Since the resignation of my wand you have received Lady Carlisle's letter, who told you the King's professions were satisfactory. They were very warm and flattering, but I had rather talk to you than write to you upon this subject. All the children are well, and we found little Louise very fat and lively. I want to look about me, so God bless you, and believe me to be yours, &c.

P.S. I was assured by a person, who said they knew it to be so, that the Duke of Queensberry had three times proposed to Miss Vanneck,* and had been refused. That he should propose to a large woman is not at all extraordinary, but that the tall lady should refuse him is extremely so.

SIR,

THE DOWAGER COUNTESS OF CARLISLE TO

GEORGE SELWYN.

Beaucaire, 29th July.

ABOUT a fortnight since, I had the pleasure of receiving your obliging letter of the 3rd of July, and I calculate that this will find you agreeably established at your favourite place, and in your favourite society at Castle Howard.

I fear, if it should be half as hot as it is here

* Probably Gertrude, daughter of Sir Joshua Vanneck, Bart., and sister of Joshua, first Baron Huntingfield. She died in 1798.

at present, that it will be too warm for Lady Carlisle; but, by some accounts I have had from other parts of Yorkshire, the autumn till lately must have been of a different kind from that of Languedoc, of which even the natives complain this season, and particularly at Toulouse, where the heat never was known to be so great. In regard to my health, I have no fault to find with its effects, as I am much better, and am even able to eat ice, and to live on salad, which in England I was deterred from doing. I must confess, however, that it has a great influence on my activity, as I find even to commence writing a letter an exertion. I write, even now, almost in the dark, as it is impossible to admit light without heat, into the apartment. Still, this inconvenience belongs only to the morning, for the evenings, from seven, are delightful.

Our fair is just over. The addition of an hundred thousand people every day has not a little added to the heat, or rather suffocation, but it afforded me a most agreeable spectacle for the time, and I am very glad to have seen it. The Rhone covered with vessels; the bridge with passengers; the vast meadow filled with booths, in the manner of the race-ground at York; and the inns crowded with merchants and merchandize, was very entertaining, although it was impossible, after seven in the morning, to bear the streets. The kind of things the fair produced were not

such as you would have approved of for Lady Carlisle. The only thing I liked was a set of ornamented perfumed baskets for a toilet, which were indeed very pretty, but which it would have been impossible for me to have got over. The fair, indeed, seems more calculated for merchants than for idle travellers; no bijouterie, no argenterie; no nick-nacks, or china. For about thirty shillings, however, one can buy a very pretty silk dress, with the trimmings to it; muslins also are very cheap; painted silks beautiful; and scents, pommades, and liqueurs, very cheap.

Julia passed her time very agreeably. We used to assemble every evening on the prairie, where we were fenced off by plants from the populace, and had a good guard in the officers of the regiment who are here. We had afterwards the prettiest ball in the world. The people of Languedoc are naturally good dancers, and there are a vast many women of fashion belonging to the towns of Tarascon and Beaucaire. These being well dressed, together with the finest view you can imagine, and good music, made at night a most pleasing scene, and we afterwards went home to supper with an agreeable party. The ladies having taken off their finery, and put on their light déshabilles, we all returned to the prairie, where they resumed their dancing, which continued by the brightest of moons till twelve o'clock. We were very luckily situated for these amusements, being close to the prairie,

and on the right side of the river Rhone; while those who were lodged at Tarascon found considerable difficulty in passing the bridge, and Mrs. Howard, though in sight of her own house, finding it impossible to return, was compelled to pass one night at Beaucaire.

Owing to the heat, and to these amusements, I have been obliged to defer my little expedition to Montpelier till the end of August, as there is at present no attempting even the shortest journey. For the same reasons, I cannot fix my departure for England till after that time. I wrote both to Lord and Lady Carlisle some time since, but letters pass but ill between this place and England, for what reasons I cannot tell. Yours I never miss, nor Lady Anne's of late, though I formerly lost several of hers, which was a great disappointment to me, as you both give me more intelligence than all the rest of my correspondents.

I have formed an acquaintance with Madame de Claudonnet, whom you may possibly know, and who has been extremely obliging to me. Her husband was in England with Monsieur de Guerchy, and is just named, by the present ministry, Plenipotentiary to the Duke of Wirtemberg. He lives in the house of Madame de Guerchy. We have also met with great politesse from the officers of a Corsican regiment who are quartered at Tarascon. Colonel Bertafoco is one of the most sensible men I have ever met with. He keeps an excellent

table, and makes his house very agreeable to everybody. We see him, and some of his officers every day, who make up either a dance or a party at whist or Berlan. I am also soon to go to the chateau de Montfrain, the mistress of which is a very pretty woman, and her husband a very agreeable old man, I am, sir, your very faithful, obedient servant,

I. CARLISLE.

THE EARL OF CARLISLE TO GEORGE SELWYN.

MY DEAR GEORGE,

Castle Howard, August 6th, 1779.

Don't you

So we have lost St. Vincent! * tremble for poor Barbadoes?† or do you tremble for nothing but the Italian mail? I should hope you had weathered that storm, and that nothing was gathering in any quarter to ruffle the calm of Matson.

We have bad weather, and continual rain, which distresses us both as gardeners and farmers. I suppose you are walking about your garden, miscalling

*

The island of St. Vincent, defended only by a weak English garrison, had fallen an easy prey, in the month of June, to the French naval force under D'Estaing. It was restored to England in 1783.

+ George Selwyn was Registrar of the Court of Chancery in the island of Barbadoes.