1806. TO THE REV. WILLIAM COLE.

Arlington Street, April 12, 1779.

As your gout was so concise, I will not condole on it, but I am sorry you are liable to it if you do but take the air. Thank you for telling me of the vendible curiosities at the Alderman's. For St. Peter's portrait to hang to a fairie's watch, I shall not think of it, both as I do not believe it very like, and as it is composed of invisible writing, for which my eyes are not young enough. In truth, I have almost left off making purchases; I have neither room for anything more, nor inclination for them, as I reckon everything very dear when one has so little time to enjoy it. However, I cannot say but the plates by Rubens do tempt me a little-yet, as I do not care to buy even Rubens in a poke, I should wish to know if the Alderman would let me see if it were but one. Would he be persuaded? I would pay for the carriage, though I should not buy them.

Lord de Ferrers will be infinitely happy with the sight of the pedigree, and I will certainly tell him of it, and how kind you are. Strype's account, or rather Stow's, of Richard's person is very remarkable-but I have done with endeavouring at truth. Weeds grow more naturally than what one plants. I hear your Cantabrigians are still unshaken Chattertonians. Many men are about falsehood like girls about the first man that makes love to them: a handsomer, a richer, or even a sincerer lover cannot eradicate the first impression-but a sillier swain, or a sillier legend, sometimes gets into the head of the miss or the learned man, and displaces the antecedent folly. Truth's kingdom is not of this world.

I do not know whether our clergy are growing Mahometans or not they certainly are not what they profess themselves-but as you and I should not agree perhaps in assigning the same defects to them, I will not enter on a subject which I have promised you to drop. All I allude to now is, the shocking murder of Miss Ray by a divine. In my own opinion, we are growing more fit for Bedlam than for Mahomet's paradise. The poor criminal in question, I am persuaded, is mad-and the misfortune is, the law does not know how to define the shades of madness; and thus there are twenty outpensioners of Bedlam, for one that is confined. You, dear Sir, have chosen a wiser path to happiness by depending on yourself for amusement. Books and past ages draw one into no scrapes, and perhaps it

is best not to know much of men till they are dead. I wish you health-you want nothing else. I am, dear Sir, yours most truly.

1807. TO SIR HORACE MANN.

Strawberry Hill, April 17, 1779.

I AM grieved to hear of your having the rheumatism so acutely in your head. Though it is not dangerous, like the gout, its duration is more fluctuating, and not consistent in a fit. I trust it will be gone long before I hear again; but the suspense will be very uneasy to me, and one of the evils of such great distance.

I was glad to hear your nephew had himself given you an account of his parenthesis of Opposition, as you can speak more freely to him than if you had learnt it only from me. Very uncertain it is when I shall see him again, which I have done but thrice; nor could I expect more from so much younger a man. We live in very different worlds, or rather I live almost out of it, and he quite in it, and yet not where I do. At this time of year, too, I am here half the week. I hope he will give you no more uneasiness; but you must have patience if he does. Nephews and nieces are not very tractable. My own uncle did not find me so; and I do not wonder at others. One must wrap one's self up in one's self. People have difficulty enough of conducting their own children-mercy on us, were we to answer for collaterals.

There have been no Parliamentary clouds, because during the holydays there has been no Parliament: but the political horizon does not clear up. I bade you a little expect the conquest of Martinico; but that prospect seems pretty much vanished. If the letters yesterday from France speak truth, our trust in Spain is dispelled likewise it is said she has declared for the Americans too, and it has been whispered here for these two days:-there is no occasion to comment on that addition to our load!-nor shall I tell you other ugly symptoms. A Spanish war is as much as you can digest at If I alarm you on bad grounds, it will make amends for my having vainly promised you Martinico; though I never warrant but what is actually passed.

once.

Though Sir Hugh Palliser's trial has been begun this week, the public does not honour it with the same attention as Keppel's. It does not brighten for the Vice-Admiral.

For the last week all conversation has been engrossed by a shocking

VOL. VII.

murder, committed on the person of a poor woman connected with a most material personage now on the great stage. You will have seen some mention of it in the papers; I mean the assassination of Miss Ray, Lord Sandwich's mistress, by a clergyman, who had been an officer, and was desperately in love with her, though she is between thirty and forty, and has had nine children. She was allowed to be most engaging; and so was the wretched lover, who had fixed his hopes of happiness on marrying her, and had been refused, after some encouragement; I know not how much. On his trial yesterday he behaved very unlike a madman, and wishes not to live. He is to suffer on Monday, and I shall rejoice when it is over; for it is shocking to reflect that there is a human being at this moment in so deplorable a situation. It would be foolish to repeat that we are a nation of lunatics; yet, with so many outward and visible signs, can one avoid thinking so? Alas! we are likely to undergo sharp purgations, that may bring us to our senses again! The loss of blood has not yet cured us. For the loss of money, it

has had but the same effect on the nation as on our youthful gamesters-it has made us more extravagant.

