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Chancery, and put it to the consciences of the judges, which of us two was the elder by eleven years!

Yes, it is the 16th, and not a syllable of news more. en, ma lettre ; Sir Horace expects you.

16th.

Allez vous

P.S. I do allow Earl Cowper a place in the Tribune: an English earl who has never seen his earldom, and takes root and bears fruit at Florence, and is proud of a pinchbeck principality in a third country, is as great a curiosity as any in the Tuscan collection.*

Second P.S. I had just folded my letter, but not sealed it :—a knock at the door. Who do you think it was?-your nephew! Oh! how glad! Why you have flown on the wings of the winds!-So he had -in such a storm on Saturday night, that I believed it tossed him over the houses, and set him down in Berkeley Square. He looks as well as possible. I read my letter to him, and he swears your portrait is as like you as two peas! Well! then I have no idea of you!

After exhausting Florence and England, I questioned him about Vesuvius he repeated Sir William Hamilton's account of it to you, and I long to see it. I had not heard of the insurrection and phrenzy of the people. You would oblige me much if you would let it be transcribed, and send me a copy of his letter. As your nephew said justly, it was such a wonderful picture of nature and human nature in convulsion!

Adieu! I have not time to say more.

LETTER CCCXVIII.

Berkeley Square, Nov. 28, 1779.

I DID not forget you on the Parliament meeting, though you have not received proof of my recollection. Being ill in bed, and not able to write myself, I dictated a line to your nephew, to beg that, if any thing very particular should happen on Thursday, the first day of the session, he would write to you the next day, which would have been my post-night. Your nephew was not in town, nor was expected till to-day; and, having the gout in both feet and knees, I continued in too

The Earl married at Florence in 1775, and died in 1789. His three children were all born at Florence.-ED.

"All public diversions," says Sir William, "ceased in an instant; and, the theatres being shut, the doors of the churches were thrown open. Numerous processions were formed in the streets, and women and children with dishevelled heads filled the air with their cries, insisting loudly upon the relicts of St. Januarius being immediately opposed to the fury of the mountain: in short, the populace began to display its usual extravagant mixture of riot and bigotry; and, if some speedy and well-timed precautions had not been taken, Naples would, perhaps, have been in more danger of suffering from the irregularities of the lower classes of inhabitants than from the angry volcano."-Ed.

much pain to write myself, or even to dictate: besides that, in that situation, I had learnt few or no circumstances of the debate, except that little or no fluctuation had happened in the quintessence of debatesnumbers on the division.* I remember a man of humour proposing that, for the convenience of the greater part, the division should always precede the debate; that, only they who liked to talk should stay and make their speeches, which he supposed never determined or altered the several votes: no compliment to oratory, and still less a panegyric on corruption and prejudice!

In fact, a very considerable defalcation from the standing majority had been expected. The inglorious and unprosperous events of the summer; the general discontent and dissatisfaction that are arisen; but, above all, the crack that has happened in the Administration itself by the resignations of Lord Gower and Lord Weymouth,† which at least implied apprehension in them that the edifice was falling, and which, being timed at the very eve of Parliament, were certainly not intended to prop it: and it having been as artfully divulged, that endeavours had been made to terrify Lord North from his post, by assuring him he could not maintain it: such a concurrence of untoward circumstances naturally suggested a vision of much diminution of the majority; and such a vision naturally is apt to realize it, by the caution of such prudent senators as love to proceed on sure ground, and absent themselves till the prospect is more clear.

Lord North, however, had courage to stand the issue of a battle; his troops were better disciplined than had been expected, and the Lords Gower and Weymouth found that no body had been frightened but themselves. What the latter feared, no mortal can guess; for he is actually run away to Longleate, and no persuasion could retain him. The deserted would not impeach him for what they had co-operated in; and, if beaten, the victorious would have spared him for the merit of having opened a gate to their success.-But enough of such a recreant !

The other deserter has not yet gone over to the enemy. He will wait, no doubt, till some new fact leads him to thinking it much more heinous than all that is past. In the mean time, to console themselves for the little mischief their flight has occasioned, their small squadron of friends affect to impute the bulk of the majority, on Thursday last, to the intemperance of the Amendment proposed by the Opposition to the Address. The vacancies are supplied by Lord Bathurst as President, and by Lord Hillsborough as Secretary of State. You must not expect, however, that the storm is quite dispersed. Disappointment is no composer to some minds.

