Books: The Letters of Horace Walpole, Volume 1

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General Hawley has been tried (not in person, you may believe)
and condemned by a Scotch jury for murder, on hanging a spy.
What do you say to this? or what will you say when I tell you,
that Mr. Ratcliffe, who has been so long confined in the
Tower, and supposed the Pretender's youngest son, is not only
suffered to return to France, but was entertained at a great
dinner by the Duke of Richmond as a relation!(1183) The same
Duke has refused his beautiful Lady Emily to Lord
Kildare,(1184) the richest and the first peer of Ireland, on a
ridiculous notion of the King's evil being in the family--but
sure that ought to be no objection: a very little grain more
of pride and Stuartism might persuade all the royal bastards
that they have a faculty of curing that distemper.

The other day, an odd accidental discovery was made; some of
the Duke's baggage, which he did not want, was sent back from
Scotland, with a bill of the contents. Soon after, -.another
large parcel, but not specified in the bill, was brought to
the captain, directed like the rest. When they came to the
Custom-house here, it was observed, and they sent to Mr.
Poyntz,(1185) to know what they should do: be bade them open
it, suspecting some trick; but when they did, they found a
large crucifix, copes, rich vestments, beads, and heaps of
such like trumpery, consigned from the titulary primate of
Scotland, who is with the rebels: they imagine, with the
privity of some of the vessels, to be conveyed to somebody
here in town.

Now I am telling you odd events, I must relate one of the
strangest I ever heard. Last week, an elderly woman gave
information against her maid for coining, and the trial came
on at the Old Bailey. The mistress deposed, that having been
left a widow several years ago, with four children, and no
possibility of maintaining them, she had taken to coining:
that she used to buy old pewter-pots, out Of each of which she
made as many shillings, etc. as she could put off for three
pounds, and that by this practice she had bred up her
children, bound them out apprentices, and set herself up in a
little shop, by which she got a comfortable livelihood; that
she had now given over coining, and indicted her maid as
accomplice. The maid in her defence said, "That when her
mistress hired her, she told her that she did something up in
a garret into which she must never inquire: that all she knew
of the matter was, that her mistress had often given her
moulds to clean, which she did, as it was her duty: that,
indeed, she had sometimes seen pieces of pewter-pots cut, and
did suspect her mistress of coining; but that she never had
had, or put off; one single piece of bad money." The judge
asked the mistress if this was true; she answered, "Yes; and
that she believed her maid was as honest a creature as ever
lived; but that, knowing herself in her power, she never could
be at peace; that she knew,-by informing, she should secure
herself; and not doubting but the maid's real innocence would
appear, she concluded the poor girl would come to no harm."
The judge flew into the greatest rage; told her he wished he
could stretch the law to hang her, and feared he could not
bring off the maid for having concealed the crime; but,
however, the jury did bring her in not guilty. I think I
never heard a more particular instance of parts and villainy.

I inclose a letter for Stosch, which was left here with a
scrap of paper, with these words; "Mr. Natter is desired to
send the letters for Baron de Stosch, in Florence, by Mr. H.
W." I don't know who Mr. Natter(1186) is, nor who makes him
this request, but I desire Mr. Stosch will immediately put an
end to this method of correspondence; for I shall not risk my
letters to you by containing his, nor will I be post to such a
dirty fellow.

Your last was of March 22d, and you mention Madame Suares
illness; I hope she is better, and Mr. Chute's gout better. I
love to hear of my Florentine acquaintance, though they all
seem to have forgot me; especially the Princess, whom YOU
never mention. Does she never ask after me? Tell me a little
of the state of her state, her amours, devotions, and
appetite. I must transcribe a paragraph out of an old book of
letters,(1187) printed in 1660, which I met with-the other
day: "My thoughts upon the reading your letter made me stop in
Florence, and go no farther, than to consider the happiness of
them who live in that town, where the people come so near to
angels in knowledge, that they can counterfeit heaven well
enough to give their friends a taste of it in this life." I
agree to the happiness of living in Florence, but I am sure
knowledge was not one of its recommendations, which never was
any where it a lower ebb--I had forgot; I beg Dr. Cocchi's
pardon, who is much an exception; how does he do? Adieu!

P. S. Lord Malton, who is the nearest heir-male to the extinct
earldom of Rockingham, and has succeeded to a barony belonging
to it, is to have his own earldom erected into a marquisate,
with the title of Rockingham. Vernon, is struck off the list
of admirals.

(1180) Charles Emmanuel the Third, an able sovereign, and the
last of the House of Savoy who possessed any portion of that
talent for which the race had previously been so
celebrated.-.D.

