Jean de La Fontaine - "The Tales and Novels, v22: The Picture &c."

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Mary Roberts Rinehart - "Long Live the King"

Thomas D'Arcy McGee - "A Popular History of Ireland"

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Books: The Letters of Horace Walpole, Volume 1

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





We flourish at sea, have taken great part of the Domingo
fleet, and I suppose shall have more lords. The Countess
touched twelve thousand for Sir Jacob Bouverie's coronet.

I know nothing of my own election, but suppose it is over; as
little of Rigby's, and conclude it lost. For franks, I
suppose they don't begin till the whole is complete. My
compliments to your brothers and sisters.

(1386) The Battle of Laffelt, in which the Duke of Cumberland
was defeated.-E.

(1387) Caroline, widow of the Earl of Ailesbury, sister of
Henry Campbell, here mentioned, and of John, Duke of
Argyle.-E.

(1388) The King of France' in allusion to the engagement,
is said to have observed, that "the British not only paid all,
but fought all." In his letter to the Queen, he also
characterized the Austrians as "benevolent" spectators of the
battle. See M`emoires de Richelieu, t. vii. P. 111.-E.



534 Letter 239
To sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, July 3, 1747.

You would think it strange not to hear from me after a battle
though the printed relation is so particular, that I could
only repeat what that contains. The sum total is, that we
would fight. which the French did not intend; we gave them, or
did not take, the advantage of situation; they attacked: what
part of our army was engaged did wonders, for the Dutch ran
away, and we had contrived to post the Austrians in such a
manner, that they could not assist us:(1388) we were
overpowered by numbers, though the centre was first broke by
the retreating Dutch; and though we retired, we killed twelve
thousand of the enemy, and lost six ourselves. The Duke was
very near taken, having through his short sight, mistaken a
body of French for his own people. He behaved as bravely as
usual; but his prowess is so well established, that it grows
time for him to exert other qualities of a general.

We shine at sea; two-and-forty sail of the Domingo fleet have
fallen into our hands, and we expect more. The ministry are
as successful in their elections: both Westminster and
Middlesex have elected court candidates, and the city of
London is taking the same step, the first time of many years
that the two latter have been Whig; but the non-subscribing at
the time of the rebellion, has been most successfully played
off upon the Jacobites; of which stamp great part of England
was till-the Pretender came. This would seem a paradox in any
other country, but contradictions are here the only rule of
action. Adieu!

(1389) The Duke of Cumberland, in a letter to Lord
Chesterfield of the 3d of July, says, "The great misfortune of
our position was that our right wing was so strongly posted,
that they could neither be attacked nor make a diversion; for
I am assured that Marshal Bathiani would have done all in his
power to sustain me, or attack the enemy."-E.



535 Letter 240
To sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, July 28, 1747.

This is merely one of my letters of course, for I have nothing
to tell you. You will hear that Bergen-op-zoom still holds
out, and is the first place that has not said yes, the moment
the French asked it the question. The Prince of Waldeck has
resigned, on some private disgust with the Duke. Mr. Chute
received a letter from you yesterday, with the account of the
deliverance of Genoa, which had reached us before, and had
surprised nobody. But when you wrote, you did not know of the
great victory obtained by eleven battalions of PiedmOntese
over six-and-forty of the French, and of the lucky but brave
death of their commander, the Chevalier de Belleisle. He is a
great loss to the French, none to Count Saxe; an irreparable
one to his own brother. whom, by the force of his parts, he
had pushed so high, at the same time always declining to raise
himself, lest he should eclipse the Marshal, who seems now to
have missed the ministry by his Italian scheme, as he did
before by his ill success in Germany. We talk of nothing but
peace: I hope we shall not make as bad an one as we have made
a war, though one is the natural consequence of the other.

We have at last discovered the pedestal for my glorious eagle,
at the bottom of the store-ship; but I shall not have it out
of the Custom-house till the end of this week. The lower part
of the eagle's beak(1390) has been broke off and lost. I wish
you would have the head only of your Gesse cast, and send it
me, to have the original restored from it.

The commission for the scagliola tables was given me without
any dimensions; I suppose there is a common size. If the
original friar(1391) can make them, I shall be glad: if not, I
fancy the person would not care to wait so long as you
mention, for what would be less handsome than mine.

I am almost ashamed to send you this summer letter; but nobody
is in town; even election news are all over. Adieu!'

(1390) "Quench'd in dark clouds of slumber lie
The terror of his beak, and lightnings of his eye," Gray.-E.

(1391) Scagliola is a composition, which was made only at
Florence by Father Hugford, an Irish friar.



