find my spirits affected. In fact, my inside is so strong, and the case so very week, that I believe the cottage will tumble down, and I shall have nothing but the inside left. I am thinking of going to Bath or to the sea-side, which has often been of service; not, to say the truth, that I suppose it will, but one is to try, and to pretend to suppose it will. Old people always talk as if they expected cures-but surely they cannot; surely they cannot forget how they used to laugh at their seniors who had such idle hopes! But enough, and too much of myself.

The tide of victories continues: Fort Washington was taken at the end of the year, and Rhode Island since. A great deal is still to do, and not much less if the war was over. It does not appear yet that Dr. Franklin has persuaded France to espouse America openly. One hears a great deal of underhand support, and in general the disposition of the French for war with us; but I never believe but on facts, seldom reports, and seldomer prophecies and conjectures; chance being the great mistress of human affairs in the dernier ressort.

It

The Parliament is met, but, as the Opposition does not attend, for these last two days they could not get a House of one hundred members; which is necessary, since Mr. Grenville's Bill, if an election is to be heard. We were alarmed on Sunday with an account of Bristol being in flames, and of several attempts to fire that city and Portsmouth.* turns out almost nothing at all, and not above the pitch of insurers. There was a silly story of two new-invented engines for firing being found in the lodgings of the supposed incendiary, together with an account of the St. Barthelemi and Dr. Price's pamphlet for the Americans. If true, it indicated a madman.

Your lord paramount, the Emperor, is coming to Paris: he does

*These attempts to fire Bristol and Portsmouth were work of the wretched incendiary, James Aitken, commonly called John the Painter. After committing numer ous highway robberies, burglaries, and petty thefts, he shipped himself off to America, where he continued three years. On his return, he formed the detestable design of destroying the maritime force of England by setting fire to the royal dock-yards, and burning the principal trading cities and towns, with their shipping. For this purpose he took extraordinary pains in the construction of his fireworks and combustibles; and it was owing to the unaccountable failure in one of his infernal machines, that the nation was saved from so dreadful a shock. He succeeded in setting fire to the rope-house at Portsmouth, but failed in his attempt on Bristol, where he only destroyed six or seven warehouses. He was tried at Winchester in March, and conveyed for execution to Portsmouth dock-gate. Before he was turned off he acknowledged the justice of his sentence, and recommended strict vigilance at all the dockyards, "because," he said, "it was in the power of any determined, resolute man to do a great deal of mischief."-ED.

This celebrated pamphlet was entitled "Observations on the Nature of Civil Liberty, the Principles of Government, and the Justice and Policy of the War with America." It was circulated with profusion, and, for writing it, the Common Council of London voted the Doctor their thanks, and presented him with the freedom of the city in a gold box. Being translated into the Dutch language, it is supposed to have influenced the Hollanders in withdrawing their property from the British funds. It was repeatedly quoted in both Houses.-ED.

Joseph II., Emperor of Germany and brother of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, arrived at Paris in the middle of April. Under the name of Count Falkenstein he lived and travelled like a very private gentleman. He visited but little at

not come hither-he needs not. We have transplanted the flowers of our follies thither-horse-racing and gaming; and our chief missionaries preside over the rites. My poor hand is so weak that you must dispense with my writing you no longer a letter. For eight days I underwent the humiliation of being fed; and, when one comes to one's pap again, no wonder one thinks one's self ancient ! Adieu !

LETTER CCLXIV.

Arlington Street, Feb. 6, 1777.

AFTER a confinement of seven weeks, I begin to go about again. I feel no great joy in my liberty; and, had I any excuse for bringing people to me, I should not feel concerned to live at home; for all England is a public place, and nothing so difficult to find as any private society. Every thing is changed; as always must happen when one grows old, and is prejudiced to one's old ways. I do not like dining at nearly six, nor beginning the evening at ten at night. If one does not conform, one must live alone; and that is more disagreeable and more difficult in town than in the country, where old useless people ought to live. Unfortunately, the country does not agree with me; and I am sure it is not fancy; for my violent partiality to Strawberry Hill cannot be imposed upon. I am persuaded that it is the dampness of this climate that gives me so much gout; and London, from the number of fires and inhabitants, must be the dryest spot in the nation.

