Books: The Letters of Horace Walpole, Volume 2

H >> Horace Walpole >> The Letters of Horace Walpole, Volume 2

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

I cannot be at peace while your fate is in suspense; I shall
watch every step that relates to it, but I fear absolutely
impotent to be of any service to you: from Pucci's not being
recalled, I would hope that he will not be. Adieu!

P. S. Lord Dublin is not yet first lord of trade; there are
negotiations for recovering Lord Halifax.

July 5th.

As I was sending this to London I received the newspapers of
yesterday, and see that old Pucci is just dead. I cannot help
flattering myself that this is a favourable event: they cannot
recall no minister; and when they do not, I think we shall not.

(796) Resident from Florence. He was here for fifty years, and
said he had seen London twice built. This meant, that houses
are run up so slightly that they last but few years.

(797) the King of Prussia had been completely beaten at Kolin by
the Austrians, commanded by Count Daun, on the 17th of June. He
was in consequence obliged to retreat from Bohemia, and soon
found himself, surrounded as he was by increasing and advancing
enemies, in one of the most critical positions of his whole
military life. From this he at length extricated himself, by
means of the victories of Rosbach and Lissa.-D.

(798) Afterwards created Lord Henley, and made lord
chancellor, and finally elevated to be Earl of Northington-D.

383 Letter 226
To The Earl Of Strafford.
Strawberry Hill, July 4, 1757.

My dear Lord,
It is well I have not obeyed you sooner, as I have often been
going to do.- what a heap of lies and contradictions I should
have sent you! What joint ministries and sole ministries! What
acceptances and resignations!--Viziers and bowstrings never
succeeded one another quicker. Luckily I have stayed till we
have got an administration that will last a little more than for
ever. There is such content and harmony in it, that I don't
know whether it is not as perfect as a plan which I formed for
Charles Stanhope, after he had plagued me for two days for news.
I told him the Duke of Newcastle was to take orders, and have
the reversion of the bishopric of Winchester; that Mr. Pitt was
to have a regiment, and go over to the Duke; and Mr. Fox to be
chamberlain to the Princess, in the room of Sir William Irby.
Of all the new system I believe the happiest is Offley; though in
great humility he says he only takes the bedchamber to
accommodate. Next to him in joy is the Earl of Holderness--who
has not got the garter. My Lord Waldegrave has; and the garter
by this time I believe has got fifty spots.(799)

Had I written sooner, I should have told your lordship, too, of
the King of Prussia's triumphs-but they are addled too! I hoped
to have had a few bricks from Prague to send you towards
building Mr. Bentley's design, but I fear none will come from
thence this summer. Thank God, the happiness of the menagerie
does not depend upon administrations or victories! The
happiest of beings in this part of the world is my Lady
Suffolk: I really think her acquisition and conclusion of her
lawsuit will lengthen her life ten years. You may be sure I am
not so satisfied, as Lady Mary(800) has left Sudbroke.
Are your charming lawns burnt up like our humble hills? Is your
sweet river as low as our deserted Thames?--I am wishing for a
handful or two of those floods that drowned me last year all the
way from Wentworth Castle. I beg my best compliments to my
lady, and my best wishes that every pheasant egg and peacock egg
may produce as many colours as a harlequin-jacket.

Tuesday, July 5.

Luckily, my good lord, my conscience had saved its distance. I
had writ the above last night, when I received the honour of
your kind letter this morning. You had, as I did not doubt,
received accounts of all our strange histories. For that of the
pretty Countess,(801) I fear there is too much truth in all you
have heard: but you don't seem to know that Lord
Corydon and Captain Corydon(802) his brother have been most
abominable. I don't care to write scandal; but when I see you,
I will tell you how much the chits deserve to be whipped. Our
favourite general(803) is at his camp: lady Ailesbury don't go
to him these three weeks. I expect the pleasure of seeing her
and Miss Rich and Fred. Campbell here soon for a few days. I
don't wonder your lordship likes St. Philippe better than
Torcy:(804) except a few passages interesting to Englishmen,
there cannot be a more dry narration than the latter. There is
an addition of seven volumes of Universal History to Voltaire's
Works, which I think will charm you: I almost like it the best
of his works.(805) It is what you have seen extended, and the
Memoirs of Louis XIV. refondues in it. He is a little tiresome
with contradicting La Beaumelle out of pique--and there is too
much about Rousseau. Between La Beaumelle and Voltaire, one
remains with scarce a fixed idea about that time. I wish they
would produce their authorities and proofs; without which, I am
grown to believe neither. From mistakes in the English part, I
suppose there are great ones in the more distant histories; yet
altogether it is a fine work. He is, as one might believe,
worst informed on the present times. He says eight hundred
persons were put to death for the last rebellion-I don't believe
a quarter of the number were: and he makes the first ]lord
Derwentwater--who, poor man! was in no such high-spirited
mood--bring his son, who by the way was not above a year -,ind a
half old, upon the scaffold to be sprinkled with his blood.
However, he is in the right to expect to be believed: for he
believes all the romances in Lord Anson's Voyage, and how
Admiral Almanzor made one man-of-war box the ears of the whole
empire of China!--I know nothing else new but a new edition of
Dr. Young's Works. If your lordship thinks like me, who hold
that even in his most frantic rhapsodies there are innumerable
fine things you will like to have this edition. Adieu, once
more, my best lord!

