Books: The Letters of Horace Walpole, Volume 1

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(226) Afterwards Joseph the Second, emperor of Germany.-E.

(227) Here follows the Inscription for the neglected column in
the place of St. Mark, at Florence, afterwards printed in the
Fugitive Pieces.

(228) Dr. Middleton's "History of the Life of Cicero" was
published in the early part of this year, by subscription, and
dedicated to Pope's enemy, Lord Hervey. This laboured
encomium on his lordship obtained for the doctor a niche in the
Dunciad:-

Narcissus, praised with all a Parson's power,
Look'd a white lily sunk beneath a shower."-E.

170 Letter 31
To Richard West, Esq.
Reggio, May 1 1741, N. S.

Dear West,
I have received the end of your first act, (229) and now will
tell you sincerely what I think of it. If I was not so
pleased with the beginning as I usually am with your
compositions, believe me the part of Pausanias has charmed me.
There is all imaginable art joined with all requisite
simplicity: and a simplicity, I think, much preferable to that in
the scenes of Cleodora and Argilius. Forgive me, if I say they
do not talk laconic but low English in her, who is
Persian too, there would admit more heroic. But for the whole
part of Pausanias, 'tis great and well worried up, and the art
that is seen seems to proceed from his head, not from the
author's. As I am very desirous you should continue, so I own I
wish you would improve or change the beginning: those who know
you not so well as I do, would not wait with so much
patience for the entrance of Pausanias. You see I am frank; and
if I tell you I do not approve of the first part, you may believe
me as sincere when I tell you I admire the latter
extremely.

My letter has an odd date. You would not expect I should be
writing in such a dirty place as Reggio: but the fair is
charming; and here come all the nobility of Lombardy, and all the
broken dialects of Genoa, Milan, Venice, Bologna, etc. You never
heard such a ridiculous confusion of tongues. All the morning
one goes to the fair undressed, as to the walks of Tunbridge:
'tis Just in that manner, with lotteries, raffles, etc. After
dinner all the company return in their coaches, and make a kind
of corso, with the ducal family, who go to shops, where you talk
to 'em, from thence to the opera, in mask if you will, and
afterwards to the ridotto. This five nights in the week, Fridays
there are masquerades, and
Tuesdays balls at the Rivalta, a villa of the Duke's. In
short, one diverts oneself. I pass most part of the opera in the
Duchess's box, who is extremely civil to me and extremely
agreeable. A daughter of the Regent's, (230) that could
please him, must be so. She is not young, though still
handsome, but fat; but has given up her gallantries
cheerfully, and in time, and lives easily with a dull husband,
two dull sisters of his, and a dull court. These two
princesses are wofully ugly, old maids and rich. They might have
been married often; but the old Duke was whimsical and proud, and
never would consent to any match for them, but left them much
money, and pensions of three thousand pounds a year apiece.
There was a design to have given the eldest to this King of
Spain, and the Duke was to have had the Parmesan
princess; so that now he would have had Parma and Placentia,
Joined to Modena, Reggio, Mirandola, and Massa. But there being
a Prince of Asturias, the old Duke Rinaldo broke off the match,
and said his daughter's children should not be younger brothers:
and so they mope old virgins.

I am goin@ from hence to Venice, in a fright
lest there be a war with France, and then I must drag myself
through Germany. We have had an imperfect account of a
sea-fight in America . but we are so out of the way, that one
can't be sure of it. Which way soever I return, I shall be soon
in England, and there you 'will find me again.

As much as ever yours.

(229) of a tragedy called Pausanias, The first act, and
probably all that was ever written by Mr. West. [In the
preceding month West had forwarded to Gray the sketch of this
tragedy, which he appears to have criticised with
much freedom; but Mr. Mason did not find among Gray's papers
either the sketch itself, or the free critique upon it.]

(230) Philip Duke of Orleans.

