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from any of the family, she said, and that speaks for itself; but from a friend at Milan, who had no motive but curiosity; and that also seemed to speak for itself. We talked all the family over, and I endeavoured to have something handsome to say of each member of it. She talks of returning soon, and affected mystery about her own affairs. Garnier, I said, was a French name, and she acknowledged it to be a nom de voyage. I wished I might know her true name? Ca se pourroit, mais pas à present.

I was with her above an hour. She could not show me the letter, as it was with Cataneo, the man for whom you brought a letter from Milan. Where was Cataneo to be heard of?-At Diardo's.-I went thither. Cataneo is just upon the point of leaving England, and had taken leave. I wrote a note desiring to see him, which I begged they would send to the places where he might be likely to be met, with which they promised to comply. I hope, sir, this is enough to allay any perturbation of spirit.

Many a man takes up with worse than Madame Louise Garnier. Her head was dressed decently and prettily; she is fair, with tolerable good features; very white and good teeth, and a very red and glib tongue; in a white jacket of déshabille, pretty clean, without stays, but pinned tight round. She came to me from her bed-room, and, in her haste not to make me wait, came without stockings, as I discovered by accident under the table after she had been some time in the room, and then

discovered such a piece of skin, as inclined me to wish to know if it held its colour throughout. But I contented myself with offering my services, and kissing her hand at parting with more respect than fervour.

I was afterwards half an hour with his Grace the Duke of Queensberry, but said nothing of this matter, as I should not if you had not warned me, nor did not mean to say anything relating to the subject. However, he introduced it with expressions of a seemingly very sincere pleasure that you had regained your treasure, and he too is of opinion that you will now be able to keep it. No news today. If there should be any to-morrow I will send it, and to-morrow se'nnight I hope to have the pleasure of dining with you.

I forgot to ask the Duke to-day if Lord Bolingbroke was dead. The papers all killed him on Saturday, but one of them contradicts it this morning.

THE REV. DR. WARNER TO GEORGE SELWYN.

July 15 [1779].

DEAR SIR,

As you (who are a centurion, having an hundred men under you, and say to this man, go, and he goeth) find trouble in changing place, what must such a little isolé mortal as I do, who

have the faculty too of leaving everything to the last moment? I shall hardly get any sleep tonight, meaning to set out to-morrow morning. must stay two or three days with my uncle in Berkshire.

I

I received your letter to-day, and am happy to find that Mie Mie rejoices in Matson, as I did not doubt she would. The bad news from America, they say on all hands, is not true; but I am afraid there is bad news from Russia, and that they will be against us. But it will be time enough to talk of this in the shades of Matson. Advices from the country say it is hot, but here we have always a shady side of the way. We have generally, too, a draught of air through the streets, and a never-failing rill of gurgling, though not the most limpid, water, down the city hills. But to my comfort, however hot I may be, I am prepared with a white hat à la Gernettana, and with special spirits, as I am coming to find you, the very reverse of what you were at Gernetto, happy. May you ever be so!

THE COUNTESS OF CARLISLE TO GEORGE SELWYN.

MY DEAR SIR,

July 19th [1779].

WE are to set off this afternoon to Castle Howard, and as Lord Carlisle is very much hur

ried, he has desired me just to write two or three lines to you, to let you know he resigned his stick last Friday, and has great reason to be satisfied with the King's conduct upon that occasion he will write to you more fully, immediately on his arrival at Castle Howard.

I hope Mie Mie and you had a pleasant journey. I know of no news, except the Duchess of Leinster and Mrs. Damer being taken, which I suppose you have heard. I am, my dear Mr. Selwyn, your affectionate friend,

C. CARLISLE.

[The packet, in which the Duchess of Leinster and Mrs. Damer were crossing from Dover to Ostend, had been taken by a French frigate, after a running fight of several hours. Horace Walpole writes to the Countess of Ailesbury,"I am not at all surprised, my dear Madam, at the intrepidity of Mrs. Damer; she always was the heroic daughter of a hero. Her sense and coolness never forsake her. I, who am not so firm, shuddered at your ladyship's account. Now, that she has stood fire for four hours, I hope she will give us clear proofs of her understanding, of which I have as high opinion as of her courage, and not return in any danger.' "'* The Hon. Mrs. Damer, so well-known for her works of art, was the daughter of the celebrated Marshal Conway,

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brother of Francis Earl of Hertford, by Lady Caroline Campbell, daughter of John, third Duke of Argyle, and widow of Charles Bruce, Earl of Ailesbury.]

THE EARL OF CARLISLE TO GEORGE SELWYN.

MY DEAR GEORGE,

Castle Howard, July 23rd, 1779.

WE arrived all safe at this place on Wednesday evening. The post brought no news this morning; no victory, no defeat, no invasion. Every thing I have mentioned is more likely to happen than that Lord North should do the only thing he ought to do, in his situation, viz., to make his administration stronger while there is a tranquil moment, and not stay till the storm is so loud, that every body will be thinking of their personal, more than of the general safety, which would not be the case if Government were strong.

But all this is so obvious that it is not worth talking about. How is Mie Mie? How do your pastoral amusements agree with you? Do you sit sub tegmine fagi? Don't you often qualify your rural innocence and temperance with some red wine with your Gloucester friends and country parsons? I congratulate you upon the scarcity of apples, for the less the quantity of cyder, the less you will be annoyed by your parsons and aldermen.

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