(1181) On the death of Mr. Winnington, in the following month,
Mr. Pitt was appointed paymaster of the forces, and chosen of
the privy council.-E.

(1182) In a letter to the Duke of Cumberland, of the 17th, the
Duke of Newcastle says, "Mr. Pitt spoke so well, that the
premier told me he had the dignity of Sir William Wyndham, the
wit of Mr. Pulteney, and the knowledge and judgment of Sir
Robert Walpole: in short, he said all that was right for the
King, kind and respectful to the old corps, and resolute and
contemptuous of the Tory opposition."-E.

(1183) He was related to the Duke's mother by the Countess of
Newburgh, his mother.

(1184) Afterwards Duke of Leinster. he married Lady Emily in
the following February.-E.

(1185) Stephen Poyntz, treasurer, and formerly governor to the
Duke.

(1186) He was an engraver of seals.

(1187) A Collection of letters made by Sir Toby Matthews. [In
this Volume will be found an interesting account of the trial
of Sir Walter Raleigh.]

476 Letter 200
To Sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, April 25, 1746.

You have bid me for some time send you good news-well! I think
I will. How good would you have it? must it be a total
victory over the rebels; with not only the Boy, that is here,
killed, but the other, that is not here, too; their whole army
put to the sword, besides -in infinite number of prisoners;
all the Jacobite estates in England confiscated, and all those
in Scotland--what would you have done with them?--or could you
be content with something much under this? how much will you
abate? will you compound for Lord John Drummond, taken by
accident? or for three Presbyterian parsons, who have very
poor livings, stoutly refusing to pay a large contribution to
the rebels? Come, I will deal as well with you as I can, and
for once, but not to make a practice of it, will let you have
a victory! My friend, Lord Bury,(1188) arrived this morning
from the Duke, though the news was got here before him; for,
with all our victory, it was not thought safe to send him
through the heart of Scotland; so he was shipped at Inverness,
within an hour after the Duke entered the town, kept beating
at sea five days, and then put on shore at North Berwick, from
whence he came post in less than three days to London; but
with a fever upon him, for which he had twice been blooded but
the day before the battle; but he is young, and high in
spirits, and I flatter myself will not suffer from this
kindness of the Duke: the King has immediately ordered him a
thousand pound, and I hear will make him his own aide-de-camp.
My dear Mr. Chute, I beg your pardon; I had forgot you have
the gout, and consequently not the same patience to wait for
the battle, with which I, knowing the particulars, postpone
it.

On the 16th, the Duke, by forced marches came up with the
rebels, a little on this side Inverness--by the way, the
battle is not christened yet; I only know that neither
Preston-Pans(1189) nor Falkirk(1190) are to be godfathers.
The rebels, who fled from him after their victory, and durst
not attack him, when so much exposed to them at his
passage(1191) of the Spey, now stood him, they seven thousand,
he ten. They broke through Barril's regiment, and killed Lord
Robert Kerr,(1192) a handsome young gentleman, who was cut to
pieces with above thirty wounds; but they were soon repulsed,
and fled; the whole engagement not lasting above a quarter of
an hour. The young Pretender escaped; Mr. Conway, says, he
hears, wounded: he certainly was in the rear. -They have lost
above a thousand men in the engagement and pursuit; and six
hundred were already taken; among which latter are their
French ambassador and Earl Kilmarnock.(1193) The Duke of
Perth and Lord ogilvie(1194) are said to be slain; Lord
Elcho(1195) was in a salivation, and not there. Except Lord
Robert Kerr, we lost nobody of note: Sir Robert Rich's eldest
son has lost his hand, and about a hundred and thirty private
men fell. The defeat is reckoned total, and the dispersion
general: and all their artillery is taken. It is a brave
young Duke! the town is all blazing round me, as I write, with
fireworks and illuminations - I have some inclination to wrap
up half-a-dozen skyrockets, to make you drink the Duke's
health. Mr. Doddington, on the first report, came out with a
very pretty illumination; so pretty, that I believe he had it
by him, ready for any occasion.

