Montgomery' is now on half-pay with her. Her Major Johnston" is chosen at White's, to the great terror of the society. When he was introduced, Sir Charles Williams presented Dick Edgecumbe: to him, and said, "I have three favours to beg of you for Mr. Edgecumbe: the first is that you would not lie with Mrs. Day; the second, that you would not poison his cards; the third, that you would not kill him; the fool answered gravely, "Indeed I will not."

The Good has borrowed old Bowman's house in Kent, and is retiring thither for six weeks: I tell her, she has lived so rakish a life, that she is obliged to go and take up. I hope you don't know any more of it, and that Major Montagu is not to cross the country to her. There-I think you can't commend me for this letter; it shall not even have the merit of being long. My compliments to all your contented family. Yours ever.

P.S. I forgot to tell you, that Lord Lonsdale had summoned the peers to-day to address the King not to send the troops abroad in the present conjuncture. I hear he made a fine speech, and the Duke of Newcastle a very long one in answer, and then they rose without a division. Lord Baltimore is to bring the same motion into our House."

3

DEAR GEORGE:

219. TO GEORGE MONTAGU, ESQ.

Arlington Street, June 17, 1746.

I WROTE to you on Friday night as soon as I could after receiving your letter, with a list of the regiments to go abroad;

1 The Hon. Archibald Montgomery. He succeeded his brother, as eleventh Earl of Eglinton, in 1769, and died in 1796.-WRIGHT. 2 See p. 24.-CUNNINGHAM.

3 Richard Edgecumbe, second Lord Edgecumbe.-WALPOLE. See vol. i., p. 156.CUNNINGHAM.

In March, 1761, I was appointed trustee for Mrs. Day, by Richard Lord Edgecumbe in his will.-Walpole's Short Notes, vol. i. p. lxvii.-CUNNINGHAM.

"in

5" There was a debate," writes Mr. Pelham to Horatio Walpole on the 12th, the House of Lords this day, upon a motion of Lord Lonsdale, who would have addressed the King, to defer the sending abroad any troops till it was more clear that we are in no danger at home; which he would by no means allow to be the case at present. The Duke of Newcastle spoke well for one that was determined to carry on the war. Granville was present, but said nothing; flattered the Duke of Newcastle when the debate was over, and gave a strong negative to the motion."-WRIGHT. 6 Lord Baltimore made his motion in the House of Commons, on the 18th; when it was negatived by the great majority of 103 against 12.-WRIGHT.

one of which, I hear since, is your brother's. I am extremely sorry it is his fortune, as I know the distress it will occasion in your family.

I

For the politics which you inquire after, and which may have given motion to this step, I can give you no satisfactory answer. have heard that it is in consequence of an impertinent letter sent over by Van Hoey in favour of the rebels, though at the same time I hear we are making steps towards a peace. There centre all my politics, all in peace. Whatever your cousin' may think, I am neither busy about what does happen, nor making parties for what may. If he knew how happy I am, his intriguing nature would envy my tranquillity more than his suspicions can make him jealous of my practices. My books, my virtu, and my other follies and amusements take up too much of my time to leave me much leisure to think of other people's affairs; and of all affairs, those of the public are least my concern. You will be sorry to hear of Augustus Townshend's death. I lament it extremely, not much for his sake, for I did not honour him, but for his poor sister Molly's,' whose little heart, that is all tenderness, and gratitude, and friendship, will be broke with the shock. I really dread it, considering how delicate her health is. My Lady Townshend has a son with him. I went to tell it her. Instead of thinking of her child's distress, she kept me half an hour with a thousand histories of Lady Caroline Fitzroy and Major Johnston, and the new Paymaster's [Pitt's] ménage, and twenty other things, nothing to me, nor to her, if she could drop the idea of the Pay-Office.

2

The Serene Hessian is gone. went to bespeak him a Lilliputian coronet at Chenevix's. dear George.

