said the King. Certainly, sir,' said he; I had the honour to see him em'bark in a coach, with his asthma, and à ca country equipage, his perruque 'lotte, neatly tied with a yellow ri'band, and his old fashioned hat co'vered with oil skin, which becomes ' him uncommonly well. I have now 'therefore only to contend with William Russell, whom he leaves, as his 6 ' representative with Miss Hamilton; 6 and, as for him, I neither fear him 6 upon his own account, nor his uncle's. 'He is too much in love himself, to 6 pay attention to the interests of another; and as he has but one method ' of promoting his own, which is by sacrificing the portrait, or some love' letters of Mrs. Middleton, I have it easily in my power to counteract him in such kind of favours, though I con'fess I have pretty well paid for them.' 6 6 6 Since your affairs proceed so prosperously with the Russells,' said the King, I will acquaint you that you ' are delivered from another rival, much 'more dangerous, if he were not al ready married: my brother has lately 'fallen in love with Lady Chesterfield.' 'How many blessings at once!' exclaimed Grammont: I have so many obligations to him for this inconstancy, that I would willingly serve 'him in his new amour, if Hamilton was not his rival: nor will your ma'jesty take it ill, if I promote the in'terest of my mistress's brother in pre'ference to those of your brother. 'Hamilton, however,' said the King, 'does not stand so much in need of 'assistance, in affairs of this nature, as 'the Duke of York; but I know lord 'Chesterfield is of such a disposition, 'that he will not suffer men to quarrel ' about his wife, with the same pa 'tience as the complaisant Shrews bury; though he well deserves the 'same fate.' Here follows a true de scription of Lord Chesterfield. He had a very agreeable countenance, a fine head of hair, an indifferent figure, and a worse air; he was not however deficient in wit. A long residence in Italy had made him ceremonious in his commerce with men, and jealous in his connexion with women: he had incurred the King's hatred on account of the strong attachment which had subsisted between him and Lady Castlemaine: it was reported that he had been in her good graces prior to her marriage; and as neither of them denied it, it was the more generally believed. He had paid his devoirs to the eldest daughter of the Duke of Or |