Books: The Letters of Horace Walpole, Volume 2

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I hope you have had as favourable Succession of sun and rain as
we have. I go to Park-place next week, where I fancy I Shall
find our little Duchess(899) quite content with the prospect of
recovering her Duke, without his being provided with laurels like
a boar's head. Adieu! my dear lord. My best compliments to my
lady and her whole menagerie.

(898) A French master.

(899) of richmond.

428 Letter 267
To Sir Horace Mann.
Strawberry Hill, June 18, 1758.

I write to you again so soon, only to laugh at my last letter.
What a dupe was I! at my years to be dazzled with glory! to be
charmed with the rattle of drums and trumpets, till I fancied
myself at Cressy or Poictiers! In the middle of all this dream
of conquest, just when I had settled in what room of my castle
I would lodge the Duke of Alen`con or Montpensier, or whatever
illustrious captive should be committed to the custody of
Seneschal Me, I was awakened with an account of our army having
re-embarked, after burning some vessels at St. Maloes. This is
the history, neither more nor less, of this mighty expedition.
They found the causeway broken up, stayed from Tuesday night
till Monday morning in sight of the town; agreed it was
impregnable; heard ten thousand French (which the next day here
were erected into thirty thousand) were coming against them;
took to their transports, and are gone to play at hide and seek
somewhere else. This campaign being rather naked, is coloured
over with the great damage we have done, and with the fine
disposition and despatch made for getting away--the same
colours that would serve to paint pirates or a flight.
However, the city is pleased; and Mr. Pitt maintains that he
never intended to take St. Maloes, which I believe, because
when he did intend to have Rochefort taken last year, he sent
no cannon; this year, when he never meant to take St. Maloes,
he sent a vast train of artillery. Besides, one of the most
important towns in France, lying some miles up in the country,
was very liable to be stormed; a fishing town on the coast is
naturally impracticable. The best side of the adventure is,
that they were very near coming away without attempting the
conflagration, and only thought of it by chance--then indeed

Diripuere focos--
Atqui omnis facibus Pubes accingitur atris.

Perhaps the metamorphosis in Virgil of the ships into mermaids
is not more absurd than an army of twelve or thirteen thousand
of the flower of our troops and nobility performing the office
of link-boys, making a bonfire, and running away! The French
have said well, "les Anglois viennent nous casser des vitres
avec des guin`ees."(900) We have lost six men, they five, and
about a hundred vessels, from a fifty-gun ship to a
mackerel-boat.

I don't only ask my own pardon for swelling out my imagination,
but yours, for making you believe that you was to be
representative of the Black Prince or Henry V. I hope you had
sent no bullying letter to the conclave on the (,authority of
my last letter, to threaten the cardinals, that if they did not
elect the Archbishop of Canterbury Pope, you would send for
part of the squadron from St. Maloes to burn Civita Vecchia. I
had promised you the duchy of Bretagne, and we have lost
Madras!

Our expedition is still afloat--whither bound, I know not; but
pray don't bespeak any more laurels; wait patiently for what
they shall send you from the Secretary's office.

I gave your brother James my new work to send you-I grieve that
I must not, as usual, send a set for poor Dr. Cocchi. Good
night!

(900) "Mr. Pitt's friends exult on the destruction of three
French ships of war, and one hundred and thirty privateers and
trading ships, and affirm that it stopped the march of three
score thousand men, who were going to join the Comte de
Clermont's army. On the other hand, Mr. Fox and company call
it breaking windows with guineas, and apply the fable of the
mountain and the mouse." Lord Chesterfield.-E.

430 Letter 268
To Sir David Dalrymple.(901)
Strawberry Hill, June 29, 1758.

Sir,
Inaccurate and careless, as I must own my book is,(902) I
cannot quite repent having let it appear in that state, since
it has procured me so agreeable and obliging a notice from a
gentleman whose approbation makes me very vain. The trouble
you have been so good as to give yourself, Sir, is by no means
lost upon me; I feel the greatest gratitude for it, and shall
profit not only of your remarks, but with your permission of
your very words, wherever they will fall in with my text. The
former are so judicious and sensible, and the latter so well
chosen, that if it were not too impertinent to propose myself
as an example, I should wish, Sir, that you would do that
justice to the writers of your own country, which my ignorance
has made me execute so imperfectly and barrenly.