I now come to a more melancholy theme, though your joy will
still be pure, except from what part you take in a private
grief of mine. It is the death of Mr. Winnington,(1196) whom
you only knew as One Of the first men in England, from his
parts and from his employment. But I was familiarly
acquainted with him, loved and admired him, for he had great
good-nature, and a quickness of wit most peculiar to himself:
and for his public talents he has left nobody equal to him, as
before, nobody was superior to him but my father. The history
of his death is a cruel tragedy, but what, to indulge me who
am full of it, and want to vent the narration, you must hear.
He was not quite fifty, extremely temperate and regular, and
of a constitution remarkably strong, hale and healthy. A
little above a fortnight ago he was seized with an
inflammatory rheumatism, a common and known case, dangerous,
but scarce ever remembered to be fatal. He had a strong
aversion to all physicians, and lately had put himself into
the hands of one Thomson, a quack, whose foundation of method
could not be guessed, but by a general contradiction to all
received practice. This man was the oracle of Mrs.
Masham,(1197) sister, and what one ought to hope she did not
think of, coheiress to Mr. Winnington-. his other sister is as
mad in methodism as this in physic, and never saw him. This
ignorant wretch, supported by the influence of the sister,
soon made such progress in fatal absurdities, as purging,
bleeding, and starving him, and checking all perspiration,
that his friends Mr. Fox and Sir Charles Williams absolutely
insisted on calling in a physician. Whom could they call, but
Dr. Bloxholme, an intimate old friend of Mr. Winnington, and
to whose house he always went once a year? This doctor, grown
paralytic and indolent, gave in to every thing the quack
advised: Mrs. Masham all the while ranting and raving At
last, which at last came very speedily, they had reduced him
to a total dissolution, by a diabetes and a thrush; his
friends all the time distracted for him, but hindered from
assisting him; so far, that the night before he died, Thomson
gave him another purge, though he could not get it all down.
Mr. Fox by force brought Dr. Hulse, but it was too late: and
even then, when Thomson owned him lost, Mrs. Masham was
against trying Hulse's assistance. In short, madly, or
wickedly, they have murdered(1199) a man to whom nature would
have allotted a far longer period, and had given a decree of
abilities that were carrying that period to so great a height
of lustre, as perhaps would have excelled both ministers, who
in this country have owed their greatness to the greatness of
their merit.

Adieu! my dear Sir; excuse what I have written to indulge my
own concern, in consideration of what I have written to give
you JOY.

P. S. Thank you for Mr. Oxenden; but don't put yourself to any
great trouble, for I desired you before not to mind formal
letters much, which I am obliged to give: I write to you
separately, when I wish you to be particularly kind to my
recommendations.

(1188) George Keppel, eldest son of William Anne, Earl of
Albemarle, whom he succeeded in the title.

(1189/1190) @ Where the King's troops had been beaten by the
rebels. This was called the battle of Culloden.

(1191) the letter, relating that event, was one of those that
were lost.

(1192) Second son of the Marquis of Lothian.

(1193) William Boyd, fourth Earl of Kilmarnock in Scotland.
He was tried by the House of Lords for high treason, condemned
and beheaded on Tower Hill, August 18, 1746. (He was the
direct male ancestor of the present Earl of Errol. Johnson
says of him,

"Pitied by gentle minds, Kilmarnock died."-D.)

(1194) James, Lord Ogilvie, eldest son of David, third Earl of
Airlie. He had been attainted for the part he took in the
rebellion of 1715.-D.

(1195) David Lord Elcho, eldest son of James, fourth Earl of
Wemyss. He was attainted in 1746; but the family honours were
restored, as were those of Lord Airlie, by act of parliament,
in 1826.-D.

(1196) Thomas Winnington, paymaster of the forces.

(1197) Harriet, daughter of Salway Winnington, Esq. of
Stanford Court, in the county of Worcester: married to the
Hon. Samuel Masham, afterwards second Lord Masham. She died
in 1761.-D.

(1198) At the conclusion of Sir Charles Hanbury Williams's
political Odes will be found an affectionate epitaph to the
memory of his deceased friend.-E.

(1199) There were several Pamphlets published on this case, on
both sides. @In May, Dr. Thomson published "The Case of Thomas
Winnington." Esq.;" to which Dr. J. Campbell published a
reply, entitled "A Letter to a friend in Town, occasioned by
the Case of the Right Hon. Thomas Winnington."]

478 Letter 201
To Sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, May 16, 1746.

I have had nothing new to tell you since the victory, relative
to it, but that it has entirely put an end to the rebellion.
The number slain is generally believed much greater than is
given out. Old Tullybardine(1200) has surrendered himself;
the Lords Kilmarnoch, Balmerino,(1201) and Ogilvie(1202) are
prisoners, and coming up to their trials. The Pretender is
not openly taken, but many people think he is in their power;
however, I dare say he will be allowed to escape; and some
French ships are hovering about the coast to receive him. The
Duke is not yet returned, but we have amply prepared for his
reception, by settling on him immediately and for ever
twenty-five thousand pounds a-year, besides the fifteen which
he is to have on the King's death. It was imagined the Prince
would have opposed this, on the reflection that fifteen
thousand was thought enough for him, though heir of the Crown,
and abounding in issue but he has wisely reflected forwards,
and likes the precedent, as it will be easy to find victories
in his sons to reward, when once they have a precedent to
fight with.

