Books: The Letters of Horace Walpole, Volume 1

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Bootle, (338) the prince's chancellor, made a most long and
stupid speech; afterwards, Sir R. called to him, "Brother
Bootle, take care you don't get my old name." "What's that?"
"Blunderer."

You can't conceive how I was pleased with the vast and
deserved applause that Mr. Chute's (339) brother, the lawyer,
got: I never heard a clearer or a finer speech. When I went
home, "Dear Sir," said I to Sir R. "I hope Mr. Chute will
carry his election for Heydon; he would be a great loss to you."
He replied. "We will not lose him." I, who meddle with nothing,
especially elections, and go to no committees,
interest myself extremely for Mr. Chute.

Old Marlborough (340) is dying-but who can tell! last year she
had lain a great while ill, without speaking; her physicians
said, "She must be blistered, or she will die." She called out,
"I won't be blistered, and I won't die." If she takes the same
resolution now, I don't believe she will. (341)

Adieu! my dear child: I have but room to say, yours, ever.

(325) Cardinal Fleury, first minister of France.

(326) George Montague Dunk, second Earl of Halifax, of the last
creation. Under the reign of George III., he became
secretary of state, and was so unfortunate in that capacity as to
be the opponent of Wilkes, on the subject of General
Warrants, by which he is now principally remembered.-D.

(327) Robert, second Lord Raymond, only son of the chief
justice of that name and title.-D.

(328) John Montagu, fourth Earl of Sandwich, passed through a
long life of office, and left behind him n indifferent
character, both in public and private He was, however, a man of
some ability.-D.

(329) Charles Fitzroy, second Duke of Grafton, and grandson of
Charles II., was a person of considerable weight and influence at
the court of George II., where he long held the post of
chamberlain of the household.

(330) "Honest Will Shippen," as he was called, or ,Downright
Shippen," as Pope terms him, was a zealous Jacobite member of
parliament, possessed of considerable talents, and a vehement
opposer of Sir Robert Walpole's government. He, however, did
justice to that able minister, for he was accustomed to say,
"Robin and I are honest men; but as for those fellows in long
perriwigs" (meaning the Tories of the day,) " they only want to
get into office themselves." He was the author of a
satirical poem, entitled, "Faction Displayed," which possesses
considerable merit.-D. [Shippen was born in 1672, and died in
1743. Sir Robert Walpole repeatedly declared, that he would not
say who was corrupted, but he would say who was not
corruptible-that man was Shippen. His speeches generally
contained some pointed period, which he uttered with great
animation. He usually spoke in a low tone of voice, with too
great rapidity, and held his glove before his mouth.]

(331) Lord Charles Noel Somerset, second son of Henry, second
Duke of Beaufort. He succeeded to the family honours in 1746,
when his elder brother, Henry, the third duke, died without
children.-D. [After the death of Sir William Wyndham, which
happened in 1740, Lord Noel Somerset was considered as the rising
head of the Tory interest. "He was," says Tindal, "a man of
sense, spirit, and activity, unblameable in his morals, but
questionable in his political capacity." He died in 1756.)

(332) Mr. Pulteney declared against dividing; observing, with a
witticism, that "dividing was not the way to multiply."

(333) In speaking of the balance of power, Mr. Pulteney had said,
,He did not know how it was abroad, not being in
secrets, but congratulated the House, that he had not, for these
many years, known it so near an equilibrium as it now was
there."-E.

(334) Lord Chesterfield had been sent by the party, in the
preceding September, to France, to request the Duke of Ormond (at
Avignon,) to obtain the Pretender's order to the
Jacobites, to vote against Sir R. W. upon any question
whatever; many of them having either voted for him, or
retired, on the famous motion the last year for removing him from
the, King's councils. [Lord Chesterfield's biographer, Dr. Maty
states that the object of his lordship's visit to France was the
restoration of his health, which required the assistance of a
warmer climate. The reception he met with during his short stay
at Paris, is thus noticed in a letter from Mr. Pitt, of the 10th
of September:-" I hope you liked the court of France as well as
it liked you. The uncommon distinctions I hear the Cardinal
(Fleury) showed you, are the best proof that, old as he is, his
judgment is as good as
ever. As this great minister has taken so much of his idea, of
the men in power here, from the person of a great
negotiator who has left the stage, (Lord Waldegrave,) I am very
glad he has, had an opportunity, once before he dies, of forming
an idea of those out of power from my Lord
Chesterfield." See Chatham Correspondence, vol. i. p. 3.]