Give me leave to say a few words to one or two of your notes.
i should be glad to mention more instances of Queen Elizabeth's
fondness for praise,(903) but fear I have already been too
diffuse on her head. Bufo(904) is certainly Lord Halifax: the
person at whom you hint is more nearly described by the name of
Bubo, and I think in one place is even called Bubb.(905) The
number of volumes of Parthenissa I took from the list of Lord
Orrery's(906) writings in the Biographia: it is probable,
therefore, Sir, that there were different editions of that
romance. You will excuse my repeating once more, Sir, my
thanks for your partiality to a work so little worthy of your
favour. I even flatter myself that whenever you take a journey
this way, you will permit me to have the honour of being
acquainted with a gentleman to whom I have so particular an
obligation.

(901) Now first collected. This eminent lawyer, antiquary, and
historian was born in 1726. He was educated at Eton, and
afterwards studied civil law at Utrecht. In 1748, he was
called to the Scotch bar, and in 1766 made a judge of session,
when he assumed the name of Lord Hailes. Boswell states, that
Dr. Johnson, in 1763, drank a bumper to him "as a man of worth,
a scholar, and a wit." His "Annals of Scotland" the Doctor
describes as "a work which has such a stability of dates, such
a certainty of facts, and such a punctuality of citation, that
it must always sell." He wrote several papers in the World and
Mirror. He died in 1792.-E.

(902) The Royal and Noble Authors.-E.

(903) Queen Elizabeth, who had turned Horace's Art of Poetry
into English, having been offended with Sir Francis Bacon, the
Earl of Essex, to recommend him again to favour, artfully told
her, that his suit was not so much for the good of Bacon, as
for her own honour, that those excellent translations of hers
might be known to those who could best judge of them.-E.

(904) In Pope's Prologue to the Satires--

"Proud as Apollo on his forked hill,
Sat full-blown Bufo puff'd by many a quill."-E.

(905) Bubb Dodington--

"And then for mine obligingly mistakes
The first lampoon Sir Will, or Bubo makes."-E.

(906) Roger Boyle, Earl of Orrery. His Parthenissa, a romance
in six books, appeared in folio in 1677.

431 Letter 269
To John Chute, Esq.
Strawberry Hill, June 29, 1758.

The Tower-guns have sworn through thick and thin that Prince
Ferdinand has entirely demolished the French, and the
city-bonfires all believe it. However, as no officer is yet
come, nor confirmation, my crackers suspend their belief. Our
great fleet is stepped ashore again near Cherbourg; I suppose,
to singe half a yard more of the coast. This is all I know;
less, as you may perceive, than any thing but the Gazette.

What is become of Mr. Montagu? Has he stolen to Southampton,
and slipped away a-volunteering like Norborne Berkeley, to
conquer France in a dirty shirt and a frock? He might gather
forty load more of laurels in my wood. I wish I could flatter
myself that you would come with him.

My Lady Suffolk has at last entirely submitted her barn to our
ordination. As yet it is only in Deacon;s orders; but will
very soon have our last imposition of hands. Adieu! Let me
know a word of you.

431 Letter 270
To George Montagu, Esq.
Strawberry Hill, July 6, 1758.

You may believe I was thoroughly disappointed in not seeing you
here, as I expected. I grieve for the reason, and wish you had
told me that your brother was quite recovered. Must I give you
over for the summer? sure you are in my debt.

That regiments are going to Germany is certain; which, except
the Blues) I know not. Of all secrets I am not in any Irish
ones. I hope for your sake, your Colonel(907) is not of the
number; but how can you talk in the manner you do of Prince
Ferdinand! Don't you know that, next to Mr. Pitt and Mr.
Delaval, he is the most fashionable man in England? Have not
the Tower-guns, and all the parsons in London, been ordered to
pray for him? You have lived in Northamptonshire till you are
ignorant that Hanover is in Middlesex, as the Bishop's palace
at Chelsea is in the diocese of Winchester. In hopes that you
will grow better acquainted with your own country, I remain
your affected Horatius Valpolhausen.

(907) Mr. Montagu's brother.

432 Letter 271
To The Rev. Dr. Birch.
Arlington Street, July 8, 1758.

Sir,
As you have been so good as to favour me with your assistance,
I flatter myself you will excuse my begging it once more. I am
told that you mentioned to Dr. Jortin a Lord Mountjoy, who
lived in the reign of Henry VIII. as an author. Will you be so
good as to tell me any thing you know of him, and what he
wrote. I shall entreat the favour of this notice as soon as
possibly you can; because my book is printing off, and I am
afraid of being past the place where he must come in. I am
just going out of town, but a line put into the Post any night
before nine o'clock will find me next morning at Strawberry
Hill.

