of you, by calling into question the validity of your marriage, and, consequently, of the birth of your children. Shame is apt to fly to crimes for a veil. I have no difficulty in speaking on this question: your Royal Highness must authenticate the legitimacy of your children, before you think of a provision for them. I rest it there, sir, not to trouble you with unnecessary words.

In regard to the question your Royal Highness was pleased to put to me, on some motion for a provision, I will consider it in two lights; in the first, whether it would be proper for any lords to take it up. This, sir, I am sorry to say, lies in a very small compass, and extends to a very few lords in the opposition; your Royal Highness knows already my opinion, that a few opposing lords would only do your cause signal mischief, and would give the pretended sanction, that I fear is wished for, to doing nothing for you-and therefore if I am not wrong, not to be attempted. The Duke of R-, with whom I have talked, fears nothing, sir, but hurting your cause. He is so personally obnoxious, that he thinks a motion from your Royal Highness and himself would only be considered, certainly represented, as factious-his Grace's tenderness and delicacy would not suffer him to add, that none of his friends would support him, though he knows they would not. But what could be expected, sir, from a measure so generally abandoned? When could it be revived with success, unless not only times, but men, should be totally altered?

I can then, sir, have but one idea left, the same I suggested on Monday, if your Royal Highness should still think the present season a proper one, though it is probable that nothing will be stirred this year in relation to an increase of the revenue of the Crown. I must throw myself on your Royal Highness's great goodness and ge nerosity before I presume to utter what I have farther to say. You have indeed, sir, commanded me, given me leave to speak what I think, and dare not at such a crisis but speak what I think. Be not offended, sir; my heart burns to serve you, but I will not waste your time on my idle apologies. My sincerity must be proved by my

actions.

I have said, sir, how infamous I think Parliaments. I have not so bad an opinion of all mankind in general. Humanity can operate, when interest is silent. It seems essential, in my opinion, to any future service that your Royal Highness may reap from a motion in Parliament, that the cry of mankind should be raised loud in your favour. That can only be excited by stating your sufferings, and by being able to prove that you have done every thing in your power to reconcile his Majesty, and to deprecate his anger. The plan I should humbly offer to your Royal Highness for your conduct will best explain my meaning, laying it before you, sir, with the ut most deference and diffidence; far from presuming to dictate, but obeying from perfect submission.

I should begin, sir, by writing an ostensible letter to the King,

asking pardon for a natural youthful error, regretting his displeasure, intreating a return of his fraternal affections, stating my own ill health, and how much that must be augmented by his resentment, and at least imploring he would give that relief to a sick body and wounded mind of promising he would make a proper provision for persons so dear to me as my wife and children. As heightening the picture a little would not add to your Royal Highness's disoder, I would beg the comfort of taking leave of him in so criticial a situation of my health. If this should have no effect, sir, I would just before leaving England, in my place in the House of Lords, acquaint their Lordships that I was grieved that his Majesty was so much offended at a youthful error, which, as it was neither repugnant to religion nor law at that time, had flattered myself had not been irremissible. That I had done but what the heir of the crown, James II., when Duke of York, had done and been forgiven, and what had very frequently been done by ther Princes of the Royal blood, and by Kings of England themselves. That I had never refused any match that had been proposed, and had only chosen for myself when no wife had been sought for me. That I had referred legal matrimony to the dissoluteness of youth; that I had selected a woman of blameless virtue; and that I had done what their Lordships could not disapprove, I had chosen a lady from their own class, into which Princes of the blood used to marry. I would then acquaint them with the steps I had in vain taken for a reconciliation. I would entreat them to be mediators with the King for remission of my fault in marrying without his approbation. I would acquaint them with the precarious state of my health, which obliged me to leave the kingdom and my family unprovided for; and I would beg them, as Christian Peers and his Majesty's great Council, to endeavour to repair the breaches in the Royal Family; and, if anything should happen to me, to intercede with his Majesty's piety and forgiveness, to make a suitable provision for two innocent young Princesses of his own blood, who had never offended him; and I would add, that, to avoid any suspicion of intending disturbing his Majesty's mind, I declined making any present parliamentary application for my children, but would leave to the wisdom of their Lordships to take the most proper time of being intercessors for me and my family with my Royal Brother. This address, sir, to the Lords I would deliver in writing, and would desire it might be entered on the journals. I would then retire and leave them.

But now, sir, after taking such a latitude of liberty, whom shall I interest to be intercessor for me with your Royal Highness-your own excellent heart, sir? No, you cannot be offended at zeal, even if it has passed its due bounds. On my soul, sir, I think that what I have said, is the best method I can devise for obtaining your Royal Highness's object. No high-flown loyalty nor grovelling selfinterest has dictated my words. If Parliament is against you, the majority of mankind must be gained over by acting as they would advise. If I advise you, sir, to stoop beyond what your Royal heart would sug

gest, it is for the sake of your children, who will plead when I fail. If you are in the right, in the world's eye, whatever it costs your feeling, it will be of use to them. The circumstances may change; your health, I trust in God, will be re-established, and the more sacrifices you have made, the higher you will stand in the esteem of mankind. I still flatter myself you will enjoy all the happiness and dignity due to your virtues and birth. I am not likely to see that moment, nor should profit by it if I did; but I have done my duty as your true servant, and if I was now at my last hour, I could not give you any other advice than what I now presume to lay at your feet.

P.S. If your Royal Highness should deem this advice timid, I beg it may be tried by this test, whether your Royal Highness thinks, sir, that any one of your enemies would be glad I had given this advice; undoubtedly, sir, the more you take care to be in the right yourself, the more you put those who hurt you with the King in the wrong.