172 Letter 32
To Sir Horace Mann. (231)
Calais, and Friday, and here I have been these two days, 1741.

Is the wind laid? Shall I Dever get aboard? I came here on
Wednesday night, but found a tempest that has never ceased since.
At Boulogne I left Lord Shrewsbury and his mother, and brothers
and sisters, waiting too: Bulstrode (232) passes his winter at
the court of Boulogne, and then is to travel with two young
Shrewsburys. I was overtaken by Amorevoli and Monticelli, (233)
who are here with me and the Viscontina, and Barberina, and
Abbate Vanneschi (234)-what
a coxcomb! I would have talked to him about the opera, but he
preferred politics. I have wearied Amorevoli with
questions about you. If he was not just come from you, and could
talk to me about you, I should hate him; for, to
flatter me, he told me that I talked Italian better than
you. He did not know how little I think it a compliment to have
any thing preferred to you-besides, you know the
consistence of my Italian! They are all frightened out of their
senses about going on the sea, and are not a little
afraid of the English. They went on board the William and Mary
yacht yesterday, which waits here for Lady Cardigan from Spa.
The captain clapped the door, and swore in broad English that the
Viscontina should not stir till she gave him a song, he did not
care whether it was a catch or a moving ballad; but she would not
submit. I wonder he did! When she came home and told me, I
begged her not to judge of all the English from this specimen;
but, by the way, she will find many
sea-captains that grow on dry land.

Sittinburn, Sept. 13, O. S.

Saturday morning, or yesterday, we did set out, and after a good
passage of four hours and a half, landed at Dover. I begin to
count my comforts, for I find their contraries
thicken on my apprehension. I have, at least, done for a
while with postchaises. My trunks were a little opened at
Calais, and they would have stopped my medals, but with much ado
and much three louis's they let them pass. At Dover I found the
benefit of the motions (235) having miscarried last year, for
they respected Sir Robert's son even in the person of his trunks.
I came over in a yacht with East India
captains' widows, a Catholic girl, coming from a convent to be
married, with an Irish priest to guard her, who says he
studied medicines for two years, and after that he studied
learning for two years more. I have not brought over a word of
French or Italian for common use; I have so taken pains to avoid
affectation in this point, that I have failed Only now and then
in a chi`a l`a! to the servants, who I
can scarce persuade myself yet are English. The
COUntry-town (and you will believe me, who, you know, am not
prejudiced) delights me; the populousness, the ease, the
gaiety, and well-dressed every body amaze me. Canterbury, which
on my setting out I thought deplorable, is a paradise, (236) to
Modena, Reggio, Parma, etc. I had before discovered that there
was nowhere but in England the distinction of
middling people; I perceive now, that there is peculiar to us
middling houses: how snug they are! I write to-night
because I have time; to-morrow I get to London just as the post
goes. Sir Robert is at Houghton. Good night till
another post. You are quite well I
trust, but tell me so always. My loves to the Chutes (237) and
all the etc.'s.

Oh! a story of Mr. Pope and the prince:-"Mr. Pope, you don't love
princes." "Sir, I beg your pardon." "Well, you don't love
kings, then!""Sir, I own I love the lion best
before his claws are grown." Was it possible to make a
better answer to such simple questions? Adieu! my dearest child!
Yours, ten thousand times over.

P. S. Patapan does not seem to regret his own country.

(231) This is the first of the series of letters
addressed by Walpole to Sir Horace Man, British envoy at
the court of Tuscany. The following prefatory note,
entitled "Advertisement by the Author," explains the views which
led Walpole to preserve them for publication:-

"The following Collection of Letters, written
very carelessly by a young man, had been preserved by the
person to whom they were addressed. The author, some years after
the date of the first, borrowed them, on account of
some anecdotes interspersed. On the perusal, among many
trifling relations and stories, which were only of
consequence or amusing to the two persons concerned in the
correspondence, he found some facts, characters, and news, which,
though below the dignity of history, might prove
entertaining to many other people: and knoing how much
pleasure, not only himself, but many other persons have
found in a series of private and familiar letters, he
thought it worth his while to preserve these, as they
contain something of the customs, fashions, politics,
diversions, and private history of several
years; which, if worthy of any existence, can be properly
transmitted to posterity only in this manner.

"The reader will find a few pieces of intelligence which did not
prove true; but which are retained here as the author
heard and related them, lest correction should spoil the
simple air of the narrative.* When the letters
were written, they were never intended for public
inspection; and now they are far from being thought correct, or
more authentic than the general turn of epistolary
correspondence admits. The author would sooner have burnt them
than have taken the trouble to correct such errant
trifles, which are here presented to the reader, with scarce any
variation or omissions, but what private friendships and private
history, or the great haste with which the letters were written,
made indispensably necessary, as will plainly appear, not only by
the unavoidable chasms, where the
originals were worn out or torn away,
but by many idle relations and injudicious remarks and
prejudices of a young man; for which @the only excuse the
author can pretend to make, is, that as some future reader may
possibly be as young as he was when he first wrote, he hopes they
may be amused with what graver people (if into such hands they
should fall) will very justly despise. Who ever has patience to
peruse the series, will find, perhaps, that as the author grew
older, some of his faults became less striking."
* They are marked in the notes.

