Park-place, though impatiently; it has more tautology than any of his works, and less eloquence. Sure he has writ more sense and more nonsense than ever any man did of both! ΑΙ I have yet learned from this work is, that one should have a tutor for one's son to teach him to have no ideas, in order that he may begin to learn his alphabet as he loses his maidenhead.

Thursday, noon, 30th.

Io Havannah! Io Albemarle ! I had sealed my letter, and given it to Harry for the post, when my lady Suffolk sent me a short note from Charles Townshend, to say the Havannah surrendered on the 12th of August, and that we have taken twelve ships of the line in the harbour. The news came late last night. I do not know a particular more. God grant no more blood be shed! I have hopes again of the peace. My dearest Harry, now we have preserved you to the last moment, do take care of yourself. When one has a whole war to wade through, it is not worth while to be careful in any one battle; but it is silly to fling one's self away in the last. Your character is established; prince Ferdinand's letters are full of encomiums on you; but what will weigh more with you, save yourself for another war, which I doubt you will live to see, and in which you may be superior commander, and have space to display your talents. A second in service is never remembered, whether the honour of the victory be owing to him, or he killed. Turenne would have had a very short paragraph, if the prince of Condé had been general when he fell. Adieu!

TO THE REV. MR, COLE.

Strawberry-hill, Sept. 30, 1762.

It gives me great satisfaction, that Strawberry-hill pleased you enough to make it a second visit. I could name the time instantly, but you threaten me with coming so loaded with presents, that it will look mercenary, not friendly, to accept your visit. If your chaise is empty, to be sure I shall rejoice to hear it at my gate about the 22d of this next

month if it is crammed, though I have built a convent, I have not so much of the monk in me as not to blush-nor can content myself with praying to our lady of Strawberries to reward you.

I am greatly obliged to you for the accounts from Gothurst. What treasures there are still in private seats, if one knew where to hunt them! The emblematic picture of lady Digby is like that at Windsor, and the fine small one at Mr. Skinner's. I should be curious to see the portrait of sir Kenelm's father; was not he the remarkable Everard Digby? How singular, too, is the picture of young Joseph and madam Potiphar! His Majora-one has heard of Joseph's that did not find the lady's purse any hindrance to Majora.

You are exceedingly obliging in offering to make an index to my prints, sir; but that would be a sad way of entertaining you. I am antiquary and virtuoso enough myself not to dislike such employment, but could never think it charming enough to trouble any body else with it. Whenever you do me the favour of coming hither, you will find yourself entirely at liberty to choose your own amusements-if you choose a bad one, and in truth there is not very good, you must blame yourself, while you know I hope that it would be my wish that you did not repent your favours to,

Sir,

Your most obliged humble servant.

MADAM,

TO THE RIGHT Hon. LADY HERVEY.

Strawberry-hill, October 1, 1762.

I hope you are as free from any complaint, as I am sure you are full of joy. Nobody partakes more of your satisfaction for Mr. Hervey's 1 safe return; and now he is safe, I trust

2

The father of sir Kenelm Digby was sir Everard Digby, who was executed in 1605 as a conspirator in the Gunpowder Plot. The autobiography of sir Kenelm was first published from the original manuscript in 1827, with an introductory memoir by the editor, sir N. Harris Nicholas. [Ed.]

1 General William Hervey, youngest son of lady Hervey. [Or.] 2 From the Havannah, [Or.]

you enjoy his glory for this is a wicked age; your are one of those un-Lacedæmonian mothers, that are not content unless your children come off with all their limbs. A Spartan countess would not have had the confidence of my lady Albemarle to appear in the drawing-room without at least one of her sons being knocked on the head. However, pray, madam, make my compliments to her; one must conform to the times, and congratulate people for being happy, if they like it. I know one matron, however, with whom I may condole; who, I dare swear, is miserable that she has not one of her acquaintance in affliction, and to whose door she might drive with all her sympathising greyhounds to inquire after her, and then to Hawkins's, and then to Graham's, and then cry over a ball of rags that she is picking, and be so sorry for poor Mrs. Such-an-one, who has lost an only son!

When your ladyship has hung up all your trophies, I will come and make you a visit. There is another ingredient I hope not quite disagreeable that Mr. Hervey has brought with him, un-Lacadæmonian, too, but admitted among the other vices of our system. If besides glory and riches they have brought us peace, I will make bonfire myself, though it should be in the mayoralty of that virtuous citizen Mr. Beckford. madam!