Little Brooke is to be an earl.' I

Adieu!

DEAR SIR:

220. TO SIR HORACE MANN.

Arlington Street, June 20, 1746.

We are impatient for letters from Italy, to confirm the news of a

1 George Dunk, Earl of Halifax.-WALPOLE.

2 Son of Viscount Townshend and Dorothy, sister of Sir Robert Walpole. He was a captain in the service of the East India Company, and died at Batavia, having at that time the command of the Augusta.-Wright.

3 Mary Townshend, wife of Lieutenant-General Edward Cornwallis, M.P. for Westminster, &c.-CUNNINGHAM.

Earl of Warwick. See vol. i., p. 154.-CUNNINGHAM.

5 A celebrated toy-shop.-WALPOLE. See vol. i., p. 284.—CUNNINGHAM,

victory over the French and Spaniards.' The time is critical, and every triumph or defeat material, as they may raise or fall the terms of peace. The wonderful letters of Van Hoey and M. d'Argenson, in favour of the rebels, but which, if the ministry have any spirit, must turn to their harm, you will see in all the papers. They have rather put off the negotiations, and caused the sending five thousand men this week to Flanders. The Duke is not yet returned from Scotland, nor is anything certainly known of the Pretender. I don't find any period fixed for the trial of the Lords; yet the Parliament sits on, doing nothing, few days having enough to make a House. Old Marquis Tullibardine, with another set of rebels are come, amongst whom is Lord Macleod, son of Lord Cromarty,' already in the Tower. Lady Cromarty went down incog. to Woolwich to see her son pass by, without the power of speaking to him: I never heard a more melancholy instance of affection! Lord Elcho has written from Paris to Lord Lincoln to solicit his pardon; but as he has distinguished himself beyond all the rebel commanders by brutality and insults and cruelty to our prisoners, I think he is likely to remain where he is.

3

Jack Spencer, old Marlborough's grandson and heir, is just dead, at the age of six or seven and thirty, and in possession of near 30,000l. a-year, merely because he would not be abridged of those invaluable blessings of an English subject, brandy, small-beer, and

tobacco.

Your last letter was of May 31st. Since you have effectually lost the good Chutes, I may be permitted to lay out all my impatience for seeing them. There are no endeavours I shall not use to show how much I love them for all their friendship to you. You are very kind in telling me how much I am honoured by their Highnesses of Modena; but how can I return it? would it be civil to send them a compliment through a letter of yours? Do what you think properest for me.

I have nothing to say to Marquis Riccardi about his trumpery

1 The battle of Placentia, which took place on the 15th of May.-WRIGHT. 2 George Mackenzie, third Earl of Cromartie, and his eldest son John, Lord Macleod. They had been deeply engaged in the Rebellion, were taken prisoners at Dunrobin Castle in Sutherland, and from thence conveyed to the Tower. They were, upon trial, found guilty of high treason; but their lives were granted to them. Lord Macleod afterwards entered the Swedish service. Lady Cromartie was Isabel, daughter of Sir William Gordon, of Invergordon, Bart.-Dover.

3 Eldest son of the Earl of Wemyss.-WALPOLE.

4 Brother of Charles Spencer, Earl of Sunderland and Duke of Marlborough.→ WALPOLE. See vol. i., p. 191, and p. cxxxix.-CUNNINGHAM.

gems, but what I have already said; that nobody here will buy them together; that if he will think better, and let them be sold by auction, he may do it most advantageously, for, with all our distress, we have not at all lost the rage of expense: but that for sending them to Lisbon, I will by no means do it, as his impertinent sending them to me without my leave, shall in no manner draw me into the risk of paying for them. That, in short, if he will send anybody to me with full authority to receive them, and to give me the most ample discharge for them, I will deliver them, and shall be happy so to get rid of them. There they lie in a corner of my closet, and will probably come to light at last with excellent antique mould about them! Adieu!

