eyes, is never approached, and at best seems ready to lead some folks into a woful quagmire. 3 4 As your brother was in town, and I had my intelligence from him, I concluded you would have the same, and therefore did not tell you of this last revolution, which has brought Mr. Fox again upon the scene. I have been in town but once since; yet learned enough to confirm the opinion I had conceived, that the building totters, and that this last buttress will but push on its fall. Besides the clamorous opposition already encamped, the world talks of another, composed of names not so often in mutiny. What think you of the great duke,' and the little duke,2 and the old duke, and the Derbyshire duke, banded together against the favourite? If so, it proves the court, as the late lord G **** wrote to the mayor of Litchfield, will have a majority in every thing but numbers. However, my letter is a week old before I wrote it: things may have changed since last Tuesday. Then the prospect was des plus gloomy.6 Portugal at the eve of being conquered-Spain preferring a diadem to the mural crown of Havannah-a squadron taking horse for Naples, to see whether king Carlos has any more private bowels than public, whether he is a better father than brother. If what I heard yesterday be true, that the parliament is to be put off till the 24th, it does not look as if they were ready in the green-room, and despised catcalls. You bid me to send you the flower of brimstone, the best thing published in this season of outrage. I should not have waited for orders, if I had met with the least tolerable morsel. But this opposition ran stark mad at once, cursed, swore, called names, and has not been one minute cool enough to have a grain of wit. Their prints are gross, their papers scurrilous; indeed the authors abuse one another more than any body else. I have not seen a single ballad or epigram. They are as seriously dull as if the controversy was religious. I do not take in a paper 1 Of Cumberland. [Or.] 2 Of Bedford. [Or.] 3 Of Newcastle. [Or.] 4 Of Devonshire. [Or.] 5 John Stuart, earl of Bute. [Or.] 6 On the 29th October 1762, orders were given for 3,000 additional light troops to march to Portsmouth, and embark immediately for Lisbon, in consequence of a letter from the king of Portugal, under his own hand, in which he pressed in the most pathetic terms for further succour from the English court. [Ed.] of either side, and being very indifferent, the only way of being impartial, they shall not make me pay till they make me laugh. I am here quite alone, and shall stay a fortnight longer, unless the parliament prorogued lengthens my holidays. I do not pretend to be so indifferent, to have so little curiosity, as not to go and see the duke of Newcastle frightened for his country-the only thing that never yet gave him a panic. Then I am still such a schoolboy, that though I could guess half their orations, and know all their meaning, I must go and hear Cæsar and Pompey scold in the Temple of Concord. As this age is to make such a figure hereafter, how the Gronoviuses and Warburtons would despise a senator that deserted the forum when the masters of the world harangued! For, as this age is to be historic, so of course it will be a standard of virtue too; and we, like our wicked predecessors, the Romans, shall be quoted, till our very ghosts blush, as models of patriotism and magnanimity. What lectures will be read to poor children on this æra! Europe taught to tremble, the great king humbled, the treasures of Peru diverted into the Thames, Asia subdued by the gigantic Clive! for in that age men were near seven feet high; France suing for peace at the gates of Buckingham-house, the steady wisdom of the duke of Bedford drawing a circle round the Gallic monarch, and forbidding him to pass it till he had signed the cession of America; Pitt, more eloquent than Demosthenes, and trampling on proffered pensions like-I don't know who; lord Temple sacrificing a brother to the love of his country; Wilkes as spotless as Sallust, and the Flamen Churchill knocking down the foes of Britain with statues of the gods!Oh! I am out of breath with eloquence and prophecy, and truth and lies: my narrow chest was not formed to hold inspiration! I must return to piddling with my painters: those lofty subjects are too much for me. Good night! Yours ever. P.S. I forgot to tell you that Gideon, who is dead worth more than the whole land of Canaan, has left the reversion of all his milk and honey, after his son and daughter and their children, to the duke of Devonshire, without insisting on his taking the name, or even being circumcised. 