432 Letter 272
To The Hon. H. S. Conway.(908)
Arlington Street, July 8, 1758.

You have made me laugh; do you think I found much difficulty to
persist in thinking as well of you as I used to do, though you
have neither been so great a Poliorcetes as Almanzor, who could
take a town alone, nor have executed the commands of another
Almanzor, who thought he could command the walls of a city to
tumble down as easily as those of Jericho did to the march of
Joshua's first regiment of Guards? Am I so apt to be swayed by
popular clamour. But I will say no more on that head. As to
the wording of the sentence, I approve your objection; and as I
have at least so little of the author in me as to be very
corrigible, I will, if you think proper, word the beginning
thus:--

"In dedicating a few trifles(909) to you, I have nothing new to
tell the world. My esteem still accompanies your merit, on
which 'it was founded, and to which, with such abilities as
mine, I can only bear testimony; I must not pretend to
vindicate it. If your virtues," etc. It shall not be said
that I allowed prejudice and clamour to be the voice of the
world against you. I approve, too, the change of "proposed"
for "would have undertaken;" but I cannot like putting in
"prejudice and malice." When One accuses others of malice, one
is a little apt to feel it; and if I could flatter myself that
such a thing as a Dedication would have weight, or that any
thing of mine would last, I would have it look as dispassionate
as possible. When after some interval I assert coolly that you
was most wrongfully blamed, I shall be believed. If I seem
angry, it will look like a party quarrel still existing.

Instead of resenting your not being employed in the present
follies, I think you might write a letter of thanks to my Lord
Ligonier, Or to Mr. Pitt, or even to the person who is
appointed to appoint generals himself,(910) to thank them for
not exposing you a second year. All the puffs in the
newspapers cannot long stifle the ridicule which the French
will of course propagate through all Europe on the foolish
figure we have made. You shall judge by one sample: the Duc
d'Aiguillon has literally sent a vessel with a flag of truce to
the Duke of Marlborough, with some teaspoons which, in his
hurry, he left behind him. I know the person who saw the
packet before it was delivered to the Blenheimeius. But what
will you say to this wise commander himself? I am going to tell
you no secret, but what he uttered publicly at the levee. The
King asked him, if he had raised great contributions?
"Contributions, Sir! we saw nothing but old women." What
becomes of the thirty thousand men that made them retire with
such expedition to their transports? My Lord Downe, as decently
as he can, makes the greatest joke of their enterprise, and has
said at Arthur's, that.,five hundred men posted with a grain of
common sense would have cut them all to pieces. I was not less
pleased at what M. de Monbagon, the young prisoner, told
Charles Townshend t'other day at Harley's: he was actually at
Rochfort when you landed, where he says they had six thousand
men, most impatient for your approach, and so posted that not
one of you would ever have returned. This is not an evidence
to be forgot.

Howe and Lord George Sackville are upon the worst terms, as the
latter is with the military too. I can tell you some very
curious anecdotes when I see you; but what I do not choose, for
particular reasons, to write. What is still more curious, when
Lord George kissed hands at Kensington, not a word was said to
him.

How is your fever? tell me, when you have a mind to write, but
don't think it necessary to answer my gazettes; indeed I don't
expect it.

(908) Now first printed.

(909) The little Volume of Fugitive Pieces, printed this year
at the Strawberry Hill press.

(910) The King.-E.

433 Letter 273
To Sir Horace Mann.
Arlington Street, July 8, 1758.

If you will not take Prince Ferdinand's victory at Crevelt in
full of all accounts, I don't know what you will do--autrement,
we are insolvent. After dodging about the coasts of Normandy
and Bretagne, our armada is returned; but in the hurry of the
retreat from St. Maloes, the Duke of Marlborough left his
silver teaspoons behind. As he had generously sent back an old
woman's finger and gold ring, which one of our soldiers had cut
off, the Duc d'Aiguillon has sent a cartel-ship with the
prisoner-spoons. How they must be diverted with this
tea-equipage, stamped with the Blenheim eagles! and how plain
by this sarcastic compliment what they think of US! Yet We
fancy that we detain forty thousand men on the coast from
Prince Clermont's army! We are sending nine thousand men to
Prince Ferdinand; part, those of the expedition: the remainder
are to make another attempt; perhaps to batter Calais with a
pair of tea-tongs.

