Fortunately, happily, the tide abroad seems turned. Sir George Rodney's victory proves more considerable than it appeared at first.* It secures Gibraltar, eases your Mediterranean a little, and must vex the Spaniards and their monarch, not satisfied before with his cousin of Bourbon. Admiral Parker has had great success too amongst the latter's transports. Oh! that all these elements of mischief may jumble into peace! Monsieur Necker alone shines in the quarter of France ;+ but he is carrying the war into the domains of the Church, where one cannot help wishing him success. If he can root out monks, the Pope will have less occasion to allow gras, because we cannot supply them with maigre. It is droll that the Protestant Necker, and we Protestant fishmongers, should overset the sys

* On the 7th of January, Admiral Rodney fell in with a fleet of merchant-ships, under the convoy of seven men-of-war; the whole of which he captured. He soon after encountered Don Juan de Langara's squadron, consisting of eleven ships of the line and two frigates, and after an action of ten hours' continuance succeeded in dispossessing the enemy of seven sail of the line.-ED.

+ In pursuance of the plan of economy proposed by M. Necker, and adopted in the King of France's household, no less than four hundred offices were this year abolished, at one stroke, in that department. In a letter written at this time by Madame du Deffand to Walpole, there is, in reference to these projected reforms of M. Necker, the following prophetic passage:— "Vous pouvez être sûr qu'il a un furieux nombre d'ennemis ; d'abord tous ceux qui perdent par ses réformes, et puis ceux que produit la jalousie et l'envie. Je doute qu'on lui laisse exécuter tous ses projets. Si on les veut morceler, il ne l'endurera pas; il quittera, tout s'écroulera, le crédit sera perdu, on tombera dans le chaos, ses ennemis triompheront, ils pêcheront en eau trouble, et publieront que ses systèmes, ses opérations, n'étaient que visions chimériques. C'est le plus grand malheur qui puisse arriver à ce pays-ci.”—ED.

The English supplied Leghorn with fish, till they lost the empire of the Mediterranean in the time of the American war.

tem of fasting; but ancient Alcorans could not foresee modern contingencies!

I have told you that politics absorb all private news. I am going to a ball this evening, which the Duke and Duchess of Bolton give to their Royal Highnesses of Gloucester, who have now a very numerous Court. It seems very improper for me to be at a ball; but you see that, on the contrary, it is propriety that carries me thither. I am heartily weary both of diversions and politics, and am more than half inclined to retire to Strawberry. I have renounced dining abroad, and hide myself as much as I can; but can one pin on one's breast a label to signify, that, though one is sensible of being Methusalem in constitution, one must sometimes be seen in a crowd for such and such reasons? I do often exaggerate my pleas of bad health; and, could I live entirely alone, would proclaim myself incurable but, should one repent, one becomes ridiculous by returning to the world; or one must have a companion, which I never will have; or one opens a door to legatees, if one advertises ill-health. Well! I must act with as much common sense as I can; and, when one takes no part, one must temper one's conduct; and, when the world is too young for one, not shock it, nor contradict it, nor affix a peculiar character, but trust to its indifference for not drawing notice, when one does not desire to be noticed. Rabelais's "Fais ce que tu voudras" is not very difficult when one wishes to do nothing. I have always been offended at those who will belong to a world with which

age

they have nothing to do. I have perceived that every has not only a new language and new modes, but a new way of articulating. At first I thought myself grown deaf when with young people; but perceived that I understood my contemporaries, though they whispered. Well! I must go amongst those I do not comprehend so well, but shall leave them when they go to supper.

LETTER CCCXXV.

Berkeley Square, March 14, 1780.