You must live on domestic news, for our foreign is exceedingly
unwholesome. Antwerp is gone;(1203) and Bathiani with the
allied army retired under the cannon of Breda; the junction of
the Hanoverians cut off, and that of the Saxons put off. We
are now, I suppose, at the eve of a bad peace; though, as Cape
Breton must be a condition, I don't know who will dare to part
with it. Little Eolus (the Duke of Bedford) says they shall
not have it, that they shall have Woburn(1204) as soon-and I
suppose they will! much such positive patriot politics have
brought on all this ruin upon us! All Flanders is gone, and
all our money, and half our men, and half our navy, because we
would have no search. Well! but we ought to think on what we
have got too!--we have got Admiral Vernon's head on our signs,
and we are going to have Mr. Pitt at the head of our affairs.
Do you remember the physician in Moli`ere, who wishes the man
dead that he may have the greater honour from recovering him?
Mr. Pitt is paymaster; Sir W. Yonge vice-treasurer of Ireland:
Mr. Fox, secretary-at-war; Mr. Arundel,(1205) treasurer of the
chambers, in the room of Sir John Cotton, who is turned out;
Mr. Campbell (one of my father's admiralty) and Mr. Legge in
the treasury, and Lord Duncannon(1206) succeeds Legge in the
admiralty.

Your two last were of April 19th and 26th. I wrote one to Mr.
Chute, inclosed to you, with farther particulars of the
battle; and I hope you received @it. I am entirely against
your sending my eagle while there is any danger. Adieu! my
dear child! I wrote to-day, merely because I had not written
very lately; but you see I had little to say.

(1200) Elder brother of the Duke of Athol; he was outlawed for
the former rebellion.

(1201) Arthur Elphinstone, sixth Lord Balmerino in Scotland.
He was beheaded at the same time and place with Lord
Kilmarnock; and on the scaffold distinguished himself by his
boldness, fortitude, and even cheerfulness.-D.'

(1202) This was a mistake; it was not Lord Ogilvie, but Lord
Cromarty.

(1203) It was taken by the French.-D.

(1204) The seat of the Duke of Bedford.

(1205) The Hon. Richard Arundel, youngest son of John, second
Lord Arundel of Trerice. He had been master of the mint under
Sir Robert Walpole's administration.-D.

(1206) William Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon, afterwards second
Earl of Besborough.-D.

479 Letter 202
To George Montagu, Esq.
Arlington Street, May 22, 1746.

Dear George,
After all your goodness to me, don't be angry that I am glad I
am got into brave old London again: though my cats don't purr
like Goldwin, yet one of them has as good a heart as old
Reynolds, and the tranquillity of my own closet makes me some
amends for the loss of the library and toute la belle
compagnie celestine. I don't know whether that expression
will do for the azure ceilings; but I found it at my fingers'
ends, and so it slipped through my pen. We called at
Langley,(1207) but did not like it, nor the Grecian temple at
all; it is by no means gracious.

I forgot to take your orders about your poultry; the partlets
have not laid since I went, for little chanticleer

Is true to love, and all for recreation,
And does not mind the work of propagation.

But I trust you will come Yourself in a few days, and then you
may settle their route.

I am got deep into the Sidney papers, there are old wills full
of bequeathed ovoche and goblets with fair enamel, that will
delight you; and there is a little pamphlet of Sir Philip
Sidney's in defence of his uncle Leicester, that gives me a
much better opinion of his parts than his dolorous Arcadia,
though it almost recommended him to the crown of Poland; at
least I have never been able to discover what other great
merit he had. In this little tract he is very vehement in
clearing up the honour of his lineage; I don't think he could
have been warmer about his family, if he had been of the blood
of the Cues.(1208) I have diverted myself with reflecting how
it would have entertained the town a few years ago, if my
cousin Richard Hammond had wrote a treatise to clear up my
father's pedigree, when the Craftsman used to treat him so
roundly 'With being Nobody's son. Adieu! dear George!

Yours ever,
THE GRANDSON OF NOBODY.

(1207) A seat of the Duke of Marlborough.

(1208) Mr. Montagu used to call his own family the Cues.

