Books: The Letters of Horace Walpole, Volume 1

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For my own part, I comfort myself with the humane reflection
of the Irishman in the ship that was on fire--I am but a
passenger! if I were not so indolent, I think I should rather
put in practice the late Duchess of Bolton's(1088)
geographical resolution of going to China, when Winston told
her the world would be burnt in three years. Have you any
philosophy? Tell me what you think. It is quite the fashion
to talk of the French coming here. Nobody sees it in any
other light but as a thing to be talked of, not to be
precautioned against. Don't you remember a report of the
plague being in the
city, and every body went to the house where it was to see it?
You- see I laugh about it, for I would not for the world be so
unenglished as to do otherwise. I am persuaded that when
Count Saxe, with ten thousand men, is within a day's march of
London, people will be hiring windows at Charing-cross and
Cheapside to see them pass by. 'Tis our characteristic to take
dangers for sights, and evils for curiosities.

Adieu! dear George: I am laying in scraps of Cato against it
may be necessary to take leave of one's correspondents `a la
Romaine, and, before the play itself is suppressed by a lettre
de cachet to the booksellers.

P. S. Lord! 'tis the 1st of August, 1745, a holiday(1089) that
is going to be turned out of the almanack!

(1086) Fran`cois-Adh`emar de Monteil, Comte de Grignan,
Lieutenant-general of Provence. He married, in 1669, the
daughter of Madame de S`evign`e-E.

(1087) As he was, on the preceding day, by the Duke of
Newcastle, at Clermont.-E.

(1088) Natural daughter of James Scot, Duke of Monmouth, by
Eleanor, daughter of Sir Robert Needham.-E.

(1089) The anniversary of the accession of the House of
Brunswick to the throne of England.

432 Letter 176
To sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, Aug. 7, 1745.

I have no news to tell you: Ostend is besieged, and must be
gone in a few days. The Regency are all come to town to
prevent an invasion--I should as soon think them able to make
one--not but old Stair, who still exists upon the embers of an
absurd fire that warmed him ninety years ago, thinks it still
practicable to march to Paris, and the other day in council
prevented a resolution of sending for our army home; but as we
always do half of a thing, when even the whole would scarce
signify, they seem determined to send for ten thousand--the
other ten will remain in Flanders, to keep up the bad figure
that we have been making there all this summer. Count Saxe
has been three times tapped since the of Fontenoy: but if we
get rid of his enmity, there is Belleisle gone, amply to supply
and succeed to his hatred! Van Hoey, the ingenious Dutchman at
Paris, wrote to the States to know if he should make new liveries
against the rejoiCings for the French conquests in Flanders. I
love the governor of SLuys; when the States sent him a reprimand,
for not admitting our troops that retreated thither from the
affair of Ghent, asking him if he did not know that he ought to
admit their allies? he replied, "Yes; and would they have him
admit the French too as their allies?"

There is a proclamation come out for apprehending the
Pretender's son;(1090) he was undoubtedly on board the frigate
attendant on the Elizabeth, with which Captain Brett fought so
bravely:(1090) the boy is now said to be at Brest.

I have put off my journey to the Hague, as the sea is full of
ships, and many French ones about the siege of
Ostend: I go tomorrow to Mount Edgecumbe. I don't think it
impossible but you may receive a letter from me on the road,
with a paragraph like that in Cibber's life, "Here I met the
revolution."

My lady Orford is set out for Hanover; her gracious sovereign
does not seem inclined to leave it. Mrs. Chute(1092) has sent
me this letter, which you will be so good as to send to Rome.
We have taken infinite riches; vast wealth in the East Indies,
vast from the West; in short, we grow so fat that we shall
very soon be fit to kill.

Your brother has this moment brought me a letter from you,
full of your good-natured concern for the Genoese. I have not
time to write you any thing but short paragraphs, as I am in
the act of writing all my letters and doing my business before
my journey. I can say no more now about the affair of your
secretary. Poor Mrs. Gibberne has been here this morning
almost in fits about her son. She brought me a long letter to
you, but I absolutely prevented her sending it, and told her I
would let you know that it was my fault if you don't hear from
her, but that I would take the answer upon myself. My dear
Sir, for her sake, for the silly boy's, who is ruined if he
follows his own whims, and for your own sake, who will have so
much trouble to get and form another, I must try to prevent
your parting. I am persuaded, that neither the fatigue of
writing, nor the indignation of going to sea are the boy's
true motives. They are, the smallness of his allowance, and
his aversion to waiting it table, For the
first, the poor woman does not expect that you should put
yourself to any inconvenience; she only begs that you will be
so good as to pay him twenty pounds a-year more, which she
herself will repay to your brother; and not let her son know
that it comes from her, as he would then refuse to take it.
For the other point, I must tell you, my dear child, fairly,
that in goodness to the poor boy, I hope you will give it up.
He is to make his fortune in your way of life, if he can be so
lucky, It will be an insuperable obstacle to him that he is
with you in the light of a menial servant. When you reflect
that his fortune may depend upon it, I am sure you will free
him from this servitude, Your brother and I, you know, from
the very first, thought that you should not insist upon it.
If he will stay with you on the terms I propose, I am sure,
from the trouble it will save yourself, and the ruin from
which it will save him, you will yield to this request; which
I seriously make to you, and advise you to comply with.
Adieu!