536 Letter 241
To sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, Sept. 1, 1747.

Your two last are of August 1st and 22d. I fear my last to
you was of July 28th. I have no excuse, but having nothing to
tell you, and having been in the country. Bergen-op-zoom
still holds out; the French having lost great numbers before
it, though at first, at least, it was not at all
well-defended. Nothing else is talked of, and opinions differ
so much about the event, that I don't pretend to guess what it
will be. It appears now that if the Dutch had made but decent
defences of all the other towns, France would have made but
slow progress in the conquest of Flanders, and Wanted many
thousand men that now threaten Europe.

There are not ten people in London besides the Chuteheds and
me; the White one is going into Hampshire; I hope to have the
other a little with me at Twickenham, whither I go to-morrow
for the rest of the season.

I don't know what to say to you about Mr. Mill; I can learn
nothing about him: my connexions with any thing ministerial
are little as possible; and were they bigger, the very
commission, that you apprehend, would be a reason to' make
them keep it secret from you, on whose account alone, they
would know I inquired. I cannot bring myself to believe that
he is employed from hence; and I am always so cautious of
meddling about you, for fear of risking you in any light, that
I am the unfittest person in the world to give you any
satisfaction on this head: however, I shall continue to try.

I never heard any thing so unreasonable as the Pope's request
to that Cardinal Guadagni;(1392) but I suppose they will make
him comply.

You will, I think, like Sir James Grey; he is very civil and
good-humoured, and sensible. Lord _(1393) is the two former;
but, alas he is returned little wiser than he went.

Is there a bill of exchange sent to your brother? or may not I
pay him without? it is fifty pounds and three zechins, is it
not? Thank you.

Pandolfini is gone with Count Harrache; Panciatici goes next
week: I believe he intended staying longer; but either the
finances fail, or he does not know how to dispose of these two
empty months alone; for Niccolini is gone with the Prince to
Cliefden. I have a notion the latter would never leave
England, if he could but bring himself to change his religion;
or, which he would like as well, if he could persuade the
Prince to change his. Good night!

(1392) This relates to a request made by the Pope to Cardinal
Guadagni, to resign a piece of preferment which he was in
possession of.-D.

(1393) So in the MS.-D.



537 Letter 242
To George Montagu, Esq.
Arlington Street, Oct. 1, 1747.

Dear George,
I wish I could have answered your invitation from the
Tigress's with my own person, but it was impossible. I wish
your farmer would answer invitations with the persons of more
hens and fewer cocks; for I am raising a breed, and not
recruits. The time before he sent two to one, and he has done
so again. I had a letter from Mr. Conway, who is piteously
going into prison again, our great secretary has let the time
Slip for executing the cartel, and the French have reclaimed
their prisoners. The Duke is coming back. I fear his candles
are gone to bed to Admiral Vernon's! He has been ill; they
say his head has been more affected than his body. Marshal
Saxe sent him Cardinal Polignac's Anti-Lucretius(1393) to send
to Lord Chesterfield. If he won't let him be a general, at
least 'tis hard to reduce him to a courier.

When I saw you at Kyk in de Pot, I forgot to tell you that
seven more volumes of the Journals are delivering: there's
employment for Moreland. I go back to Kyk in de Pot tomorrow.
Did you dislike it so much that you could not bring yourself
to persuade your brother to try it with you for a day or two!
I shall be there till the birthday, if you will come.

George Selwyn says, people send to Lord Pembroke to know how
the bridge rested. You know George never thinks but `a la
t`ete tranch`ee: he came to town t'other day to have a tooth
drawn, and told the man that he would drop his handkerchief
for the signal. My compliments to your family.

(1393) In 1757, Anti-Lucretius was rendered into English by
Dobson; for whose translation of Paradise Lost into Latin
verse, Auditor Benson, who erected a monument to Milton in
Westminster Abbey, gave him one thousand pounds. In 1767, a
translation of the first book of the Cardinal's poem was
published by the father of the Right Honourable George
Canning.-E.



537 Letter 243
To Sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, Oct. 2, 1747.

I am glad the Chuteheds are as idle as I am for then you will
believe it is nothing but idleness. I don't know that it is
absolutely so; I rather flatter myself that it is want of
materials that has made me silent, I fear, above these five
weeks. Literally nothing has happened but the treachery at
Bergen-Op-zoom,(1394) and of that all the world knows at least
as much as I do. The Duke is coming home, and both armies are
going into quarters, at least for the present: the French, I
suppose, will be in motion again with the first frosts.
Holland seems gone!-How long England will remain after it,
Providence and the French must determine! This is too ample a
subject to write but little upon, and too obvious to require
much.

