Books: The Letters of Horace Walpole Volume 3

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This subject has kept me so long, and it is so very late, that
you will forgive me if I only skim over the gazette part of my
letter--my next shall be more in my old gossiping style.

Dr. Terrick and Dr. Lambe are made Bishops of London and
Peterborough, without the nomination or approbation of the
ministers. The Duke of Bedford declared this warmly, for you
know his own administration(611) always allow him to declare his
genuine opinion, that they may have the credit of making him
alter it. He was still more surprised at the Chancellor's being
made an earl(612) without his knowledge, after he had gone out of
town, blaming the Chancellor's coldness on D'Eon's affair, which
is now dropped. Three marquisates going to be given to Lords
Cardigan, Northumberland, and Townshend, may not please his grace
more, though they may his minister,(613) who may be glad his
master is angry, as it may produce a good quieting draught for
himself.

The Northumberlands are returned; Hamilton is dismissed,(614) and
the Earl of Drogheda(615) made secretary in his room.

Michell(616) is recalled by desire of this court, who requested
to have it done without giving their reasons, as Sir Charles
Williams(617) had been sent from Berlin in the same manner.

Colonel Johnson is also recalled from Minorca. He had been very
wrongheaded with his governors Sir Richard;(618) that wound was
closed, when the judicious deputy chose to turn out a
brother-in-law of Lord Bute. Lady Falkener's daughter is to be
married to a young rich Mr. Crewe,(619) a maccarone, and of our
loo. Mr. Skreene has married Miss Sumner, and her brother gives
her 10,000 pounds. Good night! The watchman cries three!

(609) It seems that Mr. Walpole, in one of the letters not found,
had expressed a desire that Lord Hertford should resent, in some
decided manner, the dismissal of his brother: but he, in the
course of this letter, recollects that as the younger brother had
acted not only without concert with Lord Hertford, but in direct
opposition to his opinion and advice, there was no kind of reason
why his lordship should take any extreme steps.-C.

(610) Yet, in frequent preceding passages, Mr. Walpole represents
the conflicts of parties as only a contention for power and
place.-C.

(611) He means the Duke's political friends, Mr. Rigby, etc.-C.

(612) The Earl of Northington.

(613) Mr. Rigby.

(614) See ant`e, p. 256, Letter 182.

(615) Charles, Earl and first Marquis of Drogheda, Who married
Lord Hertford's sister; he died in 1823, at a great age.-E.

(616) Minister from the court of Prussia to London.-E.

(617) Sir C. H. Williams had been minister, both at Berlin and
St. Petersburgh.-E.

(618) Sir Richard Lyttelton.-E.

(618) John Crewe, Esq. married, 17th May, 1764, to Miss Fawkener,
the daughter of sir Everard Fawkener, who died in 1758, one of
the postmasters-general.-E.

Letter 211 To The Hon. H. S. Conway.
Arlington Street, June 5, 1764. (page 325)

You will wonder that I have been so long without giving you any
signs of life; yet, though not writing to you, I have been
employed about you, as I have ever since the 21st of April; a day
your enemies shall have some cause to remember. I had writ nine
or ten sheets of an answer to the "Address to the Public," when I
received the enclosed mandate.(620) You will see my masters
order me, as a subaltern of the exchequer, to drop you and defend
them--but you will see too, that, instead of obeying, I have
given warning. I would not communicate any part of this
transaction to you, till it was out of my hands, because I knew
your affection for me would not approve of in going so far--but
it was necessary. My honour required that I should declare my
adherence to you in the most authentic manner. I found that some
persons had dared to doubt whether I would risk every thing for
you. You see by these letters that Mr. Grenville himself had
presumed so. Even a change in the administration, however
unlikely, might happen before I had any opportunity of declaring
myself; and then those who should choose to put the worst
construction, either on my actions or my silence, might say what
they pleased. I was waiting for some opportunity: they have put
it into my hands, and I took care not to let It slip. Indeed
they have put more into my hands, which I have not let slip
neither. Could I expect they would give me so absurd an account
of Mr. Grenville's conduct, and give it to me in writing? They
can only add to this obligation that of provocation to print my
letter, which, however strong in facts, I have taken care to make
very decent in terms, because it imports us to have the candid
(that is,. I fear, the mercenary) on our side;--no, that we must
not expect, but at least disarmed.

