LETTER CCCCXXXIII.

Berkeley Square, April 8, 1785. YOUR letter of March 15th, written by your own hand, came most welcome to me yesterday; for your nephew, who, I trust, is now with you, received one written by your servant just before he set out for Florence. As it mentioned a return of your bleeding, it alarmed me, for that is no gouty symptom; but, as you again write, I flatter myself the discharge will be a remedy instead of a disorder. My gout is gone, but has left a vicegerent more persecuting than itself; I mean the rheumatism. In short, you must not talk of age to me, who am as much broken as if I was a hundred. General Oglethorpe, who sometimes visits me, and who is ninety-five, has the activity of youth when compared with me. His eyes, ears, articulation, limbs, and memory would suit a boy, if a boy could recollect a century backwards. His teeth are gone; he is a shadow, and a wrinkled one; but his spirits and his spirit are in full bloom: two years and a half ago, he challenged a neighbouring gentleman for trespassing on his manor. I could carry a cannon as easily as let off a pistol. There is indeed a circumstance that makes me think myself an antediluvian; I have literally seen seven descents in one family. I do believe Oglethorpe can boast of recollecting a longer genealogy. In short, I was schoolfellow of the last two Earls of Waldegrave, and used to go to play with them in the holidays when I was about twelve years old. They lived with their grandmother, natural daughter of James the Second. One evening while I was there, came in her mother, Mrs. Godfrey,* that King's mistress-ancient, in truth, and so superannuated that she scarce seemed to know where she was. I saw her another time in her chair in St. James's park, and have a perfect idea of her face, which was pale, round, and sleek. Begin with her; then count her daughter, Lady Waldegrave; then the latter's son, the Ambassador; his daughter, Lady Harriot Beard;† her daughter, the present Dowager Countess of Powis ; and her daughter, Lady Clive-there are six; and the last now lies in of a son, and might have done so six or seven years ago, had she married at fourteen. When one has beheld such a pedigree, one may say, " And yet I am but sixty-seven!" I don't know whether it is not another patriarchal characteristic to tell you, that my great-niece, Mrs. Fitzroy, is brought to bed of the fifty-sixth of my nephews and nieces,

* Mrs. Godfrey was sister of John Duke of Marlborough, and by King James was mother of the Duke of Berwick and the first Lady Waldegrave; she afterwards married Colonel Godfrey, by whom she had Lady Falmouth and Mrs. Dunch. See an account of Mrs. Godfrey in the Memoires de Grammont.

Henrietta, only daughter of James, first Earl of Waldegrave, was married to Lord Edward Herbert, brother of the last Marquis of Powis, by whom she had an only daughter, Barbara, first Countess of Powis.

Laura Keppel.

and the present Lady Waldegrave is in a fair way of adding another to the catalogue.

I am not surprised that Mozzi finds there is some difference between being the gallant, when young, of an old woman,-and the husband, when elderly, of a girl: methinks, he might have concluded so without making the experiment. Mr. Duane has, I believe, left his collection to his nephew, and money enough to preserve it;* and the man is a lawyer too, so not likely to be ruined: therefore, Mozzi's present, which is handsome, will be welcome.

Your Lord Cowper and his Knighthood of St. Hubert is peddling lunacy. I find that our memen, though they do not come to their senses abroad, degenerate by transplantation. Garters and orders are simple things in themselves, but succedaneums to them are quite contemptible. An English Earl stooping to be a Knight of St. Hubert is as if a tiger should be proud of being admitted into some order among cats! I think he had better have bought one of the Pope's hats; and then, at least, he would not have been papable. I literally remember a mad foreigner at Paris (I forget of what country,) who had a rage of universal knighthood, and used to appear at the theatres with a different coloured riband every night. The Government forbad his being a Knight of the St. Esprit, but left all the other stripes in Europe's rainbow to his option. I have seen him Companion of the Garter, Bath, and Thistle by turns.

