the two Houses and the Court, and had not heard that none of them carried on the pantomime even to his burial. Her nephew* gave a little into that mummery even to me; forgetting how much I must remember of his avertion to his uncle. Lord Chatham was a meteor, and a glorious one; people discovered that he was not a genuine luminary, and yet every body in mimickry has been an ignis fatuus about him. Why not allow his magnificent enterprises and good-fortune, and confess his defects: instead of being bombast in his praises, and at the same time discover that the amplification is insincere? A Minister who inspires great actions must be a great Minister; and Lord Chatham will always appear so, by comparison with his predecessors and successors. He retrieved our affairs when ruined by a most incapable Administration; and we are fallen into a worse state since he was removed. Therefore, I doubt posterity will allow more to his merit, than it is the present fashion to accord to it. Our historians have of late been fond of decrying Queen Elizabeth, in order if possible to raise the Stuarts: but great actions surmount foibles; and folly and guilt, would always remain folly and guilt though there had never been a great man or woman in the world. Our modern tragedies, hundreds of them, do not contain a good line; nor are they a jot the better, because Shakspeare, who was superior to all mankind, wrote some whole plays that are as bad as any of our present writers.

I shall be very glad to see your nephew, and talk of you with him; which will be more satisfactory than questioning accidental travellers.

LETTER CCXCII.

Arlington Street Oct. 30, 1778.

PRAY allow that I am a miracle of attention, when I have the courage to begin a letter that is, I know, to contain little or nothing, and which is the quintessence of two very long gazettes. We had been amused with a notion that Lord Howe was blocking up M. D'Estaing in Boston, and would certainly take him and his whole fleet. Lest we should build too much on that idea, Lord Howe himself arrived on Monday, having taken nothing but his leave. Being modest he owns that he had no mind to encounter the French squadron. A violent storm solved his difficulties, and dispersed both fleets. The Americans, deprived of thier allies, quitted Rhode Island: and then Sir Harry Clinton raised a contribution of ten thousand sheep and some oxen, which intimates a little want of provisions. However, these escapes have raised our spirits so much that we are going to send twelve thousand men more to America-where they may banquet on, mutton. Still, as it is good to have two strings to our

Mr. Thomas Pitt..

bow, the Governor Johnstone is returned the two other commissioners remain to make peace,† to which we are told the Americans are disposed; a proof of which is our sending another army thither.

* Governor Johnstone had been charged by the Congress with an attempt to corrupt and bribe General Reed with the sum of ten thousand pounds and a public situation in the colonies; to which offer the General is said to have answered, "that he was not worth purchasing, but, such as he was, the King of Great Britian was not rich enough to do it." In consequence of this, the Congress interdicted all intercourse and correspondence with the Commissioners while Governor Johnstone continued one of them. He therefore resigned, and returned to England. In a letter to George Selwyn, of the 6th of November, Mr. Charles Townshend says, "Governor Johnstone is as mad as a bull. He foams at the mouth, and swears that he will impeach Lord Howe and Sir William for not reducing America. Wedderburn says he talks in a very manly style; and he is much caressed by Ministers, whom he has abused in so coarse a style to the Americans you may be sure he caresses them in his turn. He puts me in mind of a character of King James I., given by an old Scotch Lord at his accession: Ken you an ape! If I'se hold him he will bite you; if you hold him, he will bite me.'"-Selwyn Correspondence, vol. 347.-ED.

iii. p.