Lord Tavistock has flung his handkerchief to Lady Elizabeth
Keppel. They all go to Woburn on Thursday, and the ceremony is
to be performed as soon as her brother, the bishop, can arrive
from Exeter. I am heartily glad the Duchess of Bedford does not
set her heart on marrying me to any body; I am sure she would
bring it about. She has some small intention Of coupling my
niece and Dick Vernon, but I have forbidden the banns.

The birthday, I hear, was lamentably empty. We had a loo last
night in the great chamber at Lady Bel Finch's: the Duke,
Princess Emily, and the Duchess of Bedford were there. The
Princess entertained her grace with the joy the Duke of Bedford
will have in being a grandfather; in which reflection, I believe,
the grandmotherhood was not forgotten. Adieu!

(620) The paper here alluded to does not appear.

Letter 212To The Earl Of Hertford.
Strawberry Hill, June 8, 1764. (page 326)

To be sure, you have heard the event of' this last week? Lord
Tavistock has flung his handkerchief, and except a few jealous
sultanas, and some sultanas valides who had marketable daughters,
every body is pleased that the lot is fallen on Lady Elizabeth
Keppel.(621)

The house of Bedford came to town last Friday. I supped with
them that night at the Spanish Ambassador's, who has made Powis-
house magnificent. Lady Elizabeth was not there nor mentioned.
On the contrary, by the Duchess's conversation, which turned on
Lady Betty Montagu,(622) there were suspicions in her favour.
The next morning Lady Elizabeth received a note from the Duchess
of Marlborough,(623) insisting on seeing her that evening. When
she arrived at Marlborough-house, she found nobody but the
Duchess and Lord Tavistock. The Duchess cried, "Lord! they have
left the window open in the next room!"--went to shut it, and
shut the lovers in too, where they remained for three hours. The
same night all the town was at the Duchess of Richmond's. Lady
Albemarle(624) was at tredille; the Duke of Bedford came up to
the table, and told her he must speak to her as soon as the pool
was over. You may guess whether she knew a card more that she
played. When she had finished, the Duke told her he should wait
on her the next morning, to make the demand in form. She told it
directly to me and my niece Waldegrave, who was in such transport
for her friend, that she promised the Duke of Bedford to kiss
him, and hurried home directly to write to her sisters.(625) The
Duke asked no questions about fortune, but has since slipped a
bit of paper into Lady Elizabeth's hand, telling her, he hoped
his son would live, but if he did not, there was something for
her; it was a jointure of three thousand pounds a-year, and six
hundred pounds pin-money. I dined with her the next day, at
Monsieur de Guerchy's, and as I hindered the company from wishing
her joy, and yet joked with her myself, Madame de Guerchy said,
she perceived I would let nobody else tease her, that I might
have all the teasing to myself She has behaved in the prettiest
manner, in the world, and would not appear at a vast assembly at
Northumberland-house on Tuesday, nor at a great haymaking at Mrs.
Pitt's on Wednesday. Yesterday they all went to Woburn, and
tomorrow the ceremony is to be performed; for the Duke has not a
moment's patience till she is breeding.

You would have been diverted at Northumberland-house; Besides the
sumptuous liveries, the illuminations in the garden, the pages,
the two chaplains in waiting in their gowns and scarves, `a
l'Irlandaise,(626) and Dr. Hill and his wife, there was a most
delightful Countess, who has Just imported herself from
Mecklenburgh. She is an absolute princess of Monomotapa; but I
fancy you have seen her. for her hideousness and frantic
accoutrements are so extraordinary, that they tell us she was
hissed in the Tuileries. She crossed the drawing-room on the
birthday to speak to the Queen en amie, after standing with her
back to Princess Amelia. The queen was so ashamed of her, that
she said cleverly, "This is not the dress at Strelitz; but this
woman always dressed herself as capriciously there, as your
Duchess of Queensberry does here."

The haymaking at Wandsworth-hill(627) did not succeed from the
excessive cold of the night; I proposed to bring one of the cocks
into the great room, and make a bonfire. All the beauties were
disappointed, and all the macaronies afraid of getting the
toothache.

The Guerchys are gone to Goodwood, and were to have been carried
to Portsmouth, but Lord Egmont(628) refused to let the ambassador
see the place. The Duke of Richmond was in a rage, and I do not
know how it has ended, for the Duke of Bedford defends the
refusal, and says, they certainly would not let you see Brest.
The Comte d'Ayen is going a longer tour. he is liked here. The
three great ambassadors danced at court--the Prince of Masserano
they say well; he is extremely in fashion, and is a sensible very
good-humoured man, though his appearance is so deceitful. They
have given me the honour of a bon-mot, which, I assure you, does
not belong to me, that I never saw a man so full of orders and
disorders. He and his suite, and the Guerchys and theirs, are to
dine here next week. Poor little Strawberry never thought of
such f`etes. I did invite them to breakfast, but they confounded
it, and understood that they were asked to dinner, so I must do
as well as I can. Both the ambassadors are in love with my
niece;(629) therefore, I trust they will not have unsentimental
stomachs.