(1090) The proclamation was dated the 1st of August, and
offered a reward of thirty thousand pounds for the young
Prince's apprehension. He left the island of Belleisle on the
13th of July, disguised in the habit of a Student of the Scots
college at Paris, and allowing his beard to grow.-E.

(1091) Captain Brett was the same officer who, in Anson's
expedition, had stormed Paita. His ship was called the Lion.
After a well-matched fight of five or six hours, the vessels
parted, each nearly disabled.-E.

(1092) Widow of Francis Chute, Esq.

434 Letter 177
To The Rev. Thomas Birch.(1093)
Woolterton 15th [Aug.] 1745

When I was lately in town I was favoured with yours of the
21st past; but my stay there was so short, and my hurry so
great, that I had not time to see you as I intended. As I am
persuaded that nobody is more capable than yourself, in all
respects, to set his late Majesty's reign in a true light, I
am sure there is nobody to whom I would more readily give my
assistance, as far as I am able: but, as I have never wrote
any thing in a historical way, have now and then suggested
hints to others as they were writing, and never published but
two pamphlets-one was to justify the taking and keeping in our
pay the twelve thousand Hessians, of which I have forgot the
title, and have it not in the country; the other was published
about two years since, entitled, "The Interest of Great
Britain steadily Pursued," in answer to the pamphlets about
the Hanover forces-I can't tell in what manner, nor on what
heads to answer your desire, which is conceived in such
general terms: if you could point out some stated times, and
some particular facts, and I had before me a sketch of your
narration, I perhaps might be able, to suggest or explain some
things that are come but imperfectly to your knowledge, and
some anecdotes might occur to my memory relating to domestic
and foreign affairs, that are curious, and were never yet made
public, and perhaps not proper to, be published yet;
particularly with regard to the alteration of the ministry in
1717, by the removal of my relation, and the measures that
were pursued in consequence of that alteration; but in order
to do this, or any thing else for your service, requires a
personal conversation with you, in which I should be ready to
let you know what might occur to me. I am most truly, etc.

(1093) This industrious historian and biographer was born in
1705, and was killed by a fall from his horse, in 1765. Dr.
Johnson said of him, "Tom Birch is as brisk as a bee in
conversation; but no sooner does he take a pen in his hand,
than it becomes a torpedo to him, and benumbs all his
faculties.--E.

435 Letter 178
To Sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, Sept. 6, 1745.

It would have been inexcusable in me, in our present
circumstances and after all I have promised you, not to have
written to you for this last month, if I had been in London;
but I have been at Mount Edgecumbe, and so constantly upon the
road, that I neither received your letters, had time to write,
or knew what to write. I came back last night, and found three
packets from you, which I have no time to answer, and but just
time to read. The confusion I have found, and the danger we
are in, prevent my talking of any thing else. The young
Pretender(1094) at the head of three thousand men, has got a
march on General Cope, who is not eighteen hundred strong: and
when the last accounts came away, was fifty miles nearer
Edinburgh than Cope, and by this time is there. The clans
will not rise for the Government: the Dukes of Argyll(1095)
and Athol,(1096) are come post to town,(1097) not having been
able to raise a man. The young Duke of Gordon(1098) sent for
his uncle and told him that he must arm their clan. "They are
in arms."--"They must march against the rebels."--"They will
wait on the Prince of Wales." The Duke flew in a passion; his
uncle pulled out a pistol, and told him
it was in vain to dispute. Lord Loudon,(1099) Lord
Fortrose(1100) and Lord Panmure,(1101) have been very zealous,
and have raised some men; but I look upon Scotland as gone! I
think of what King William said to the Duke of Hamilton, when
he was extolling Scotland: "My Lord, I only wish it
was a hundred thousand miles off, and that you was king of
it!"