Adieu,

Your ladyship's most faithful humble servant.

TO THE HON. H. S. CONWAY.

Arlington-street, October 4, 1762.

I AM Concerned to hear you have been so much out of order, but should rejoice your sole command disappointed you, 1 if this late cannonading business did not destroy all my little pros

2

3 Lady Anne Lenox, countess of Albemarle, had three sons present at the taking of the Havannah. The eldest, lord Albemarle, commanded the land forces; the second, afterwards lord Keppel, was then captain of a man of war; and the third was colonel of a regiment. [Or.]

1 During lord Granby's absence from the army in Flanders the commandin-chief had devolved on Mr. Conway. [Or.]

2 The affair of Bucker-Muhl. [Or.] On the 21st September 1762, one of the severest cannonades ever known, since though there were fifty pieces

pects. Can one believe the French negotiators are sincere, when their marshals are so false? What vexes me more is to hear you seriously tell your brother that you are always unlucky, and lose all opportunities of fighting. How can you be such a child? You cannot, like a German, love fighting for its own sake. No: you think of the mob of London, who, if you had taken Peru, would forget you the first lord mayor's day, or for the first hyæna that comes to town. How can one build on virtue and on fame too? When do they ever go together? In my passion, I could almost wish you were as worthless and as great as the king of Prussia? If conscience is a punishment, is not it a reward, too. Go to that silent tribunal, and be satisfied with its sentence.

I have nothing new to tell you. The Havannah is more likely to break off the peace than to advance it. We are not in a humour to give up the world; anzi, are much more disposed to conquer the rest of it. We shall have some cannonading, I believe, if we sign the peace. Mr. Pitt, from the bosom of his retreat, has made Beckford mayor. The duke of Newcastle, if not taken in again, will probably end his life as he began it—at the head of a mob. Personalities and abuse, public and private, increase to the most outrageous degree, and yet the town is at the emptiest. You may guess what will be the case in a month. I do not see at all into the storm: I do not mean that there will not be a great majority to vote any thing; but there are times when even majorities eannot do all they are ready to do. Lord Bute has certainly great luck, which is something in politics, whatever it is in logic: but whether peace or war, I would not give him much for the place he will have this day twelvemonth. Adieu! The watchman goes past one in the morning; and, as I have nothing better than reflections and conjectures to send you, I may as well go to bed.

of cannon employed, their execution was confined to about 400 paces; and not only the fire of the artillery, but the musquetry too, of the two opposite posts, was not intermitted a single instant for near fifteen hours. [Ed.]

your

Strawberry-hill, October 14, 1762. You will not make your fortune in the Admiralty at least; king's cousin is to cross over and figure in with George Grenville; the latter takes the Admiralty, lord Halifax the sealsstill, I believe, reserving Ireland for pocket-money; at least no new viceroy is named. Mr. Fox undertakes the House of Commons-and the peace-and the war-for if we have the first, we may be pretty sure of the second.

You see lord Bute totters; reduced to shift hands so often, it does not look like much stability. The campaign at Westminster will be warm. When Mr. Pitt can have such a mouthful as lord Bute, Mr. Fox, and the peace, I do not think that three thousand pounds a year will stop it. Well, I shall go into my old corner, under the window, and laugh; I had rather sit by my fire here; but if there are to be bullfeasts, one would go and see them, when one has a convenient box for nothing, and is very indifferent about the cavalier combatants. Adieu!

Yours ever.

TO THE HON. H. S. CONWAY.

Strawberry-hill, October 29, 1762.

You take my philosophy very kindly, as it was meant; but

I?

your sleeve to hear me turn

Must

Must every absurd young Not that I intend, when the

I suppose you smile a little in moralist. Yet why should not man prove a foolish old one? latter term is quite arrived, to profess preaching; nor should, I believe, have talked so gravely to you, if your situation had not made me grave. Till the campaign is ended, I shall be in no humour to smile, For the war, when it will be over, I have no idea. The peace is a jack-o'-lanthorn that dances before one's

1 Lord Halifax was gazetted as one of his Majesty's principal secretaries of state on the 14th October 1762, and the hon. George Grenville (late secretary) was gazetted as first lord, in the room of the earl of Halifax, on the 16th of that month. [Ed.]