7 Charles Churchill the poet. [Or.] Lord Albermarle is expected home in December. My nephew Keppel is bishop of Exeter, not of the Havannah, as you may imagine, for his mitre was promised the day before the news came. MADAM, TO THE RIGHT HON. LADY HERVEY. Strawberry-hill, Oct. 31, 1762. It is too late, I fear, to attempt acknowledging the honour madame de Chabot' does me; and yet, if she is not gone, I would fain not appear ungrateful. I do not know where she lives, or I would not take the liberty again of making your ladyship my penny-post. If she is gone, you will throw my note înto the fire. Pray, madam, blow your nose with a piece of flannel—not that I believe it will do you the least good-but, as all wise folks think it becomes them to recommend nursing and flannelling the gout, I imitate them; and I don't know any other way of lapping it up, when it appears in the person of a running cold. I will make it a visit on Tuesday next, and shall hope to find it tolerably vented, I am, madam, your ladyship's most faithful servant. P.S. You must tell me all the news, when I arrive, for I know nothing of what is passing. I have only seen in the papers, that the cock and hen doves2 that went to Paris not having been able to make peace, there is a third dove3 just flown thither to help them. 8 Frederick Keppel, youngest brother of George, earl of Albemarle, who commanded at taking the Havannah, had married Laura, eldest daughter of sir Edward Walpole. [Or.] 1 Lady Mary Chabot, daughter of William, third lord and second earl of Stafford, and wife of Guy, count Rohan-Chabot died without issue in 1769, [Ed.] The duke and duchess of Bedford. [Or.] 3 Mr. Hans Stanley. [Or.] To GEORGE MONTAGU, Esq. Arlington-street, Thursday, Nov. 4. THE events of these last eight days will make you stare. This day se'nnight the duke of Devonshire' came to town, was flatly refused an audience, and gave up his key. Yesterday lord Rockingham resigned, and your cousin Manchester was named to the bedchamber. The **** then in council called for the book, and dashed out the duke of Devonshire's name. If you like spirit, en voila! Do you know I am sorry for all this? You will not suspect me of tenderness for his grace of Devonshire, nor, recollecting how the whole house of Cavendish treated me on my breach with my uncle, will any affronts that happen to them, call forth my tears. But I think the act too violent and too serious, and dipped in a deeper dye than I like in politics. Squabbles, and speeches, and virtue, and prostitution, amuse one sometimes; less and less indeed every day; but measures, from which you must advance and cannot retreat, is a game too deep; one neither knows who may be involved, nor where will be the end. It is not pleasant. Adieu! Yours ever. DEAR SIR, TO THE REV. MR. COLE. Strawberry-hill, Nov. 13, 1762. You will easily guess that my delay in answering your obliging letter, was solely owing to my not knowing whither to direct to you. I waited till I thought you may be returned home. Thank you for all the trouble you have given, and do give yourself for me; it is vastly more than I deserve. Duke Richard's portrait I willingly wave, at least for the pre 1 The duke of Devonshire resigned his office of lord chamberlain on the 31st October; and lord George Cavendish that of comptroller of the household; and lord Besborough that of one of the postmasters-general on the same day. [Ed.] sent, till one can find out who he is. I have more curiosity about the figures of Henry VII. at Christ's college. I shall be glad sometime or the other to visit them, to see how far either of them agree with his portrait in my picture of his marriage. St. Ethelreda was mighty welcome. We had variety of weather since I saw you, but I fear none of the patterns made your journey more agreeable. I am, sir, Your much obliged humble servant. To GEORGE MONTAGU, Esq. Arlington-street, Dec. 20, 1762. As I am far from having been better since I wrote to you last, my post-chaise points more and more to Naples. Yet Strawberry, like a mistress, As oft as I descend the hill of health, Your company would have made me decide much faster, but I |