to make to her principles. I have not yet heard if her will is opened; but it will surprise those who thought her rich. Lord Chetwynd's friendship to her has been unalterably kind and zealous, and is not ceased. He stays in the house with Miss Hotham till some of her family come to take her away. I have perhaps dwelt too long on this subject; but, as it was not permitted me to do her justice when alive, I own I cannot help wishing that those who had a regard for her, may now at least know how much more she deserved it than even they suspected. In truth, I never knew a woman more respectable for her honour and principles, and have lost few persons in my life whom I shall miss so much. I am, &c.

TO GEORGE MONTAGU, ESQ.

Arlington Street, July 31, 1767.

I FIND one must cast you into debt, if one has a mind to hear of you. You would drop one with all your heart, if one would let you alone. Did not you talk of passing by Strawberry in June, on a visit to the Bishop? I did not summon you, because I have not been sure of my own motions for two days together for these three months. At last all is subsided; the administration will go on pretty much as it was, with Mr. Conway for part of it. The fools and the rogues, or, if you like proper names, the Rockinghams and the Grenvilles, have bungled their own game, quarrelled, and thrown it away.

Where are you? What are you doing? Where are you going or staying? I shall trip to Paris in about a fortnight, for a month or six weeks. Indeed, I have had such a loss in poor Lady Suffolk,' that my autumns at Strawberry will suffer exceedingly, and will not be repaired by my Lord Buckingham. I have been in pain, too, and am not yet quite easy about my brother, who is in a bad state of health. Have you

"Votre pauvre sourde!" writes Madame du Deffand to Walpole, on the 3rd of August. "Ah! mon Dieu! que j'en suis fâchée; c'est une véritable perte, et je la partage: j'aimais qu'elle vecut; j'aimais son amitié pour vous; j'aimais votre attachement pour elle: tout cela, ce me semble, m'était bon."-E.

waded through or into Lord Lyttelton? How dull one may be, if one will but take pains for six or seven-and-twenty years together! Except one day's gout, which I cured with the bootikins, I have been quite well since I saw you: nay, with a microscope you would perceive I am fatter. Mr. Hawkins saw it with his naked eye, and told me it was common for lean people to grow fat when they grow old. I am afraid the latter is more certain than the former, and I submit to it with a good grace. There is no keeping off age by sticking roses and sweet peas in one's hair, as Miss Chudleigh does still.

If you are not totally abandoned, you will send me a line before I go. The Clive has been desperately nervous; but I have convinced her it did not become her, and she has recovered her rubicundity. Adieu!

TO GEORGE MONTAGU, ESQ.

Friday, Aug. 7, 1767.

As I am turned knight-errant, and going again in search of my old fairy, I will certainly transport your enchanted

His "History of the Life of King Henry the Second, and of the Age in which he lived," in four volumes quarto.-E.

Madame du Deffand. The following passages from her letters to Walpole will best explain the reasons which induced him to undertake the journey:-" Paris, 5 Juillet. Je crois entrevoir que votre séjour ici vous inquiète, et que la complaisance qui vous amène vous coûte beaucoup; mais, mon Tuteur, songez au plaisir que vous me ferez, quelle sera ma reconnoissance. Je ne vous dirai point combien cette visite m'est nécessaire; vous jugerez par vous-meme si je vous en ai imposé sur rien, et si vous pourrez jamais vous repentir des marques d'amitié que vous m'avez données. Mon Dieu! que nous aurons de sujets de conversations!"— "Dimanche, 23 Août. Enfin, enfin, il n'y a plus de mer qui nous sépare; j'ai l'espérance de vous voir dès aujourd'hui. J'ai prié hier Madame Simonetti d'envoyer chez moi au moment de votre arrivée; si vous voulez venir chez moi, comme j'espère, vous aurez sur le champ mon carrosse. Je me flatte que demain vous dinerez et souperez avec moi tête-à-tête; nous en aurons bien à dire. Sans cette maudite compagnie que j'ai si sottement rassemblée, vous m'auriez trouvée chez vous à la déscente de votre chaise; cela vous auroit fort déplu, mais je m'en serois mocquée." Madame Simonetti kept the Hôtel garni du Parc Royal, Rue du Colombier. In a journal which Walpole kept of this journey to Paris, is the following entry :-" August 23. Arrived at

casket, and will endeavour to procure some talisman, that may secrete it from the eyes of those unheroic harpies, the officers of the custom-house. You must take care to let me have it before to-morrow se'nnight.

The house at Twickenham, with which you fell in love, is still unmarried; but they ask a hundred and thirty pounds a-year for it. If they asked one hundred and thirty thousand pounds for it, perhaps my Lord Clive might snap it up; but that not being the case, I don't doubt but it will fall, and I flatter myself that you and it may meet at last upon reasonable terms. That of General Trapaud is to be had at fifty pounds a-year, but with a fine on entrance of five hundred pounds. As I propose to return by the beginning of October, perhaps I may see you, and then you may review both. Since the loss of poor Lady Suffolk, I am more desirous than ever of having you in my neighbourhood, as I have not a rational acquaintance left. Adieu!

TO THE HON. H. S. CONWAY.1

Paris, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 1767.