On the 3rd of October, the Commissioners, preparatory to their quitting America for England, published a Manifesto. "Having amply and repeatedly," they said, "made known to the Congress, and having also proclaimed to the inhabitants of North America in general, the benevolent overtures of Great Britain towards a reunion and coalition with her colonies, we do not think it consistent either with the duty we owe to our country, or with a just regard to the characters we bear, to persist in holding out offers which, in our estimation, required only to be known to be most gratefully accepted: and we have accordingly, excepting only the Commander-inchief, who will be detained by military duties, resolved to return to England a few weeks after the date of this Manifesto and Proclamation." In enclosing a copy to George Selwyn, Lord Carlilse thus speaks of it, and of the country and people he was about to leave: "Tis a sort of last dying speech of the Commission; an effort from which I expect little success; an experiment and duty to our country and ourselves, from which, however, in our circumstances, I fear will originate little public advantage. Our weather is pleasant, and the appearance of the country about us infinitely more beautiful than in summer; for there are some trees, when touched by the night frosts, that have their leaves turned to a bright red, which has a very extraordinary effect among the different shades of green and yellow which predominate in autumn. Every thing is upon a great scale upon this continent. The rivers are immense; the climate violent in heat and cold; the prospects magnificent; the thunder and lightning tremendous. The disorders incident to the country make every constitution tremble. We have nothing on a great scale with us but our blunders, our misconduct, our ruin, our losses, our disgraces and misfortunes, that will mark the reign of a Prince who deserves better treatment and kinder fortunes. Whatever may be our reception at home, I think I have strength of mind enough to stem the torrent, let it set against me with all its fury. I have served my King with zeal and attachment for his government and person. If I had succeeded, my country would have reaped the benefit of my labours; as I have not, I only hope the approbation of the attempt will not be refused me."-Selwyn Correspondence, vol. iii. p. 339. As if this unfortunate Commission was to be distinguished from all others, Lord Carlisle, as chief Commissioner, received, a few days before his departure, a challenge to single combat, from the Marquis de La Fayette, for some harsh ness of reflection upon the conduct of the French court and nation, which had appeared in one of the public instruments issued by the Commissioners in their political capacity. The proposal, which could only be excused by national levity or the heat of youth, was calmly replied to by the noble Lord: "I confess," he said, "I find it difficult, to return a serious answer. I am solely responsible to my country and King,

Admiral Keppel is returned to Portsmouth, and the Brest squadron is again at sea; taking it by turns to take an airing.

One advantage we certainly have, having taken to the value of two millions in prizes; on the strength of which we shall fling away about double that sum. But we never proposed to be gainers by the war: we had nothing to do, and so we played against ourselves.

The Duke of Queensberry is dead, at fourscore; and leaves a great estate to Lord March, the new Duke. There is a much more melancholy loss, the death of Lord Lincoln.* He was sent abroad at the last gasp, and died two posts from Calais. You know he married one of my cousins, a daughter of Lord Hertford. She is a pretty, sensible, amiable young woman, and passionately fond of him. She returned last night with the body.

I came to town on Monday for a day or two, and have been caught by the gout in my foot; but it is very slight, and with very little pain, so that I hope it will be of short duration. It is amazing what the bootikins have done for me by diminishing the mass of the gout. I have had no fit for nearly two years, and the three last were very inconsiderable. As I have worn the bootikins constantly every night ever since my great fit, it is demonstration how serviceable they are to me at least.

Mrs. Anne Pitt, I hear, is in a very wild way, and they think must be confined. She is not the only one I know that ought to be,-but I hold my peace. Indeed in this country it would be partiality to shut up only one or two here and there.

I make no excuse for being so short. I am tired of lamenting; and still live, I doubt, to see the completion of all the ruin I have foreseen, and then one has lived too long!

LETTER CCXCIII.

Arlington Street, Nov. 16, 1778.

I THINK I luckily wrote to you just as I was seized with the gout, and told you so. I am sure I have not been able to write since, for I am confined to my bed; and have been above this fortnight with the gout in every hand, elbow, knee, and foot belonging to me, and not one of the eight is yet recovered. This is so terrible a state to suffer, and so tiresome to hear from any body else, that I shall say as little upon it as possible. There is no danger in it: in every other light it is deplorable.

and not to any individual, for my public conduct and language. The injury alluded to is not of a private nature; and I conceive all national disputes will be best decided by the meeting of Admiral Byron and Count d'Estaing."-Ed.

Lord Lincoln was the eldest son of Henry, first Duke of Newcastle. He married, in 1775, Lady Frances Seymour, daughter of the Earl of Hertford.-ED.

