Books: The Letters of Horace Walpole, Volume 1

H >> Horace Walpole >> The Letters of Horace Walpole, Volume 1

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67

(428) Admiral Sir Charles Wager. He had been knighted by Queen
Anne, for his Gallantry in taking and destroying some rich
Spanish galleons. He was at this time first lord of the
Admiralty. He died in 1743.-D.

(429) Sir William died in the May following.

(430) James Oswald, afterwards one of the commissioners of trade
and plantations.

(431) Robert, Lord Walpole, afterwards Earl of Orford. He was
auditor of the Exchequer, and his house joined to the House of
commons, to which he had a door: but it was soon afterwards
locked up, by an order of the House.

(432) John Potter, Archbishop of Canterbury, translated, in 1737,
from the see of Oxford. He died in 1747.-D.

)433) George Oswald, steward to Sir R. W.

(434) Mr. Goldsworthy, consul at Leghorn, had married Sir
Charles Wager's niece, and was endeavouring to supplant Mr. Mann
at Florence.

(435) Vestris, the celebrated dancer, would have been
delighted with it; for it is related of him, that when Gluck had
finished his noble opera, "Iphigenia," Vestris was sadly
disappointed on finding that it did not end with a
"chaconne," and worried the composer to induce him to
introduce one. At length Gluck, losing all patience,
exclaimed, "Chaconne! chaconne! Had, then, the Greeks, whose
manners we are to represent, chaconnes?" "Certainly not,"
replied Vestris, "certainly not; but so much the worse for the
Greeks."-D.

218 Letter 52
To Sir Horace Mann.
London, Feb. 1741-2.

I am miserable that I have not more time to write to you,
especially as you will want to know so much of what I have to
tell you; but for a week or fortnight I shall be so hurried, that
I shall scarce know what I say. I sit here writing to you, and
receiving all the town, who flock to this house; Sir Robert has
already had three levees this morning, and the
rooms still overflowing-they overflow up to me. You will think
this the prelude to some victory! On the contrary, when you
receive this, there will be no longer a Sir Robert Walpole: you
must know him for the future by the title of Earl of
Orford. That other envied name expires next week with his
ministry! Preparatory to this change. I should tell you, that
last week we heard in the House of Commons the Chippenham
election, when Jack Frederick and his brother-in-law, Mr. Hume,
on our side, petitioned against Sir Edmund Thomas and Mr. Baynton
Holt. Both sides made it the decisive question-but our people
were not all equally true: and upon the previous question we had
but 235 against 236, so lost it by one. From that time my
brothers, my uncle, I, and some of his particular friends,
persuaded Sir R. to resign. He was undetermined till Sunday
night. Tuesday we were to finish the election, when we lost it
by 16; upon which Sir Robert declared to some particular persons
in the House his resolution to retire,(436) and had that morning
sent the Prince of Wales notice of' it. It is understood from
the heads of the party, that nothing more is to be pursued
against him. Yesterday (Wednesday) the King adjourned both
Houses for a fortnight, for time to settle
things. Next week Sir Robert resigns and goes into the House of
Lords. The only change yet fixed, is, that Lord Wilmington (437)
is to be at the head of the Treasury-but numberless
other alterations and confusions must follow. The Prince will be
reconciled, and the Whig-patriots will come in. There were a few
bonfires last night, but they are very unfashionable, for never
was fallen minister so followed. When he kissed the King's hand
to take his first leave, the King fell on his
neck, wept and kissed him, and begged to see him frequently. He
will continue in town, and assist the ministry in the
Lords. Mr. Pelham has declared that he will accept nothing, that
was Sir Robert's; and this moment the Duke of Richmond has been
here from court to tell Sir R. that he had resigned the
mastership of the horse, having received it from him,
unasked, and that he would not keep it beyond his ministry. This
is the greater honour, as it was so unexpected, and as he had no
personal friendship with the duke.

For myself, I am quite happy to be free from all the fatigue,
envy, and uncertainty of our late situation. I go every
where; indeed, to have the stare over, and to use myself to
neglect, but I meet nothing but civilities. Here have been Lord
Hartington, Coke, and poor Fitzwilliam,(438) and others crying:
here has been Lord Deskford (439) and numbers to wish me joy; in
short, it is a most extraordinary and various
scene.(440)

There are three people whom I pity much; the King, Lord
Wilmington, and my own sister; the first, for the affront, to be
forced to part with his minister, and to be forced to
forgive his son; the second, as he is too old, and (even when he
was young,) unfit for the burthen: and the poor girl,(441) who
must be created an earl's daughter, as her birth would deprive
her of the rank. She must kiss hands, and bear the flirts of
impertinent real quality

I am invited to dinner to-day by Lord Strafford (442) Argyll's
son-in-law. You see we shall grow the fashion.

