greater. Pacchierotti is much admired too, and the dancers are a capital set. So, you see we bear our disgraces with eminent philosophy. Pleasure does not seem to know that there is any want of money, or weight of taxes. I have not heard from you long. I expect you to tell me a great deal of the Pope's lamentations. To be sure, the Great-Duke does not compliment him with a suppression of your carnival.

Friday, 8th. The inquiry on Lord Sandwich died suddenly this morning, at three o'clock, of a vote of approbation of 205 to 183.*

The Duke de Chartres + is going to Constantinople. It was asked, why? Answer,-pour apprendre à étre grand seigneur.

* Mr. Fox, on the 24th of January, had moved for a committee of inquiry into the causes of the want of success which had attended our naval forces during the war, and more particularly in the year 1781. The motion being agreed to, he followed it up, on the 7th of February, with a second," that there had been gross mismanagement in the administration of naval affairs during the year 1781." The motion was strongly supported by Admiral Keppel and Lord Howe, and the defence of the Earl of Sandwich was undertaken by Lord Mulgrave. After a debate which lasted till three in the morning, it was negatived by 205 to 183. Admiral Keppel, in a letter to Captain Jervis, written the morning after the debate, says: "The evidence was sufficient to condemn a far better character than Lord Sandwich. The proof against him was upon the table, in the face of his advocates. Lord North, I conceive, did not think well of the ground he was fighting upon, if I am to judge by the tenor and insufficiency of his arguments. Everything was on our side but numbers; and in that particular, considering the ministry, management, and delaying the papers, we had enough, I believe, to stagger the First Lord. A little better management on our side, and less assiduity on theirs, and we should have carried our question clear." Life, vol. ii. p. 367.—ED.

+ Louis-Philippe-Joseph, only son of the Duc d'Orleans, whom he

succeeded in 1785.

We have a report, that Minorca is taken: had the news arrived a few hours sooner, it might have been thrown into the vote of approbation.

LETTER CCCLXIX.

Berkeley Square, Feb. 25, 1782.

THERE are certain moments in politics which excite eager curiosity, but in which it is least easy to satisfy it. This means a crisis, in which the scales are so nicely balanced as to fluctuate, and consequently to puzzle the prophetic eye even of calculators. Wednesday last, Mr. Fox renewed the attack on Lord Sandwich,* who was saved by a majority but of nineteen. On the next day but one, General Conway moved

On

* On the 20th of February, Mr. Fox brought the same question before the House which he had already moved in a committee, relative to the maladministration of naval affairs. Like the former, the debate was protracted to a late hour; in the course of which, Walpole's friend, Sir Horace Mann the younger, declared, that we were everywhere disgraced, and that it was the universal language on the Continent, that the affairs of our navy were badly conducted. Mr. William Pitt greatly distinguished himself upon this occasion. He pointed out in what particulars there had been neglect, and declared that he supported the motion from motives of a public nature, and from those motives alone. Mr. Dunning, in allusion to this speech, said, that almost all the sentiments he had collected in his own mind upon the subject had vanished away like a dream, on the bursting forth of a torrent of eloquence behind him, from the greatest prodigy that ever perhaps was seen in this or any other country—an honourable gentleman possessing the full vigour of youth, united with the experience and wisdom of the maturest age. On the division, the numbers were, for the motion 217, against it 236. decreased, although the number of members upon the former occasion.-ED.

Thus the majority was present was greater than

to address the King to take steps for peace with America. I believe the calculating prophets had been at work with their arithmetic, and had found that when a plurality of twenty-two was sunk to nineteen, it was a decreasing fund; and thence they contributed to make it so for at two in the morning the majority appeared to be fallen to a single figure. The question was rejected but by one voice.*

