The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford

To George Montagu, Esq. Feb. 19.-Congratulations on his health
and cheerful spirits. Recommends him to quit his country soli-
tude. Contemplated visit to Paris. And retirement from Par-
liament and political connections. Runic poetry. Mallet's
"Northern Antiquities." Lord Byron's trial. Antiquarian So-
ciety

To the Rev. Mr. Cole, Feb. 28.-Planting and gardening. Pub-

lication of "The Castle of Otranto"

To the same, March 9.— Origin of "The Castle of Otranto."

Caution to his friend respecting his MSS. Consequences of the

Droit d'Aubaine. Dr. Percy's "Reliques of Ancient English

Poetry." Old Ballads. Rosamond's Bower. Ambition and

Content

To Monsieur Élie de Beaumont, March 18.-" The Castle of

Otranto." Madame de Beaumont's "Letters of the Marquis de

Roselle." Churchill and Dryden. Effects of Richardson's

novels

To the Earl of Hertford, March 26.-Count de Guerchy's pre-
tended conspiracy to murder M. D'Eon. The King's illness.
Count de Caraman. "Siege of Calais." Duc de Choiseul's reply
to Mademoiselle Clairon. French admiration of Garrick. Quin
in Falstaff. Old Johnson. Mrs. Porter. Cibber and O'Brien.
Mrs. Clive. Garrick's chief characters. The wolf of the Gevau-
dan. Favourable reception of " The Castle of Otranto." Bon-
mot. Straits of Thermopylæ

To George Montagu, Esq. April 5.-" Siege of Calais." Bon-mots.

Quin and Bishop Warburton. Prerogative. Preferments

To the Earl of Hertford, April 7.-The King's rapid recovery.

Fire at Gunnersbury. Count Schouvaloff. Count de Caraman.

Mrs. Anne Pitt. Mr. Pitt the first curiosity of foreigners.

French encroachments. Parliament. Poor bill. A late dinner

VOL. V.

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To the Earl of Hertford, April 18.-The King's recovery. Pro-
ceedings on the Regency-bill. Enmity between Lord Bute and
Mr. Grenville. Rumoured changes. State of parties. Lord
Byron's acquittal. The Duke of Cumberland's illness. Daffy's
Elixir. Poor-bill. Lord Hinchinbrook's marriage

To Sir David Dalrymple, April 21.-" The Castle of Otranto."
Old Ballads. Consolations of authorship. [N.]

To the Earl of Hertford, May 5.—Proceedings in the House of
Lords on the Regency-bill

To the same, May 12.-Proceedings in the House of Commons on

the Regency-bill. The Princess Dowager excluded from the

Regency

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To the same, May 20.-The King forbids the Parliament to be

prorogued. The Duke of Cumberland ordered to form a new

administration. Failure of the Duke's negotiation with Mr.

Pitt.

Ministerial resignations. Humiliations of the Crown.

Riots. Attack on Bedford-house. General spirit of mutiny and
dissatisfaction. Extraordinary conduct of Mr. Pitt. Second
tumult at Bedford-house. The King compelled to take back
his ministers. Reconciliation between Lord Temple and George
Grenville. Mr. Conway restored to the King's favour. Extra-
vagant terms dictated by the ministers to the King. Stuart
Mackenzie's removal. Ministerial changes and squabbles
To George Montagu, Esq. May 26.-Proceedings on the Regency-
bill. Ministerial squabbles and changes. Mr. Bentley's poem.
Danger of writing political panegyrics or satires. Lines on the
Fountain Tree in the Canary Islands

To the same, June 10.-A party at Strawberry. General Schou-
valoff. Felicity of being a private man. Ingratitude of syco-
phants

To the Right Hon. Lady Hervey, June 11.-Apology for not writ-
ing. Regrets at being carried backwards and forwards to balls
and suppers. Resolutions of growing old and staid at four-score
To George Montagu, Esq.-Contradicting a report of his danger-
ous illness

To the Hon. H. S. Conway, July 3.- - Progress of his illness.
Effects of the gout. Dreams and reveries. Madame de Bent-
heim

To the Countess of Suffolk, July 3.-State of his health. Lady
Blandford. [N.]

To the same, July 9.-The new ministry. Conduct of Charles
Townshend. [N.]

To George Montagu, Esq. July 11.-Change of the ministry. The

Rockingham administration

To the same, July 28.-Reflections on loss of youth. Entrance

into old age through the gate of infirmity. A month's confine-
ment to a sick bed a stinging lesson. Whiggism

To George Montagu, Esq. Aug. 23.-Death of Lady Barbara Mon-
tagu. Old friends and new faces. A strange story. Motives for
re-visiting Paris. The French reformation. Churches and con-
vents. Adieu to politics

To the same, Aug. 31.-Dropping off and separation of friends.

Pleasant anticipations from his visit to Paris. Revival of old

ideas. Stupifying effects of Richardson's novels on the French

nation

To the Earl of Strafford, Sept. 3.-Motives of his journey to Paris.

Death of the Emperor of Germany. "My last sally into the

world"

To the Right Hon. Lady Hervey, Sept. 3.-Thanks for letters of
introduction. Modern French literature

To the Rev. Mr. Cole, Sept. 5.-Inviting him to visit Paris

To the Hon. H. S. Conway, Sept. 11.-Journey to Amiens. Meet-

ing with Lady Mary Coke. Boulogne. Duchess of Douglas.

A droll way of being chief mourner. A French absurdity.

Walnut-trees. Clermont. The Duc de Fitz-James. Arrival

at Paris

To the Right Hon. Lady Hervey, Sept. 14.-Salutary effects of his

journey.

French gravity. Parisian dirt. French Opera.

Italian comedy. Chantilly. Illness of the Dauphin. Mr. David
Hume the mode at Paris. Mesdames de Monaco, d'Egmont, and
de Brionne. Nymphs of the theatres

To the Rev. Mr. Cole, Sept. 18.-Advice respecting his journey to

Paris

To George Montagu, Esq. Sept. 22.-Ingratitude. Amusements.
French society. Mode of living. Music. Stage. Le Kain.
The Dumenil. Grandval. Italian comedy. Harlequin. Free-
thinking. Conversation. Their savans. Admiration of Rich-
ardson and Hume. Dress and equipages. Parliaments and
clergy. Effects of company
To the Right Hon. Lady Hervey, Oct. 3.-Hôtel de Carnavalet.
Madame Geoffrin. His own defects the sole cause of his not
enjoying Paris. Duc de Nivernois. Colonel Drumgold. Du-
chesse de Cossé. Presentations at Versailles. The King and
Queen. The Mesdames. The Dauphin and Dauphiness. Wild
beast of the Gevaudan. Mr. Hans Stanley.

To John Chute, Esq. Oct. 3.-French manners. Their authors.
Style of conversation. English and French manners contrasted.
Presentation at Versailles. Duc de Berri. Count de Provence.
Count d'Artois. Duc and Duchesse de Praslin. Duc and Du-
chesse de Choiseul. Duc de Richelieu

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