at a great ball at Lord Middleton's. On Thursday they decamped. However, that the writer of their romance, or I, as he is a Noble Author, might not want materials,' the Earl has left a bushel of letters behind him; to his mother, to Lord Bute, to Lord Ligonier, (the two last to resign his employments,) and to Mr. Stopford, whom he acquits of all privity to his design. In none he justifies himself, unless this is a justification, that having long tried in vain to make his wife hate and dislike him, he had no way left but this, and it is to be hoped he will succeed; and then it may not be the worst event that could have happened to her. You may easily conceive the hubbub such an exploit must occasion. With ghosts, elopements, abortive motions, &c., we can amuse ourselves tolerably well, till the season arrives for taking the field and conquering the Spanish West Indies.

I have sent you my books by a messenger; Lord Barrington was so good as to charge himself with them. They barely saved their distance; a week later, and no soul could have read a line in them, unless I had changed the title-page, and called them 'The Loves of the Earl of Pembroke and Miss Hunter.'

I am sorry Lady Kingsland is so rich. However, if the Papists should be likely to rise, pray disarm her of the enamel, and commit it to safe custody in the round tower at Strawberry. Good night! mine is a life of letter writing; I pray for a peace that I may sheath

my pen.

779. TO DR. DUCAREL.

SIR:

Feb. 24, 1762.

I AM glad my books have at all amused you, and am much obliged to you for your notes and communications. Your thought of an English Montfaucon accords perfectly with a design I have long had of attempting something of that kind, in which too I have been lately encouraged; and therefore I will beg you at your leisure, as they shall occur, to make little notes of customs, fashions, and portraits, relating to our history and manners. Your work on vicarages, I am persuaded, will be very useful, as everything you undertake is, and curious.-After the medals I lent Mr. Perry, I

1 For further materials consult Gentleman's Magazine for 1762, p. 124. CUNNINGHAM.

have a little reason to take it ill, that he has entirely neglected me; he has published a number, and sent it to several persons, and never to me.' I wanted to see him too, because I know of two very curious medals, which I could borrow for him. He does not deserve it at my hands, but I will not defraud the public of any thing valuable; and therefore, if he will call on me any morning, but a Sunday or Monday, between eleven and twelve, I will speak to him of them. -With regard to one or two of your remarks, I have not said that real lions were originally leopards. I have said that lions in arms, that is, painted lions, were leopards; and it is fact, and no inaccuracy. Paint a leopard yellow, and it becomes a lion.-You say, colours rightly prepared do not grow black. The art would be much obliged for such a preparation. I have not said that oil-colours would not endure with a glass; on the contrary, I believe they would last the longer.

I am much amazed at Vertue's blunder about my Marriage of Henry VII.; and afterwards, he said, "Sykes, knowing how to give names to pictures to make them sell," called this the Marriage of Henry VII.; and afterwards, he said, Sykes had the figures inserted in an old picture of a church. He must have known little indeed, Sir, if he had not known how to name a picture that he had painted on purpose that he might call it so! That Vertue, on the strictest examination, could not be convinced that the man was Henry VII., not being like any of his pictures. Unluckily, he is extremely like the shilling, which is much more authentic than any picture of Henry VII. But here Sykes seems to have been extremely deficient in his tricks. Did he order the figure to be painted like Henry VII., and yet could not get it painted like him, which was the easiest part of the task? Yet how came he to get the Queen painted like, whose representations are much scarcer than those of her husband? and how came Sykes to have pomegranates painted on her robe, only to puzzle the cause? It is not worth adding, that I should much sooner believe the church was painted to the figures, than the figures to the church. They are hard and antique: the church in a better style, and at least more fresh. If Vertue had made no better criticisms than these, I would never have taken so much trouble with his MS. Adieu!

1 A series of English Medals, by Francis Perry, 4to. with thirteen plates.WRIGHT.

780. TO SIR HORACE MANN.

Arlington Street, Feb. 25, 1762.

We have not written to one another a great while: nothing has happened here very particular of a public nature. Our great expedition under Lord Albemarle is not yet sailed, but waits, I believe, for a card from Martinico, to know how it will be received there. We have another preparing for Lisbon; Lord Tyrawley is to command it. Dunn, a Jacobite Irishman, who married the daughter of Humphrey Parsons,' the brewer, and much in favour at Versailles, is named to counterwork Lord Tyrawley at Lisbon. Just at present we have a distant vision of peace; every account speaks the new Czar disposed to Prussia,-I hope no farther than to help him to a treaty, not to more glory and blood.