(799) He was apt to be dirty.

(800) Lady Mary Coke, daughter of John Campbell, Duke of
Argyle, and sister to Lady Strafford.

(801) The Countess of Coventry.-E.

(802) Lord Bolingbroke, and his brother, the Hon. Henry St.
John.-E.

(803) General Conway.

(804) A translation of the Memoirs of the Marquis de Torcy,
secretary of state to Louis XIV., had just been published in
London. E.

(805) For a review of these volumes by Oliver Goldsmith, see the
enlarged edition of his Miscellaneous Works, vol. iii. p. 445.-
E.

385 Letter 227
To John Chute, Esq.
Strawberry Hill, July 12, 1757.

It would be very easy to persuade me to a Vine-voyage,(806)
without your being so indebted to me, if it were possible. I
shall represent my impediments, and then you shall judge. I say
nothing of the heat of this magnificent weather, with the glass
yesterday up to three-quarters of sultry. In all
English probability this will not be a hindrance long; though
at present, so far from travelling, I have made the tour of my
own garden but once these three days before eight at night, and
then I thought I should have died of it. For how many years we
shall have to talk of the summer of fifty-seven!--But hear: my
Lady Ailesbury and Miss Rich come hither on Thursday for two or
three days; and on Monday next the Officina
Arbuteana opens in form. The Stationers' Company, that is, Mr.
Dodsley, Mr. Tonson, etc., are summoned to meet here on Sunday
night. And with what do you think we open? Cedite, Romani
Impressores--with nothing under Graii Carmina. I found him in
town last week: he had brought his two Odes to be
printed. I snatched them out of Dodsley's hands, and they are
to be the first fruits of my press. An edition of Hentznerus,
with a version by Mr. Bentley and a little preface of mine, were
prepared, but are to wait. Now, my dear sir, can I stir?
"Not ev'n thy virtues, tyrant, shall avail!"

Is not it the plainest thing in the world that I cannot go to
you yet, but that you must come to me?

I tell you no news, for I know none, think of none. Elzevir,
Aldous, and Stephens are the freshest personages in my memory.
Unless i was appointed printer of the Gazette, I think nothing
could at present make me read an article in it. Seriously you
must come to us, and shall be witness that the first holidays we
have I will return with you. Adieu!

(806) To visiting Mr. Chute at the Vine, his seat in
Hampshire.

386 Letter 228
To George Montagu, Esq.
Strawberry Hill, July 16, 1757.

You do me justice in believing that I enjoy your satisfaction; I
do heartily, and particularly on this point: you know how often
I have wished this reconciliation: indeed you have taken the
handsomest manner of doing it, and it has been accepted
handsomely. I always had a good opinion of your cousin, and I
am not apt to throw about my esteem lightly. He has ever
behaved with sense and dignity, and this country has more
obligations to him than to most men living.

the weather has been so hot, and we are so unused to it, that
nobody knew how to behave themselves; even Mr. Bentley has done
shivering.

Elzevirianum opens to-day; you shall taste its first fruits. I
find people have a notion that it is very mysterious; they don't
know how I should abhor to profane Strawberry Hill with
politics. Adieu!

386 Letter 229
To George Montagu, Esq.
Strawberry Hill, Thursday, 17.

I only write you a line to tell you, that as you mention Miss
Montagu's being well and alone, if she could like to accompany
the Colonel(807) and you to Strawberry Hill and the Vine, the
seneschals of those castles will be very proud to see her. I am
sorry to be forced to say any thing civil in a letter to you;
you deserve nothing but ill-usage for disappointing us so often,
but we stay till we have got you into our power, and then--why
then, I am afraid we shall still be what I have been so long.