My dear child, these are the most material points: I am
sensible how much you must want particulars; but you must be
sensible, too, that just yet, I have not time.

Don't be uneasy; your brother Ned has been here to wish me joy:
your brother Gal. has been here and cried; your tender nature
will at first make you like the latter; but afterwards you will
rejoice with the elder and me. Adieu! Yours, ever, and the same.

(436) "Sir Robert," says Coxe, "seemed to have anticipated this
event, and met it with his usual fortitude and
cheerfulness. While the tellers were performing their office, he
beckoned Sir Edward Baynton, the member whose return was
supported by the Opposition, to sit near him., spoke to him with
great complacency, animadverted on the ingratitude of several
individuals who were voting against him, on whom he had conferred
great favour, and declared he would never again sit in that
House."-E.

(437) Sir Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, knight of the
garter, and at this time lord president of the council.

(438) william, Baron, and afterwards Earl Fitzwilliam; a young
lord, much attached to Sir R. W.

(439) James Ogilvy, Lord Deskford succeeded his father, in 1764,
as sixth Earl of Findlater, and third Earl of Seafield. He held
some inconsiderable offices in Scotland, and died in 1770.-D.

(440) the peculiar antipathy to Lord Hardwicke manifested by
Horace Walpole on all occasions is founded, no doubt, upon the
opinion which he had taken up, that the resignation of Sir Robert
Walpole at this moment had been rendered necessary by the
treachery and intrigues of that nobleman and the Duke of
Newcastle. In his "Memoires" he repeatedly charges him with such
treachery; and the Edinburgh reviewer of that work
(xxxvi. 1). 29) favours this view, observing, "It appears
that, unless there was a secret understanding of Newcastle and
Hardwicke with Pulteney and Carteret, before Sir Robert's
determination to resign, the coalition was effected between the
31st of January and 2d of February; for on the 2d of
February it was already settled that Lord Wilmington should be at
the head of the Treasury in the new administration. So speedy an
adjustment of a point of such consequence looks
somewhat like previous concert." However much appearances might
favour this opinion, another writer has shown most
satisfactorily that no such previous concert existed. The
reviewer of the "Memoires" in the Quarterly Review (xxvii. p.
191) proves, in the first place, that it was Sir Robert
himself who determined the course of events, and, as he
emphatically said, turned the key of the closet on Mr.
Pulteney; so that, if he was betrayed, it must have been by
himself; and secondly, that we have the evidence of his family
and friends, that he was lost by his own inactivity and
timidity; in other words, the great minister was worn out with
age and business." And these views are confirmed by extracts from
the "Walpoliana," written, be it remembered, by Philip, second
Earl -of Hardwicke, son of the chancellor, from the information
of the Walpole family, and even of Sir Robert
himself; who, after his retirement, admitted his young friend
into his conversation and confidence-a fact totally
inconsistent with a belief in his father's treachery;-by Sir
Robert's own authority, who, in a private and confidential letter
to the Duke of Devonshire, dated 2d of February, 1742, giving an
account of his resignation, and the efforts of his triumphant
antagonists to form a new ministry, distinctly
states "that he himself prevented the Duke of Newcastle's
dismissal;" and lastly, by Horace Walpole's own pamphlet, "A
Detection of a late Forgery," etc., in which he speaks of "the
breach between the King and the Prince, as open, the known,
avowed cause of the resignation, and which Sir Robert never
disguised;"-and again, among the errors of the writer he
notices, Sir Robert Walpole is made to complain of being
abandoned by his friends. This is for once an undeserved
satire on mankind: no fallen minister ever experienced such
attachment from his friends as he did."-E.

(441) Maria, natural daughter of Sir R. W. by Maria Skerret, his
mistress, whom he afterwards married. She had a patent to take
place as an earl's daughter.

(442) William Wentworth, second Earl of Strafford, of the
second creation. He married Anne Campbell, second daughter of
John, Duke of Argyle.-D.