There is nothing new of any sort. As there is no Opposition, there is no Parliament; I mean none that is talked of more than the Assizes. In America the campaign seems to be over. It is to be very warm next summer; but there will be a spring between of some consequence. Then will be seen what we are to expect from France. Your brother, the Emperor, has put off his journey thither: some think, rebuffed from Versailles; others, that storms are brewing in the North, or deathst approaching that will open the flood-gates. I but just touch these points; for I have no private intelligence from every Court in Europe. I can see very little way into futurity, and when I think I do, I am commonly mistaken. That this country is stark mad in every respect, I am very clear; a death that great countries are apt to die of. I have but few years to come, have no children to leave, and therefore it is no wonder

Court, and spent no part of his time in forms; but laid it out, with the attention of a philosopher and the inquisitiveness of a statesman, in examining the different establishments of that country.-Ed.

* The sport of horse-racing, with a mixture of gambling, was at this time greatly on the increase in France. There had recently been two in one day: the first between the Prince de Nassau and the Marquis de Fénélon, who both rode their own horses; the other between the Duc de Chartres and the Duc de Lauzun. Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette were present. Of the six exalted individuals four perished, a few years after, by the guillotine!-ED.

Probability of the death of the King of Prussia.

that the natural insensibility of age increases upon me, as well as the disposition to censure and to augur ill. In common life one thinks many persons dying before they do die-yet they do die too. One is still more in the right, though perhaps not so soon as one expects to be, when one foretells that such a one will kill himself by his intemperance. Some will think that, as our doctors have given us over, there is a better chance of our recovering. It is true I have no opinion of our doctors -the Opposition; still I think the patient is in a most deplorable way, and, as in consumptions, he has no sense of his danger. Look you: all this may be speculation and vision; I do not trouble myself about the credit of my oracle. If I did, I could give two sides to my prophecy, and could tell you, that if things did not turn out very ill one way, they would another; and I could support my belief with an oath: but I am pretty indifferent about the matter when I cannot help it, and have no more notion of caring about what will happen ten years after I am dead, than about what will happen two hundred. We have been in an unnatural state, and swelled from a little island to an empire; but I doubt the island will not shrink just into its natural corpulency again; and there is a new field for speculation! But I am, luckily, at the end of my

paper.

LETTER CCLXV.

Arlington Street, March, 5th, 1777. My last has already told you, I hope, that I am entirely recovered. You shall believe, if you please that a moment of bootikins weakened you; but allow me to be certain that above three years of experience has demonstrated that they do not weaken me; and as to all reasonings of the Italian physicians, why, they are still more ignorant than ours. I shall not argue with them or you, for I have no convert-making zeal. I content myself with my own judgment and experience for my own use, and it is not reasonable to expect that others should see truth with my eyes. It has rarely happened to me to think with the majority, and I have so much respect for the plural number as not to dispute with them. There never were more against me than in our present politics. I have kept my sentiments pretty much to myself, but nothing has made me change my opinion. At present, the aspect is not as if I had been totally in the wrong. The campaign in America has lost a great deal of its florid complexion, and General Washington is allowed by both sides not to be the worst general in the field. The Stocks are grown positive that we shall have a French war. That was so self-evident, that I should be ashamed of bragging I had always forseen it. A child might foretell many of the consequences. I leave it to those who would not foresee to excuse themselves as they can.

The Gazettes will tell you as much as you are allowed to know or believe. If you do not understand them, you will not be singular.

The time is coming, I doubt, when Truth will write a more legible hand. In one word, the retreat of the Americans seems to have been wise; you will find they will fight and have fought, and that, when we believed Philadelphia was gone, General Howe has been obliged to contract his quarters. I should think less than unlimited submission* would content us at present; and I leave you to judge whether France will be omitted in the negotiation, and whether she will enjoin the Congress to be very tractable. I hope there will be a little more wisdom in making the peace than there was in making the war; but they who make the one, do not always consider that they may not be equally masters to make the other.

