and, as their names are not come, ten times the number may be suffering the worst anxiety. The distance of the war augments its horrors almost as much as its expense, and makes it grow every day more irksome.

I have no private news to send you of any sort. The town is still empty. I come now and then to see the Duke and Duchess. He does not recover of his lameness, and in general I find people think he looks worse than it appears to me. She looks infinitely better than at her arrival, but she has a perfect constitution.

I see no prospect of an end to this American war, but from our inability to carry it on: and what can that produce but a war from France-I don't say with France; for where can we attack them if we lose America; and where are we to be attacked but in our own islands and the East Indies-which are not quite near enough to assist each other? There is no looking towards such a prospect.

If Burgoyne's army is destroyed, little force left in Canada, only seven thousand men in New York, Howe's army not increased by his tedious voyage, and three battles with Washington, if true-where are we to stamp and conjure up new armies? And what will less armies achieve, which such large ones have not compassed in three campaigns? We have lost Boston, have got New York, and perhaps Philadelphia. If the Americans have fought, they will fight. If they have not, can you make them? And can you conquer them without beating them? Can you maintain the country

VOL. III.-NEW SERIES.

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when you have conquered it? Will a destroyed country maintain your army? And can this country maintain or recruit it, when you can already get no recruits but from Germany? We are like Lord Holland paying the debts of his sons; he ruined himself, and left them beggars.*

LETTER CCLXXVI.

Arlington Street, Dec. 4, 1777.

THIS letter will not be preceded by nine postilions blowing horns; but should steal into Florence as modestly as a Roman general, who at most hoped to obtain the honour of an ovation. The second part of my despatch will only beg you not to despair of the republic.

After living a whole month upon a New York Gazette, and tired of asking if, No news yet? Sir William Howe's aid-de-camp arrived on the first: he confirmed the account of two, not three, engagements between the General and Dictator Washington. In the first, Howe certainly had the advantage; and in the second, so far, that Washington, having attacked him in his post, was repelled, and is retired into the Jerseys, the King having been restored to the sovereignty of

* This does not accord with the following passage in Walpole's letter to Sir Horace, of the 3rd of August, 1774: " Lady Holland is dead— just three weeks after her lord. She has cleared all the debts of her two elder sons: the eldest has a large fortune, and Charles a decent beginning of another; though it may not last a night if he chooses to make it a codicil to all he has lost, and scorns to be indebted to anything but his own parts for his elevation."-ED.

Philadelphia. You are to believe that though Howe lost eleven hundred men, particularly Hessians, Washington suffered more: but even the gazette does not enjoin you to suppose that the latter is totally defeated. On the contrary, for fear so small an army should effect too great things, you are authorized to figure the provincial army in the Jerseys as still consisting of eleven thousand men ; and there are a few reasons to think that it may now be as large as the Congress or the provinces, no longer checked, may please. William delays the pursuit, as the passage of the Delaware is not yet clear. The lord his brother is besieging a tough fort, and has already lost a sixty-four gun ship and a frigate.

Sir

General Clinton has marched to relieve or find Burgoyne, but was forced to be content with taking two forts, and showing uncommon valour. The next paragraph will tell you why his expedition was unnecessary.

On Tuesday night came news from Carleton at Quebec, which indeed had come from France earlier, announcing the total annihilation (as to America) of Burgoyne's army. Carleton declares he has no authentic information; but from all the intelligence he can get, and which he believes, Burgoyne, after despatching Colonel Fraser with one thousand men to seek provisions, which whole body with their commander was cut off, fought desperately to extricate himself; but, numbers increasing and pouring upon him, he had been forced to lay down his arms, and the whole remaining army, which some say still consisted of five thousand,

but probably were reduced much lower, surrendered themselves prisoners, and are to be transported to England, on parole of not serving more in America-no bad circumstance for us, if they were but here? Burgoyne is said to be wounded in three places; his vanquisher Arnold is supposed to be dead of his wounds.*

You may imagine this occasions some consternation; but none at all, I assure you, in the Temple of Concord. Unless Croesus besieged the senate with an army of ingots, I do not believe there would be a deserter from the cause of Sacra Fames. There have been indeed warm skirmishes in both the Temples of Honour and Virtue,+ Lord Chatham himself heading the troops of the Opposition, but without making any impression. Lord George Germain has received several wounds from Charles Fox; and Burke and Wedderburn were on the point of a closer engagement; but it was made up. The Parliament is to be adjourned to-morrow

till after the holidays.

* The following is Gibbon's account, written on the same day, to Mr. Holroyd, from the House of Commons :-" Dreadful news, indeed! An English army of nearly ten thousand men laid down their arms, and surrendered prisoners of war, on condition of being sent to England, and of never serving against America. They had fought bravely, and were three days without eating. Burgoyne is said to have received three wounds. General Frazer, with two thousand men, killed. general cry for peace."-ED.

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+ Motions for an inquiry into the state of the nation had been moved in both Houses, by the Duke of Richmond and Mr. Fox; and the Earl of Chatham had also moved an Address to the King, for copies of General Burgoyne's instructions.-ED.

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$ No account of these ، skirmishes ” has been preserved in the Parliamentary History. The following is from a letter written by Lord March to George Selwyn: "Bunbury has made an opposition speech in

What will be next, I, the most unwise of men, do not guess. Some, a little wiser, think the wisest could not tell what should be. The Opposition, who, decried as they have been, have at least not been contradicted in their prophecies by events, think that, as Canada is left defenceless, and New York is not overcrowded with defenders, the whole force of New England, which is entire, as Burgoyne experienced, may march to Quebec, or join Washington and besiege Clinton with as numerous an army as they choose to have. In that case, Sir William Howe must abandon Philadelphia, and march to the succour of New York.

You may be sure the uninformed expect that, as America is so nearly lost, the army will be recalled. You may guess, too, that I, who do not doat on France nor desire a war at home, should not be sorry we had a little more defence; but who will ask my advice, or take it? We are, in fact, very near the end of the American war, but I doubt we are at the beginning of our troubles. Disgrace is the present chapter, and sufficient to the day is the evil thereof. If disappointment opens our eyes, it has, like a true friend, given us bitter but wholesome counsel. If obstinacy is mis

his usual manner, full of damned bad metaphors and similes, that do not apply. Addressing himself to Wedderburn, he said, that though a squalling starling, he thought he had a right to reply to the learned canary-bird. In another part, that, though a poor apothecary and quack in politics, he might, perhaps, prescribe a remedy with success, when the regular physician had failed; that he should recommend anodyne plasters rather than corrosive blisters. Burke said, that his honourable friend had spoken like an independent country gentleman, and a very accomplished orator." Selwyn Correspondence, vol. iii., p. 254.—Ed.