(335) George Lyttelton, afterwards created Lord lyttelton.-D.

(336) Joseph Danvers, Esq. of Swithland, in the county of
Leicester, at this time member for Totness. In 1746 he was
created a baronet. He married Frances, the daughter of thomas
babington, Esq. of Rothley Temple, Leicestershire.-E.

(337) the Right Hon. Sir William Yonge, Bart., secretary at war,
to which office he had succeeded in May, 1735. Walpole, who
tells us (Memoires, i. p. 20,) that " he was vain,
extravagant, and trifling; simple out of the House, and too ready
at assertions in it," adds, "that his vivacity and
parts, whatever the cause was, made him shine, and he was
always content with the lustre that accompanied fame, without
thinking of what was reflected from rewarded fame-a convenient
ambition to ministers, who had few such disinterested
combatants. Sir Robert Walpole always said of him 'that
nothing but Yonge's character could keep down his parts, and
nothing but his parts support his character.'" That these parts
were very great is shown by the fact, that Sir Robert Walpole
often, when he did not care to enter early into the debate
himself, gave Yonge his notes, as the latter came late into the
House, from which be could speak admirably and
fluently, though he had missed the preceding discussion. Sir
William, who had a proneness to poetry, wrote the epilogue to
Johnson's tragedy of "Irene." 'When I published the plan for my
Dictionary," says the Doctor, "Lord'Chesterfield told me that the
word great should be pronounced so as to rhyme to state; and Sir
William Yonge sent me word, that it should be pronounced so as to
rhyme to seat, and that none but an
Irishman would pronounce it great. Now, here were two men of the
highest rank, the one the best speaker in the House of Lords, the
other the best speaker in the House of Commons, differing
entirely." See Boswell's Johnson,vol.iii.p.191.

(338) Sir Thomas Bootle, chancellor to the Prince of Wales; a
dull, heavy man, and who is, therefore, ironically called, by Sir
C. H. Williams, "Bright Bootle,"-D.

(339) Francis Chute, an eminent lawyer, second brother of
Anthony Chute, of the Vine, in Hampshire, had, in concert with
Luke Robinson, another lawyer, disputed Mr. Pultney's borough of
Heydon with him at the general elections and been returned but on
a petition, and the removal of Sir R. W. they were
voted out of their seats, and Mr. Chute died soon after.-E.

(340) Sarah, Dowager Duchess of Marlborough.

(341) Nor did she, Her grace survived the date of this letter
nearly three years. She died on the 18th of October 1744, being
then eighty-four years of age.-E.

197 Letter 46
To Sir Horace Mann.
Wednesday night, eleven o'clock, Dec. 16, 1741.

Remember this day.

