and, though I had it in both hands, wrists, and elbows, there was not much pain for above thirty hours; and my feet escaped. These douceurs I attribute to the bootikins. It is true that, for the last three years, the fits have been annual, instead of biennial; but if they are split into more frequent, though much shorter portions, I must still be satisfied; for could I go through five months and a half of pain? I am already so shattered with these attacks, that my nerves are as alarmable as the sensitive plant. The clapping of a door makes me start and tremble; and yet I don't find my spirits affected. In fact, my inside is so strong, and the case so very weak, 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.

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.* It 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.

*These attempts to fire Bristol and Portsmouth were the work of the wretched incendiary, James Aitken, commonly called John the Painter. After committing numerous 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 dock-yards, " 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,

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

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 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

England is a public place, and nothing so difficult to find as any private society. Everything 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 deaths* approaching that will open the flood-gates. I but just touch these points; for I have

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.

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 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 an 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