480 Letter 203
To George Montagu, Esq.
Arlington Street, June 5, 1746.

Dear George,
You may perhaps fancy that you are very happy in the country,
and that because you commend every thing you see, you like
every thing: you may fancy that London is a desert, and that
grass grows now where Troy stood; but it does not, except just
before my Lord Bath's door, whom nobody will visit. So far
from being empty, and dull, and dusty, the town is full of
people, full of water, for it has rained this week, and as gay
as a new German Prince must make any place. Why, it rains
princes: though some people are disappointed of the arrival of
the Pretender, yet the Duke is just coming and the Prince of
Hesse come. He is tall, lusty, and handsome; extremely like
Lord Elcho in person, and to Mr. Hussey,(1209) in what
entitles him more to his freedom in Ireland, than the
resemblance of the former does to Scotland. By seeing him
with the Prince of Wales, people think he looks stupid; but I
dare say in his own country he is reckoned very lively, for
though he don't speak much, he opens his mouth very often.
The King has given him a fine sword, and the Prince a ball.
He dined with the former the first day, and since with the
great officers. Monday he went to Ranelagh, and supped in the
house; Tuesday at the Opera he sat with his court in the box
on the stage next the Prince, and went into theirs to see the
last dance; and after it was over to the Venetian
ambassadress, who is the only woman he has yet noticed.
To-night there is a masquerade at Ranelagh for him, a play at
Covent Garden on Monday, and a Ridotto at the Haymarket; and
then he is to go. His amours are generally very humble, and
very frequent; for he does not much affect our daughter.(1210)
A little apt to be boisterous when he has drank. I have not
heard, but I hope he was not rampant last night with Lady
Middlesex, or Charlotte Dives.(1211) Men go to see him in the
morning, before he goes to see the lions.

The talk of peace is blown over; nine or ten battalions were
ordered for Flanders the day before yesterday, but they are
again countermanded; and the operations of this campaign again
likely to be confined within the precincts of Covent Garden,
where the army- surgeons give constant attendance. Major
Johnson commands (I can't call it) the corps de reserve in
Grosvenor Street. I wish you had seen the goddess of those
purlieus with him t'other night at Ranelagh; you would have
sworn it had been the divine Cucumber in person.

The fame of the Violetta(1212) increases daily; the
sister-Countesses of Burlington and Talbot exert all their
stores of sullen partiality in competition for her- the former
visits her, and is having her picture, and carries her to
Chiswick, and she sups at Lady Carlisle's, and lies--indeed I
have not heard where, but I know not at Leicester House, where
she is in great disgrace, for not going once or twice a week
to take lessons of Denoyer, as he(1213) bid her: you know,
that is politics in a court where dancing-masters are
ministers.

Adieu! dear George: my compliments to all at the farm. Your
cocks and hens would write to you, but they are dressing in
haste for the masquerade - mind, I don't say that Asheton is
doing any thing like that; but he is putting on an odd sort of
a black gown - but, as Di Bertie says on her message cards,
"mum for that." Yours ever.

(1209) Edward Hussey, afterwards Earl of Beaulieu. [He
married Isabella, widow of William, second Duke of Manchester,
the heroine of Sir Charles Hanbury Williams's poem entitled
"Isabella; or, the Morning;" and died in 1802.]

(1210) The Princess Mary, who was married to the Prince of
Hesse Cassel, in 1740.-E.

(1211) Afterwards married to Samuel, second and last Lord
Masham, who died in 1776.-E.

(1212) Afterwards Mrs. Garrick.

(1213) The Prince of Wales; with whom the dancing-master was a
great favourite.

482 Letter 204
To sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, June 6, 1746.

It was a very unpleasant reason for my not hearing from you
last post, that you was ill; but I have had a letter from you
since of May 24th, that has made me easy again for your
health: if you was not losing the good Chutes, I should have
been quite satisfied; but that is a loss you will not easily
repair, though I were to recommend you Hobarts(1214) every
day. Sure you must have had flights of strange awkward
animals, if you can be so taken with him! I shall begin to
look about me, to see the merits of England: he was no
curiosity here; and yet heaven knows there are many better,
with whom I hope I shall never be acquainted. As I have
cautioned you more than once against minding my recommendatory
letters, (which one gives because one can't refuse them,)
unless I write to you separately, I have no scruple in giving
them. You are extremely good to give so much credit to my
bills at first sight; but don't put down Hobart to my account;
I used to call him the Clearcake; fat, fair, sweet, and seen
through in a moment. By what you tell me, I should conclude
the Countess was not returning; for Hobart is not a morsel
that she can afford to lose.