as they intended, or whether my lord Talbot drubbed them for it. I know nothing of the peace, nor of the Havannah, but I could tell you much of old English engravers, whose lives occupy me at present. On Sunday, I am to dine with your prime minister Hamilton; for though I do not seek the world, and am best pleased when quiet here, I do not refuse its invitations, when it does not press one to pass above a few hours with it. I have no quarrel to it, when it comes not to me, nor asks me to lie from home. That favour is only granted to the elect, to Greatworth, and a very few more spots. Adieu! Yours ever. TO THE HON. H. S. CONWAY. Strawberry-hill, September 28, 1762. To my sorrow and your wicked joy, it is a doubt whether monsieur de Nivernois will shut the temple of Janus. We do not believe him quite so much in earnest as the dove we have sent, who has summoned his turtle to Paris. She sets out the day after to-morrow, escorted, to add gravity to the embassy, by George Selwyn. The stocks don't mind this journey of a rush, but draw in their horns every day. We can learn nothing of the Havannah, though the axis on which the whole treaty We believe, for we have never seen them, that the last letters thence brought accounts of great loss, especially by the sickness. Colonel Burgoyne has given a little fillip to the Spaniards, and shown them, that though they can take Portugal from the Portuguese, it will not be entirely so easy to wrest it from the English. Lord Pulteney, and my nephew,* lady Waldegrave's brother, distinguished themselves. I hope your hereditary prince is recovering of the wounds in his loins; for they say he is to marry princess Augusta. turns. 2 3 knights of the garter, took place at Windsor on the 22d September, the anniversary of the coronation. [Ed.] 1 The duke of Bedford, then ambassador at Paris. [Or.] 2 Colonel, afterwards general Burgoyne, with the compte de Lippe, com manded the British troops sent to the relief of Portugal. [Or.] 3 Only son of William Pulteny, earl of Bath. He died before his father. [Or.] 4 Edward, only son of sir Edward Walpole. He died in 1771. [Or.] Lady Ailesbury has told you, to be sure, that I have been at Park-place. Every thing there is in beauty; and, I should think, pleasanter than a campaign in Germany. Your countess is handsomer than fame; your daughter improving every day; your plantations more thriving than the poor woods about Marburg and Cassel. Chinese pheasants swarm there.-For lady C***, I assure you, she sits close upon her egg, and it will not be her fault if she does not hatch a hero. We missed all the glories of the installation, 5 and all the faults, and all the frowning faces there. Not a knight was absent, but the lame and the deaf. 6 Your brother, lady Hertford, and lord Beauchamp, are gone from Windsor into Suffolk. Henry, who has the genuine indifference of a Harry Conway, would not stir from Oxford for those pageants. Lord Beauchamp showed me a couple of his letters, which have more natural humour and cleverness than is conceivable. They have the ease and drollery of a man of parts who has lived long in the world-and he is scarce seventeen! I am going to Lord Waldegrave's for a few days, and, when your countess returns from Goodwood, am to meet her at C***'s. Lord Strafford, who has been terribly alarmed about my lady, mentions, with great pleasure, the letters he receives from you. His neighbour and cousin, lord Rockingham, I hear, is one of the warmest declaimers at Arthur's against the present system. Abuse continues in much plenty, but I have seen none that I thought had wit enough to bear the sea. Good night! There are satiric prints enough to tapestry Westminster-hall. Yours ever. Stay a moment: I recollect telling you a lie in my last, which, though of no consequence, I must correct. The right reverend midwife, Thomas Secker, archbishop, did christen the babe, and not the bishop of London, as I had been told by matron authority. A-propos to babes: have you read Rousseau on Education? I almost got through a volume at 5 An installation of knights of the garter. [Or.] 6 Henry Seymour Conway, second son of Francis, earl and afterwards marquis of Hertford. [Or.] 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! Al 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 remem bered, 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's1 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. [Ea.] 1 General William Hervey, youngest son of lady Hervey. [Or.] 2 From the Havannah, [Or.] 3 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. Adieu, madam! 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 command1 disappointed you, 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 |