(807) mr. Montagu's brother.

387 Letter 230
To Sir Horace Mann.
Strawberry Hill, July 25, 1757.

The Empress-Queen has not yet hurt my particular. I have
received two letters from you within this week, dated July 2d
and 9th. Yet she has given up Ostend and Nieuport, and, I
think, Furnes and Ypr`es, to the French. We are in a piteous
way! The French have passed the Weser, and a courier
yesterday brought word that the Duke was marching towards them,
and within five miles: by this time his fate is decided. The
world here is very inquisitive about a secret expedition(808)
which we are fitting out: a letter is not a proper place to talk
about it; I can only tell you, that be it whither it will, I do
not augur well about it, and what makes me dislike it infinitely
more, Mr. Conway is of it. I am more easy about your situation
than I was, though I do not like the rejoicings ordered at
Leghorn for the victory over the Prussians.

I have so little to say to-day that I should not have writ, but
for one particular reason. The Mediterranean trade being
arrived, I concluded the vases for Mr. Fox were on board it, but
we cannot discover them. Unluckily it happens that the bill of
lading is lost, and I have forgot in what ship they were
embarked. In short, my dear Sir, I think that, as I always used
to do, I gave the bill to your dearest brother, by which means
it is lost. I imagine you have a duplicate. send it as soon as
you can.

I thank you for what you have given to Mr. Phelps. I don't call
this billet part of the acknowledgment. All the world is
dispersed: the ministers are at their several villas: one day in
a week serves to take care of a nation, let it be in as bad a
plight as it will! We have a sort of Jewish superstition, and
would not come to town on a Saturday or Sunday though it were to
defend the Holy of Holies. Adieu!

(808) the expedition to Rochfort.

387 Letter 231
To John Chute, Esq.
Strawberry Hill, July 26, 1757.

I love to communicate my satisfactions to you. You will
imagine that I have got an original portrait of John
Guttemburg, the first inventor of printing, or that I have met
with a little boke called Eneyr dos, which I am going to
translate and print. No, no; far beyond any such thing! Old
Lady Sandwich(809) is dead at Paris, and my lord has given me
her picture of Ninon l'Enclos; given it me in the prettiest
manner in the world. I beg if he should ever meddle in any
election in Hampshire, that you will serve him to the last drop
of your shrievalty. If you reckon by the thermometer of my
natural impatience, the picture would be here already, but I
fear I must wait some time for it.

The press goes on as fast as if I printed myself. I hope in a
very few days to send you a specimen, though I could wish you
was at the birth of the first produce. Gray has been gone these
five days. Mr. Bentley has been ill, and is not
recovered of the sweating-sickness, which I now firmly believe
was only a hot summer and England, being so unused to it, took
it for a malady. mr. Muntz is not gone; but pray don't think
that I keep him: he has absolutely done nothing this whole
summer but paste two chimney-boards. In short, instead of
Claude Lorrain, he is only one of Bromwich's men.

You never saw any thing so droll as Mrs. Clive's countenance,
between the heat of the summer, the pride in her legacy,(810)
and the efforts to appear concerned.

We have given ourselves for a day or two the air of an
earthquake, but it proved an explosion of the powder-mills at
Epsom. I asked Louis if it had done any mischief: he said,
"Only blown a man's head off;" as if that was a part one could
spare!

P. S. I hope Dr. Warburton will not think I encroach either upon
his commentatorship or private pretension, if I assume these
lines of Pope, thus altered, for myself:

"Some have for wits, and then for poets pass'd
turn'd printers next, and proved plain fools at last."

(809) Daughter of the famous Wilmot Earl of Rochester.

(810) A legacy of fifty pounds, left her by John Robarts, the
last Earl of Radnor of that family.

