ordered to desire I would answer immediately. I determined at once to guard my expressions in such a manner, that, under the appearance of the same insincere cordiality which Fox affected to wear, it should not be possible to fix either declaration or engagement upon me; showing him at the same time that I would neither accept favour from him, nor be indirectly obliged to him though my nephew. I was aware that, if I refused to notify the offer to Lord Orford, he or his friends, and the Court too, would raise a clamour against me for preventing his receiving a favour that he wanted so much : and, as he was already lord of the bedchamber, there could be no reason in honour why he should not accept an addition of income; nor was there anything in his principles that would make him difficult to be farther bound. With these views I returned the following answer.-WALPOLE.