I am concerned for your loss of Patch. He had great merit in my eyes in bringing to light the admirable paintings of Masaccio, so little known out of Florence till his prints disclosed them.

As our trophies arrived to-day, I was impatient to seize them for you; but the post set out last night, and will not depart again till Tuesday, by which time I may be able to send you another naval crown. I hate myself for being so like a sportsman, who is going out to hunt, and hopes to be able to make his friend a present of more game; but I doubt we must wade through more destruction to peace. What idiots are mankind to sacrifice themselves to the frantic passions of a few! The slain only pass for rubbish, of which the use is destroyed: who thinks on them? I do not quite love your Emperor, though he has demolished convents. I doubt he calculates, that, the more copulation is encouraged, the more soldiers he shall have.

21st.

Lord Howe's victory is not yet hatched; we reckon him in pursuit of the Dutch. The whole town was illuminated to Rodney's health on Saturday night. I was just going to bed in pain, when a mob, the masters of our ceremonies, knocked outrageously at the door, and would scarce have patience till the servants could put out lights; and till three in the morning there was no sleeping for rockets and squibs. Lord Robert Manners lost one leg and had the other and one arm broken, yet lived three weeks in good spirits, till the locked jaw came. How many others, of whom one shall not hear, because they were not young Lords!

After dinner.

The Dutch fleet have escaped into the Texel, and Lord Howe is expected back into the Channel.t

LETTER CCCLXXVII.

Strawberry Hill, June 10, 1782.

SINCE the naval triumph in the West Indies, I have had no public event to send you, nor any thing else but journals of the epidemic disorder, which has been so universal and so little fatal, that a dozen names would comprise all I know who have escaped it, or died of it.

Early in May, Lord Howe, who had been promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Blue, created a British peer, and appointed to the command of a powerful fleet, proceeded with twelve sail of the line to the coast of Holland, in the hope of intercepting, or at least confining, the enemy, and of frustrating any designs he might have formed upon our North Sea and Baltic trade. The Dutch fleet had already sailed, but the intelligence of Lord Howe's movements obliged them to return hastily to the Texel.-ED.

The strangest part of it is, that, though of very short duration, it has left a weakness or lassitude, of which people find it very difficult to recover. One has had nothing to do but send messages of inquiry after one's acquaintance; and yet, no servants to send on those messages. The theatres were shut up, the Birth-day empty, and the Ball to-night a solitude. My codicil of gout confined me three weeks. I came hither to-day to air myself, though still very lame, and it is so cold that I am writing close to the fire. We are paying the fine of three sultry summers together. I was afraid we should have had too much fire too; but we have narrowly escaped a contested election at Westminster. Some of the late Minsters set up the new Lord Hood in the room of the new Lord Rodney; and the new Ministers, not very prudently I think,* named a Sir Cecil Wray, very unknown. Fortunately, Lord Hood's friends declared against his being a candidate.

I do not hear of the peace advancing. They say, the King of France is obstinate; which, by courtiers, is always called firm. This is unusual: France commonly is the only nation that has sense enough not to persist on an ill-run, but to leave off play, and wait for better luck. However, I have hopes yet. The change of Administration, and the disposition of the new one to grant independence, must please the Americans; and as France, by the demolition of De Grasse's fleet, can send no reinforcements to America, the latter must see that this is the moment to shake off dependence on France as well as on England. The contribution, too, of twenty thousand seamen from Ireland must be sorely felt by our enemies.

The old Ministers have begun to revive a little, but have had no cause from success to be proud of their bickerings. Lord North, Lord Loughborough, and Lord Hillsborough have been most severely handled for their flippancies by Charles Fox, the Duke of Richmond, and Lord Shelburne; and all the new measures have been carried far more triumphantly than was expected.† Still, I do not doubt whatever impediments can be thrown in their way, will be: but I am no dealer in futurities.

We expect Mrs. Damer every hour. Mr. Conway and Lady Ailesbury have told me how infinitely sensible they are of your attentions and goodness to Lady William.

I shall not go to town till Wednesday, and therefore shall not finish this till Friday, by which time I may have more to say.