We have had an odd kind of Parliamentary opposition, composed only of the King's own servants. In short, in the House of Lords the Duke of Bedford made a motion against the German war; but the previous question was put and carried by 105 to 16. Seven of the minority protested. Yet this stifled motion attempted to take root in our House. Young Bunbury,' whom I sent to you, and whom you have lately sent us back, and who is enrolled in a club of chicken orators, notified a day on which he intended to move such a question as had appeared in the Lords. When the day came, no Mr. Bunbury came-till it was too late. However, he pretended to have designed it, and on the 15th appointed himself to make it on the 17th, but was again persuaded off, or repented, and told us he would reserve himself and his objections for the day of the subsidy to Prussia. Nothing was ever more childish than these scenes. To show himself more a man, he is going to marry Lady Sarah Lenox, who is very pretty, from exceeding bloom of youth: but, as she has no features, and her beauty is not likely to last so long as her betrothed's, he will probably repent this step, like his motions.

We have one of the Queen's brothers here, Prince Charles; and she herself, I believe, is breeding-a secret that, during the life

1 A well-known Jacobite Lord Mayor of London. Mr. Dunn, who married his eldest daughter, took the title of Count O'Dunn.-WALPOLE.

2 He was afterwards Sir Thomas Charles Bunbury.-WALPOLE. He died in 1821, in his 81st year.-CUNNINGHAM.

of old Cosimo Riccardi,' would have given you great weight with him.

Our foolish Ghost, though at last detected, lasted longer than it was in fashion: the girl made the noises herself; and the Methodists were glad to have such a key to the credulity of the mob. Our bishops, who do not discountenance an imposture, even in the subdivisions of their religion, looked mighty wise, and only took care not to say anything silly about it, which, I assure you, considering the capacities of most of them, was a good deal.

You have not sent word to your brother or me what the Altar cost. I should much oftener plague you with commissions, if you would draw for them. If you will not, I must totally stop, concluding you had rather bestow your money than your trouble. I have at this moment a job, with which I will make the trial. I have been informed that at Leghorn, the palace (I suppose the Great Duke's) and the front of a church (I don't know which) were designed by Inigo Jones. If you can discover them and ascertain the fact, or great probability of it, I should be glad to have drawings of them; but subject to the conclusion I have stated above. You know I never was at Leghorn, so know nothing of this myself.

2

I almost wish to stop here, and not relate the cruel story I am going to tell you; for though you are no ways interested for any of the persons concerned, your tender nature will feel for some of them, and be shocked for all. Lord Pembroke-Earl, Lord of the Bedchamber, Major-General, possessed of ten thousand pounds a-year, Master of Wilton, husband of one of the most beautiful creatures in England, father of an only son, and himself but eight-and-twenty to enjoy this assemblage of good fortune,-is gone off with Miss Hunter, daughter to one of the Lords of the Admiralty, a handsome girl with a fine person, but silly and in no degree lovely as his own wife, who has the face of a Madonna, and, with all the modesty of that idea, is doatingly fond of him. He left letters resigning all his employments, and one to witness to the virtue of Lady Pembroke, whom he says he has long tried in vain to make hate and dislike him. It is not yet known

1 An old Marquis Riccardi, at Florence, who was very inquisitive about pregnancies, christenings, &c.-WALPOLE.

2 Lady Elizabeth Spencer, younger sister of George Duke of Marlborough.— WALPOLE. This great beauty did not die till the 30th of April, 1831; she was then ninety-three.-CUNNINGHAM.

whither this foolish guilty couple have bent their course; but you may imagine the distress of the Earl's family, and the resentment of the house of Marlborough, who doat on their sister: Miss Helen's family too takes it for no honour. Her story is not so uncommon; but did ever one hear of an Earl running away from himself?

I have just published a new book, a sort of History of the Arts in England; ' I will send it you on the first opportunity. Adieu!

781. TO GEORGE MONTAGU, ESQ.

Arlington Street, Feb. 25, 1762.

I sent you my gazette but two days ago; I now write to answer a kind long letter I have received from you since.

I have heard of my brother's play several years ago; but I never understood that it was completed, or more than a few detached scenes. What is become of Mr. Bentley's play ['The Wishes'] and Mr. Bentley's epistle?

When I go to Strawberry, I will look for where Lord Cutts was buried; I think I can find it. I am disposed to prefer the younger picture of Madame Grammont by Lely; but I stumbled at the price; twelve guineas for a copy in enamel is very dear. Mrs. Vesey tells me, his originals cost sixteen, and are not so good as his copies. I will certainly have none of his originals. His, what is his name? I would fain resist his copy; I would more fain excuse myself for having it. I say to myself, it would be rude not to have it, now Lady Kingsland and Mr. Montagu have had so much trouble—well -"I think I must have it," as my Lady Wishfort says, "Why does not the fellow take me?" Do try if he will not take ten; remember it is the younger picture; and, oh! now you are remembering, don't forget all my prints and a book bound in vellum. There is a thin folio too I want, called 'Hibernica ;' it is a collection of curious papers, one a translation by Carew Earl of Totness: I had forgot that you have no books in Ireland; however, I must have this, and your pardon for all the trouble I give you.

No news yet of the runaways [Earl of Pembroke and Kitty Hunter]:

1 Anecdotes of Painting in England.-WALPOLE.

2 Hibernica; or some Ancient Pieces relating to Ireland,' published at Dublin in 1757, by Walter Harris.-WRIGHT.