Nous voil`a de la Minorit`e! entens-tu cela! h`e! My dear child,
since you will have these ugly words explained, they just mean
that we ar-- metamorphosed into the minority. This was the night
of choosing a chairman of the committee of elections. Gyles
Earle, (342) (as in the two last parliaments) was named by the
Court; Dr. Lee, (343) a civilian, by the Opposition, a man of a
fair character. (344) Earle was formerly a dependent on the Duke
of Argyle,(345) is of remarkable covetousness and wit, which he
has dealt out largely against the Scotch and the Patriots. It
was a day of much expectation, and both sides had raked together
all probabilities: I except near twenty who are in town, but stay
to vote on a second question, when the majority may be decided to
either party. have you not read of such in story?
Men, who would not care to find themselves on the weaker side,
contrary to their intent. In short, the determined sick were
dragged out of their beds; zeal came in a great coat. There were
two vast dinners at two taverns, for either-party; at six we met
in the House. Sir William Yonge, seconded by my uncle Horace,
(346) moved for Mr. Earle: Sir Paul Methuen (347) and Sir Watkyn
Williams (348) proposed Dr. Lee-and carried him, by a majority of
four: 242 against 238-the greatest number, I believe, that ever
lost a question. You have no idea of their huzza! unless you can
conceive how people must triumph after defeats of twenty years
together. We had one vote shut out, by coming a moment too late;
one that quitted us, for having been ill used by the Duke of
Newcastle but yesterday-for which in all probability, he will use
him well to-morrow-I mean, for quitting us. Sir Thomas
Lowther,(349) Lord Hartington's (350) uncle, was fetched down by
him and voted against us. Young Ross,(351) son to a commissioner
of the customs, and saved from the dishonour of not liking to go
to the West Indies when it was his turn, by Sir R.s giving him a
lieutenancy, voted against us; and Tom Hervey,(352) who is always
with us, but is quite mad; and being asked why he left us,
replied, "Jesus knows my thoughts; one day I blaspheme, and pray
the next." so, you see what accidents were against us, or we had
carried our point. They cry, Sir R. miscalculated: how should he
calculate, when there are men like Ross, and fifty others he
could name! It was not very pleasant to be stared in the face to
see how one bore it-you can guess at my bearing it, who interest
myself so little about any thing. I have had a taste of what I
am to meet from all sorts of people. The moment we had lost the
question, I went from the heat of the house into the Speaker's
chamber, and there were some fifteen others of us-an under
door-keeper thought a question was new put, when it was not, and,
withou@ giving us notice, clapped the door to. I asked him how
he dared lock us out without calling us: he replied insolently,
"It was his duty, and he would do it again:" one of
the party went to him, commended him, and told him he should be
punished if he acted otherwise. Sir R. is in great spirits, and
still sanguine. I have so little experience, that I shall not be
amazed at whatever scenes follow. My dear child, we have
triumphed twenty years; is it strange that fortune should at last
forsake us; or ought we not always to expect it, especially in
this kingdom? They talk loudly of the year forty-one, and
promise themselves all the confusions that began a hundred years
ago from the same date. I hope they prognosticate wrong; but
should it be so, I can be happy in other places. One reflection
I shall have, very sweet, though very melancholy; that if our
family is to be the sacrifice that shall first pamper discord, at
least the one,' the part of it that interested all my concerns,
and must have suffered from our ruin, is safe, secure, and above
the rage of confusion: nothing in this world can touch her peace
now!

To-morrow and Friday we go upon the Westminster election-you will
not wonder, shall you, if you hear the next post that we have
lost that too? Good night.
Yours, ever.

(342) Giles Earle, Esq. one of the lords of the treasury and who
had been chairman of the committees of the House of Commons from
1727 to the date of this letter. He had been successively groom
of the bedchamber to the Prince of Wales in 1718, clerk
comptroller of the King"s household in 1720, commissioner of the
Irish revenue in 1728, and a lord of the treasury in 1738. Mr.
Earle was a man of broad coarse wit, and a lively image of his
style and sentiments has been preserved by Sir C. H. Williams, in
his "Dialogue between Giles Earle and Bubb Dodington."-E.

(343) George Lee, brother to the lord-chief justice; he was
appointed one of the lords of the admiralty on the following
change, which post he resigned on the disgrace of his patron,
Lord Granville. He was designed by the Prince of Wales for his
first minister, and, immediately on the prince's death, was
appointed treasurer to the princess dowager, and soon after made
dean of the arches, a knight, and privy counsellor. He died in
1758.

(344) In a letter to Dodington, written from Spa, on the 8th of
September, Lord Chesterfield says:-"I am for acting at the very
beginning of the session. The court generally proposes some
servile and shameless tool of theirs to be chairman of the
committee of privileges. Why should not we, therefore, pick up
some Whig of a fair character, and with personal connexions, to
set up in opposition? I think we should be pretty strong upon
this point."-E.

(345) John, the great Duke of Argyle and Greenwich.-D.

(346) Horace Walpole, younger brother of Sir Robert, created. in
his old age, Lord Walpole of Wolterton. He was commonly called
"Old Horace," to distinguish him from his nephew, the writer of
these letters.-D.

(347) The son of John Methuen, Esq. the diplomatist, and author
of the celebrated Methuen treaty with Portugal. Sir Paul was a
knight of the Bath, and died in 1757.-D.