*After a long debate, an Amendment to the Address of Thanks, which was proposed by Lord John Cavendish, was rejected by a majority of 233 to 134.-ED.

A few days before the meeting of Parliament, Earl Gower resigned his post of President of the Council, and was succeeded by Earl Bathurst; Lord Weymouth also resigned his situation of Secretary of State for the Southern Department, and was succeeded by the Earl of Hillsborough.-ED.

Fortune has shown us some partiality. D'Estaing's fleet of twentytwo ships has been dispersed, and probably suffered considerably, by a terrible tempest that lasted for three days off Carolina. Thus, the West Indies are likely to be saved. The danger is, that this favourable event may re-invigorate our impracticable phrenzy of reconquering America; the most certain way of our not recovering it. Ireland is in great danger, if we apply our American ideas to it; but, alas! experience and misfortune have not yet operated as medicines !

That old meteor, Wilkes, has again risen above the horizen, when he had long seemed virtually extinct. The citizens, revolted from the Court on the late disgraces, have voted him into the post of Chamberlain of London; a place of fifteen hundred pounds a-year. How Massaniello and Rieuzi and Jack Cade would stare at seeing him sit down as comfortably as an alderman of London !-If he should die of a surfeit of custard at last!

I had forgotten myself; but you see I am much better to-day. My pains are gone off, and I rose to-day at noon, after keeping my bed three days. Sufferings have taught me to estimate their absence at the rate of health and happiness.

Thank you for the poem of Mrs. Montagu on Shakspeare, which your nephew brought me. I do not admire the poetry, though in Italian, which methinks it is difficult to prevent from sounding poetical; but I like much the author's just attack on Voltaire for having pillaged Shakspeare, at whom he died railing.

29th.

If one meteor is re-illuminated, another is extinct. Lord Lytteltonf is dead suddenly. Suddenly in this country is always at first construed to mean, by a pistol. But it is not known yet whether Mars or Venus supplied the amunition; and I may not be very accurate in dates, though they lie within the compass of three days. He had on Thursday made a violent speech against the Administration, under which he held the post of Chief Justice in Eyre; but this was not new: he was apt to go point-blank into all extremes without any parenthesis or decency, nor ever boggled at contradicting his own words. The story given out is, that he looked ill, and had said he should not live three days; that, however, he had gone to his house at Epsom that night, or next day, with a caravan of nymphs; and on Saturday night had retired before supper to take rhubarb, returned, supped heartily, went into the next room again, and died in an instant. I should have said more perhaps

* Wilkes had recently been elected Chamberlain of the City of London, by a majority of 2330 to 370. He held the lucrative situation till his death, in 1797.— ED. Thomas, second Lord Lyttelton. See antè, p. 101. His lordship had not completed his thirty-sixth year.-ED.

This is very probably the real story: another, however, of his, predicting the period of his death within a few minutes, upon the information of an apparition, has been frequently quoted as the true one. It will be found in Nash's History of Worcestershire; and Boswell states, that Dr. Johnson said he considered it the most

on Lord Lyttelton, but was interrupted, and told a fresh event, that will stifle the other. Charles Fox has been slightly wounded in the side this morning in a duel. Adam, a Scot, and nephew of the architects, a man of a very suspicious character, has for two or three years distinguished himself by absurd speeches,-often, though a Scot, pointed against Lord North: but on Thursday last he uttered a most ridiculous one, in which he said, that, though he had left the House last year prepossessed against Administration, yet he had been converted to them by reading the examinations of the Generals; who, he perceived, had been more to blame than the Ministers. This rhapsody Fox had ridiculed in the highest degree with infinite wit and argument. Adam felt the sarcasm to the quick, and after the debate asked an explanation. Fox told him he had meant no personal invective, and they parted. At three this morning Adam sent an officer to Fox, to say he had read a very injurious detail of the affair in the newspapers, and desired Fox to contradict it. He wrote an answer, saying he was not answerable for newspapers; but assured him, under his hand, that he had meant nothing injurious, and Adam might show that reply. Not content, Adam returned, that his friends were not satisfied, and that Mr. Fox must print the letter. "That is too much," said Fox; and at eight this morning they went into Hyde Park. Adam fired first, and the ball grazed Fox's side slightly; but he fired, and then said, "Mr. Adam, are you satisfied?” You will feel horror at the reply. "No," said Adam, "you must print your letter." Still, no, said, Fox. Adam fired again and missed; and then Fox fired in the air, and it ended.*