Shall I trouble you with a little commission? It is to send me a
book that I cannot get here, nor am I quite sure of the exact
title, but it is called "Origine des Moeurs,"(630) or something
to that import. It is in three volumes, and has not been written
above two or three years. Adieu, my dear lord, from my fireside.

P. S. Do you know that Madame de Yertzin, The Mecklenburgh
Countess, has had the honour of giving the King of Prussia a box
of the ear?--I am sure he deserved it, if he could take liberties
with such a chimpanzee. Colonel Elliot died on Thursday.

(621) the Daughter of the second Earl of Albemarle; she was born
in 1739.-E.

(622) See ant`e, p. 304, letter 198.

(623) Caroline Russel, sister of the Duke of Bedford.-E.

(624) Anne, daughter of Charles, first Duke of Richmond.-E.

(625) Lady Dysart and Mrs. Keppel; the latter was married to Lady
Elizabeth's brother.-E.

(626) Lord Northumberland was still lord-lieutenant of
Ireland.-E.

(627) Mrs. Pitt's villa.

(628) First lord of the admiralty.

(629) Lady Waldegrave.

(630) In a subsequent letter, he calls this work "Essais les
Moeurs." I find a work of the latter title published in 1756
anonymously, and under the date of Bruxelles. It was written by
a M. Soret, but it seems to have been in only one volume. Can
Mr. Walpole have meant Duclos's celebrated "Considerations sur
les Moeurs," published anonymously in 1750, but subsequently
under his name?--C.

Letter 213 To George Montagu, Esq.
Strawberry Hill, June 18, 1764. (page 328)

I trust that you have thought I was dead, it is so long since you
heard of me. In truth I had nothing to talk of but cold and hot
weather, of rain and want Of rain, subjects that have been our
summer conversation for these twenty years. I am pleased that
you was content with your pictures, and shall be glad if you have
ancestors out of them. You may tell your uncle Algernon that I
go to-morrow, where he would not be ashamed to see me; as there
are not many such spots at present, you and he will guess it is
to Park-place.

Strawberry, whose glories perhaps verge towards their setting-,
have been more sumptuous to-day than ordinary, and banquetted
their representative majesties of France and Spain. I had
Monsieur and Madame de Guerchy, Mademoiselle de Nangis their
daughter, two other French gentlemen, the Prince of Masserano,
his brother and secretary, Lord March, George Selwyn, Mrs. ADD
Pitt, and my niece Waldegrave. The refectory never was so
crowded; nor have any foreigners been here before that
comprehended Strawberry. Indeed, every thing succeeded to a
hair. A violent shower in the morning laid the dust, brightened
the green, refreshed the roses, pinks, orange-flowers, and the
blossoms with which the acacias are covered. A rich storm of
thunder and lightning gave a dignity of colouring to the heavens;
and the sun appeared enough to illuminate the landscape, without
basking himself over it at his length. During dinner there were
French horns and clarionets in the cloister, and after coffee I
treated them with an English, and to them a very new collation, a
syllabub milked Under the cows that were brought to the brow of
the terrace. Thence they went to the printing-house, and saw a
new fashionable French song printed. They drank tea in the
gallery, and at eight went away to Vauxhall.

They really seemed quite pleased with the place and the day; but
I must tell you, the treasury of the abbey will feel it, for
without magnificence, all was handsomely done. I must keep
maigre; at least till the interdict is taken off from my convent.
I have kings and queens, I hear, in my neighbourhood, but this is
no royal foundation. Adieu; your poor beadsman, The Abbot Of
Strawberry.