(348) Sir Watkyn Williams Wynn, Bart. the third baronet of the
family, was long one of the leaders in the House of Commons.-D.
(349) Sir Thomas Lowther, Bart. of Holker, in Lancashire. He
had married Lady Elizabeth Cavendish, daughter of the second Duke
of Devonshire.-D.

(350) Afterwards the fourth Duke of Devonshire.

(351) Charles Ross, killed in flannders, at the battle of
Fontenoy, 1745.

(352) Thomas Hervey, second son of John, first Earl of Bristol,
'and Surveyor of the royal gardens. He was at this time writing
his famous letter to Sir Thomas Hanmer. [With whose wife he had
eloped. In the letter alluded to, he expresses his conviction
that his conduct was natural and delicate, and that, finally, in
heaven, Lady Hanmer, in the distribution of wives, would be
considered to be his. Dr. Johnson (to whom he had left a legacy
of fifty pounds, but -,afterwards gave it him in his life-time)
characterises him as "very vicious." " Alas!" observes Mr.
Croker, "it is but too probable that he was disordered in mind,
and that what was called vice was. in truth, disease, and
required a madhouse rather than a prison." He died in 1775. See
Boswell's Johnson, Vol. iii. P. 18, ed. 1835.)

(353) His mother, Catherine Lady Walpole, who died August 20,
1737.

199 Letter 47
To Sir Horace Mann.
Thursday, six o'clock. [Dec. 17, 1741.

You will hardly divine where I am writing to you-in the
Speaker's chamber. The House is examining witnesses on the
Westminster election, which will not be determined to-day; I am
not in haste it should, for I believe we shall lose it. A great
fat fellow, a constable, on their side, has just
deposed, that Lord Sundon,(355) and the high constable, took him
by the collar at the election, and threw him down stairs. Do you
know the figure of Lord Sundon? If you do, only think of that
little old creature throwing any man down stairs!

As I was coming down this morning, your brother brought me a long
letter from you, in answer to mine of the 12th of
November. You try to make me mistrust the designs of Spain
against Tuscany, but I will hope yet: hopes are all I have for
any thing I know!

As to the young man, I will see his mother the first moment I
can; and by next post, hope to give you a definite answer,
whether he will submit to be a servant or not; in every other
respect, I am sure he will please you.

Your friend, Mr. Fane,(356) would not come for us last night, nor
will vote till after the Westminster election: be is
brought into parliament by the Duke of Bedford,(357) and is
unwilling to disoblige him in this. We flattered ourselves with
better success; for last Friday, after sitting till two in the
morning we carried a Cornish election in four
divisions-the first by a majority of six, then of twelve, then of
fourteen, and lastly by thirty-six. You can't imagine the zeal
of the young men on both sides: Lord Fitzwilliam, Lord
Hartington, and my friend Coke (358) on ours, are warm as
possible; Lord Quarendon (359) and Sir Francis Dashwood (360) are
as violent on theirs: the former speaks often and well. But I am
talking to you of nothing but parliament; why,
really, all one's ideas are stuffed with it, and you yourself
will not dislike to hear things so material. The Opposition who
invent every method of killing Sir R., intend to make us sit on
Saturdays; but how mean and dirty is it, how
scandalous! when they can't ruin him by the least plausible
means, to murder him by denying him air and exercise.(361)
There was a strange affair happened on Saturday; it was
strange, yet very English. One Nourse, an old gamester, said, in
the coffee-house, that Mr. Shuttleworth, a member, only pretended
to be ill. This was told to Lord Windsor,(362) his friend, who
quarrelled with Nourse, and the latter challenged him. My lord
replied, he would not fight him, he was too old. The other
replied, he was not too old to fight with pistols. Lord Windsor
still refused: Nourse, in a rage, went home and cut his own
throat. This was one of the odd ways in which men are made.

I have scarce seen Lady Pomfret lately, but I am sure Lord
Lincoln is not going to marry her daughter. I am not
surprised at her sister being shy of receiving civilities from
you-that was English too!