There are two manifestos published signed Charles
Prince, Regent for his father, King of Scotland, England,
France, and Ireland. By One, he promises to preserve every
body in their just rights; and orders all persons who have
public moneys in their hands to bring it to him; and by the
other dissolves the union between England and Scotland. But
all this is not the worst! Notice came yesterday, that there
are ten thousand men, thirty transports, and ten men-of-war at
Dunkirk. Against this force we have--I don't know what--
scarce fears! Three thousand Dutch -we hope are by this time
landed In Scotland; three more are coming hither. We have
sent for ten regiments from Flanders, which may be here in a
week, and we have fifteen men-of-war in the Downs. I am
grieved to tell you all this; but when it is so, how can I
avoid telling you? Your brother is just come in, who says he
has written to you-I have not time to expatiate.

My Lady O. is arrived; I hear she says, only to endeavour to
get a certain allowance. Her mother has sent to offer her the
use of her house. She is a poor weak woman. I can say
nothing to Marquis Riccardi, nor think of him; only tell him,
that I will when I have time. My sister(1102) has married
herself, that is, declared she will, to young Churchill. It
is a foolish match; but I have nothing to do with it. Adieu!
my dear Sir; excuse my haste, but you must imagine that one is
not much at leisure to write long letters--hope if you can!

(1094) The 'Pretender had landed, with a few followers, in the
Highlands Of Scotland, on the 25th of July. His appearance at
this time is thus described by Mr. Eneas Macdonald, one of his
attendants: "There entered the tent a tall youth, of a most
agreeable aspect, in a plain black coat, with a plain shirt
not very clean, and a cambric stock, fixed with a plain silver
buckle, a plain hat with a canvass string, having one end
fixed to one of his coat buttons. he had black stockings and
brass buckles in his shoes. At his first appearance I found
my heart swell to my very throat, but we were immediately
told, that this youth was an English clergyman, who had long
been possessed with a desire to see and converse with
Highlanders." "It is remarkable,"
observes Lord Mahon, " that among the foremost to join
Charles, was the father of Marshal Macdonald, Duke de Tarento,
long after raised to these honours by his merit in the French
revolutionary wars, and not more distinguished for courage and
capacity than for integrity and honour." Hist. vol. iii. p.
344.-E.

(1095) Archibald, Earl of Islay, and upon the death of his
elder brother John, Duke of Argyll,-D.

(1096) James Murray, second Duke of Athol; to which he
succeeded upon the death of his father in 1724, in consequence
of the attainder of his elder brother, William, Marquis of
Tullibardine.-D.

(1097) This was not true of the Duke of Argyll; for he did not
attempt to raise any men, but pleaded a Scotch act of
parliament against arming without authority.

(1098) Cosmo George, third Duke of Gordon. He died in
1752.-D.

(1099) John Campbell, fourth Earl of Loudon; a general in the
army. He died in 1782.-D.

(1100) The eldest son of Mackenzie, Earl of Seaforth-D

(1101) William Maule, Earl of Panmure, in Ireland, so created
in 1743, in consequence of the forfeiture of the Scotch
honours in 1715, by his elder brother, James, Earl of
Panmure.-D.

(1102) Lady Maria Walpole, daughter of Lord Orford, married
Charles Churchill, Esq. son of the General.

436 Letter 179
To Sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, Sept. 13, 1745.

The rebellion goes on; but hitherto there is no rising in
England, nor landing of troops from abroad; indeed not even of
ours or the Dutch. The best account I can give you is, that
if the Boy has apparently no enemies in Scotland, at least he
has openly very few friends. Nobody of note has joined him,
but a brother of the Duke of Athol,(1103) and another of Lord
Dunmore.(1104) For cannon, they have nothing but
one-pounders: their greatest resource is money; they have
force Louis-d'ors. The last accounts left them at Perth,
making shoes and stockings. It is certain that a sergeant of
Cope's with twelve men, put to flight two hundred, on killing
only six or seven. Two hundred of the Monroe clan have joined
our forces. Spirit seems to rise in London, though not in the
proportion it ought; and then the person(1105) most concerned
does every thing to check its progress: when the ministers
propose any thing with regard to the rebellion, he cries,
"Pho! don't talk to me of that stuff." Lord Granville has
persuaded him that it is of no consequence. Mr. Pelham talks
every day of resigning: he certainly will as soon as this is
got over!--if it is got over. So, at least we shall see a
restoration of queen Sophia.(1106) She has lain-in of a
girl; though she had all the pretty boys in town brought to
her for patterns.