The Chuteheds have been extremely good, and visited and stayed
with me at Twickenham-I am sorry I must, at your expense, be
happy. If I were to say all I think of Mr. Chute's immense
honesty, his sense, his wit, his knowledge, and his humanity,
you would think I was writing a dedication. I am happy in
him: I don't make up to him for you, for he loves nothing a
quarter so well; but I try to make him regret you less-do you
forgive me? Now I am commending your friends, I reproach
myself with never having told you how much I love your brother
Gal.(1395) you yourself have not more constant
good-humour-indeed he has not such trials with illness as you
have, you patient soul! but he is like you, and much to my
fancy. Now I live a good deal at Twickenham, I see more of
him, and like to see more of him: you know I don't throw my
liking about the street.

Your Opera must be fine, and that at Naples glorious: they say
we are to have one, but I doubt it. Lady Middlesex is
breeding-the child will be well-born; the Sackville is the
worst blood it is supposed to swell with. Lord Holderness has
lost his son. Lady Charlotte Finch, when she saw company on
her lying-in, had two toilets spread in her bedchamber with
her own and Mr. Finch's dressing plate. This was certainly a
stroke of vulgarity, that my Lady Pomfret copied from some
festino in Italy.

Lord Bath and his Countess and his son(1396) have been making
a tour: at Lord Leicester's(1397) they forgot to give any
thing to the servants that showed the house; upon
recollection-and deliberation, they sent back a man and horse
six miles with-half a crown! What loads of money they are
saving for the French!

Adieu! my dear child-perhaps you don't know that I , "cast
many a Southern look"(1398) towards Florence-I think within
this half-year I have thought more of making you a visit, than
in any half-year since I left you. I don't know whether the
difficulties will ever be surmounted, but you cannot imagine
how few they are: I scarce think they are in the plural
number.

(1394) In the letter to Sir Thomas Robinson of the 7th of
November, Sir Everard Fawkener says, "The capture of
Bergen-op-zoom is a subject to make one mad, if any thing had
been done; but the ordinary forms of duty, which never fail in
times of the greatest security, were now, in this critical
time, neglected in the most scandalous manner." Hence it was
surmised that the place was surrendered through treachery.
See Coxe's Pelham, vol. i. p. 361.-E.

(1395) Galfridus Mann, twin-brother of Horace Mann.

(1396) William, Viscount Pulteney, only son of Lord Bath. He
died in his father's lifetime.-D.

(1397) Holkham.

(1398) Shakspeare, Henry IV.-,, "Cast many a northern look to
see his father bring up his powers."



539 Letter 244
To Sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, Nov. 10, 1747.

I came to town but last week; but on looking over the dates of
my letters, I find I am six weeks in arrear to you. This is a
period that ought to make me blush, and beyond what I think I
was ever guilty - but I have not a tittle to tell you; that
is, nothing little enough has happened, nor big enough, except
Admiral Hawke's(1399) great victory and for that I must have
transcribed the gazettes.

The Parliament met this morning, the House extremely full, and
many new faces. We have done nothing, but choose a Speaker,
and, in choosing him, flattered Mr. Onslow, who is rechosen.
In about ten days one shall be able to judge of the complexion
of the winter; but there is not likely to be much opposition.
The Duke was Coming, but is gone back to Breda for a few days.
When he does return, it will be only for three weeks. He is
to watch the French and the negotiations for peace, which are
to be opened-I believe not in earnest.

Whithed has made his entrance into Parliament; I don't expect
he will like it. The first session is very tiresome with
elections, and without opposition there will be little spirit.

Lady Middlesex has popped out her child before its time; it is
put into spirits, and my Lord very loyally, cries over it.
Lady Gower carried a niece to Leicester-fields(1400) the other
day, to present her; the girl trembled-she pushed her: "What
are you so afraid of? Don't you see that musical clock? Can
you be afraid of a man that has a musical clock?"

Don't call this a letter; I don't call it one; it only comes
to make my letter's excuses. Adieu!

(1399) Admiral Edward Hawke, afterwards created Lord Hawke,
for his eminent naval services. On the ]5th July 1747, he met
a large fleet of French merchant-vessels going from the ports
of France to the West Indies. and guarded by a strong force of
ships of war. He completely routed them, and took six ships
of war. -It was in his despatch to the Admiralty on this
occasion, that he made use of the Following remarkable
expression: "As the enemy's ships were large, they took a
great deal of drubbing."-D.

(1400) Where the Prince of Wales held his court. Lady Gower
was Mary Tufton, daughter of Thomas, Earl of Thanet, and widow
of Anthony Gray, Earl of Harold, who became, in 1736, third
wife of John, second Lord Gower.-D.