388 Letter 232
To Sir Horace Mann.
Strawberry Hill, August 4, 1757.

Mr. Phelps (who is Mr. Phelps?) has brought me the packet safe,
for which I thank you. I would fain have persuaded him to stay
and dine, that I might ask him more questions about you. He
told me how low your immaterial spirits are: I fear the news
that came last night will not exalt them. The French attacked
the Duke for three days together, and at last
defeated him. I find it is called at Kensington an
encounter(811) of fourteen squadrons; but any defeat must be
fatal to Hanover. I know few particulars, and those only by a
messenger despatched to me by Mr. Conway on the first tidings:
the Duke exposed himself extremely, but is unhurt, as they say,
all his small family are. In what a situation is our Prussian
hero, surrounded by Austrians, French, and
Muscovites-even impertinent Sweden is stealing in to pull a
feather out of his tail! What devout plunderers will every
little Catholic prince of the empire become! The only good I
hope to extract out of this mischief is, that it will stifle our
secret expedition, and preserve Mr. Conway from going on it. I
have so ill an opinion of our secret expeditions, that I hope
they will for ever remain so. What a melancholy
picture is there of an old monarch at Kensington, who has lived
to see such inglorious and fatal days! Admiral Boscawen is
disgraced. I know not the cause exactly, as ten miles out of
town are a thousand out of politics. He is said to have refused
to serve under Sir Edward Hawke in this armament. Shall I tell
you what, more than distance, has thrown me Out of attention to
news? A little packet which I shall give your brother for you,
will explain it. In short, I am turned
printer, and have converted a little cottage here into a
printing-office. My abbey is a perfect colicue or academy. I
keep a painter in the house and a printer--not to mention Mr.
Bentley, who is an academy himself. I send you two copies (one
for Dr. Cocchi) of a very honourable opening of my press- -two
amazing Odes of Mr. Gray; they are Greek, they are
Pindaric, they are sublime! consequently I fear a little
obscure; the second particularly, by the confinement of the
measure and the nature of prophetic vision, is
mysterious.(812) I could not persuade him to add more notes;
he says whatever wants to be explained, don't deserve to be. I
shall venture to place some in Dr. Cocchi's copy, who need not
be supposed to understand Greek- and English together, though he
is so much master of both separately. To divert you in the mean
time, I send you the following copy of a letter written by my
printer(813) to a friend in Ireland. I should tell you that he
has the most sensible look in the world; Garrick said he would
give any money for four actors with such eyes--they are more
Richard the Third's than Garrick's own; but whatever his eyes
are, is head is Irish. Looking for something I wanted in a
drawer, I perceived a parcel of
strange romantic words in a large hand beginning a letter; he
saw me see it, yet left it, which convinces me it was left on
purpose: it is the grossest flattery to me, couched in most
ridiculous scraps of poetry, which he has retained from things
he has printed; but it will best describe itself:--

"SIR,
"I DATE this from shady bowers, nodding groves, and
amaranthine shades,--close by old Father Thames's silver side-
-fair Twickenham's luxurious shades--Richmond's near
neighbour, where great George the King resides. You will
wonder at my prolixity--in my last I informed you that I was
going into the country to transact business for a private
gentleman. This gentleman is the Hon. Horatio Walpole, son to
the late great Sir Robert Walpole, who is very studious, and an
admirer of all the liberal arts and sciences; amongst the rest
he admires printing. He has fitted out a complete
printing-house at this his country seat, and has done me the
favour to make me sole manager and operator (there being no one
but myself). All men of genius resorts his house, courts his
company, and admires his understanding--what with his own and
their writings, I believe I shall be pretty well
employed.--I have pleased him, and I hope continue so to do.
Nothing can be more warm than the weather has been here this
time past; they have in London, by the help of glasses,
roasted in the artillery-ground fowls and quarters of lamb.
The coolest days that I have felt since May last are equal to,
nay, far exceed the warmest I ever felt in Ireland. The place I
am in now is all my comfort from the heat--the situation Of it
is close to the Thames, and is Richmond Gardens (if you were
ever in them) in miniature, surrounded by bowers, groves,
cascades, and ponds, and on a rising ground, not very common in
this part of the country--the building elegant, and the
furniture of a peculiar taste, magnificent and superb He is a
bachelor, and spends his time in the studious rural taste--not
like his father, lost in the weather-beaten vessel of state--
many people censured, but his conduct was far better than our
late pilots at the helm, and more to the interest of England-
-they follow his advice now, and court the assistance of
Spain, instead of provoking a war, for that was ever against
England's interest."

I laughed for an hour at this picture of myself, which is much
more like to the studious magician in the enchanted opera of
Rinaldo; not but Twickenham has a romantic genteelness that
would figure in a more luxurious climate. It was but
yesterday that we had a new kind of auction-it was of the
orange-trees and plants of your old acquaintance, Admiral
Martin. It was one of the warm days of this jubilee summer,
which appears only once in fifty years--the plants were
disposed in little clumps about the lawn: the company walked to
bid from one to the other, and the auctioneer knocked down the
lots on the orange tubs. Within three doors was an
auction of china. You did not imagine that we were such a
metropolis! Adieu!

(811) The battle at Hastenbeck.