220 Letter 53
To Sir Horace Mann.
Feb. 9, 1741-2.

You will have had my letter that told you of the great change.
The scene is not quite so pleasant as it was, nor the
tranquility arrived that we expected. All is in confusion; no
overtures from the Prince, who, it must seem, proposes to be
King. His party have persuaded him not to make up, but on much
greater conditions than he first demanded: in short,
notwithstanding his professions to the Bishop,(443)-he is to
insist on the impeachment of Sir R., saying now, that his
terms not being accepted at first, he is not bound to stick to
them. He is pushed on to this violence by Argyll,
Chesterfield, Cobham,(444) Sir John Hind Cotton,(445) and Lord
Marchmont. The first says, "What impudence it is in Sir R. to be
driving about the streets!" and all cry out, that he is still
minister behind the curtain. They will none of them come into
the ministry, till several are displaced but have summoned a
great meeting of the faction for Friday, at the Fountain Tavern,
to consult measures against Sir R., and
to-morrow the Common Council meet, to draw up instructions for
their members. They have sent into Scotland and into the
counties for the same purpose. Carteret ind Pulteney@ pretend to
be against this violence, but own that if their party
insist upon it, they cannot desert them. The cry against Sir R.
has been greater this week than ever; first, against a
grant of four thousand pounds a-year, which the King gave him on
his resignation, but which, to quiet them, he has given Up.(446)
Then, upon making his daughter a lady; their wives and daughters
declare against giving her place. He and she both kissed hands
yesterday, and on Friday go to Richmond for a week. He seems
quite secure in his innocence-but what
protection is that, against the power and malice of' party!
Indeed, his friends seem as firm is ever, and frequent him as
much; but they are not now the strongest. As to an
impeachment, I think they will not be so mad as to proceed to it:
it is too solemn and too public to be attempted, without proof of
crimes, of which he certainly is not guilty. For a bill of'
pains and penalties, they may, if they will, I
believe, pass it through the Commons, but will scarce get the
assent of the King and Lords. In a week more I shall be able to
write with less uncertainty.

I hate sending you false news, as that was, of the Duke of
Richmond's resignation. It arose from his being two hours below
with Sir R., and from some very warm discourse of his in the
House of Lords, against the present violences; but went no
further. Zeal magnified this, as she came up stairs to me, and I
wrote to you before I had seen Sir Robert.

At a time when we ought to be most united, we are in the
greatest confusion; such is the virtue of the patriots, though
they have obtained what they professed alone to seek. They will
not stir one step in foreign affairs, though Sir R. has offered
to unite with them, with all his friends, for the
common cause. It will now be seen whether he or they are most
patriot. You see I call him Sir Robert still! after one has
known him by that name for these threescore years, it is
difficult to accustom one's mouth to another title.

In the midst of all this, we are diverting ourselves as
cordially as if Righteousness and Peace had just been kissing one
another. Balls, operas, and masquerades! The Duchess of Norfolk
(447) makes a grand masquing next week; and to-morrow there is
one at the Opera-house.

Here is a Saxe-Gothic prince, brother to her Royal
Highness:(448) he sent her word from Dover that he was driven in
there, in his way to Italy. The man of the inn, Whom he
consulted about lodgings in town, recommended him to one of very
ill-fame in Suffolk-street. He has got a neutrality for himself,
and goes to both courts.

Churchill (449) asked Pultney the other day, "Well, Mr.
Pultney, will you break me too?"-"No, Charles," replied he, "you
break fast enough of yourself!" Don't you think it hurt him more
than the other breaking would? Good night!
Yours, ever.

Thursday, Feb. 11, 1741-2.

P. S. I had finished my letter, and unwillingly resolved to send
you all that bad news, rather than leave you ignorant of our
doings; but I have the pleasure of mending your prospect a
little. Yesterday the Common Council met, and resolved upon
instructions to their members, which, except one not very
descriptive paragraph, contains nothing personal -,against our
new earl; and ends with resolutions "to stand by our present
constitution." Mind what followed! One of them proposed to insert
"the King and Royal Family" before the words, "our
present constitution;" but, on a division, it was rejected by
three to one.

But to-day, for good news! Sir Robert has resigned; Lord
Wilmington is first lord of the treasury, and Sandys has
accepted the seals as chancellor of the exchequer, with Gibbon
(450) and Sir John Rushout,(451) joined to him as other lords of
the treasury. Waller was to have been the other, but has
formally refused. So, Lord Sundon, Earle, Treby,(452) and
Clutterbuck (453) are the first discarded, unless the latter
saves himself by Waller's refusal. Lord Harrington, who is
created an earl, is made president of the council, and Lord
Carteret has consented to be secretary of state in his
room-but mind; not one of them has promised to be against the
prosecution of Sir Robert, though I don't believe now that it
will go on. You see Pultney is not come in, except in his friend
Sir John Rushout, but is to hold the balance between liberty and
prerogative; at least, in this, he acts with
honour. They say Sir John Hind Cotton and the Jacobites will be
left out,,unless they bring in Dr. Lee and Sir John Barnard to
the admiralty, as they propose; for I do not think it is decided
what are their principles. Sir Charles Wager has
resigned this morning:(454) he says, "We shall not die, but be
all changed!" though he says, a parson lately reading this text
in an old Bible, where the c was rubbed out, read it, not die,
but be all hanged!