The young Chevalier has set a reward on the King's head: we
are told that his brother is set out for Ireland. However,
there is hitherto little countenance given to the undertaking
by France or Spain. It seems an effort of despair, and
weariness of the manner in which he has been kept in France.
On the grenadier's caps is written, "a grave or a throne." He
stayed some time at the Duke of Athol's, whither old Marquis
Tullybardine(1107) sent to bespeak dinner; and has since sent
his brother word, that he likes the alterations made there.
The Pretender found pine-apples there, the first he ever
tasted. Mr. Breton,(1108) a great favourite of the Southern
Prince of Wales, went the other day to visit the Duchess of
Athol,(1109) and happened not to know that she is parted from
her husband: he asked how the Duke did?, "Oh," said she, "he
turned me out of his house, and now he is turned out himself."
Every now and then a Scotchman comes and pulls the Boy by the
sleeve; "Prence, here is another mon taken!" then with all the
dignity in the world, the Boy hopes nobody was killed in the
action! Lord Bath has made a piece of a ballad, the Duke of
Newcastle's speech to the Regency; I have heard but these two
lines of it:

"Pray consider my Lords, how disastrous a thing,
To have two Prince of Wales's and never a King!"

The merchants are very zealous, and are opening a great
subscription for raising troops. The other day, at the city
meeting, to draw up the address, Alderman Heathcote proposed a
petition for a redress of grievances, but not one man seconded
him. In the midst of all this, no Parliament is called! The
ministers say they have nothing ready to offer; but they have
something to notify!

I must tell you a ridiculous accident: when the magistrates of
were searching houses for arms, they came to Mr. Maule's,
brother of Lord Panmure, and a great friend of the Duke of
Argyll. The maid would not let them go into one room, which
was locked, and as she said, full of arms. They now thought
they had found what they looked for, and had the door broke
open--where they found an ample collection of coats of arms!

The deputy governor of Edinburgh Castle has threatened the
magistrates to beat their town about their ears, if they admit
the rebels. Perth is twenty-four miles from Edinburgh, so we
must soon know whether they will go thither; or leave it, and
come into England. We have great hopes that the Highlanders
will not follow him so far. Very few of them could be
persuaded the last time to go to Preston; and several refused
to attend King Charles II. when he marched to Worcester. The
Caledonian Mercury never calls them "the rebels," but "the
Highlanders."

Adieu! my dear child --thank Mr. Chute for his letter, which I
will answer soon. I don't know how to define my feeling: I
don't despair, and yet I expect nothing but bad! Yours, etc.

p . S. Is not my Princess very happy with the hopes of the
restoration of her old tenant?(1110)

(1103) William, Marquis of Tullibardine.-D.

(1104) John Murray, second Earl of Dunmore; he died in 1754.
His brother, who joined the Pretender, was the Hon. Wm.
Murray, of Taymount. He was subsequently pardoned for the
part he took in the rebellion, and succeeded to the earldom on
the death of Earl John.-D.

(1105) The King.

(1106) Lady Granville.

(1107) Elder brother of the Duke of Athol, but outlawed for
the last rebellion. He was taken prisoner after the battle of
Culloden, and died in the Tower.

(1108) Afterwards Sir William Breton. He held an office in
the household of Frederick, Prince of Wales.-D.

(1109) Jane, daughter of John Frederick, Esq. and widow of
James Lanoy, Esq.-D.

(1110) When the Old Pretender was in Lorrain, he lived at
Prince Craon's.

438 Letter 179a
To George Montagu, Esq.
Arlington Street, Sept. 17, 1745.

Dear George,
How could u ask me such a question, as whether I should be
glad to see you? Have you a mind I should make you a formal
speech, with honour, and pleasure, and satisfaction, etc.? I
will not, for that would be telling you I should not be glad.
However, do come soon, if you should be glad to see me; for
we, I mean we old folks that came over with the Prince of
Orange in eighty-eight, have had notice to remove by
Christmas-day. The moment I have SMUgged up a closet or a
dressing-room, I have always warning given me that my lease is
out. Four years ago I was mightily at my ease in
Downing-street, and then the good woman, Sandys, took my
lodgings over my head, and was in such a hurry to junket her
neighbours, that I had scarce time allowed me to wrap my old
china in a little hay. Now comes the Pretender's boy, and
promises all my comfortable apartments in the Exchequer and
Custom-house to some forlorn Irish peer, who chooses to remove
his pride and poverty out of some large unfurnished gallery at
St. Germain's. Why really Mr. Montagu this is not pleasant; I
shall wonderfully dislike being a loyal sufferer in a
threadbare coat, and shivering in an ante-chamber at Hanover,
or reduced to teach Latin and English to the young princes at
Copenhagen. The Dowager Strafford has already written cards
for my Lady Nithisdale, my Lady Tullibardine, the Duchess of
Perth and berwick, and twenty more revived peeresses, to
invite them to play at whist, Monday three months: for your
part, you will divert yourself with their old taffeties, and
tarnished slippers, and their awkwardness, the first day they
go to court in shifts and clean linen. Will you ever write to
me at my garret at Herenhausen? I will give you a faithful
account of all the promising speeches that Prince George and
Prince Edward make, -whenever they have a new sword, and
intend to re-conquer England. At least write to me, while you
may with acts of parliament on your side: but I hope you are
coming. Adieu!