P. S. Mr. T***'s servile poem is rewarded with one hundred and
sixty pounds a ),ear in the post-office.

Letter 214 To George Montagu, Esq.
Strawberry Hill, July 16, 1764. (page 329)

mr. chute says you are peremptory that you will not cast a look
southwards. Do you know that in that case you will not set eyes
on me the Lord knows when? My mind is pretty much fixed on going
to Paris the beginning of September. I think I shall go, if it
is only to scold my Lord and Lady Hertford for sending me their
cousins, the Duke and Duchess of Berwick, who say they are come
to see their relations. By their appearance, you would imagine
they were come to beg money of their family. He has just the
sort of capacity which you would expect in a Stuart engrafted on
a Spaniard. He asked me which way he was to come to Twickenham?
I told him through Kensington, to which I supposed his geography
might reach. He replied, "Oh! du cot`e de la mer." She, who is
sister of the Duke of Alva, is a decent kind of a body: but they
talk wicked French. I gave them a dinner here t'other day, with
the Marquis of Jamaica, their only child, and a fat tutor, and
the few Fitzroys I could amass at this season. They were very
civil, and seemed much pleased. To-day they arc gone to Blenheim
by invitation. I want to send you something from the Strawberry
press; tell me how I shall convey it; it is nothing less than the
most curious book that ever set its foot into the world. I
expect to hear you scream hither: if you don't I shall be
disappointed, for I have kept it as a most profound secret from
you, till I was ready to surprise you with it: I knew your
impatience, and would not let you have it piecemeal. It is the
Life of the great philosopher, Lord Herbert, written by
himself.(631) Now are you disappointed? Well, read it--not the
first forty pages, of which you will be sick--I will not
anticipate it, but I will tell you the history. I found it a
year ago at Lady Hertford's, to whom Lady Powis had lent it. I
took it up, and soon threw it down again, as the dullest thing I
ever saw. She persuaded me to take it home. My Lady Waldegrave
was here in all her grief; Gray and I read it to amuse her. We
could not get on for laughing, and screaming. I begged to have
it to print: Lord Powis, sensible of the extravagance, refused--I
persisted--he persisted. I told my Lady Hertford, it was no
matter, I would print it, I was determined. I sat down and wrote
a flattering dedication to Lord Powis, which I knew he would
swallow: he did, and gave up his ancestor. But this was not
enough; I was resolved the world should not think I admired it
seriously, though there are really fine passages in it, and good
sense too: I drew up an equivocal preface, in which you will
discover my opinion, and sent it with the dedication. The Earl
gulped down the one under the palliative of the other, and here
you will have all. Pray take notice Of the pedigree, of which I
am exceedingly proud; observe how I have clearly arranged so
involved a descent: one may boast at one's heraldry. I shall
send you too Lady Temple's poems.(632) Pray keep both under lock
and key, for there are but two hundred copies of Lord Herbert,
and but one hundred of the poems suffered to be printed.

I am almost crying to find the glorious morsel of summer, that we
have had, turned into just such a watery season as the last.
Even my excess of verdure, which used to comfort me for every
thing, does not satisfy me now, as I live entirely alone. I am
heartily tired of my large neighbourhood, who do not furnish me
two or three rational beings at most, and the best of them have
no vivacity. London, Whither I go at least once a fortnight for
a night, is a perfect desert. As the court is gone into a
convent at Richmond, the town is more abandoned than ever. I
cannot, as you do, bring myself to be content without variety,
without events; my mind is always wanting new food; summer does
not suit me; but I will grow old some time or other. Adieu!

(631) Printed in quarto, This was the first edition of this
celebrated piece of autobiography. It was reprinted at Edinburgh
in 1807, with a prefatory notice, understood to be by Sir Walter
Scott; and a third edition, which also contained his letters
written during his residence at the French court, was published
in 1826.-E.

(632) Poems by Anna Chambers, Countess Temple.-E.

Letter 215 To The Rev. Mr. Cole.
Strawberry Hill, July 16, 1764. (page 330)

Dear Sir,
You must think me a brute to have been so long without taking any
notice of your obliging offer of coming hither. The truth is, I
have not been at all settled here for three days together: nay,
nor do I know when I shall be. I go tomorrow into Sussex; in
August into Yorkshire, and in September into France. If, in any
interval of these jaunts, I Can be sure of remaining here a week,
which I literally have not been this whole summer, I will
certainly let you know, and will claim your promise.

Another reason for my writing now is, I want to know how I may
send you Lord Herbert's Life, which I have just printed. Did I
remember the favour you did me of asking for my own print? if I
did not, it shall accompany this book.

Letter 216 To The Rev. Henry Zouch.
Arlington Street, July 21, 1764. (page 330)

Sir,
You will have heard of the severe attendance which we have had
for this last week in the House of Commons. It will, I trust,
have excused me to you for not having answered sooner your very
kind letter. My books, I fear, have no merit over Mr. Harte's
Gustavus, but by being much shorter. I read his work, and was
sorry so much curious matter should be so ill and so tediously,
put together. His anecdotes are much more interesting than mine;
luckily I was aware that mine were very trifling, and did not
dwell upon them. To answer the demand, I am printing them with
additions, but must wait a little for assistance and corrections
to the two latter, as I have had for the former.