539 Letter 245
To Sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, Nov. 24, 1747.

You say so many kind things to me in your letter of Nov. 7th,
on my talking of a journey to Florence, that I am sorry I
mentioned it to you. I did it to show you that my silence is
far from proceeding from any forgetfulness of you; and as I
really think continually of such a journey, I name it now and
then; though I don't find how to accomplish it. In short, my
affairs are not so independent of every body, but that they
require my attending to them to make them go smoothly; and
unless I could get them into another situation, it is not
possible for me to leave them. Some part of my fortune is in
my Lord O.'s(1401) hands; and if I were out of the way of
giving him trouble, he has not generosity enough to do any
thing that would be convenient for me. I will say no more on
this subject, because it is not a pleasant one; nor would I
have said this, but to convince you that I did not mention
returning to Florence out of gaiet`e de coeur. I never was
happy but there; have a million of times repented returning to
England, where I never was happy, nor expect to be.

For Mr. Chute's silence, next to myself, I can answer for him:
He always loves you, and I am persuaded wishes nothing more
than himself at Florence. I did hint to him your kind thought
about Venice, because, as I saw no daylight to it, it could
not disappoint him; and because I knew how sensible he would
be to this mark of your friendship. There is not a glimmering
prospect of our sending a minister to Berlin; if we did, it
would be a person of far greater consideration than Sir James
Grey; and even if he went thither, there are no means of
procuring his succession for Mr. Chute. My dear child, you
know little of England, if you think such and so quiet merit
as his likely to meet friends here. Great assurance, or great
quality, are the only recommendations. My father was abused
for employing low people with parts-that complaint is totally
removed.

You reproach me with telling you nothing of Bergen-op-zoom;
seriously, I know nothing but what was in the papers; and in
general, on those great public events, I must transcribe the
gazette, if you will have me talk to you. You will have seen
by the King's speech that a congress is appointed at
Aix-la-Chapelle, but nobody expects any effect from it.
Except Mr. Pelham, the ministry in general are for the war;
and, what is comical, the Prince and the Opposition are so
too. We have had but one division yet in the House, which was
on the Duke of Newcastle's interfering in the Seaford
election. The numbers were, 247 for the court, against 96.
But I think it very probable that, in a little time, a
stronger opposition will be formed, for the Prince has got
some new and very able speakers; particularly a young Mr.
Potter,(1402) son of the last Archbishop, who promises very
greatly; the world is already matching him against Mr. Pitt.

I sent Niccolini the letter; and here is another from him. I
have not seen him this winter, nor heard of him: he is of very
little consequence, when there is any thing else that is.


I have lately had Lady Mary Wortley's Eclogues(1403)
published; but they don't please, though so excessively good.
I say so confidently, for Mr. Chute agrees with me: he says,
for the epistle to Arthur Gray,(1404) scarce any woman could
have written it, and no man; for a man who had had experience
enough to paint such sentiments so well, would not have had
warmth enough left. Do you know any thing of Lady Mary? her
adventurer son(1405) is come into Parliament, but has not
opened. Adieu! my dear child: nous nous reverrons un jour!

(1401) Lord Orford, the eldest brother of Horace Walpole.-D.


(1402) Thomas, second son of Dr. Potter, Archbishop of
Canterbury, was appointed secretary to the Princess of Wales,
in which post he remained till the death of the Prince: he
made two celebrated speeches on the Seaford election, and on
the contest between Aylesbury and Buckingham for the summer
assizes; but did not long support the character here given of
him. [In 1757, he was made joint vice-treasurer of Ireland,
and died in June 1759. Several letters, addressed by him to
Mr. Pitt, will be found in the first volume of the Chatham
Correspondence.)

(1403) Some of those Eclogues had been printed long before:
they were now published, with other of her poems, by Dodsley,
in quarto, and soon after, with others, reprinted in his
Miscellany. [They will be found in Lord Wharncliffe's edition
of Lady Mary's Works, vol. iii. p. 350.]

(1404) The epistle was from Arthur Grey, the footman, and
addressed to Mrs. Murray, after his condemnation for
attempting to commit violence. The man was tried for the
offence in 1721, and transported. See Works, vol. i. p. 71,
and vol. iii. p. 402, where the epistle is printed.-E.

(1405) Edward Wortley Montagu, after a variety of adventures
in various characters, was taken up -,it Paris with Mr.
Teaffe, another member of Parliament, and imprisoned in Fort
L`eveque, for cheating and robbing a Jew. (Mr. Montagu was
confined in the Grand Chatelet from the 31st of October till
the 2nd of November. For his own account of the affair, see
Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, vol. iv. p. 629.]