There is scarcely any thing of private news. Two old persons that you remember are dead, Sir Thomas Robinsont and Lady shadwell ;‡ she lived to ninety-six. The Duke of Norfolk, but two years younger, is recovered from a dangerous illness. Lady Chesterfield has had a stroke of palsy, but may linger some time longer. In short, my dear sir, you and I can only talk in common of a few Methusalems, cock and hen; for, as to the travelling boys that you get acquainted with en passant, I do not. I have done with the world, except parting with it in form; and chiefly pass my time with a few acquaintance or alone at Strawberry Hill, where I never want amusement. My old age is as agreeable as I desire it: oppressed with no misfortunes, disappointments, or infirmities, for I am determined to consider the gout as a remedy that only makes my liberty more welcome; with a fortune as ample as I wish either for pleasing myself or for doing some kindnessés ; indifferent to pleasures that would be ridiculous, and encumbered with no glory or vanity that would impose restraint or reserve on me. I enjoy the remnant with cheerfulness, and think I shall lay it down with no more regret than what must attend parting with what is not disagreeable. I am exceedingly thankful for the happiness of my lot, and own it has been far greater than I should have dared to ask. Can I, then, but be content when it shall terminate? This is the thirty-seventh

* Lord George Germain declared in the House of Commons, when Secretary of State, that he would be content with nothing under the unlimited submission of America.

Sir Thomas Robinson, of Rokeby in Yorkshire, who, on account of his stature, was commonly called "Long Sir Thomas," and also to distinguish him from the di plomatist, Sir Thomas Robinson, afterwards Lord Grantham. As he died without issue, the title devolved to his next brother. Two days after his death, his fourth brother, Dr. Richard Robinson, Archbishop of Armagh, was created Baron Rokeby of Armagh.-ED.

Widow of Sir John Shadwell, the physician, with whom she had visited Florence, where they became acquainted with Sir Horace Mann, and also with Walpole. Sir John was a spectator of the great eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1737, and published an account of it in the Philosophical Transactions. He was the only son of Shadwell, the dramatic poet, and filled the situation of physician to Queen Anne, George 1. and George II.; by the former of whom he was knighted.-ED.

Edward Howard, ninth Duke of Norfolk. He died on the 20th of September, at the great age of ninety-two.-ED.

Melusina Schulembourg, Countess of Walsingham, niece of the Duchess of Kendal, and widow of the celebrated Philip Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield. She died in September, 1778.

year of our correspondence: we are the Oretes and Pylades of letterwriters, yet I wish our meeting had left us less to boast! Adieu !

P.S. I must add a curious story, which I believe will surprise your Italian surgeons, as much as it has amazed the faculty here. A sailor, who had broken his leg, was advised to communicate his case to the Royal Society. The account he gave was, that, having fallen from the top of the mast and fractured his leg, he had dressed it with nothing but tar and oakum, and yet in three days was able to walk as well as before the accident. The story at first appeared quite incredible, as no such efficacious qualities were known in tar, and still less in oakum; nor was a poor sailor to be credited on his own bare assertion of so wonderful a cure. The society very reasonably demanded a fuller relation, and, I suppose, the corroboration of evidence. Many doubted whether the leg had been really broken. That part of the story had been amply verified. Still it was difficult to believe that the man had made use of no other applications than tar and oakum; and how they should cure a broken leg in three days, even if they could cure it at all, was a matter of the utmost wonder. Several letters passed between the society and the patient, who persevered in the most solemn asseverations of having used no other remedies, and it does appear beyond a doubt that the man speaks truth. It is a little uncharitable, but I fear there are surgeons who might not like this abbreviation of attendance and expense. But, on the other hand, you will be charmed with the plain honest simplicity of the sailor: in a postscript to his last letter he added these words, "I forgot to tell your honours that the leg was a wooden one." Was there ever more humour? What would one have given to have been present, and seen the foolish faces of the wise assembly! I am an unworthy member of that learned body, and never attend their meetings, which I now regret; I should have been paid for many dull hours: but I never had patience for such solemn assemblies, and have neglected that of the Arts and Sciences, as well as the Royal. I shut myself entirely out of the Antiquarian Society and Parliament, the archiepiscopal seats of folly and knavery.

LETTER CCLXVI.

Strawberry Hill, April 3, 1777.

I HAVE nothing very new to tell you on public affairs, especially as I can know nothing more than you see in the papers. It is my opinion that the King's affairs are in a very bad position in America. I do not say that his armies may not gain advantages again; though I believe there has been as much design as cowardice in the behaviour of the provincials, who seem to have been apprized that protraction of the war would be more certainly advantageous to them than heroism. Washington, the dictator, has shown himself both a Fabius and a Camillus. His march through our lines is allowed to have been a