I shall reserve the rest of my paper till Tuesday: perhaps I may be able to contradict the Spanish article.

Tuesday.

No; I do not affirm nor deny: however, nothing is yet public, and I imagine there is still some negotiation going on, as the Spanish Ambassador receives frequent couriers, and writes much.

The poor assassin was executed yesterday. The same day Charles Fox moved for the removal of Lord Sandwich, but was beaten by a large majority; for in Parliament the ministers can still gain victories. Adieu!

1808. TO THE REV. WILLIAM COLE.

Arlington Street, April 20, 1779. I HAVE received the plates very safely, but hope you nor the Alderman will take it ill that I return them. They are extremely pretty, and uncommonly well preserved; but I am sure they are not by Rubens, nor I believe after his designs, for I am persuaded they are older than his time. In truth, I have a great many of the same sort, and do not wish for more. I shall send them back on Thursday by the Fly, and will beg you to inquire after them; and I trust they will arrive as safely as they did to, yours ever.

1809. TO THE REV. WILLIAM COLE.

April 23, 1779.

I OUGHT not to trouble you so often when you are not well; but that is the very cause of my writing now. You left off abruptly from disorder, and therefore I wish to know it is gone. The plates I hope got home safe. They are pretty, especially the reverses; but the drawing in general is bad.

Pray tell me what you mean by a priced catalogue of the pictures at Houghton. Is it a printed one? if it is, where is it to be had? -odd questions from me, and which I should not wish to have mentioned as coming from me. I have been told to-day that they are actually sold to the Czarina: sic transit! mortifying enough, were not everything transitory! We must recollect that our griefs and pains are so, as well as our joys and glories; and, by balancing the account, a grain of comfort is to be extracted. Adieu! I shall be heartily glad to receive a better account of you.

1810. TO MRS. ABINGTON.

[1779.]

MR. WALPOLE cannot express how much he is mortified that he cannot accept of Mrs. Abington's obliging invitation, as he had engaged company to dine with him on Sunday at Strawberry Hill; whom he would put off, if not foreigners who are leaving England. Mr. Walpole hopes, however, that this accident will not prevent an acquaintance, which his admiration of Mrs. Abington's genius has made him long desire; and which he hopes to cultivate at Strawberry Hill, when her leisure will give him leave to trouble her with an invitation.

1811. TO SIR HORACE MANN.

Strawberry Hill, April 24, 1779.

I BEGIN my letter here, because I am alone and have leisure, of which I cannot be sure in town; and, should I have any sudden news to send, I might not have time to add the trifles I may wish to add.

I met your nephew the other night at the Duchess of Montrose's,' and was happy to hear he had received a more recent and better account of you than what you gave me of the rheumatism in your head. I will send you by him bootikins for both hands and feet. I sometimes have rheumatic pains in the shoulder in the evening, and a bootikin on my hand immediately removes it. I should hope it would be as efficacious for the head, should it return thither, contrary to my earnest wishes.

The decision of Spain is not publicly known yet. In France they expect it in their favour. Some here still think it will be a neutrality. Did one judge any longer by the Stocks, the augury would be good. They cannot reasonably have risen, as they have done, on the diminutive success in Georgia, which has not even encouraged the victors to hope to advance, without what they are far from receiving, a reinforcement. Nor are we more prosperous against D'Estaing; nor is the capture of eight or nine Domingomen very beneficial to stockholders: but so much industry is used of late in bolstering up the Stocks, that they are no longer the weatherglass of fortune, but part of the mask employed to disguise the nation's own face to itself.

There has been a motion in each House this week for the removal of Lord Sandwich; but both houses think him as white as snow. Palliser, probably, will be equally blanched. The Howes, on the other hand, will come immaculate out of the furnace: I believe, if the Duchess of Kingston was to return, she might be voted into her old post of Maid of Honour. Lord Lyttelton, who thinks he has talents for Secretary of State, and that want of principles is no impediment (it was not to his being Justice in Eyre), has again turned against the Court on obtaining the Seals. The grass would grow in our Temple of Virtue, if it was the sole vestibule to our Temple of Honours. Governor Johnstone, having had such clumsy success as Ambassador of peace to America, has made his bargain, and is turned into a commodore of a cruising squadron. It is judicious enough, I think, to convert such men as go upon the highway of fortune into privateers; but what a figure do we make in Europe! Unable to raise the sums we want for the war, the members of that Parliament that is told so, are yet occupied in preying on the distresses of the Government! What comments Lady Lucy Mann, Sir

1 Lady Lucy Manners, daughter of the Duke of Rutland. Horace's wife, was related to her.-WALPOLE.

2 The looked for accommodation did not take place. -WALPOLE.