LAST night, by Lord Rochford's courier, we heard of Charles Townshend's death; for which, indeed, your letter had prepared me. As a man of incomparable parts, and most entertaining to a spectator, I regret his death. His goodhumour prevented one from hating him, and his levity from loving him; but, in a political light, I own I cannot look upon it as a misfortune. His treachery alarmed me, and I apprehended everything from it. It was not advisable to throw him into the arms of the Opposition. His death avoids both kinds of mischief. I take for granted you will have Lord

Paris a quarter before seven; at eight, to Madame du Deffand's; found the Clairon acting Agrippine and Phedre. Not tall; but I liked her acting better than I expected. Supped there with her, and the Duchesses de Villeroi, d'Aiguillon, &c. &c.”—E.

1 Now first printed.

2 Mr. Charles Townshend died very unexpectedly, on the 4th of September; he being then only in his forty-second year.-E.

North for chancellor of the exchequer. He is very inferior to Charles in parts; but what he wants in those, will be supplied by firmness and spirit.

With regard to my brother, I should apprehend nothing, were he like other men; but I shall not be astonished, if he throws his life away; and I have seen so much of the precariousness of it lately, that I am prepared for the event, if it shall happen. I will say nothing about Mr. Harris; he is an old man, and his death will be natural. For Lord Chatham, he is really or intentionally mad, but I still doubt which of the two. Thomas Walpole has writ to his brother here, that the day before Lord Chatham set out for Pynsent, he executed a letter of attorney, with full powers to his wife, and the moment it was signed he began singing.2

You may depend upon it I shall only stay here to the end of the month; but if you should want me sooner, I will set out at a moment's warning, on your sending me a line by Lord Rochford's courier. This goes by Lady Mary Coke, who sets out to-morrow morning early, on the notice of Mr. Townshend's death, or she would have stayed ten days longer. I sent you a letter by Mr. Fletcher, but I fear he did not go away till the day before yesterday.

"The chancellorship of the exchequer," says Adolphus, 66 was filled up ad interim by Lord Mansfield. It was offered to Lord North, who, for some reasons which are not precisely known, declined accepting it. The offer was subsequently made to Lord Barrington; who declared his readiness to undertake the office, if a renewed application to Lord North should fail: a fresh negotiation was attempted with the Duke of Bedford, but without effect, and at length Lord North was prevailed on to accept the office. Mr. Thomas Townshend succeeded Lord North as paymaster, and Mr. Jenkinson was appointed a lord of the treasury; Lord Northington and General Conway resigning, Lord Gower was made president of the council; Lord Weymouth, secretary of state; and Lord Sandwich, joint postmaster-general. These promotions indicated an accommodation between the ministry and the Bedford party; and the cabinet was further strengthened by the appointment of Lord Hillsborough to the office of secretary of state for America. The ministry, thus modelled, was called the Duke of Grafton's administration; for, although Lord Chatham still retained his place, he was incapable of transacting business."-E.

2 Lord Chatham's enemies were constantly insinuating, that his illness was a political one. For the real state of his health at the time Walpole was penning this uncharitable passage, see Lady Chatham's letter to Mr. Nuthall of the 17th of August, and his lordship's own grateful and affectionate letter to Mr. Thomas Walpole of the 30th of October. Correspondence, vol. iii. p. 282, 289.-E.

I am just come from dining en famille with the Duke de Choiseul: he was very civil-but much more civil to Mr. Wood,' who dined there too. I forgive this gratitude to the peacemakers. I must finish; for I am going to Lady Mary, and then return to sup with the Duchess de Choiseul, who is not civiller to anybody than to me. Adieu! Yours ever.

DEAR SIR,

TO THE REV. MR. COLE.

Arlington Street, Oct. 24, 1767.

It is an age since we have had any correspondence. My long and dangerous illness last year, with my journey to Bath; my long attendance in Parliament all winter, spring, and to the beginning of summer; and my journey to France since, from whence I returned but last week, prevented my asking the pleasure of seeing you at Strawberry-hill.

I wish to hear that you have enjoyed your health, and shall be glad of any news of you. The season is too late, and the Parliament too near opening, for me to propose a winter journey to you. If you should happen to think at all of London, I trust you would do me the favour to call on me. In short, this is only a letter of inquiry after you, and to show you that I am always most truly yours.

' Mr. Robert Wood. He was under-secretary of state at the time of the treaty of Paris.-E.

2 Walpole left Paris the 9th of October; on the morning of which day Madame du Deffand thus resumes her correspondence with him :-" Que de lâcheté, de foiblesse, et de ridicules je vous ai laissé voir! Je m'étois bien promis le contraire; mais, mais oubliez tout cela, pardonnez-lemoi, mon Tuteur, et ne pensez plus à votre Petite que pour vous dire qu'elle est raisonnable, obéissante, et par-dessus tout reconnaissante; que son respect, oui, je dis respect, que sa crainte, mais sa crainte filiale, son tendre mais sérieux attachement, feront jusqu'à son dernier moment le bonheur de sa vie. Qu'importe d'être vielle, d'être aveugle ; qu'importe le lieu qu'on habite; qu'importe que tout ce qui environne soit sot ou extravagant: quand l'ame est fortement occupée, il ne lui manque rien que l'objet qui l'occupe; et quand cet objet repond à ce qu'on sent pour lui, on n'a plus rien à desirer."-E.