I have no news to send to you or your nephew. The House of Commons could not adjourn for Easter, as for ten days they could not get a House to choose a committee on the Buckinghamshire Petition; so, the Speaker and two clerks were forced to go and sit every day in empty walls: your nephew must explain this paragraph to you, as it would be too long for a letter. A committee is chosen at last, but nothing is advanced. The motion of Reform of Parliament is deferred till next week. The Irish business hangs off too; and the House sits now till midnight hearing counsel from Manchester against some of the late taxes. The east wind lasts too, so that in every respect it looks like the beginning of winter; and one so long neither Oglethorpe nor I remember. The sight of your nephew, I hope, has revived you; it is more than I can say that my fifty-six have affected for me.

LETTER CCCCXXXIV.

May 7, 1785.

As I have received a letter from yourself since your nephew set out, and none from him, I flatter myself that he found you well. I

* Most of it, however, consisting of pictures, drawings by Hussey, and antiques, were sold by auction. His gold antique medals Mr. Duane had sold himself to Dr. Hunter.

have had nothing to tell you worth writing; and, though I begin a letter from my usual regularity, I know not how it will get on, nor whether I shall be able to despatch it without more ballast. I know nothing but what all Europe knows, that there is a general drought and no grass. Of conversation, the chief topic is air-balloons. A French girl, daughter of a dancer, has made a voyage into the clouds, and nobody has yet broken a neck; so, neither good nor harm has hitherto been produced by these aerial enterprises. Neither politics nor fashion have furnished any novelties; so that, if I continue my monthly tribute, you must be content with its being of no more value than a peppercorn.

I am inclined to wish that Mrs. Damer would make you another She is very delicate, and often out of order; and certainly was better for her Italian journey. She is engaged on an extraordinary work. There is just built a new bridge of stone over the Thames, at Henley, which is close to Park Place. Mrs. Damer offered to make two gigantic masks of the Thame and Isis, for the key-stones, and actually modelled them; and a statuary was to execute them. I said, "Oh! it will be imagined that you had little hand in them: you must perform them yourself." She consented. The Thame is an old marine god, is finished, and put up; and, they say, has a prodigious effect. She is now at work on the Isis; a most beautiful nymph's face, simple as the antique, but quite a new beauty. The idea was taken from Mrs. Freeman, of Fawley Court, a neighbour of General Conway. The Rey-stones of a county bridge carved by a young lady is an unparallelled curiosity! The originals in terra cotta are now exhibiting at the Royal Academy; with a model of the same material of two kittens, by her too. She has a singular talent for catching the characters of animals. I have two dogs sleeping, by her, (which she has since executed in marble for her brother, the Duke of Richmond,) that are perfection. We have besides a young statuary, one Proctor, who is marvellous. He has gained the prizes in drawing, painting, and sculpture; and now exhibits a model in terra cotta of Ixion, less than life, which is a prodigy of anatomy, with all the freedom of nature. Miss Boyle, a grand-daughter of Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, and a Miss Ogle, scholar of Mrs. Damer, model admirably too, and the first paints in oil. My brother, Sir Edward, said, that we have so many miracles in painting and music, that they cease to be any miracles at all. I confess, in the former I see few that attain the degree of doctor; of the others I am no judge.

There has been an enormous fire in Southwark, which has de

* The seat of General Conway, Mrs. Damer's father.

Charles, third Duke of Richmond, married Lady Mary Bruce, daughter of Lady Ailesbury, and half-sister to Mrs. Damer.

Charlotte, second daughter of Sir Ch. H. Williams, married Captain Walsingham Boyle, brother of the Earl of Shannon.

VOL. II.-31

stroyed some acres of buildings and some vessels. It happened amongst magazines of turpentine, pitch, tar, and hemp; and has besides consumed to the value of a hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterling of tea, which the East India Company had just purchased at Ostend to anticipate the smugglers. One must be mighty prone to compassion before one can feel for the Company, and must quite forget their atrocious deeds in India. My bowels shall be sent thither, (as those of our ancestors used to be to the Holy Land,) sooner than to Leadenhall Street.

Friday 13th.