TO THE DUCHESS OF GLOUCESTER.

I Do assure you, madam, your Royal Highness is totally mistaken about Lord Ch, whom I have not seen this month. I received my account from no relation or friend, but from a gentleman of the strictest honour, who came to me as not knowing else how to convey the information to you. I will upon no account name him, as I gave him my word I would not. I am extremely happy there is no truth in the idea, though it came to me in so serious a manner and from a man so incapable of an ill-meaning, that it was my duty to acquaint you with it; and as I desired to be named to your daugh ters, they will know how kind my intention was, and that I am, as I have professed to them, as affectionate as if I was their father.

I shall be very glad, madam, of your brother's picture, and will try to find a place for it; but it is far from being the only near rela tion of whom I have no portrait-I have none of Lord Dysart, of the Bishop, of Lady Malpas, of Mr. and Mrs. Cholmondeley, of Lady Cadogan, &c.-and therefore the remark of the persons' that ob served your brother's being wanting, was not very good-natured to him or me. Many of the family pictures I happened to have; others I begged as I wanted them for particular places; and, indeed, furnished my house to please myself, not to please such people as those who have been so obliging as to tell your Royal Highness that my not having your brother's picture was a mark of contempt. I have no desire of pleasing those who were capable of saying such a thing to you. Your affection for his memory is most amiable, and I shall obey you with pleasure; but allow me to say, madam, that I hope you will always judge of me by what you know of me, and not from comments of others. I have been taxed with partiality for you, long

before there was a question of your present rank; nor do I believe you suspect me of attachment to you from that motive. I am too old, too independent, and too contented to have hopes or fears from any body. I have the highest respect for his Royal Highness's character and virtues, and always shall have; and am proud of paying my court to him, when it can only flow from personal reverence. Were he in the situation he ought to be, I should be but the less anxious to show it.

Indeed I little expected to be suspected of wanting attachment to any part of my family. I have been laughed at, perhaps deservedly, for family pride, which certainly is not always a proof of family affection. I trust I have given proofs that they are not disunited in me; and yet, except from my father, I never received either benefits or favours; and from him only my places, and a small fortune not paid. Thus, whatever I have except my share of Mr. Shorter's fortune that came to me by his leaving no will, and consequently was no obligation, I neither received from my family nor owe to it. It has been saved by my own prudence, is my own to dispose of as I please, and, however I distribute it, or to whom will be a gift, not a claim.

I should not say thus much, madam, but when one can think it worth while to make invidious remarks to you on a tender point with you, on what is or is not in my house, you will allow me to justify myself, and even open my heart to you, to whom I desire it should be known, though I certainly owe no account to any body on so trifling a subject as the furniture of a house which I am master to do what I please with, living or dead. It was from no disregard for your brother that I had not his picture. I love Lady Cadogan very much, as I do, surely, your daughters and nieces, yet have not happened to have their pictures; and though I have probably said a great deal too much, like an old man, it is always a mark of affection when I submit to justify myself on an unjust accusation; and as tenderness for my family is the duty in which I have in my whole life been the least culpable, though very blameable in a thousand other respects, it is very pardonable to be circumstantial and prolix to her whose reproach was kind and good, and whom I desire to convince that I have neither wanted affection for my family, nor am unjust to it. have the honour to be, madam, your Royal Highness's Most faithful, humble servant,

May 10, 1778.

HORACE WALPOLE.

TO LORD ORFORD.

MY DEAR LORD,

YOUR Lordship is very good in thanking me for what I could not claim any thanks, as in complying with your request and assisting you to settle your affairs, according to my father's will was not only my duty; but to promote your service and benefit, to re-establish the affairs of my family, and to conform myself to the views of the Excellent Man, the glory of human nature, who made us all what we are, has been constantly one of the principal objects of my whole life. If my labours and wishes have been crowned with small success, it has been owing to my own inability in the first place, and next to tenderness, and to the dirt and roguery of wretches below my notice. For your Lordship, I may presume to say, I have spared no thought, industry, solicitude, application, or even health, when I had the care of your affairs. What I did and could have done, if you had not thought fit to prefer a most conceited and worthless fellow, I can demonstrate by reams of paper, that may one day or other prove what I say, and which, if I have not yet done, it proceeds from the same tenderness that I have ever had for your Lordship's tranquillity and repose. To acquiesce afterwards in the arrangement you have proposed to me, is small merit indeed. My honour is much dearer to me than fortune; and to contribute to your Lordship's enjoying your fortune with credit and satisfaction, is a point I would have purchased with far greater compliances; for, my Lord, as I flatter myself that I am not thought an interested man, so all who know me know that to see the lustre of my family restored to the consideration to which it was raised by Sir Robert Walpole, shining in you, and transmitted to his and your descendants, was the only ambition that ever actuated me. No personal advantage entered into those views; and if I say thus much of myself with truth, I owe still greater justice to my brother, who has many more virtues than I can pretend to, and is as incapable of forming any mean and selfish wishes as any man upon earth. We are both old men now, and without sons to inspire us with future visions. We wish to leave your Lordship in as happy and respectable a situation as you were born to; and we have both given you all the proof in our power, by acquiescing in your proposal, immediately.

For me, my Lord, I should with pleasure accept the honour of waiting on you at Houghton, at the time you mention, if my lameness and threats of the gout did not forbid my taking so long a jour ney at this time of the year. At sixty-one it would not become me to talk of another year; perhaps I may never go to Houghton again, till I go thither for ever-but without affectation of philosophy, even the path to that journey will be sweetened to me, if I leave Houghton the flourishing monument of one of the best Ministers that ever blest