* The appointment of Mr. Welbore Ellis to the office of Secretary of State for the Plantation Department, and of Sir Guy Carleton to succeed the Commander-in-chief of the forces in North America, having occasioned general alarm that there still existed a determination to prosecute the war, the Opposition resolved to make another attempt to bind up the hands of the Government. Accordingly, on the 22nd, General Conway moved an address to his Majesty, imploring him to take into his consideration the great calamities which had attended the unfortunate war on the continent of North America, and beseeching that it might no longer be pursued for the impracticable purpose of reducing the inhabitants of that country to obedience by force; and that the public tranquillity might be restored by a happy reconciliation with the revolted colonies. On this evening, the American war may be said to have virtually terminated. Sir Samuel Romilly, who was in the gallery, gives the following account of what passed upon this important occasion: "The Ministers opposed the motion with all their strength, and disclosed to the House their design for carrying on the war. They said they meant to keep the posts; and when it was asked what they meant by a war of posts? the Secretary at War said, they meant to keep the posts they had already, and to take more if they saw occasion. This expression produced a roar of 'Hear, hear!' from the Opposition. Fox said, it was evident, from this and many similar expressions dropped inadvertently, that the plan of the war was changed only for the moment, and that the faintest glimmering of success would awaken all the vain projects of the Ministers. The argument which the Court party seemed to rely on most was this: the Opposition, they said, to act in a fair and manly manner, ought not to have made such a motion, but to have moved at once for a change of Ministers; for that was the effect which the resolution must directly have if it were carried. The motion was lost by a majority of only a single vote; the numbers being 193 for the resolution, and 194 against it. The House did not rise till three in the morning." Life, vol. i. p. 204.—En.

As I do not make use of any table of interest, I shall not pretend to prophesy what will happen. Formerly, a sinking Minister was soon gone; but as circumstances cannot always be the same, no more can times, which take their colour from them. One opinion I have, more fixed, which is, that the longer the Administration can maintain itself, the heavier will be its fall; for, as this success of the Opposition is less owing to their abilities than to the calamities of the war, I see no prospect of victories to mend the situation of the Ministers; and therefore, though they may divert their present danger, the temper of the nation, that is much soured, will not sweeten in their favour.

This is a brief sketch of the present aspect. I could not by a million of words tell you more yet. You will understand as much as is necessary, and I do not at all desire to be more intelligible to postmasters.

I have received two letters from you since my last; one, the moment that was set out. Yours came by Mr. Grenville with the prints of the Medici, for which I give you many thanks. In your second, you say that the Emperor had consented to receive the Pope, from whom he has taken at least a third of his tiara. We had heard that Cæsar added, that his Holiness's visit would be to no manner of purpose.* Perhaps

* This year, Pius VI. paid a visit to Joseph II., to endeavour to dissuade him from the prosecution of the ecclesiastical reforms which he had set on foot. The Pontiff reached Vienna on the 23rd of March, and was received by the Emperor with great respect: but returned to Rome without being able to effect the object of his journey.-ED.

the Monarch would not dislike to return the super aspidem et Basilicum calcabis,—yet he may find an There is more than metaphoric vipers of the Church.

aspic under his feet. poison still left in the

Accustomed as you are to our newspapers, you will read in them with astonishment the detail of a late trial for adultery, between Sir Richard Worseley and his wife, sister of the Countess of Harrington. To save her last favourite, she summoned thirty-four young men of the first quality to depose to having received her favours; and one of them, a duke's son, to having bestowed an additional one on her. The number was reduced to twenty-seven, and but few of them were examined; and they blushed for her. A better defence for her was the connivance of the husband, who was proved to have carried one of the troop on his back to the house-top, to view his fair spouse stark naked in the bath. The jury was so equitable as to give the plaintiff but one shilling damages.*

This trial happened on the very Friday of the drawn battle in the House of Commons. Sir Richard Worseley was missing ;+ Lord North, inquiring for him, was told the cause of his absence.

66

Oh," replied the

* The trial took place in the Court of King's Bench on the 22nd of February, before Lord Chief-Justice Mansfield.

† Sir Richard Worseley was at this time Member for Newport, Comptroller of the King's Household, and Governor of the Isle of Wight; of which island, in the preceding year, he had published a History, in one quarto volume, with engravings of the principal views, seats, &c., by Godfrey. On his death, in 1805, in consequence of failure of male issue, a jointure of 70,000l. reverted to his lady, who was the daughter and co-heiress of Sir John Fleming.-ED.