"By Rodney's being created a peer, his seat in Parliament is become vacant. Hood has been proposed to succeed him; but the Westminster committee have named another candidate. This opposition to Hood is said to be ungenerous and ungrateful; but why, is more than I can tell, unless a seat in Parliament is to be considered merely as a reward, a titular dignity; or unless it be proved that the same qualities are requisite to make a good senator as to constitute a brave Admiral." Sir S. Romilly to the Rev. J. Roget, Life, vol. i. p. 231.-Ed.

+ Several warm debates had taken place in both Houses on the recall of Admiral Rodney by the new Ministers.-ED.

Thursday, 13th, London. There are letters from France which say, that their losses in the West Indies are greater than we know yet. I hate to be hoping that any misfortunes are true; but, fortunately, one's wishes do not add a hair to the scale, except one is a stock-jobber. Such gentry coin disasters, to cheat some body by sinking the funds without cause. If gospels mended mankind, there should have been a new sermon preached on the Mount, since 'Change Alley was built, and since money-changers were driven out of the Temple over all Europe.

Friday, 14th.

Mrs. Damer arrived last night. She looks in better health than when she went; but I cannot say, at all plumper. She said, " Pray, tell Sir Horace how much obliged to him I am ;" and, do you know, she added, that "he is not only one of the most amiable men in the world, but the most agreeable." I see that you understood her as well as she does you; for you have given her an antique foot that is the perfection of sculpture. I have not time to add a word more, but that she told me that at Paris the universal language is, that the late change in the English Ministry est bien malheureux pour la France.

LETTER CCCLXXVIII.

Monday night, July 1st, 1782.

THIS is to announce an important event which you could not expect. Lord Rockingham died at one o'clock at noon to-day. You will want to ask one, and many other questions, which no body in London can answer yet. Who is to be First Minister? Will the new Adminis tration continue ?-Stay,-till I can tell you the first, it is in vain to proceed in your interrogatories-I may as well go back for a few days. This letter will not depart till to-morrow night. Whether I shall be able to tell you more by that time, can I guess?

This death was not a sudden. one. The Marquis has been ill above a week, and in danger for some days. At first Dr. Warren thought it water in his stomach, then changed his opinion; Sir Noah Thomas doubted whether it was water. It signifies little now what it was. He was always of a very bad constitution. I remember an elder

*The Marquis of Rockingham, though only fifty-two years of age, already sunk under an infirm and debilitated constitution. Early in June he had been attacked by an epidemic disease, to which was given the name of influenza. The Marquis appeared in the House of Lords for the last time on the 3rd of June; where he both spoke and voted in support of the bill for preventing Revenue officers from voting at elections. In the course of his speech, he said, that the disorder universally prevalent affected him so violently, that at times he was not completely in possession of himself. Leaving no issue, the greater part of his vast landed property, as well as his borough interest, descended to his nephew, Earl Fitzwilliam.-ED.

brother of his at Eton, who was subject to violent convulsions, and died of them. Lord Rockingham was extremely splenetic about his health (the consequence of bad,) and some years ago wanted to have his side opened, believing that he had an abscess there. Six weeks ago, I heard that Dr. Warren told him he could not live if he continued in business.

Well! no man ever before attained twice the great object of his wishes, and enjoyed it both times for so short a season: the first time but a year now, not four months. The death of the late Duke of Devonshire, and the want of a leader, set Lord Rockingham at the head of the Whigs, from his rank, great fortune, and fair character. Those were his pretensions and merit. His parts were by no means great: he was nervous, and mere necessity alone made him at all a speaker in Parliament; where, though he spoke good sense, neither flattery nor partiality could admire or applaud. He was rather trifling and dilatory in business than indolent. Virtues and amiability' he must have possessed; for his party esteemed him highly, and his friends loved him with unalterable attachment. In the excess of faction that we have seen, he was never abused; and no man in public life, I believe, had ever fewer enemies.* His death may be more remembered than his actions would have been, and may have greater consequences than any plan of his would have had; for he countenanced a system rather than instigated it. Whoever is his successor will not be of so negative a character.

This is the second prime minister I have seen die in office. I do not believe the current will glide on as smoothly as it did on Mr. Pelham's death; but that moment was very different from this! I could make divers reflections on all I have seen and known in a long lifebut I will not.