To-morrow our earl goes to Richmond Park, en retir`e; comes on
Thursday to take his seat in the Lords, and returns thither
again. Sandys is very angry at his taking the title of
Orford, which belonged to his wife's (455) great uncle. You know
a step of that nature cost the great Lord Strafford (456) his
head, at the prosecution of a less bloody-minded man than Sandys.

I remain in town, and have not taken at all to withdrawing, which
I hear has given offence,(457) as well as my gay face in public;
but as I had so little joy in the grandeur, I am
determined to take as little part in the disgrace. I am
looking about for a new house.

I have received two vast packets from you to-day, I believe from
the bottom of the sea, for they have been so washed that I could
scarce read them. I could read the terrible history of the
earthquakes at Leghorn: how infinitely good you was to poor Mrs.
Goldsworthy! How could you think I should not
approve such vast humanity? but you are all humanity and
forgiveness. I am only concerned that they will be present when
you receive all these disagreeable accounts of your
friends. Their support" is removed as well as yours. I only
fear the interest of the Richmonds (458) with the Duke of
Newcastle; but I will try to put you well with Lord Lincoln. We
must write circumspectly, for our letters now are no longer safe.

I shall see Amorevoli to-night to give him the letter. Ah!
Monticelli and the Visconti are to sing to-night at a great
assembly at Lady Conway's. I have not time to write more: so,
good night, my dearest child! be in good spirits.
Yours, most faithfully.

P. S. We have at last got Cr`ebillon's "Sofa:" Lord
Chesterfield received three hundred, and gave them to be sold at
White's. It is admirable! except the beginning of the
first volume, and the last story, it is equal to any thing he has
written. How he has painted the most refined nature in Mazulhim!
the most retired nature in Mocles! the man of
fashion, that sets himself above natural sensations, and the man
of sense and devotion, that would skirmish himself from their
influence, are equally justly reduced to the standard of their
own weakness.(459)

(443) Secker, Bishop of Oxford.

(444) Richard Temple, Viscount Cobham, so created in 1717, with
remainder to the issue male of his sister, Hester
Grenville. He had served in Flanders under the Duke of
Marlborough, and was upon the overthrow of Sir Robert
Walpole's administration promoted to the military rank of
field marshal. He is now best remembered as the friend of pope
and the creator of the gardens at Stowe.-D.

(445) Sir John Hinde Cotton, Bart. of Landwade, in
Cambridgeshire; long a member of parliament, and one of the
leaders of the Jacobite party. He died in 1752, and Horace
Walpole, in his Memoires, in noticing this event, says, "Died Sir
John Cotton, the last Jacobite of any sensible
activity."-D.

Lord Carteret and Mr. Pulteney had really betrayed their party,
and so injudiciously, that they lost their old friends and gained
no new ones.

(446) Sir Robert, at the persuasion of his brother, Mr.
Selwyn, and others, desisted from this grant. Three years
afterwards, when the clamour was at an end, and his affairs
extremely involved, he sued for it; which Mr. Pelham, his
friend and `el`eve, was brought with the worst grace in the world
to ask, and his old obliged master the King prevailed upon, with
as ill grace, to grant. ["February 6. Sir R.
Walpole was presented at Court as Earl of Orford. He was
persuaded to refuse a grant of four thousand pounds a-year during
the King's life and his own, but could not be dissuaded from
accepting a letter of honour from the King, to grant his natural
daughter Maria, precedence as an earl's daughter; who was also
presented this day. The same thing had been done for Scrope,
Earl of Sunderland, who left no lawful issue, and from one of
whom Lord Howe is descended."-Secker MS.]

(447) Mary, daughter of Edward Blount, Esq. and wife of
Edward, ninth Duke of Norfolk.-D.

(448) The Princess of Wales.-D.

(449)General Charles Churchill.-D.

(450) Philip Gibbons, Esq.-D.

(451) Sir John Rushout, the fourth baronet of the family, had
particularly distinguished himself as an opponent of Sir R.
Walpole's excise scheme. He was made treasurer of the navy in
1743, and died in 1775, at the advanced age of ninety-one. His
son was created Lord Northwick, in 1797.-D.

(452) George Treby, Esq.-D.

(453) Thomas Clutterbuck, Esq. He left the Treasury in
February 1742, and was made treasurer of the navy.-D.

