(though, by the way, I believe it will be oftener purchased for having been printed there than for wearing Mr. Cumberland's name to the dedication), and yet he quotes me for having praised his ancestor in one of my publications. These little instances of pride and spleen divert me, and then make me sadly reflect on human weaknesses. I am very apt myself to like what flatters my opinions or passions, and to reject scornfully what thwarts them, even in the same persons. The longer one lives, the more one discovers one's own ugliness in the features of others. Yours ever, H. WALPOLE. P.S.-I remember two other instances where my impartiality, or at least my sincerity, have exposed me to double censure. Many, perhaps you, have condemned my severity on Charles I. Yet the late Mr. Hollis wrote against me in the newspapers, for condemning the republicans for the destruction of ancient monuments. Some blamed me for undervaluing the Flemish and Dutch painters in my preface to the Odes Walpolianæ. Barry, the painter, because I laughed at his extravagances, says, in his rejection of that school, "But I leave them to be admired by the Hon. H. W. and such judges." Would not one think I had been their champion ? THE HON. HORACE WALPOLE TO THE Strawberry Hill, June 15, 1780. You may like to know one is alive, dear sir, after a massacre and the conflagration of a capital. I was in it both on the Friday, and on the black Wednesday, the most horrible night I ever beheld, and which, for six hours together, I expected to end in half the town being reduced to ashes. I can give you little account of the origin of this shocking affair. Negligence was certainly its nurse, and religion only its godmother. The ostensible author is in the Tower. Twelve or fourteen thousand men have quashed all tumults; and as no bad account is come from the country, except for a moment at Bath, and as eight days have passed, nay more, since the commencement, I flatter myself the whole nation is shocked at the scene, and that, if plan there was, it was laid only in and for the metropolis. The lowest and most villanous of the people, and to no great amount, were almost the sole actors. I hope your electioneering rioting has not nor will mix in these tumults. It would be most absurd; for Lord Rockingham, the Duke of Richmond, Sir George Savile, and Mr. Burke, the patrons of toleration, were devoted to destruction as much as the ministers. The rails torn from Sir George's house were the chief weapons and instruments of the mob. For the honour of the nation, I should be glad to have it proved that the French were the engineers. You and I have lived too long for our comfort,-shall we close our eyes in peace? You and I, that can amuse ourselves with our books and papers, feel as much indignation at the turbulent as they have scorn for us. It is hard at least, that they who disturb nobody, can have no asylum in which to pursue their innocent indolence. Who is secure against Jack Straw and a whirlwind? How I abominate Mr. Bankes and Dr. Solander, who routed the poor Otaheitans out of the centre of the ocean, and carried our abominable passions among them! Not even that poor little speck could escape European restlessness. Och! I have seen many tempestuous scenes, and outlived them! The present prospect is too thick to see through, -it is well hope never forsakes us. Yours, most sincerely, Adieu, H. W. EDMUND BURKE TO HIS UNCLE, MR. NAGLE. Wimpole Street, Cavendish Square, 11 October, 1759. DEAR SIR, My brother has been beforehand with me in almost every thing I could say. My conduct stands in need of as many apologies as his, but I am afraid our apologies might be almost as troublesome as our neglects. All I can say is, that I have been, I think it is now eleven years from the county of Cork, yet my remembrance of my friends there is as fresh as if I had left it yesterday. My gratitude for their favours, and my love for their characters is rather heightened, as the oftener I think of them they must be—and I think of them very often. This I can say with great truth. Believe me, dear sir, it would be a great pleasure to me to hear as often from you as it is convenient. Do not give yourself any sort of trouble about franks; I value very little that trifling expense, and I should very little deserve to hear from my friends, if I scrupled to pay a much higher price for that satisfaction. If I had any thing that you could have pleasure in, to send you from bence, I should be a punctual correspondent; there is nothing here, except what the newspapers contain, that can interest you; but nothing can come from the Blackwater which does not interest me very greatly. Poor Dick is on the point of quitting us; however, he has such advantageous prospects where he is going, that I part from him with the less regret. One of the first merchants here has taken him by the hand, and enabled him to go off with a very valuable cargo. He has another advantage and satisfaction in his expedition,-one of our best friends here goes at the same time in one of the first places in the island. Mrs. Burke is very sensible of your goodness, and desires that I should make you her acknowledgments. We equally wish it were in our power to accept of your kind invitation; and that no greater obstacle intervened to keep us from seeing Ballyduffe, but the distance. We are too good travellers to be frighted at that. I have made a much longer journey than the land part of it this summer. However, it is not impossible but we may one day have the pleasure of embracing you at your own house. I beg you will salute for us the good houses of Ballydwalter, Ballylegan, and Ballynahaliok, et nati natorum, et qui nascuntur ab illis. Our little boys are very well, but I should think them still better, if they (or the one that is on his legs) were running about the Bawn at Ballyduffe, as his father used to do. —Farewell, my dear uncle, and believe me your affectionate kinsman and humble servant, EDMUND BURKE. I forgot to say any thing of the irregularity which you have found in the papers for some time passed. The summer has made the town thin of members of parliament, so that we were sometimes at a loss; but now we shall be pretty secure on that head, and you shall have your papers more regularly. EDMUND BURKE TO AGMONDISHAM DEAR SIR, VESEY, ESQ. Sunning Hill, September 10th, 1760. I CANNOT express how much I am obliged to you for your kind and successful endeavours in my favour of whatever advantage the remittance was, the assurance you give me of my father's reconciliation was a great deal more pleasing, and both indeed were rendered infinitely more agreeable to me by passing through your hands. I am sensible how very much I am indebted to |