I AM not going to tell you that the Administration is changed, for as yet it is not; but it is beaten. Yesterday, on Mr. Burke's bill, the Opposition carried the clause for the annihilation of the Board of Trade by a majority of eight votes, though the Lords of Trade voted in their own cause. * There was

* On the clause for abolishing the Board of Trade, Mr. Eden having urged, rather unluckily, in its defence, the 2300 folio volumes of its labours, Mr. Burke said, "he was ready to accept his defence of the Board, but not his 2300 volumes; they would, however, serve as a monument, under which both he and his clause might be buried, and form a funeral pile for them as large as one of the pyramids of Egypt. Alas, poor clause!" he exclaimed; "if it be thy fate to be put to death, thou shalt be gloriously entombed! thou shalt lie under a splendid mausoleum! the corners of thy cenotaph shall be supported by Locke, by Addison, by Prior, and by Molesworth!" Gibbon, himself a member of the Board, says that, upon this occasion, "the Lords of Trade blushed at their insignificance, and Mr. Eden's appeal to the 2300 volumes of our Reports served only to excite a general laugh: it must be allowed that our duty was not intolerably severe, and that I enjoyed many days and weeks of repose, without being called away from my library to the office." The numbers on the division were, for abolishing the Board of Trade 207, against it 199.-Ed.

a strange scene of Billingsgate between the Speaker and the Minister; the former stooping to turn informer, and accusing the latter of breach of promise on a lucrative job, in which Sir Fletcher was to have been advantaged.* It is very Homeric war when demi-gods rail, and wound one another. Astrea was in the right to leave earth, when other divinities tread in mortal paths, and in such dirty ones. We, that have quitted the theatre, are a little scandalized at such doings, of whatever side one is. I wish well to my country, but I wish too that my countrymen deserved wishes a little better.

The Court still holds out; but there is no recovering the ground that is lost. An Opposition so suc

* During this debate the fact first came out, that the Speaker and the Administration were not upon good terms. In the course of his speech Sir Fletcher observed, that Lord North had long withdrawn all friendship and confidence from him. Being called upon for further explanation, he stated, that upon the death of the late Speaker he had been solicited by the Duke of Grafton to accept of his present situation, with an understanding that, whenever an opportunity offered, he should hold the sinecure office of Chief Justice in Eyre, as an equivalent for the advantages he had given up: notwithstanding this compact, he had discovered, that a negotiation was in train between the Minister and the Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, by which the latter was to retire on a pension, for the purpose of appointing another person to supply his place, and to the utter subversion of his claim. He added, that money had been proposed to be given and received, to bring about the arrangement. Lord North declared, that he knew nothing of the transaction at the time, and that no such negotiation was on foot as the one which had been stated. This brought on much altercation, which ran into assertion and direct contradiction between the Speaker and the Minister, and which gave rise to a scene that had hardly ever been exhibited in the House. The complaint and conduct of the Speaker was commented upon in a strain of bitter sarcasm and ironical satire by Mr. Wedderburn, the law-officer alluded to.-ED.

cessful will not loiter at Capua. All the mercenaries will follow Sir Fletcher, and pretend it is the cry of the nation that they obey. The longer, too, the citadel is maintained, the more impatient the people will be to have it taken, and the more they will be excited to expect it. In short, a speedy change is the best event that can happen. Passions are so heated, that a little may set them in a blaze; and, though reformation may be the cause, it is not good that reformers should be in a rage before they begin their work. They undo more than they can repair, punish without trial, and disgrace the service before they have effected it. It is the nature, too, of human torrents to turn round like whirlpools; but, as I have not time to tell you more facts, I certainly have none to make reflections, which age, taking itself for wisdom, is mighty apt to dispense. My letter is short, but that is all that is necessary to preparatives. I declare, in spite of my wisdom, that I do not guess what will happen. I pray for the peace of Jerusalem; but what the Pharisees or Sadducees will do next, I do not know.

LETTER CCCXXVI.

Berkeley Square, March 21, 1780. THE Court-stock, that last week was eight under par, is got up again to fifty-three above par. Yesterday, on Burke's Bill, the debate was on the King's Household; the clause for cashiering which was rejected