Say a great deal for me to the Chutes. How I envy your snug
suppers! I never have such suppers! Trust me, if we fall, all the
grandeur, all the envied grandeur of our house, will not cost me
a sigh: it has given me no pleasure while we have it, and will
give me no pain when I part with it. My liberty, my ease, and
choice of my own friends and company, will
sufficiently counterbalance the crowds of Downing-street. I am so
sick of it all, that if we are victorious or not, I propose
leaving England in the spring,. Adieu!
Yours, ever and ever.

(355) William clayton, Lord Sundon, in Ireland, so created in
1735. His wife was a favourite of Queen Caroline, to whom she
was mistress of the robes.

(356) Charles Fane, Only son of Lord Viscount Fane, whom he
succeeded, had been minister at Florence.

(357) John Russell, fourth Duke of Bedford.-D.

(358) Edward, Lord Viscount Coke, only son of the Earl of
Leicester. He died in 1753.

(359) George Henry Lee, Lord Viscount Quarendon, eldest son of
the Earl of Lichfield, whom he succeeded in that title.

(360) Sir Francis Dashwood, Bart., afterwards Lord Le
Despencer. Under the administration of Lord Bute he was, for a
short time, chancellor of the exchequer.-D.

(361) Sir Robert always went every Saturday to Newpark,
Richmond, to hunt. (From his early youth, Sir Robert was fond of
the diversions of the field. He was accustomed to hunt in
Richmond Park with a pack of beagles. On receiving a packet of
letters, he usually opened that from his gamekeeper first.]
(362) Herbert Windsor Hickman, second Viscount Windsor in
Ireland, and Baron Montjoy of the Isle of Wight. [His lordship
died in 1758, when all his honours, in default of male issue,
became extinct.]

201 Letter 48
To Sir Horace Mann.
Christmas eve, 1741.

My dearest child, if I had not heard regularly from you, what a
shock it would have given me! The other night at the opera, Mr.
Worseley, with his peevish face, half smiling through
ill-nature, told me (only mind!) by way of news, "that he
heard Mr. Mann was dead at Florence!"' How kind! To entertain one
with the chitchat of the town, a man comes and tells one that
one's dearest friend is dead! I am sure he would have lost his
speech if he had had any thing pleasurable to tell. If ever
there is a metempsychosis, his soul will pass into a vulture and
prey upon carcases after a battle, and then go and bode at the
windows of their relations. But I will say no more of him; I
will punish him sufficiently, if sufficiently there be, by
telling him you are perfectly well: you are, are you not? Send me
certificate signed by Dr. Cocchi,(363) and I will choke him with
it: another's health must be venomous to him.

Sir Francis Dashwood too,-as you know all ill-natured people hear
all ill news,-told me he heard you was ill: I vowed you was grown
as strong as the Farnese Hercules. Then he desires you will send
him four of the Volterra urns, of the
chimney-piece size; send them with any of my things; do, or he
will think I neglected it because he is our enemy; and I would
not be peevish, not to be like them. He is one of the most
inveterate; they list under Sandys,(364) a parcel of them with no
more brains than their general; but being malicious they pass for
ingenious, as in these countries fogs are reckoned warm weather.
Did you ever hear what Earle said of Sandys? "that he never
laughed but once, and that was when his best friend broke his
thigh."