You are exceedingly obliging, Sir, to offer me one of your
Fergussons. I thank you for it, as I ought; but, in truth, I
have more pictures than room to place them; both my houses are
full, and I have even been thinking of getting rid of some I
have. That this is no declension of your civility, Sir, you will
see, when I gladly accept either of your medals of King Charles.
I shall be proud to keep it as a mark of your friendship; but
then I will undoubtedly rob you of but one.

I condole with you, Sir, for the loss of your friend and
relation, as I heartily take my share in whatever concerns you.
The great and unmerited kindness I have received from you will
ever make me your most obliged, etc.

Letter 217To The Rev. Mr. Cole.
Arlington Street, July 21, 1764. (page 331)

Dear Sir,
I must never send you trifles; for you always make me real
presents in return. The beauty of the coin surprises me. Mr.
White must be rich, when such are his duplicates. I am
acquainted with him, and have often intended to visit his
collection; but it is one of those things one never does, because
one always may. I give you a thousand thanks in return, and what
are not worth more, my own print, Lord Herbert's Life, (this is
curious, though it cost me little,) and some orange flowers. I
wish you had mentioned the latter sooner: I have had an amazing
profusion this year, and given them away to the right and left by
handfuls. These are all I could collect to-day, as I was coming
to town; but you shall have more if you want them.

I consign these things as you ordered - I wish the print may
arrive without being rumpled: it is difficult to convey
mezzotintos; but if this is spoiled you shall have another.

If I make any stay in France, which I do not think I shall, above
six weeks at most, you shall certainly hear from me but I am a
bad commissioner for searching you out a hermitage. It is too
much against my interest- and I had much rather find you one in
the neighbourhood of Strawberry. Adieu!

Letter 218 To The Earl Of Hertford.
Strawberry Hill, August 3, 1764. (page 332)

As my letters are seldom proper for the post now, I begin them at
any time, and am forced to trust to chance for a conveyance.
This difficulty renders my news very stale: but what can I do?
There does not happen enough at this season of' the year to fill
a mere gazette. I should be more sorry to have you think me
silent too long. You must be so good as to recollect, when there
is a large interval between my letters, that I have certainly one
ready in my writing-box, and only wait for a messenger. I hope
to send this by Lord Coventry. For the next three weeks, indeed,
I shall not be able to write, as I go in a few days with your
brother to Chatsworth and Wentworth Castle.

I am under more distress about my visit to you--but I will tell
you the truth. As I think the Parliament Will not meet before
Christmas, though they now talk of it for November, I would quit
our Politics for a few weeks; but the expense frightens me, which
did not use to be one of my fears. I cannot but expect, knowing
the enemies I have, that the treasury may distress me.(633) I
had laid by a little sum which I intended to bawble away at
Paris; but I may have very serious occasion for it. The recent
example of Lord Holderness,(634) Who has had every rag seized at
the Custom-house, alarms my present prudence. I cannot afford to
buy even clothes, which I may lose in six weeks. These
considerations dispose me to wait till I see a little farther
into this chaos. You know enough of the present actors in the
political drama to believe that the present system is not a
permanent one, nor likely to roll on till Christmas without some
change. The first moment that I can quit party with honour, I
shall seize. It neither suits my inclination nor the years I
have lived in the world; for though I am not old, I have been in
the world so long, and seen so much of those who figure in it,
that I am heartily sick of its commerce. My attachment to your
brother, and the apprehension that fear of my own interest would
be thought the cause if I took no part for him, determined me to
risk every thing rather than abandon him. I have done it, and
cannot repent, whatever distresses may follow. One's good name
is of more consequence than all the rest, my dear lord. Do not
think I say this with the least disrespect to you; it is only to
convince you that I did not recommend any thing to you that I
would avoid myself; nor engaged myself, nor wished to engage you,
in party from pique, resentment, caprice, or choice. I am dipped
in it much against my inclination. I can suffer by it infinitely
more than you could. But there are moments when one must take
one's part like a man. This I speak solely with regard to
myself. I allow fairly and honestly that you was not
circumstanced as I was. You had not voted with your brother as I
did; the world knew your inclinations were different. All this
certainly composed serious reasons for you not to follow him, if
you did not choose it. My motives for thinking you had better
have espoused his cause were for your own sake - I detailed those
motives to you in my last long letter; that opinion is as strong
within me as ever.