This confinement has cost you no news but the loss of Dominica ;* and you saw as much of that in the newspaper, at least as I could tell you. I have this moment received yours of the 27th of last month, in which you again petition for good news, that you may silence the impertinent buzzes in your part of the world; but in truth I don't know how you will stop their throats, but by the quantity and richness of the captures made from the French. The King's Speech, I doubt, must have great recourse to the same anodyne. Nothing of consequence has been done anywhere, by fleets or armies; and the notion is, that our own returned commanders are likely to be warmer with one another, than they have been with the enemy; but, indeed, I believe reports of what is to come still less than what is past, neither of which have I for some time seen come to any thing;-then it is not difficult to foresee the consequence.

I am surprised at the Hibernian family you mention being arrived at Florence so soon: you are very welcome to show them as many civilities as you please, and set them down to my account; but do not receive every thing they say of me as coming from the heart. They know your partiality to me, and they mean to pass their time every where as agreeably as they can. For the other lady,† and her daughter Chance, be doubly upon your guard against the mother. There is nothing so black of which she is not capable. Her gallantries are the whitest specks about her.

I have heard nothing of your nephew's arrival; but shall be very impatient when he does come to see him as soon as I can see any body. I shall long to hear his account of you, and good accounts of you; at least, I shall not hear that you are little more than a mummy, as I am. Adieu !

LETTER CCXCIV.

Arlington Street, Nov. 27, 1778.

In my present situation, lying on a couch in my bed-chamber, with not a single limb free but my left hand, I certainly did not expect any singular pleasure to-day; and yet I had the great and unexpected one of seeing your nephew, who, though another, is a true Sir Horace. He had called here a few days ago, when I was able to see scarcely anybody; and, not being expected, he was not admitted. I was heartily chagrined, and did not know whither to send to

*The island of Dominica was taken, on the 7th of September, by the Marquis de Bouille, Governor-General of Martinico.-En.

† Elizabeth Drax, Countess-Dowager of Berkeley, afterwards married to Robert Nugent, Esq., since created Earl of Clare. During her latter marriage she had two daughters, the younger of whom Mr. Mugent disavowed for his. The elder was married to the second Earl Temple.

him. He was so kind as to come again to-day, when you may be sure he was not refused. As I can only dictate, I must retrench a thousand things I would say; but one word will paint my contentment with him. He loves you as much as he would have loved his father, if he had known him as well. Indeed, it is the same thing; as I told him, there were two you's or two he's. Your nephew says he would not but visit you every year for the world, which you may be sure I did not discourage; though I must naturally wish just the reverse, i. e. that you should visit him, at least for once. He tells me you are very plump and portly, and in most admirable health. Poor young man he had a little gout in one foot, and I presented but a sad perspective to him. But I begged him not to bring the gout into his stomach, by being persuaded to keep it out by strong wines. Though I have been so often afflicted by severe fits for these twenty years, I never had it but one-half hour in my head, and never once in my stomach. In this fit, though I kept my bed within three days of a month, perspired immoderately and almost constantly, yet I drank nothing but cold water the whole time; and every morning, as soon as I wake, have my face and neck washed with cold water. No fit ever came so rapidly and regularly, nor went off more kindlythanks to the bootikins, and to cold water and air; which two last, I am persuaded by long experience, will never hurt me, though very likely my system would kill a Hercules, who all his life kept a fiery furnace in his stomach. For your nephew, he seems to have acquired the only thing he wanted, and which was very excusable to want at his age,-prudence. And he feels it still more on your account than his own.

I beg the nation's, but not your pardon, for indulging myself in giving the precedence to your nephew.-Now for the other.

Our Parliament opened yesterday. The Speech did not display very promising prospects, but the debates and events in neither House were remarkable: prodigious bickerings were expected between generals, admirals, commissioners, and ministers; but some of the points in contestation were alone touched, and nothing probed, though probably only deferred.

It is said and believed, that Sir Harry Clinton had embarked a body of troops for our West Indian islands, but has disembarked them again; so, the merchants concerned in those islands are in the highest alarms. Spain, I doubt, grows less and less to be depended upon; and the French party in Holland have carried some strong questions against our seizure of their ships, though we have offered reasonable indemnification. In short, I have neither good news nor good prognostics to send you. All these things are public; and secrets I should not utter even to you at this distance, if I knew

any.

able to write, or sooner, if Your nephew will help me

You shall hear again as soon as I am there is any thing material to send you. out; though in the hurry of a fresh arrival, and with his attendance