(232) Tutor to the young Earl of Shrewsbury. [.Charles
Talbot, fifteenth Earl of Shrewsbury, born December 1719. He
married, in 1753, Elizabeth, daughter of the Hon. John Dormer,
afterwards Lord Dormer, and died in
1787, without issue.]

(233) Italian singers. [Angelo Maria Monticelli, a celebrated
singer of the same class as Veluti, was born at Milan in 1715,
and first attained the celebrity which he enjoyed by singing with
Mingotti at the Royal Opera at Naples in 1746. After visiting
most of the cities of the Continent, he was induced by the favour
with which he was received at Dresden to make that city his
residence, until his death in 1764. Is the name of Amorevoli,
borne by one of the first singers of that
day, an assumed one, or an instance of name fatality?
Certain it is,that Amorevole is a technical term in music
somewhat analogous in its signification with Amabile and
Amoroso.]

(234) An Italian abb`e, who directed and wrote the
operas under the protection of Lord Middlesex.

(235) The motion in both houses of Parliament,
1740, for removing Sir Robert Walpole from the King's
councils. [See ante, p. 169 (Letter 30).)

(236) ("On! On! through meadows, managed like a garden,
A paradise of hops and high production;
For, after years of travel by a bard in
Countries of greater heat, but lesser suction,
A green field is a sight which makes him pardon
The absence of that more sublime construction,
Which mixes up vines, olives, precipices,
Glaciers, volcanos, oranges, and ices."-Byron, 1823.)

(237) John Chute and Francis Whithed, Esqrs.
two great friendls of Mr. W.'s, whom he had left at Florence,
where he had been himself thirteen months, in the house of Mr.
Mann, his relation and particular friend.

174 Letter 33
To Sir Horace Mann.
[The beginning of this letter is lost.)

****I had written and sealed my letter, but have since
received another from you, dated Sept. 24. I read Sir Robert your
account of Corsica; he seems to like hearing any account sent
this way-indeed, they seem to have more superficial
relations in general than I could have believed! You will
oblige me, too, with any farther account of Bianca Colonna: (238)
it is romantic, her history!

I am infinitely obliged to Mr. Chute for his kindness to me, and
still more for his friendship to you. You cannot think how happy
I am to hear that you are to keep him longer. You do not mention
his having received my letter from Paris: I directed it to him,
recommended to you. I would not have him think me capable of
neglecting to answer his letter, which obliged me so much. I
will deliver Amorevoli his letter the first time I see him.

Lord Islay (239) dined here; I mentioned Stosch's (240)
Maltese cats. Lord Islay begged I would write to Florence to
have the largest male and female that can be got. If you will
speak to Stosch, you will oblige me: they may come by sea.
You cannot imagine my amazement at your not being
invited to Riccardi's ball; do tell me, when you know, what can
be the meaning of it; it could not be inadvertence-nay, that were
as bad! Adieu my dear child, once more!

(238A kind friend of Joan of Are, who headed the
Corsican rebels against the Genoese.

(239) Archibald Campbell, Earl of Islay, and, on his
brother's death in 1743, Duke of Argyle.

(240) Baron Stosch, a Prussian virtuoso, and spy for
the court of England on the Pretender. He had been driven from
Rome, though it was suspected that he was a spy on both sides: he
was a man of a most infamous character in every
respect. according to the Biographic Universelle, the Baron "ne
put s'acquitter de fonctions aussi d`elicates sans se voir
expos`e `a des naines violentes, qui le forc`erent `a se
retirer `a Florence;" where he died in 1757. He was one of the
most skilful and industrious antiquaries of his time. A
catalogue of his gems was drawn up by Winkelmann.]

175 Letter 34
To The Hon. H. S. Conway.
London, 1741.

My Dearest Harry,
Before I thank you for myself, I must thank you for that
excessive good nature you showed in writing to poor Gray. I am
less impatient to see you, as I find you are not the least
altered, but have the same tender friendly temper you always had.
I wanted much to see if you were still the same-but you are.

Don't think of coming before your brother, he is too good to be
left for any one living: besides, if it is possible, I will see
you in the country. Don't reproach me, and think nothing could
draw me into the country: impatience to see a few
friends has drawn me out of Italy; and Italy, Harry, is
pleasanter than London. As I do not love living en famille so
much as you (but then indeed my family is not like yours), I am
hurried about getting myself a house; for I have so long lived
single, that I do not much take to being confined with my own
family.