DEAR GEORGE:

221. TO GEORGE MONTAGU, ESQ.

Arlington Street, June 24, 1746.

You have got a very bad person to tell you news; for I hear nothing before all the world has talked it over, and done with it. Till twelve o'clock last night I knew nothing of all the kissing hands that had graced yesterday morning; Arundel, for Treasurer of the Chambers; Legge, and your friend Welsh Campbell, for the Treasury; Lord Duncannon for the Admiralty; and your cousin Halifax (who is succeeded by his predecessor in the Buck Hounds) for Chief Justice in Eyre, in the room of Lord Jersey. They talk of new earls, Lord Chancellor, Lord Gower, Lord Brooke, and Lord Clinton; but I don't know that this will be, because it is not past.

Tidings are every minute expected of a great sea-fight; Martin has got between the coast and the French fleet, which has sailed from Brest. The victory in Italy is extremely big; but as none of my friends are aide-de-camps there, I know nothing of the particulars, except that the French and Spaniards have lost ten thousand men.

All the inns about town are crowded with rebel prisoners, and people are making parties of pleasure, which you know is the English genius, to hear their trials. The Scotch, which you know is the Scotch genius, are loud in censuring the Duke for his severities in the Highlands.

The great business of the town is Jack Spencer's will, who has left Althorp and the Sunderland estate in reversion to Pitt; after

more obligations and more pretended friendship for his brother, the Duke [of Marlborough], than is conceivable. The Duke is in the utmost uneasiness about it, having left the drawing of the writings for the estate to his brother and his grandmother, and without having any idea that himself was cut out of the entail.

I have heard nothing of Augustus Townshend's will: my Lady [Townshend], who you know hated him, came from the Opera t'other night, and on pulling off her gloves, and finding her hands all black, said immediately, "My hands are guilty, but my heart is free.' ." Another good thing she said to the Duchess of Bedford, who told her the Duke [of Bedford] was wind-bound at Yarmouth, "Lord! he will hate Norfolk as much as I do."

I wish, my dear George, you could meet with any man that could copy the Beauties in the Castle: I did not care if it were even in Indian ink. Will you inquire? Eckardt has done your picture excellently well. What shall I do with the original? Leave it with him till you come?

Lord Bath and Lord Sandys have had their pockets picked at Cuper's Gardens. I fancy it was no bad scene, the avarice and jealousy of their peeresses on their return. A terrible disgrace happened to Earl Cholmondeley t'other night at Ranelagh. You know all the history of his letters to borrow money to pay for damask for his fine room at Richmond. As he was going in, in the crowd, a woman offered him roses—“Right damask, my lord!" He concluded she had been put upon it. I was told, a-propos, a bon-mot on the scene in the Opera, where there is a view of his new room, and the farmer comes dancing out and shaking his purse. Somebody said there was a tradesman had unexpectedly got his money. I think I deal in bon-mots to-day. I'll tell you now another, but don't print my letter in a new edition of Joe Miller's jests. The Duke has given Brigadier Mordaunt the Pretender's coach, on condition he rode up to London in it. "That I will, Sir," said he, "and drive till it stops of its own accord at the Cocoa Tree."

1 Compare p. 69.-CUNNINGHAM.

2 Daughter of John, Earl Gower.—WALPOLE.

3 Your grace has been wind-bound, and I have, in consequence, been ink-bound. Mr. Legge to the Duke of Bedford, June 17, 1746.—CUNNINGHAM.

The Windsor beauties of Sir Peter Lely.-CUNNINGHAM.

5 On the banks of the Thames, at Lambeth. See Cunningham's Handbook of London,' art. Cuper's Gardens.-CUNNINGHAM.

6 Cholmondeley Walk, on the banks of the Thames at Richmond, still remains.— CUNNINGHAM,

7 A Tory chocolate-house, or Club, in St. James's-street.-CUNNINGHAM.