(812) Gray, in a letter to Dr. Wharton, of the 17th of August,
says, "I hear we are not at all popular: the great objection is
obscurity: nobody knows what we would be at: one man, a peer, I
have been told of, that think's -the last stanza of The second
Ode relates to Charles the First and Oliver
Cromwell; in short, the zuveroi appear to be still fewer than
even, I expected." Works, vol. iii. p. 165-E.

(813) William Robinson, first printer to the press at
Strawberry Hill.

390 Letter 233
To George Montagu, Esq.
Strawberry Hill, Aug. 4, 1757.

I shall to-morrow deliver to your agentess, Mrs. Moreland,
something to send to you.

The Duke(814) is beaten by the French; he and his family are
safe; I know no more particulars-if I did, I should say, as I
have just said to Mr. Chute, I am too busy about something to
have time to write them. Adieu!

(814) The Duke of Cumberland, in the affair of Hastenbeck.

391 Letter 234
To The Hon. H. S. Conway.
Strawberry Hill, August 14, 1757.

You are too kind to me, and, if it were possible, would make me
feel still more for your approaching departures.(815) I can
only thank you ten thousand times; for I must not
expatiate, both from the nature of the subject, and from the
uncertainty of this letter reaching you. I was told
yesterday, that you had hanged a French spy in the Isle of
Wight; I don't mean you, but your government. Though I wish no
life taken away, it was some satisfaction to think that the
French were at this hour wanting information.

Mr. Fox breakfasted here t'other day. He confirmed -what you
tell me of Lord Frederick Cavendish's account: it is
universally said that the Duke failed merely by inferiority,
the French soldiers behaving in general most scandalously. They
had fourscore pieces of cannon, but very ill served. Marshal
D'Estr`ees was recalled before the battle, but did not know it.
He is said to have made some great mistakes in the action. I
cannot speak to the truth of it, but the French are reported to
have demanded two millions sterling of Hanover.
My whole letter will consist of hearsays: for, even at so
little distance from town, one gets no better news than
hawkers and pedlars retail about the country. From such I hear
that George Haldane(816) is made governor of Jamaica, and that a
Mr. Campbell, whose father lives in Sweden, is going thither to
make an alliance with that country, and hire twelve thousand
men. If one of my acquaintance, as an antiquary, were alive,
Sir Anthony Shirley,,(817) I suppose we should send him to
Persia again for troops; I fear we shall get none nearer!

Adieu! my dearest Harry! Next to wishing your expedition
still-born, my most constant thought is, how to be of any
service to poor Lady Ailesbury, whose reasonable concern makes
even that of the strongest friendship seem trifling. Yours most
entirely.

(815) On the expedition to Rochfort.

(816) Brigadier-General Haldane.

(817) Sir Thomas, Sir Anthony, and Sir Robert Shirley, were
three brothers, all great travellers, and all distinguished by
extraordinary adventures in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and
James I.

392 Letter 235
To George Montagu, Esq.
Strawberry Hill, August 25, 1757.

I did not know that you expected the pleasure of seeing the
Colonel so soon. It is plain that I did not solicit leave of
absence for him; make him my many compliments. I should have
been happy to have seen you and Mr. John, but must not regret
it, as you were so agreeably prevented. You are very
particular, I can tell you, in liking Gray's Odes--but you must
remember that the age likes Akenside, and did like
Thomson! can the same people like both? Milton was forced to
wait till the world had done admiring Quarles. Cambridge told
me t'other night that my Lord Chesterfield heard Stanley read
them as his own, but that must have been a mistake of my
lord's deafness. Cambridge said, "Perhaps they are Stanley's;
and not caring to own them, he gave them to Gray." I think this
would hurt Gray's dignity ten times more than his poetry not
succeeding. My humble share as his printer has been more
favourably received. We proceed soberly. I must give you
account of less amusements, des eaux de Strawberry. T'other day
my Lady Rochfort, Lady Townshend, Miss Bland,(818) and the
knight of the garter dined here, and were carried into the
printing-office, and were to see the man print. There were some
lines ready placed, which he took off; I gave them to Lady
Townshend; here they are-

"The press speaks:
>From me wits and poets their glory obtain;
Without me their wit and their verses were vain.
Stop, Townshend, and let me but print what you say;
You, the fame I on others bestow, will repay."

They then asked, as I foresaw, to see the man compose: I gave
him four lines out of the Fair Penitent, which he set; but while
he went to place them in the press, I made them look at
something else without their observing, and in an instant he
whipped away what he had just set, and to their great surprise
when they expected to see "Were ye, ye fair," he presented to my
Lady Rochford the following lines:-