You won't find me much altered, I believe; at least,
outwardly. 'I am not grown a bit shorter, or a bit fatter, but
am just the same long lean creature as usual. Then I talk no
French., but to my footman; nor Italian, but to myself. What
inward alterations may have happened to me, you will
discover best; for you know 'tis said, one never knows that one's
self. I will answer, that that part of it that belongs to you,
has not suffered the least change-I took care of that.
For virt`u, I have a little to entertain you: it is my sole
pleasure.-I am neither young enough nor old enough to be in love.

My dear Harry, will you take care and make my compliments to that
charming Lady Conway, (241) who I hear is so charming, and to
Miss Jenny [Conway], who I know is so? As for Miss Anne, (242)
and her love as far as it is decent: tell her, decency is out of
the question between us, that I love her without any restriction.
I settled it yesterday with Miss Conway, that you three are
brothers and sister to me, and that if you had been so, I could
not love you better. I have so many cousins, and uncles and
aunts, and bloods that grow in Norfolk, that if I had portioned
out my affections to them, as they say I should, what a modicum
would have fallen to
each!-So, to avoid fractions, I love my family in you three,
their representatives. (243)

Adieu, my dear Harry! Direct to me at Downing Street.
Good-bye! Yours ever.

(241) Isabella Fitzroy, daughter of Charles Duke of
Grafton. She had been married in May, to(Walpole's maternal
cousin), Francis Seymour Conway, afterwards Earl of Hertford.(

242) Miss Anne conway, youngest sister of Henry Seymour
Conway.

(243) They were first cousins by the mother's side; Francis first
Lord conway having married Charlotte, eldest daughter of John
Shorter of Bybrook in Kent, sister to Catherine Shorter Lady
Walpole.

176 Letter 35
To Sir Horace Mann.
Downing Street, Oct. 8, 1741, O. S.

I have been very near sealing this letter with black wax; Sir
Robert came from Richmond on Sunday night extremely ill, and on
Monday was in great danger. It was an ague and looseness; but
they have stopped the latter, and converted the other into a
fever, which they are curing with the bark. He came out of his
chamber to-day for the first time, and is quite out of danger.
One of the newspapers says, Sir R. W. is so bad that there are no
Hopes of him.

The Pomfrets (244) are arrived; I went this morning to visit my
lord, but did not find him. Lady Sophia is ill, and my earl
(245) still at Paris, not coming. There is no news, nor a soul in
town. One talks of nothing but distempers, like Sir Robert's.
My Lady Townsende (246) was reckoning up the other day the
several things that have cured them; such a doctor so many, such
a medicine, so many; but of all, the greatest
number have found relief from the sudden deaths of their
husbands.

The opera begins the day after the King's birthday: the
singers are not permitted to sing till on the stage, so no one
has heard them, nor have I seen Amorovoli to give him the
letter. The opera is to be on the French system of dancers,
scenes, and dresses. The directors have already laid out
great sums. They talk of a mob to silence the operas, as they
did the French players; but it will be more difficult, for here
half the young noblemen in town are engaged, and they will not be
so easily persuaded to humour the taste of the mobility: in
short, they have already retained several eminent lawyers from
the Bear Garden (247) to plead their defence. I have had a long
visit this morning from Don Benjamin: (248) he is one of the best
kind of agreeable men I ever saw-quite fat and easy, with
universal knowledge: he is in the greatest
esteem at my court.

I am going to trouble you with some commissions. Miss Rich,
(249) who is the finest singer except your sister (250) in the
world, has begged me to get her some music, particularly "the
office of the Virgin of the Seven Sorrows," by Pergolesi,
(251) the "Serva Padrona, il Pastor se torna Aprile," and
"Symplicetta Pastorella." If you can send these easily, you will
much oblige me. Do, too, let me know by your brother, what you
have already laid out for me, that I may pay him.
I was mentioning to Sir Robert some pictures in italy, which I
wished him to buy; two particularly, if they can be got, would
make him delight in you beyond measure. They are, a Madonna, and
Child, by Dominichino, (252) in the palace Zambeccari, at
Boloana, or Caliambec, (253) as they call it; Mr. Chute knows the
picture. The other is by Corregio, in a convent at Parma, and
reckoned the second best of that hand in the world. There are
the Madonna and Child, St. Catherine, St. Matthew, and other
figures: it is a most known picture, and has been
engraved by Augustin Caracei. If you can employ any body
privately to inquire about these pictures, be so good as to let
me know; Sir R. would not scruple almost any price, for he has of
neither hand: the convent is poor: the Zambeccari
collection is to be sold, though, when I inquired after this
picture, they would not set a price.