541 Letter 246
To Sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, Jan. 12, 1748.

I have just received a letter from you of the 19th of last
month, in which you tell me you was just going to complain of
me, when you received one from me: I fear I am again as much
to blame, as far as not having written; but if I had, it would
only be to repeat what you say would be sufficient, but what I
flatter myself I need not repeat. The town has been quite
empty; and the Parliament which met but yesterday, has been
adjourned these three weeks. Except elections, and such
tiresome squabbles, I don't believe it will produce any thing:
it is all harmony. From Holland we every day hear bad news,
which, though we don't believe-at the present, we agree it is
always likely to be true by tomorrow. Yet, with no prospect
of success, and scarce with a possibility of beginning another
campaign, we are as martial as ever: I don't know whether it
is, because we think a bad peace worse than a bad war, or that
we don't look upon misfortunes and defeats abroad as enough
our own, and are willing to taste of both at home. We are in
no present apprehension from domestic disturbances, nor, in my
private opinion, do I believe the French will attempt us, till
it is for themselves. They need not be at the trouble of
sending us Stuarts; that ingenious house could not have done
the work of France more effectually than the Pelhams and the
patriots have.

I will tell you a secret: there is a transaction going on to
send Sir Charles Williams to Turin; he has asked it. and it is
pushed. In my private opinion, I don't believe
Villettes(1406) will be easily overpowered; though I wish it,
from loving Sir Charles and from thinking meanly of the other;
but talents are no passports. Sir Everard Falkener(1407) is
going to Berlin. General Sinclair is presently to succeed
Wentworth: he is Scotchissime, in all the latitude of the
word, and not very able; he made a poor business of it at Port
l'Orient.

Lord Coke(1408) has demolished himself very fast: I mean his
character: you know he was married but last spring; he is
always drunk, has lost immense sums at play, and seldom goes
home to his wife till early in the morning. The world is
vehement on her side; and not only her family, but his own,
give him up. At present, matters are patching up by the
mediation of my brother, but I think can never go on: she
married him extremely against her will, and he is at least an
out-pensioner of Bedlam: his mother's family have many of them
been mad.

I thank you, I have received the eagle's head: the bill is
broken off individually in the same spot with the original;
but, as the piece is not lost, I believe it will serve.

I should never have expected you to turn Lorrain:(1409) is
your Madame de Givrecourt a successor(1410) of my sister? I
think you hint so. Where is the Princess, that you are so
reduced? Adieu! my dear child. I don't say a kind word to
you, because you seem to think it necessary, for assuring you
of the impossibility of my ever forgetting, or loving you
less.

(1406) Minister at Turin, and afterwards in Switzerland.

(1407) He had been ambassador at Constantinople: he was not
sent to Berlin, but was secretary to the Duke, and one of the
general postmasters.

(1408) Edward, only son of Thomas, Earl of Leicester, married
Mary, youngest daughter of John, Duke of Argyll, from whom he
was parted. He died in 1752.

(1409) The Emperor kept a Lorrain regiment at Florence; but
there was little intercourse between the two nations.

(1410) With Count Richcourt.



542 Letter 247
To Sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, Jan. 26, 1748.

I have again talked over with our Chute the affair of Venice;
besides seeing no practicability in it, we think you will not
believe that Sir James Grey will be so simple as to leave
Venice, whither with difficulty he obtained to be sent, when
you hear that Mr. Legge(1411) has actually kissed hands, and
sets out on Friday for 'Berlin, as envoy extraordinary and
plenipotentiary. We thought Sir Everard Falkener Sure; but
this has come forth very unexpectedly. Legge is certainly a
wiser choice'-, nobody has better parts; and if art and
industry can obtain success, I know no one would use more: but
I don't think that the King of Prussia,' with half parts and
much cunning, is so likely to be the dupe of more parts and as
much cunning-, as the people with whom Legge has so
prosperously pushed his fortune. My father was fond of him to
the greatest degree of partiality, till he endeavoured to have
a nearer tie than flattery gave him, by trying to marry Lady
Mary: after that my lord could never bear his name. Since
that. he has wiggled himself in with the Pelhams, by being the
warmest friend and servant of their new allies, and is the
first favourite of the little Duke of Bedford. Mr.
Villiers(1412) was desired to go to Berlin, but refused and
proposed himself for the treasury, till they could find
something else for him. They laughed at this; but he is as
fit for one employment as the other. We have a stronger
reason than any I have mentioned against going to Venice;
which is, the excuse it might give to the Vine,(1413) to
forget we were in being; an excuse which his hatred of our
preferment would easily make him embrace, as more becoming a
good Christian brother!