439 Letter 180
To Sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, Sept. 20, 1745.

One really don't know what to write to you: the accounts from
Scotland vary perpetually, and at best are never very certain.
I was just going to tell you that the rebels are in England;
but my Uncle is this moment come in, and says, that an express
came last night with an account of their being in Edinburgh to
the number of five thousand. This sounds great, to have
walked through a kingdom, and taken possession of the capital!
But this capital is an open town and the castle impregnable,
and in our possession. There never was so extraordinary a
sort of rebellion! One can't tell what assurances of support
they may have from the Jacobites in England, or from the
French; but nothing of either sort has yet appeared-and if
there does not, never was so desperate an enterprise.(1111)
One can hardly believe that the English are more disaffected
than the Scotch; and among the latter, no persons of property
have joined them: both nations seem to profess a neutrality.
Their money is all gone, and they subsist. merely by levying
contributions. But, sure, banditti can never conquer a
kingdom! On the other hand, what cannot any number of men do,
who meet no opposition? They have hitherto taken no place but
open towns, nor have they any artillery for a siege but
one-pounders. Three battalions of Dutch are landed at
Gravesend, and ,re ordered to Lancashire: we expect every
moment to hear that the rest are got to Scotland; none of our
own are come yet. Lord Granville and his faction persist in
persuading the King, that it is an affair of no consequence;
and for the Duke of Newcastle, he is glad when the rebels make
any progress, in order to confute Lord Granville's assertions.
The best of our situation is, our strength at sea: the Channel
is well guarded, and twelve men-of-war more are arrived from
rowley. Vernon, that simple noisy creature, has hit upon a
scheme that is of great service; he has laid Folkstone cutters
all round the coast, which are continually relieved, and bring
constant notice of every thing that stirs. I just hear, that
the Duke of Bedford(1112) declares he will be amused no
longer, but will ask the King's leave to raise a regiment.
The Duke of Montagu has a troop of horse ready, and the Duke
of Devonshire is raising men in Derbyshire. The Yorkshiremen,
headed by the Archbishop and Lord Malton, meet the gentlemen
of the county the day after to-morrow to defend that part of
England. Unless we have more ill fortune than is conceivable,
or the general supineness continues, it is impossible but we
must get over this. You desire me to send you news: I confine
myself to tell you nothing but what you may depend upon and
leave you in a fright rather than deceive you. I confess my
own apprehensions are not near so strong as they were: and if
we get over this, I shall believe that we never can be hurt;
for we never can be more exposed to danger. Whatever
disaffection there is to the present family, it plainly does
not proceed from love to the other.

My Lady O. makes little progress in popularity. Neither the
protection of my Lady Pomfret's prudery, nor of my Lady
Townshend's libertinism, do her any services The women stare
at her, think her ugly, awkward, and disagreeable; and what is
worse, the men think so too. For the height of mortification,
the
King has declared publicly to the ministry, that he has been
told of the great civilities which be was said to show her at
Hanover; that he protests he showed her only the common
civilities due to any English lady that comes thither; that he
never intended to take any particular notice of her; nor had,
nor would let my Lady Yarmouth. - In fact, my Lady Yarmouth
peremptorily refused to carry her to court here: and when she
did go with my Lady Pomfret, the King but just spoke to her.
She declares her intention of staying in England, and protests
against all lawsuits and violences; and says she only asks
articles of separation, and to have her allowance settled by
any two arbitrators chosen by my brother and herself. I have
met her twice at my Lady Townshend's, just as I used at
Florence. She dresses English and plays at whist. I forgot
to tell a bon-mot of Leheup(1113) on her first coming over; he
was asked if he would not go and see her? He replied "No, I
never visit modest women." Adieu! my dear child! I flatter
myself you will collect hopes from this letter.