Lord Euston is to be married to Lady Dorothy Boyle (254)
tomorrow, after so many delays. I have received your long
letter, and Mr. Chute's too, which I will answer next post. I
wish I had the least politics to tell you; but all is silent.
The opposition sav not a syllable, because they don't know what
the Court will think of public 'affairs; and they will not take
their part till they are sure of contradicting. The Court will
not be very ready to declare themselves, as their present
situation is every way disagreeable. All they say, is to throw
the blame entirely on the obstinacy of the Austrian Court, who
-,vould never stir or soften for themselves, while they thought
any one obliged to defend them. All I know of news is, that
Poland is leaning towards the acquisition side, like her
neighbours, and proposes to get a lock of the Golden Fleece too.
Is this any part of Gregory's (255) negotiation? I delight in
his Scapatta--"Scappata, no; egli solamente ha preso la posta."
My service to Seriston; he is charming.

How excessively obliging to go to Madame Grifoni's (256)
festino! but believe me, I shall be angry, if for my sake, you
do things that are out of your character: don't you know that I
am infinitely fonder of that than of her?

I read your story of the Sposa Panciatici at table, to the great
entertainment of the company, and Prince Craon's
epitaph, which Lord Cholmley (257) says he has heard before, and
does not think it is the prince's own; no more do I, it is too
good; but make my compliments of thanks to him; he shall have his
buckles the first opportunity I find of sending them.
Say a thousand things for me to dear Mr. Chute, till I can say
them next post for myself: till then, adieu. Yours ever.

(244) Thomas Earl of Pomfret, and Henrietta Louisa, his
consort, and his two eldest daughters, Sophia and Charlotte, had
been in Italy at the same time with Mr. Walpole. The Earl had
been master of the horse to Queen Caroline, and the
countess lady of the bedchamber.

(245) Henry Earl of Lincoln was at that time in love with Lady
Sophia Fermor.

(246) Ethelreda Harrison, wife of Charles Lord Viscount
Townsend, but parted from him.

(247) Boxers.

(248) Sir Benjamin Keene, ambassador at Madrid.

(249) Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Sir Robert Rich, since
married to Sir George Lyttelton. [Eldest son of sir Thomas
Lyttelton of hagley; in 1744 appointed one of the lords of the
treasury, and in 1755, chancellor of the exchequer. In
1757,when he retired from public life, he was raised to the
peerage, by the title of Lord Lyttelton. He died in 1773. His
prose works were printed collectively in 1774; and his poems have
given him a place among the British poets.]

(250) Mary, daughter of R. Mann, Esq. since married to Mr. Foote.

(251) Better known to all lovers of the works of this great
composer as his " Stabat mater."-E.

(252) It will be seen by Walpole's letter to Mr. Chute, of the
20th August 1743, now first published, that he eventually
succeeded in purchasing this picture.-E.

(253) A corrupted pronunciation of the Bolognese.

(254) This unfortunate marriage is alluded to several times in
the course of the subsequent letters. George Earl of Euston was
the eldest son of Charles the second Duke of Grafton. He
married, in 1741, Lady Dorothy Boyle, eldest daughter and
co-heir of Richard, third and last heir of B(irlington. She died
in 1742, from the effects, as it is supposed, of his
brutal treatment of her. The details of his cruelty towards her
are almost too revolting to be believed. In Sir Charles Hanbury
Williams's poems are some pretty lines on her death, beginning,
"Behold one moment Dorothea's fate."-D.

(255) Gregorio ALdollo, an Asiatic, from being a prisoner at
Leghorn, raised himself to be employed to the Great Duke by the
King of Poland.

(256) Elisabetta Capponi, wife of signor
Grifoni, a great beauty.

(257) George third Earl of Cholmondeley, had married Mary
Walpole, only legitimate daughter of Sir Robert Walpole-D.

178 Letter 36
To Sir Horace Mann.
London, Oct. 13, 1741.
[The greatest part of this letter is wanting.]

**** The Town will come to town, and then one shall know
something. Sir Robert is quite recovered.

Lady Pomfret I saw last night: Lady Sophia has been ill with a
cold; her head is to be dressed French, and her body English, for
which I am sorry; her figure is so fine in a robe: she is full as
sorry as I am. Their trunks are not arrived yet, so they have
not made their appearance. My lady told me a little out of
humour that Uguecioni wrote her word, that you said her things
could not be sent away yet: I understood from you, that very
wisely, you would have nothing to do about them, so made no
answer.