extraordinary thing that had happened in his day, and that he had heard it with his own ears from Lord Westcote. Wraxall's version of it, in his Historical Memoirs, is, that the dying lord heard a noise at his chamber window resembling the fluttering of a dove or pigeon, and saw a female figure, which, approaching the foot of the bed, announced to him that he would die in three days from that time. Sir Nathaniel adds, that in 1783 he paid a visit to the identical bed-chamber, where the casement at which the dove appeared to flutter was shown him; and, farther, that he had frequently seen a painting executed by the Dowager Lady Lyttelton, expressly to commemorate the event. In reference to these stories, Sir Walter Scott says, in his Demonology, "but of late it has been said and published, that the unfortunate nobleman had previously determined to take poison, and of course had it in his own power to ascertain the execution of the prediction: it was no doubt singular, that a man who meditated his exit from the world should have chosen to play such a trick on his friends; but it is still more credible that a whimsical man should do so wild a thing, than that a messenger should be sent from the dead to tell a libertine at what precise time he should expire."-ED.

*This is not correct. The following is the statement of the two seconds, General Fitzpatrick and Major Humberston :-" Mr. Adam fired, and wounded Mr. Fox, which we believe was not at all perceived by Mr. Adam, and it was not distinctly seen by either of ourselves. Mr. Fox fired without effect; we then interfered, asking Mr. Adam if he was satisfied. Mr. Adam replied, 'Will Mr. Fox declare he meant no personal attack upon my character?' Upon which Mr. Fox said, this was no place for apologies, and desired him to go on. Mr. Adam fired his second pistol without effect; Mr. Fox fired his remaining pistol in the air; and then saying, as the affair was ended, he had no difficulty in declaring that he meant no more personal af

P.S. As my letter was sealing, to which my paper would not let me make any conclusion, I received yours on the 13th; to which, being just got into bed, I cannot reply now. All I will say is, that great part of your news is true; many of the Spanish vessels are returned home; D'Estaing's fleet is dispersed; I know nothing of Martinico and their Domingo-men.-Your nephew was with me this morning I rejoice in what you tell me of his views.

LETTER CCCXIX.

Berkeley Square, Dec. 20, 1779.

SINCE mine of the 30th of last month, I have not been able to write a line myself; nor can yet: the gout took and keeps possession of my right hand, and returned last week into the foot, knee, and wrist of the same side. I think it is again departing; but like war, it makes many skirmishes after one thinks the campaign is over. Your nephew, I hope and believe has written more than once in the interval: and, I suppose, given you a sketch of Parliamentary transactions, which, though warm enough, have produced no material event or alteration. The most important object of all even now in question has not received the least rub; and, which is better still, promises all appearance of being crowned with success. Great concessions to Ireland have been adopted, are sailing through both Houses with favourable gales, have been notified to Ireland, and have pleased there, and we trust will restore harmony between these islands. We have the sense to trespass on the formalities of Christmas, and for once prefer wisdom to going out of town the moment it is fashionable.*

The holidays, however, are not without subjects of rejoicing; we have taken from Spain a sturdy fort on the Musquito shore, two rich register ships, and prejudiced them still more by bringing off the provision of quicksilver for their mines, which the captors nobly refused to restore for the large offer of three hundred thousand pounds. The generous tars, too, have admitted their companions the landmen into

front to Mr. Adam than he did to either of the other gentlemen present. Mr. Adam replied, 'Sir, you have behaved like a man of honour." Mr. Fox then mentioned that be believed himself wounded; and, upon opening his waistcoat, it was found it was so, but, to all appearance, slightly."-ED.

* On the 1st of December Lord North had brought in his Propositions for the relief of the trade of Ireland. In speaking of the Minister's speech upon this occasion, Hardy, in his Memoirs of Lord Charlemont, says, "It is due to the memory of that most amiable man to state, that his speech on moving the commercial resolutions was able, liberal, and conciliatory. It contains the amplest information on the subject. The resolutions which re-opened the woollen trade to Ireland, and gave us a freedom of commerce with the British colonies, on certain stipulations, were received in this country with joy and gratitude. Dublin was illuminated, and universal satisfaction prevailed."-Ed.

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