As I heard the great question of Ireland was to be decided yesterday, and it being of no consequence when my letter set out, I detained it till it could have more dignity. I can barely now tell you the sum total, none of the particulars; for I have seen no Member of the House of Commons. The business is not finished, for the House was only in a committee: yet you may look upon it as determined; for Mr. Pitt had so great a majority to favour his propositions, that there is no doubt but they will pass triumphantly. The Committee sat till past eight this morning; the numbers were, 281 for the Court, 155 for the Opposition. The completion of that affair, and of the taxes, which were proposed last Monday, will probably conclude the session; and earthly business being adjusted, all the world will be at leisure to travel the air-not that terrestrial matters have interrupted balloons. Mr. Windham, the Member for Norwice, who was with you not long ago, has made a voyage into the clouds, and was in danger of falling to earth, and being shipwrecked. Yesterday sevennight, as I was coming down stairs at Strawberrry, to my chaise, my housekeeper told me, that if I would go into the garden I might see a balloon; so I did, and so high, that though the sun shone, I could scarce discern it, and not bigger than my snuff-box. It had set out privately from Moulsey, in my neighbourhood, and went higher than any airgonaut had yet reached. But Mr. Windham, and Sadler his pilot, were near meeting the fate of Icarus; and though they did land safely, their bladder-vessel flew away again, and may be drowned in the moon for what we know! Three more balloons sail to-day; in short, we shall have a prodigious navy in the air; and then what signifies having lost the empire of the ocean?

LETTER CCCCXXXV.

May 29, 1785. PLEASED as I was by hearing from your nephew, I am much more delighted, my dear sir, to see your hand again. Yet I must chide

* Of Felbrigge.

you for writing so much, though at intervals, when you are weak and in bed. Your nephew told me your cough was troublesome; but I hope the warm weather will quite remove it. Never was so trying a winter: every body has suffered but the physicians and apothecaries. We are still wanting rain, and are treated like Egyptians by insects.

You have acted like yourself, and the younger Sir Horace has acted like the elder, about Miss Lucy's* marriage. I do not know the sposo, but am contented with your account of him, and approve of his name. It is not quite right to oppose the inclinations of the young when there are no very striking or disgraceful objections. As to estates and titles, what securities are they? Half our nobility are undone, and every day going into exile, from their own extravagance.

I saw with concern in the newspapers, two days ago, that their Neapolitan Majesties were visiting your Florentine Arch-Graces, and I dreaded their harassing you and putting you to expense: but your indisposition must give you a dispensation, and is even lightened to me by its saving you fatigue, I have no objection to their playing at Naumachis. It were well if sovereigns would be content with mock fights, and not sport with the lives of their subjects. The battle of the Bridge at Pisa, is more glorious than invading the Scheldt. Two days ago there was a report of the Dauphin's death, and was said to come from Lord Sydney, Secretary of State. He was asked, if true? He replied, "I said, Lord Godolphin." So he is, and has given four thousand pounds a-year to Lord Francis Osborne, second son of the other Secretary of State, Lord Carmarthen,† who himself inherits three thousand a-year more.

I am barren of other news. The House of Commons sits, on taxes and the Irish propositions, but is thinly attended. I shall settle at Strawberry in about a week; but cannot have less to tell you than I have at present. Your nephew, I hope, will stay with you till you are quite recovered. What a nephew! I cannot boast of such a one in my extensive nepotism; and yet I have a few very good. An adopted one, Lord Waldegrave, is excellent. Most of my nieces are unexceptionable. That is a great deal to say in an age not rigorous, and of ample license. I wonder our women are not much worse; for our newspapers are so indiscriminately scurrilous, to the great joy of devout old women, that pretty young women might be hardened, and trust to not being worse treated than many who are blameless. I have no patience with hags who have no temptations, and think that frequent church-going authorizes them to spread scandal from Sunday noon to next Sunday morning. There is not so noxious an animal as an ugly old harridan, who thinks herself re

James Mann, only son of Edward Louisa Mann, elder brother of Sir Horace Mann, senr., was going to be married to Lucy, eldest daughter of Sir Horace, jun. Francis, only son of the Duke of Leeds, by Lady Mary Godolphin.

George, fourth Earl of Waldegrave, married to his cousin, Lady Laura Waldegrave, daughter of the Duchess of Gloucester.