Morpeth continues perfectly well, and that Lady Carlisle, who miscarried in consequence of her fright, is as well as can be wished after such an accident. Our present party here consists of Lady Anne Howard, Mr. Storer, and Mrs. Ekins and my daughter. The latter, who is under thirteen years of age, is equally surprised and delighted with all the fine things she sees here, and happy in the kind notice that is taken of her. Mr. and Mrs. Hatsell accompanied us from Sedgefield, and left Castle Howard on Wednesday. Lady Derby went yesterday into Scotland, and Mr. Boothby left us this morning. We mean to stay till Lord and Lady Carlisle go into the south. I hope you have every satisfaction you can wish in your young élève, and congratulate you upon having her so immediately under your protection. Storer desires me to say that if he had known you wished to hear from him, he would certainly have written from London. You will probably hear from him from hence. Lord Carlisle is at present with Lady Carlisle, which is the reason of my giving you this trouble, and prevents your having the pleasure of hearing from him. I am, with great truth and respect, dear sir, Your obliged and obedient servant, JEFF. EKINS. CHARLES TOWNSHEND, ESQ., TO GEORGE SELWYN. DEAR SIR, St. James's Place, 4 September, 1779. I CAN send you no news upon which you can depend, except that Sir C. Hardy is safe at anchor at Spithead. I cannot tell where the French fleet are, or what they intend to do. Lord Sandwich * is gone down to Portsmouth. The nursery-man at Knightsbridge, whom you mention, is one Williamson. I am, dear sir, yours most affectionately, CHAS. TOWNSHEND. ALEXANDER CRAUFORD, ESQ., TO GEORGE SELWYN. MY DEAR SIR, Drumlanrig, 8 Septr. 1779. THE Duke of Queensberry desires me to write to you, and to assure you that he regrets having been prevented for some time past from having the pleasure of corresponding with you himself. He has been engaged in a great variety of business, and what is most material for you to know, he has preserved his health and spirits surprisingly. When the Duke came into this country, he found that there had been two very ineffectual meetings * First Lord of the Admiralty. of the gentlemen of the county, called together for the purpose of supporting Government as far as their abilities would admit; but, like most other assemblies of that kind, they broke up without determining on anything. Soon after his arrival he had a meeting of the county again called, and laid before them, in a very masterly manner, a proposal, in which he was seconded by Lord Stormont, and carried it unanimously. Upon this a subscription was opened, to which the Duke put down his name for three hundred pounds, and Lord Stormont * put down his for one hundred, and all the gentlemen belonging to the county, who were present, subscribed handsomely. The meeting was said to be fuller than any they had had in the county for a long time; and so great is the ardour of the people to sign the association paper, which I enclose, that there are above four hundred who have already put their names to it. By far the greater number are the Duke's tenants, and it seemed to be the opinion of the gentlemen in general, that he might get a thousand people to follow him whithersoever he might think it necessary to lead them. The result of the meeting, and the proposal as it now stands, are sent up to * David, seventh Viscount Stormont. He was born in 1727, appointed Ambassador to Saxony and Poland in 1755; to Vienna in 1763; and to Paris in 1772. In 1779 he was appointed Secretary of State; in 1782 President of Council, and again in 1794. He succeeded his uncle, as second Earl of Mansfield, in 1793, and died September 1, 1796, at the age of sixty-eight. town to be laid before the King, and his Majesty's answer is expected next week. I have given you a pretty full account of this business, as I know it will give you pleasure to be informed of how much consequence your friend is in his own country. Let me beg of you to write to me by the return of the post, and inform me particularly how you are; how dear Mie Mie is; and whether you continue to enjoy your own place. I am, with the greatest regard, my dear sir, Your most affectionate and obedient servant, CHARLES TOWNSHEND, ESQ., TO GEORGE SELWYN. DEAR SIR, London, 9th September [1779]. I WAS not in town when the news came from the West Indies; but it is so bad, that you had it time enough by the papers. Barrington* and Sawyer are just arrived. We shall know from them the particulars. Lady Cornwallis is in great anxiety for her son. * Samuel, fifth son of John, first Viscount Barrington. He was at this period a Rear Admiral of the White, and in the preceding January had been superseded by Admiral Byron in the naval command in the West Indies. He died at Bath on the 16th of August, 1800. VOL. IV. His ship is missing, and is supposed to have gone to Jamaica.* Yours sincerely, CHARLES TOWNSHEND. P.S. The Lion is the only missing ship. I will write again when I hear more. [By the "bad news from the West Indies," referred to in this letter, the writer evidently alludes to the unsatisfactory naval engagement fought on the 6th of July, between Admiral Byron and Count d'Estaing. Though superior in force, the latter sedulously avoided coming to a close action, and notwithstanding the exertions of Byron to make the battle general, a loose and irregular engagement was the only result of the day. Night separated the combatants, and the following morning the French fleet was nowhere to be seen.] ANTHONY MORRIS STORER, ESQ., TO GEORGE SELWYN. DEAR GEORGE, Castle Howard, Sept. 10th, 1779. I INTENDED, from the time of your leaving town, to pay you a visit in the course of the summer, and accordingly I shall look in upon you at Matson in my way, or rather out of my way, to London. * William, afterwards the celebrated Admiral Cornwallis, was at this period in command of the "Lion," forming part of Admiral Byron's squadron. He died in 1819. |