I am sorry for the Comte de la Marche, and much more sorry for
the Duc de Gisors.(911) He was recommended to me when he was
in England; I knew him much, and thought as well of him as all
the world did. He was graver, and with much more application
to improve himself, than any young Frenchman of quality I ever
saw. How unfortunate Belleisle is, to have outlived his
brother, his only son, and his hearing! You will be charmed
with an answer of Prince Ferdinand to our Princess Gouvernante
of Holland.(912) She wrote by direction of the States to
complain of his passing over the territories of the Republic.
He replied, "That he was sorry, though he had barely crossed
over a very small corner of their dominions; and should not
have trespassed even there, if he had had the same Dutch guides
to conduct him that led the French army last year to Hanover."

I congratulate 'you on your regale from the Northumberlands.
How seldom people think of all the trouble and expense they put
you to--I amongst the rest! Apropos, if they are not bespoken,
I will not trouble you for the case of drams. Lord Hertford
has given me some of his; the fashion is much on the decline,
and never drinking any myself, these will last me long enough
and considering that I scarce ever give you a commission, but
somehow or other ends at your expense, (witness the medals you
gave me of your own,) it is time for me to check my pen that
asks so flippantly. As I am not mercenary, I cannot bear to
turn you to account; if I was, I should bear it very easily:
but it is ridiculous to profit of one's friends, when one does
not make friendships with that view.

Methinks you don't make a Pope very fast. The battle of
Crevelt has restored him a little, or the head of our church
was very declining. He said the other day to Lady Coventry in
the drawing-room, "Don't look at me, I am a dismal figure; I
have entirely lost one eye."Adieu!

(911) Only son of Marshal Belleisle; he was killed at the
battle of Crevelt: the Comte de la Marche was not.

(912) Anne, eldest daughter of George II. and Princess Dowager
of Orange.

434 Letter 274
To The Hon. H. S. Conway.
Strawberry Hill, July 21, 1758.

Your gazette, I know, has been a little idle; but we volunteer
gazettes, like other volunteers, are not easily tied down to
regularity and rules. We think we have so much merit, that we
think we have a right to some demerit too; and those who depend
upon us, I mean us gazettes, are often disappointed, A
common-foot newspaper may want our vivacity, but is ten times
more useful. Besides, I am not in town, and ten miles out of
it is an hundred miles out of it for all the purposes of news .
You know, of course, that Lord George Sackville refused to go
a-buccaneering again, as he called it; that my friend Lord
Ancram, who loves a dram of any thing, from glory to brandy, is
out of order; that just as Lord Panmure was going to take the
command,@e missed an eye; and that at last they have routed out
an old General Blighe from the horse armoury in Ireland, who is
to undertake the codicil to the expedition. Moreover, you know
that Prince Edward is bound 'prentice to Mr. Howe.(913) All
this you have heard; yet, like my cousin the Chronicle, I
repeat what has been printed in every newspaper of the week,
and then finish with one paragraph of spick and span. Alack!
my postscript is not very fortunate: a convoy of twelve
thousand men, etc. was going to the King of' Prussia, was
attacked unexpectedly by five thousand Austrians, and cut
entirely to pieces; provisions, ammunition, etc. all taken.
The King instantly raised the siege, and retreated with so much
precipitation, that he was forced to nail up sixty pieces of
cannon. I conclude the next we hear of him will be a great
victory-. if he sets over night in a defeat, he always rises
next morning in a triumph--at least, we that have nothing to do
but expect and admire, shall be extremely disappointed if he
does not. Besides, he is three months debtor to Fame.

The only private history of any freshness is, my Lady
Dalkeith's christening; the child had three godfathers: and I
will tell you why: they had thought of the Duke of Newcastle,
my Lord and George Townshend: but of two Townshends and his
grace, God could not take the word of any two of them, so all
three were forced to be bound.

I draw this comfort from the King of Prussia's defeat, that it
may prevent the folly of another expedition: I don't know how
or why, but no reason is a very good one against a thing that
has no reason in it. Eleven hundred men are ill from the last
enterprise. Perhaps Don William Quixote(914) and Admiral
Amadis(915) may determine to send them to the Danube: for, as
no information ever precedes their resolutions, and no
impossibilities ever deter them, I don't see why the Only thing
worthy their consideration should not be, how glorious and
advantageous an exploit it would be, if it could be performed.
Why did Bishop Wilkins try to fly? Not that he thought it
practicable, but because it would be very convenient. As he
did not happen to be a particular favourite of the city of
London, he was laughed at: they prepossessed in his favour, and
he would have received twenty gold boxes, though twenty people
had broken their neck off St. Paul's with trying the
experiment.

