think of it, and have scolded' Madame du Deffand black and blue. However, I feel very comfortable; and though it will be imputed to my own vanity, that I showed the box as Madame de Choiseul's present, I resign the glory, and submit to the shame with great satisfaction. I have no pain in receiving this present from Madame du Deffand, and must own have great pleasure that nobody but she could write that most charming of all letters. Did not Lord Chesterfield think it so, Madam? I doubt our friend Mr. Hume must allow that not only Madame de Boufflers, but Voltaire himself, could not have written so well. When I give up Madame de Sévigné herself, I think his sacrifices will be trifling. 3 Pray, Madam, continue your waters; and, if possible, wash away that original sin, the gout. What would one give for a little rainbow to tell one, one should never have it again! Well, but then one should have a burning fever-for I think the greatest comfort that good-natured divines give us is, that we are not to be drowned any more, in order that we may be burnt. It will not at least be this summer; here is nothing but haycocks swimming round me. If it should cease raining by Monday se'nnight, I think of dining with your ladyship at Old Windsor; and if Mr. Bateman presses me mightily, I may take a bed there. 1 "Vous avez si bien fait," replied Madame du Deffand, "par vos leçons, vos préceptes, vos gronderies, et, le pis de tous, par vos ironies, que vous êtes presque parvenu à me rendre fausse, ou, pour le moins, fort dissimulée."-WRIGHT. 2 The letter accompanying the portrait, and written in the name of Madame de Sévigné. It was as follows: "Des Champs Elisées, Point de succession de tems, point de date. "Je connois votre folle passion pour moi, votre enthousiasme pour mes lettres, votre vénération pour les lieux que j'ai habités: j'ai appris le culte que vous m'y avez rendu j'en suis si pénétrée, que j'ai sollicité et obtenu la permission de mes Souverains de vous venir trouver pour ne vous quitter jamais. J'abandonne sans regret ces lieux fortunés; je vous préfère à tous ses habitans: jouissez du plaisir de me voir; ne vous plaignez point que ce ne soit qu'en peinture; c'est la seule existence que puissent avoir les ombres. J'ai été maîtresse de choisir l'age où je voulois raparoître; j'ai pris celuy de vingt cinq ans pour m'assurer d'être toujours pour vous un objet agréable. Ne craignez aucun changement; c'est un singulier avantage des ombres; quoique légères, elles sont immuables. "J'ai pris la plus petite figure qu'il m'a été possible, pour n'être jamais séparée de vous. Je veux vous accompagner par tout, sur terre, sur mer, à la ville, aux champs; mais ce que j'exige de vous, c'est de me mener incessamment en France, de me faire revoir ma patrie, la ville de Paris, et d'y choisir pour votre habitation le fauxbourg St. Germain: c'étoit là qu'habitoient mes meilleures amies, c'est le séjour des votres; vous me ferez faire connoissance avec elles: je serai bien aise de juger si elles sont dignes de vous, et d'être les rivales de-RABUTIN DE SÉVIGNÉ."-BERRY. The box and letter sold at the Strawberry Hill sale for 281. 78.-CUNNINGHAM. The Sunning Hill waters, near Windsor, which she had been lately drinking. (Sec Lady Hervey's 'Letters,' 8vo. 1821, p. 316).-CUNNINGHAM. As I have a waste of paper before me, and nothing more to say, I have a mind to fill it with a translation of a tale that I found lately in the Dictionnaire d'Anecdotes, taken from a German author, The novelty of it struck me, and I put it into verse-ill enough ; but, as the old Duchess of Rutland used to say of a lie, it will do for news into the country. "From Time's usurping power, I see, His wasting hand my subjects feel, Megæra worn to skin and bone; She has not spirits left to scold. It was about the self-same season "Iris, d'ye hear? Mind what I say; Go find me three, whose manners pure "'Tis true, O Queen! three maids I found- So chaste, severe, immaculate, The very name of man they hate : Three sisters, whom yourself would own Poor man he doats, or mad he sure is! What can he want them for ?"-"Three Furies." You will say I am an infernal poet; but everybody cannot write as they do aux Champs Elysées. Adieu, Madam! 1063. TO GEORGE MONTAGU, ESQ. Arlington Street, July 10, 1766. DON'T you think a complete year enough for any Administration to last? One, who at least can remove them, though he cannot make them, thinks so; and, accordingly, yesterday notified that he had sent for Mr. Pitt.' Not a jot more is known; but as this set is sacrificed to their resolution of having nothing to do with Lord Bute, the new list will probably not be composed of such hostile ingredients. The arrangement I believe settled in the outlines; if it is not, it may still never take place it will not be the first time this egg has been addled. One is very sure that many people on all sides will be displeased, and I think no side quite contented. Your cousins, the house of Yorke, Lord George Sackville, Newcastle, and Lord Rockingham, will certainly not be of the elect. What Lord Temple will do, or if anything will be done for George Grenville, are great points of curiosity. The plan will probably be, to pick and cull from all quarters, and break all parties, as much as possible.2 From this moment I date the wane of Mr. Pitt's glory; he will want the thorough-bass of drums and trumpets, and is not made for peace. The dismission of a most popular administration, a leaven of Bute, whom, too, he can never trust, and the numbers he will discontent, will be considerable objects against him. For my own part, I am much pleased, and much more diverted. I have nothing to do but to sit by and laugh; a humour you know I am apt to indulge. You shall hear from me again soon. 1064. TO SIR HORACE MANN. Arlington Street, July 11, 1766. I HOPE you have minded me, and are prepared. Nay, if but calculate, you must have expected a revolution. you did Why, it was a 1 On the 7th, the King addressed a letter to Mr. Pitt (Chatham Correspondence, ii. 436), expressing a desire to have his thoughts how an able and dignified ministry might be formed, and requesting him to come to town for that purpose.