Adieu! till to-morrow-not that I expect to be able to tell you more of the Administration then. If you do not hear again by Friday's post, you will conclude that nothing is settled. You have known. longer interministeriums.

Tuesday, after dinner. ·

The evening comes on, and I must go out, without being able to

* The following is a portion of the inscription upon the pedestal of Lord Rockingham's statue, in the mausoleum at Wentworth, from the pen of his friend Burke: "A statesman in whom constancy, fidelity, sincerity, and directness were the sole instruments of his policy. His virtues were his arts. A clear, sound, unadulterated sense, not perplexed with intricate design, or disturbed by ungoverned passion, gave consistency, dignity, and effect to all his measures. In Opposition he respected the principles of government, in Administration he provided for the liberties of the people. He employed his moments of power in realizing every thing which he had promised in a popular situation. The virtues of his public and private life were not in him of different characters. It was the same feeling, benevolent mind, that, in the internal relations of life, conciliates the unfeigned love of those who see men as they are, which made him an inflexible patriot. By his prudence and patience he brought about a party, which it was the great object of his labours to render permanent, not as an instrument of ambition, but as a living depository of principle."-ED.

tell you more than I wrote last night. Because they do not know, the town has guessed many successors-as Lord Shelburne, the Dukes of Richmond, Portland, and Devonshire, and Lord Gower. The first and last may be candidates: I believe none of the Dukes are. From my late letters you may perceive that there might be still a sixth person in question, but who certainly will not be,-I mean, not successor: but you must have patience; and it is better not to be surprised, whatever you shall hear. I shall be much surprised, if nothing happens to surprise you. Adieu!

LETTER CCCLXXIX.

Berkeley Square, July 7, 1782.

I Do not pretend to be a prophet; at least, I confess I am one of that wary sort, who take care to be very sure of what will happen before they venture to foretell. I ordered you to expect to be sur prised-no very wise way of surprising! In truth, I did foresee that Lord Rockingham's death would produce a very new scene; and so it has but is it possible to give an account of what is only begining? The few real facts that have actually happened are all that one can relate with certainty. They will open wide fields of conjectures to you, and, at your distance, probably not very just ones; nor, as I affect no sagacity, shall I offer you a clue that may lead you as much out of the way.

Lord Rockingham died on Monday. On Tuesday it was known amongst the Ministers, that Lord Shelburne was to succeed.* This

*"Within three hours," says Mr. Nicholls, "after the Marquis of Rockingham's death was known, a friend of mine called on Charles Fox. The question which naturally occurred was, Who is to succeed Lord Rockingham as First Lord of the Treasury Mr. Fox replied, I think it must be the Earl of Shelburne; he is first oars, and I do not see how we can resist his claim.' But Mr. Burke had af terwards sufficient influence with Mr. Fox and the other leaders of the Rocking ham party, to prevail on them to resist the appointment of the Earl. He insisted that the Duke of Portland should be sent for from Ireland, and appointed First Lord. This proposal was offensive, even to some of the Rockingham party, parti cularly to the Duke of Richmond; who said, that, as the Duke of Portland was provided for in Ireland, he himself had a better claim to be considered as the head of the Rockingham party. But this was not acceptable to Mr. Burke. At a meeting held soon after at Earl Fitzwilliam's, Mr. Burke used such coarse language respecting the Earl of Shelburne, that intercourse, even in appearance friendly, could no longer exist between the parties." Recollections, p. 49. Mr. Prior, however, contradicts the assertion, that the resignations which immediately fol lowed, arose from the irritation of Mr. Burke: "On the contrary," he says, "the suggestion came from Mr. Fox, whose importance, from the situation he held, was more directly affected. It is undoubtedly true, that both, while they disagreed with Lord Shelburne on some public points, entertained a strong personal dislike to the man; he, in return, is said to have felt quite as cordial an aversion to them, (particularly to Mr. Burke,) from a jealousy of being constantly outworked and outshone by them in Parliament, added to their greater estimation in popular opin ion, and standing in the midst of his path to power." Life of Burke, p. 268.-ED.