I have heard a whisper, that you do not go into Yorkshire this
summer. Is it true? It is fixed that I go to Ragley(916) on
the 13th of next month; I trust you do so too. have you had
such deluges for three weeks well counted, as we have? If I
had not cut one of my perroquet's wings, and there were an
olive-tree in the country, I would send to know where there is
a foot of dry land.

You have heard, I suppose,--if not, be it known to you,--that
Mr. Keppel, the canon of Windsor, espouses my niece Laura; yes,
Laura.(917) I rejoice much; so I receive your compliments upon
if, lest you as it sometimes happens, forget to make them.
Adieu!

July 22.

For the pleasure of my conscience I had written all the above
last night, expecting Lord Lyttelton, the Dean, and other
company, This morning I receive yours; and having already told
you all I know, I have only a few paragraphs to answer.

I am pleased that you are pleased about my book:(918) you shall
see it very soon; though there will scarce be a new page:
nobody else shall see it till spring. In the first place, the
prints will not be finished: in the next, I intend that two or
three other things shall appear before it from my press, of
other authors; for I will not surfeit people with my writings,
nor have them think that I propose to find employment alone for
a whole press--so far from it, I intend to employ it no more
about myself.

I will certainly try to see you during your waiting.,' Adieu!

(913) In the preceding month, Prince Edward had been appointed
a midshipman, and in July embarked on board the Essex,
commanded by Lord Howe, upon the expedition against
Cherburg.-E.

(914) William Pitt, secretary of state.

(915) Lord Anson, first lord of the admiralty.

(916) The seat of the Earl of Hertford.

(917) the eldest daughter of Sir Edward Walpole.

(918) Anecdotes of Painting.

(919) As groom of the bedchamber to the King.

436 Letter 275
To The Rev. Henry Zouch.(920)
Strawberry Hill, August 3d, 1758.

Sir,
I have received, with much pleasure and surprise, the favour of
your remarks upon my Catalogue; and whenever I have the
opportunity of being better known to you, I shall endeavour to
express my gratitude for the trouble you have given yourself in
contributing to perfect a work,(921) which, notwithstanding
your obliging expressions, I fear you found very little worthy
the attention of so much good sense and knowledge, Sir, as you
possess. I am extremely thankful for all the information you
have given me; I had already met with a few of the same lights
as I have received, Sir, from you, as I shall mention in their
place. The very curious accounts of Lord Fairfax were entirely
new and most acceptable to me. If I decline making use of one
or two of your hints, I believe I can explain my reasons to
your satisfaction. I will, with your leave, go regularly
through your letter.

As Caxton(922) laboured in the monastery of Westminster, it is
not at all unlikely that he should wear the habit, nor,
considering how vague our knowledge of that age is, impossible
but he might enter the order.

I have met with Henry's institution of a Christian, and shall
give you an account of it in my next edition. In that, too, I
shall mention, that Lord Cobham's(923) allegiance professed at
his death to Richard II. probably means to Richard and his
right heirs, whom he had abandoned for the house of Lancaster.
As the article is printed off, it is too late to say any thing
more about his works.

In all the old books of genealogy you will find, Sir, that
young Richard Duke of York(924) was solemnly married to a child
of his own age, Anne Mowbray, the heiress of Norfolk, who died
young as well as he.

The article of the Duke of Somerset is printed off too;
besides, I should imagine the letter you mention not to be of
his own composition, for, though not illiterate, he certainly
could not write any thing like classic Latin.(925) I may, too,
possibly, have inclusively mentioned the very letter; I have
not Ascham's book, to see from what copy the letter was taken,
but probably from one of those which I have said is in Bennet
Library.

The Catalogue of Lord Brooke's works is taken from the volume
of his works; such pieces of his as I found doubted,
particularly the tragedy of Cicero, I have taken notice of as
doubtful.

In my next edition you will see, Sir, a note on Lord Herbert,
who, besides being with the King at York, had offended the
peers by a speech in his Majesty's defence. Mr. Wolseley's
preface I shall mention, from your information. Lord
Rochester's letters to his son are letters to a child, bidding
him mind his book and his grandmother. I had already been
told, Sir, what you tell me of marchmont Needham.

Matthew Clifford I have altered to Martin, as you prescribe:
the blunder was my own, as well as a more considerable one,
that of Lord Sandwich's death--which was occasioned by my
supposing at first, that the translation of Barba(926) was made
by the second earl, whose death I had marked in the list, and
forgot to alter, after I had writ the account of the father. I
shall take care to set this right, as the second volume is not
yet begun to be printed.