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 bedchamber, 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 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 beg

ged 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 kindly—thanks 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 up 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 prognos~~ tics to send you. All these things are public; and secrets I should not utter even to you at this distance, if I knew any.

You shall hear again as soon as I am able to write, or sooner, if there is anything material to send you. Your nephew will help me out; though in the hurry of a fresh arrival, and with his attendance on Parliament, you cannot justly expect him to be very punctual at first, till he is got en train: however, I am sure his heart will not let him be remiss.* Adieu !

LETTER CCXCV.

Arlington Street, Dec. 18, 1778. HAVING SO many lonely vacant hours (if pain leaves vacancy), I should seem unpardonable in having left such a chasm in our correspondence, when I know you are extremely impatient for news. Solitary hours, to be sure, I have had innumerable, even in my best intervals; for fashion has pushed the day so far into the night, that I have been forced to conform my sick re

* Sir Horace Mann the younger was member for Maidstone.-ED.

gularity a little to the watches of the town, and dine later than I choose, or dine in public: for nobody will make me a morning's visit before two in the afternoon, nor leave me to go home to dress for dinner before four. They come not again till eight or nine at night, when they would keep me out of bed till twelve, if I would let them.

But I have had more grievous reasons for not writing; though free from pain for this week, I have not yet at all recovered the use of my right hand. But I have had a more serious and more dangerous complaint, and the consequence of my gout; such a weakness in my breast, that an inflammation on it was apprehended, and I was absolutely forbidden to see company, or even speak, which I must do to dictate. This codicil to my gout, I confess, was owing to this my second childhood; in short, my spirits ran away with me, and I talked without ceasing. Even a child is cunning enough to make excuses: mine was, that I could have gone about the town for three days without speaking three words, for I might not have met with three persons to whom I wished to speak; but in my own room, where I see nobody but those I choose to see, and many friends whom I had not seen for six months, one must have the continent tongue of Lord Abercorn to be silent. Well! I am recovered of that danger, and am recovering of all the rest; and

* James Hamilton, eighth Earl of Abercorn, remarkable for his taciturnity.

you shall now hear no more of me, who am not politics, which are what you want to know.

Of them I know not what to write. The Parliament is unshaken, though it has had rough concussions. The rash proclamation* in America alarmed much, and I fear will have bitter consequences: but all is swallowed up by the new court-martial on Admiral Keppel ; as rash an act in its kind, and the deed, it is said, of that black man, Sir Hugh Palliser alone.† Its consequences may be many, various, and fatal; but I

* The Manifesto of the Commissioners, referred to at p. 104.

+ The court-martial was ordered for the 7th of January. On receiving the notice, Admiral Keppel repaired to the House of Commons, where Mr. Temple Luttrell moved an address to the King, praying him to order a court-martial on Sir Hugh Palliser. Upon this, Sir Hugh rose, and with much acrimony attacked the Admiral's conduct; who, in answer, professed his readiness to meet inquiry. "Thank God," he said, "I am not the accuser, but the accused. I was called to serve my country at a very critical period; I have performed my duty to the best of my abilities, and whatever the issue may be, I have one consolation, that I have acted strictly to the best of my judgment." He was greeted with the loudest applause, and retired from the House, accompanied by a large body of the members. In consequence of Admiral Keppel's bad state of health, a bill was brought in to allow the court-martial to be held on shore. It passed the Commons without opposition, but was opposed in the Lords by Lord Thurlow, on the plea that the Admiral's bad state of health had not been proved. Upon which, the Marquis of Rockingham observed, that "he had seen him the other evening leave the House of Commons, with a glory of conscious innocence around his head: no person could have quitted it with more seeming celerity, strength, dignity, and manly vigour; yet he dined with him the same evening, and such was the strange precariousness and vicissitude of his spirits, though only an hour elapsed since he saw him leave the House of Commons, that he took half an hour to get up from the ground-floor to the dining-room, being in the interim afflicted with the severest pains from cramp in both his legs." See the very able and interesting "Life of Viscount Keppel," by the Hon. and Rev. Thomas Keppel, vol. ii. p. 83.-ED.

VOL. III.

NEW SERIES.

I