(454) "February II. Lord Orford and Sir Charles Wager
resigned. Mr. Sandys kissed hands as chancellor of the
exchequer: Lord Wilmington declared first commissioner of the
Treasury: offers made to the Duke of Argyle, but refused: none to
Lord Chesterfield."-Secker MS.-E.

(455) Lady Sandys was daughter of Lady Tipping, niece of
Russel, Earl of Orford.

(456) Sir Thomas Wentworth, the great Earl of Strafford, took the
title of Raby from a castle of that name, which belonged to Sir
Henry Vane, who, from that time, became his mortal foe.

(457) Sir Charles Wager. [In the following December Sir
Charles was appointed treasurer of the navy, which office he held
till his death, in May 1743.)

(458) Mrs. Goldsworthy had been a companion of the Duchess of
Richmond.

(459) Posterity has not confirmed the eulogium here given to the
indecent trash of the younger Cr`ebillon: but in the age of
George II. coarseness passed for humour, and obscenity was
wit."-D

224 Letter 54
To Sir Horace Mann.
Feb. 18, 1741-2.

I write to you more tired, and with more headache, than any one
but you could conceive! I came home at five this morning from the
Duchess of Norfolk's masquerade, and was forced to rise before
eleven, for my father, who came from Richmond to take his seat in
the Lords, for the Houses met to-day. He is gone back to his
retirement. Things wear a better aspect: at the great meeting
(460) on Friday, at the Fountain, Lord
Carteret and Lord Winchilsea (461) refused to go, only saying,
that they never dined at a tavern. Pultney and the new
chancellor of the exchequer went, and were abused by his Grace of
Argyll. The former said he was content with what was
already done, and would not be active in any further
proceedings, though he would not desert the party. Sandys said
the King had done him the honour to offer him that place; why
should he not accept it? if he had not, another would: if nobody
would, the King would be obliged to employ his old
minister again, which he imagined the gentlemen present would not
wish to see; and protested against screening, with the same
conclusion as Pultney. The Duke of Bedford was very warm against
Sir William Yonge; Lord Talbot (462) was so in
general.(463)

During the recess, they have employed Fazakerley to draw up four
impeachments; against Sir Robert, my uncle, Mr. Keene, and
Colonel Bladen, who was only commissioner for the tariff at
Antwerp. One of the articles against Sir R. is, his having at
this conjuncture trusted Lord Waldegrave as ambassador, who is so
near a relation (464) of the Pretender-. but these
impeachments are likely to grow obsolete manuscripts. The minds
of the people grow more candid: at first, they made one of the
actors at Drury Lane repeat some applicable lines at the end of
Harry the Fourth; but last Monday, when his Royal Highness-, had
purposely bespoken "The Unhappy Favourite" (465) for Mrs.
Porter's benefit, they never once applied the most glaring
passages; as where they read the indictment against Robert Earl
of Essex, etc. The Tories declare against further prosecution-if
Tories there are, for now one hears of nothing but the Broad
Bottom: it is the reigning cant word, and means, the taking all
parties and people, indifferently into the
ministry. The Whigs are the dupes of this; And those in the
Opposition affirm that Tories no longer exist.
Notwithstanding this, they will not come into the new
ministry, unless what were always reckoned Tories are
admitted. The Treasury has gone a-begging: I mean one of the
lordships, which is at last filled up with Major Compton, a
relation of Lord Wilmington; but now we shall see a new scene.
On Tuesday night Mr. Pultney went to the Prince, and, without the
knowledge of Argyll, etc., prevailed on him to write to the King:
he was so long determining, that it was eleven at night before
the King received his letter. Yesterday morning the prince,
attended by two of his lords, two grooms of the Bedchamber, and
Lord Scarborough,(466) his treasurer went to the King's
levee.(467) The King said, "How does the Princess do? I hope she
is well." The Prince kissed his hand, and this was all! The
Prince returned to Carlton House, whither crowds went to him. He
spoke to the Duke of Newcastle and Mr. Pelham; but would not to
the three dukes, Richmond, Grafton, and Marlborough.(468) At
night the Royal Family were all at the Duchess of Norfolk'@' and
the streets were illuminated and bonfired. To-day, the Duke of
Bedford, Lord Halifax, and some others, were at St. James's: the
King spoke to all the Lords. In a day or two, I shall go with my
uncle and brothers to the Prince's levee.

Yesterday there was a meeting of all the Scotch of our side, who,
to a man, determined to defend Sir Robert

Lyttelton (469) is going to marry Miss Fortescue, Lord
Clinton's sister.