A SUPPOSED LETTER FROM THE PRETENDER

TO

ANOTHER WHIG LORD.*

MY LORD WHARTON,

St. Germains, July 8, 1712.

THANK you heartily for your letter; and you may be firmly assured of my friendship. In answer to what you hint that some of our friends suspect; I protest to you, upon the word of a king, and my lord Middleton + will be my witness that I never held the least correspondence with any one person of tory party. I observe, as near as I can, the instructions of the king my father; among whose papers there is not one letter, as I remember, from any tory, except two lords and a lady, who, as you know, have been for some years past devoted to me and the whigs. I approve of the scheme you sent me, signed by our friends. I do not find 24's name to it: perhaps he may be sick, or in the country. Middleton will be satisfied to be groom of the stole:

Published with an intent to throw the odium of a design to bring in the pretender, on the whigs. N.

+ Charles Middleton, the second earl of that title, and baron Clairmont, was secretary of state for Scotland from the year 1684 to the Revolution; when he followed king James into France, and was attainted by the Scots parliament in 1695. N.

VOL IV.

and

and if you have Ireland, 11 may have the staff, provided 15 resigns his pretensions; in which case, he shall have six thousand pounds a year for life, and a dukedom. I am content 13 should be secretary and a lord; and I will pay his debts when I am able.

I confess, I am sorry your general pardon has so many exceptions; but you and my other friends are judges of that. It was with great difficulty I prevailed on the queen to let me sign the commission for life, though her majesty is entirely reconciled. If 2 will accept the privy seal, which "you tell me is what would please him, the salary should be doubled: I am obliged to his good intentions, how ill soever they may have succeeded. "All other parts of your plan I entirely agree with; only as to the party that opposes us, your proposal about Z may bring an odium upon my government: he stands the first excepted; and we shall have enough against him in a legal way. I wish you would allow me twelve more domesticks of my own religion; and I will give you what security you please, not to hinder any designs you have, of altering the present established worship." Since I have so few employments left me to dispose of, and that most of our friends are to hold theirs for life; I hope you will all be satisfied with so great a share of power. I bid you heartily farewell; and am your assured friend.

A

A PRETENDED

LETTER OF THANKS

FROM

LORD WHARTON

TO THE

LORD BISHOP OF ST. ASAPH,

IN THE NAME OF

THE KITCAT CLUB.

TO WHICH ARE ADDED,

REMARKS ON THE BISHOP'S PREFACE,

FIRST PRINTED IN 1712.

112

" Do you know that Grub-street is dead and gone last week t No more ghosts or murders now for love or money. I plied it close the last fortnight, and published at least seven papers of my own, beside some of other people's; but now every single half sheet pays a halfpenny to the queen. The Observator is fallen; the Medleys are jumbled together with the Flying post; the Examiner is deadly sick; the Spectator keeps up, and doubles its price I know not how long it will hold. Have you seen the red stamp the papers are marked with? methinks the stamping is worth a halfpenny."

Journal to Stella, Aug. 7, 1712.

One of these was probably the pamphlet here reprinted. N.

A LETTER

ΤΟ

THE BISHOP OF ST. ASAPH*.

MY LORD,

IT was with no little satisfaction I undertook the pleasing task, assigned me by the gentlemen of the Kitcat clubt, of addressing your lordship with thanks for your late service so seasonably done to our sinking cause, in reprinting those most excellent discourses, which you had for

+ This club, which consisted of the most distinguished wits and statesmen among the whigs, was remarkable for the strictest zeal toward the house of Hanover. They met at a little house in Shire lane, and took their title from the real name of a pastrycook who excelled in making mutton pies, which were regularly a part of their entertainment. The portraits of this society, drawn by sir Godfrey Kneller, were all at Barnes, in the possession of the late Mr. Jacob Tonson, whose father was their secretary; and are now in the possession of William Baker, esq. late M.P. for the county of Hertford, at his house in Hill street. Sir Godfrey's own portrait is among them, of a smaller size than the others. From these portraits, "Kitcat" became a technical term in painting,--Dr. King, who was undoubtedly a first rate writer de re culinaria, has pointed out the merits of their proveditor, in his admirable Art of Cookery.

"Immortal made as Kitcat by his pies!" N.

merly