-WRight. 2 "Here are great bustles at court," writes Lord Chesterfield, on the 11th, "and a great change of persons is certainly very near. My conjecture is, that, be the new settlement what it will, Mr. Pitt will be at the head of it. If he is, I presume, qu'il aura mis de l'eau dans son vin par rapport à Mylord Bute: when that shall come to be known, as known it certainly will soon be, he may bid adieu to his popularity.”— WRIGHT. year yesterday that the Ministers had held their places. Surely you did not think that Secretaries of State and Lords of the Treasury are of more importance, or ought to be more permanent than churchwardens! If you did, you do not know my Lord Bute. As Petulant says of Millamant and her lovers, he makes no more of making ministers than of making card-matches. The late Ministers-I talk of those who were in office three days ago, stuck to their text; that is, would not bow the knee to the idol that keeps behind the veil of the sanctuary. They were content to have shown some civilities to one or two of his family, and asked the King if there was anybody his Majesty wished particularly to have placed? It was now too late the answer was "No!" On Sunday last, without any communication to the Ministers, the Chancellor [Northington], who can smell a storm, and who has probably bargained for beginning it, told the King that he would resign. The Ministers saw this was a signal of something, though they did not know what; and having found of late that they could obtain no necessary powers for strengthening themselves, determined to resign. They should have done so on Wednesday; but the old obstacle, Newcastle, and one or two more, prevailed to defer their resolution till to-day. Mr. Conway alone had determined, when he should quit, to recommend sending for Mr. Pitt. To their great surprise, when they severally went into the closet, the King, sans façon, declared that he had sent for Mr. Pitt. Mr. Conway replied, that he was very glad of it, and hoped it would answer. To him much graciousness was used; he was told that it was hoped never to see an administration of which he should not be part. This looks as if the plan was arranged, and that he was to remain; for a cool leave, very cool, was taken of all the rest. You have now the sum total of all I know, except that, half an hour ago, I heard Mr. Pitt was arrived. What his list will be is a profound secret. Probably, it will be picked and culled from all quarters. If the symptom of an arrangement being settled, which I mentioned above, had not appeared, I should say, "Stay, this is not the first time that Mr. Pitt has been sent for, and gone back re infectâ." Oh! but though they are not cured of sending for him, he may be cured of going back. Well, but on the other side, his scheme of breaking all parties may not succeed-pray don't think I mean that the constituents of parties are all men of honour, and will not violate their connections. No; but the very self-interest that would tempt them to desert may at last keep them together. Men will find out that the tenure of places is too precarious. It grows not worth while to let themselves be dragged through every kennel for the salary of a single year. There may be another difficulty. Will Mr. Pitt propose Lord Temple for the Treasury? Will he take it? Will he accept without George Grenville? And will the latter serve under both? Can these three act together? Will Grenville be endured when Mr. Pitt is called, only to avoid being forced to call for Grenville? Oh, I could ask you, or you may ask me, twenty other questions, that I cannot answer, and that a few days will. What will popularity say to the union of Pitt and Bute? Will Mr. Pitt's fortune salve that? Will it please the nation to see him sacrifice a most popular administration to the favourite, who fall, because they withstood the favourite? Truly, I do not yet know; but one thing I do know, that Mr. Pitt must disoblige so many more than he can content, that by this day twelvemonth I may probably send you another revolution. As to you, my dear Sir, I am not apprehensive for you. This is not one of those state-quakes that reach to Foreign Ministers. Mr. Pitt is not a man of vengeance; nor, were he, could he have any animosity to you. Had the former Ministry returned I would not have warranted you; the favour you received from Mr. Conway may have been noted down in their black book, and the Red Riband would have added another dash. In all cases you had better not say much in answer to this. The new plan may blow up before it takes place, and what might succeed it, is impossible to guess. I will write to you again as soon as anything is settled, or if the machine falls to pieces in the erection. You will soon see at Florence the son of Madame de Boufflers, to whom I have been desired to give a letter. As I conclude the new French minister,' who is much connected with his mother, will be at Florence before his arrival, he will not have great occasion for your civilities. However, for once I will beg you rather to exceed in them, for particular reasons. His mother is the mistress, and very desirous of being the wife, of the Prince of Conti. She is a sçavante, philosophe, author, bel esprit, what you please, and has been twice in England, where she has some great admirers. She was very civil to me at Paris, and at the same time very unpleasant, for being a protectress of Rousseau, she was extremely angry, and made the Prince of Conti so, at the letter I wrote to him in the name of 1 Monsieur De Barbantane.- WALPOLE. |