Last Thursday I wrote you word of our losing the chairman of the
committee. This winter is to be all ups and downs. The next day
(Friday) we had a most complete victory. Mr. Pultney moved for
all papers and letters, etc. between the King and the Queen of
Hungary and their ministers. Sir R. agreed to give them all the
papers relative to those transactions, only desiring to except
the letters written by the two sovereigns themselves. They
divided, and we carried it, 237 against 227. They moved to have
those relations to France, Prussia, and Holland. Sir R. begged
they would defer asking for those of Prussia till the end of
January, at which time a negotiation would be at an end with that
King, which now he might break off, if he knew it was to be made
public. Mr. Pultney
persisted; but his obstinacy, which might be so prejudicial to
the public, revolted even his own partisans, and seven of them
spoke against him. We carried that question by
twenty-four; and another by twenty-one, against sitting on the
next day (Saturday). Monday and Tuesday we went on the
Westminster election. Murray (365) spoke divinely; he Was their
counsel. Lloyd (366) answered him extremely well: but on summing
up the evidence on both sides, and in his reply, Murray was in
short, beyond what was ever heard at the
bar.That day (Tuesday) we went on the merits of the cause, and at
ten at night divided, and lost it. They had 220, we 216; so that
the election was declared void. You see four is a fortunate
number to them. We had forty-one more members in town, who would
not, or could not come down. The time. is a touchstone for
wavering consciences. All the arts, money, promises, threats,,
all the arts of the. former year 41, are applied; and
self-interest, in the shape of Scotch
members-nay, and of English ones, operates to the aid of their
party, and to the defeat of ours. Lord Doneraile,(367) a
young Irishman, brought in by the court, was petitioned
against, though his competitor had but one vote. This young man
spoke as well as ever any one spoke in his own defence insisted
on the petition being heard, and concluded with
declaring, that, "his cause was his Defence, and Impartiality
must be his support." Do you know that, after this, he went and
engaged if they would withdraw the petition, to vote with them in
the Westminster affair! His friends reproached him so strongly
with his meanness, that he was shocked, and went to Mr. Pultney
to get off; Mr. P. told him he had given him his honour, and he
would not release him, though Lord Doneraile declared it was
against his conscience: but he voted with
them, and lost us the next question which they put (for
censuring the High Bailiff) by his single vote; for in that the
numbers were 217 against 215: the alteration of his vote would
have made it even; and then the Speaker, I suppose,
would have chosen the merciful side, and decided for us.
After this, Mr. Pultney, with an affected humanity, agreed to
commit the High Bailiff only to the serjeant-at-arms. Then, by a
majority of six, they voted that the soldiers, who had been sent
for after the poll was closed, to save Lord Sundon's (368) life,
had come in a military and illegal manner, and influenced the
election. In short, they determined, as Mr. Murray had dictated
to them, that no civil magistrate, on any pretence whatsoever,
though he may not be able to suppress even a riot by the
assistance of the militia and constables, may call in the aid of
the army. Is not this doing the work of the Jacobites? have
they any other view than to render the riot act useless? and then
they may rise for the Pretender whenever they please. Then they
moved to punish Justice
Blackerby for calling in the soldiers; and when it was desired
that he might be heard in his own defence, they said he had
already confessed his crime. Do but think on it! without
being accused, without knowing, or being told it was a crime, a
man gives evidence in another cause, not his own, and then they
call it his-own accusation of himself, and would condemn him for
it. You see what justice we may expect if they
actually get the majority. But this was too strong a pill for
one of their own leaders to swallow: Sir John Barnard(369 did
propose and persuade them to give him a day to be heard. In
short we sat till half an hour after four in the morning; the
longest day that ever was known. I say nothing of myself, for I
could but just speak when I came away; but Sir Robert was as well
as ever, and spoke with as much spirit as ever, at four o'clock.
This way they will not kill him; I Will not answer for any other.
As he came out, Whitehead,(370) the author of Manners, and agent
with one Carey, a surgeon, for the
Opposition, said "D-n him, how well he looks!" Immediately after
their success, Lord Gage (371) went forth, and begged there might
be no mobbing; but last night we had bonfires all over the town,
and I suppose shall have notable mobbing at the new election;
though I do not believe there will be any
opposition to their Mr. Edwin and Lord Perceval.(372) Thank God!
we are now adjourned for three weeks. I shall go to
Swallowfield (373) for a few days: so for one week you will miss
hearing from me. We have escaped the Prince'S (374)
affair hitherto, but we shall have it after the holidays. All
depends upon the practices of both sides in securing or
getting new votes during the recess. Sir Robert is very
sanguine: I hope, for his sake and for his honour, and for the
nation's peace, that he will get the better: but the moment he
has the majority secure, I shall be very earnest with him to
resign. He has a constitution to last some years, and enjoy some
repose; and for my own part (and both my brothers agree with me
in it), we wish most heartily to see an end of his ministry. If
I can judge of them by myself, those who want to be in our
situation, do not wish to see it brought about more than we do.
It is fatiguing to bear so much envy and ill-will
undeservedly.-Otium Divos rogo; but adieu, politics, for three
weeks!