The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford Volume III Part 78

With regard to my brother, I should apprehend nothing, were he like other men; but I shall not be astonished, if he throws his life away; and I have seen so much of the precariousness of it lately, that I am prepared for the event, if it shall happen. I will say nothing about Mr. Harris; he is an old man, and his death will be natural. For Lord Chatham, he is really or intentionally mad,--but I still doubt which of the two. Thomas Walpole has writ to his brother here, that the day before Lord Chatham set out for Pynsent, he executed a letter of attorney, with full powers to his wife, and the moment it was signed he began singing.(997)

You may depend upon it I shall only stay here to the end of the month: but if you should want me sooner, I will set out at a moment's warning, on your sending me a line by Lord Rochf'ord's courier. This goes by Lady Mary c.o.ke, who sets out to-morrow morning early, on notice of Mr. Townshend's death, or she would have stayed ten days longer. I sent you a letter by Mr.

Fletcher, but I fear he did not go away till the day before yesterday.

I am just come from dining en famille with the Duke de Choiseul: he was very civil--but much more civil to Mr. Wood,(998) who dined there too. I imagine this grat.i.tude to the peacemakers. I must finish; for I am going to Lady Mary, and then return to sup with the d.u.c.h.ess de Choiseul, who is not civiller to any body than to me. Adieu! Yours ever.

(994) Now first printed.

(995) Mr. Charles Townshend died very unexpectedly, on the 4th of September; he being then only in his forty-second year.-E.

(996) "The chancellors.h.i.+p of the exchequer," says Adolphus, "was filled up ad interim by Lord Mansfield. It was offered to Lord North, who, for some reasons which are not precisely known, declined accepting it. The offer was subsequently made to Lord Barrington; who declared his readiness to undertake the office, if a renewed application to Lord North should fail: a fresh negotiation was attempted with the Duke of Bedford, but without effect, and at length Lord North was prevailed on to accept the office. Mr. Thomas Townshend succeeded Lord North as paymaster, and Mr. Jenkinson was appointed a lord of the treasury; Lord Northington and General Conway resigning, Lord Gower was made president of the council; Lord Weymouth, secretary of state; and Lord Sandwich, joint postmaster-general. These promotions indicated an accommodation between the ministry and the Bedford party; and the cabinet was further strengthened by the appointment of Lord Hillsborough to the office of secretary of state for America. The ministry, thus modelled, was called the Duke of Grafton's administration; for, although Lord Chatham still retained his place, he was incapable of transacting business."-E.

(997) Lord Chatham's enemies were constantly insinuating, that his illness was a political one. For the real state of his health at the time Walpole was penning this uncharitable pa.s.sage, see Lady Chatham's letter to Mr. Nuthall of the 17th of August, and his lords.h.i.+p's own grateful and affectionate letter to Mr.

Thomas Walpole of the 30th of October. Correspondence, Vol. iii.

p. 282, 289.-E.

(998) Mr. Robert Wood. He was under-secretary of state at the time of the treaty of Paris.-E.

Letter 331 To The Rev. Mr. Cole.

Arlington Street, Oct. 24, 1767. (page 505)

Dear Sir, It is an age since we have had any correspondence. My long and dangerous illness last year, with my journey to Bath; my long attendance in Parliament all winter, spring, and to the beginning of summer: and my journey to France since, from whence I returned but last week,(999) prevented my asking the pleasure Of Seeing you at Strawberry Hill.

I wish to hear that you have enjoyed your health, and shall be glad of any news of you. The season is too late, and the Parliament too near opening, for me to propose a winter journey to you. if you should happen to think at all of London, I trust you would do me the favour to call on me. In short, this is only a letter of inquiry after YOU, and to show you that I am always most truly yours.

(999) Walpole left Paris the 9th of October; on the morning of which Madame du Deffand thus resumes her correspondence with him:--"Que de lachet'e, de faiblesse, et de ridicules je vous ai laiss'e voir! Je m''etais bien promis le contrire; mais, mais-- oubliez tout cela, pardonnez-le moi, mon Tuteur, et ne pensez plus 'a votre Pet.i.te que pour vous dire qu'elle est raisonnable, ob'eissante, et par-dessus tout reconnaissante; que son respect, oui, je dis respect, que sa crainte, mais sa crainte filiale, son tendre mais s'erieux attachement, feront jusqu''a son dernier moment le bonheur de sa vie. Qu'importe d''etre vielle, d''etre aveugle; qu'importe le lieu qu'on habite; qu'importe que tout ce qui environne soit sot ou Extravagant: quand l''ame est fortement occup'ee, il ne lui manque rien que l'objet qui l'occupe; et quand cet objet repond 'a ce qu'on sent pour lui, on n'a plus rien desirer."-E.

Letter 332 To George Montagu, Esq.

Strawberry Hill, Sunday, Nov. 1, 1767. (page 506)

The house is taken that you wot of, but I believe you may have General Trapaud's for fifty pounds a-year, and a fine of two hundred and fifty, which is less by half, look you, than you was told at first. A jury of matrons, composed of Lady Frances, my Dame Bramston, Lady Pembroke, and Lady Carberry, and the merry Catholic Lady Brown, have sat upon it, and decide that you should take it. But you must come and treat in person, and may hold the congress here. I hear Lord Guildford is much better, so that the exchequer will still find you in funds. You will not dislike to hear, shall you, that Mr Conway does not take the appointments of secretary of state. if it grows the fas.h.i.+on to give up above five thousand pounds a-year, this ministry will last for ever; for I do not think the Opposition will struggle for places without salaries. If my Lord Ligonier does not go to heaven, or Sir Robert Rich to the devil soon, our General will run considerably in debt; but he had better be too poor than too rich. I would not have him die like old Pulteney, loaded with the spoils of other families and the crimes of his own. Adieu! I will not write to you any more, so you may as well come. Yours ever.

Letter 333 To The Rev. Mr. Cole.

Strawberry Hill, Dec. 19, 1767. (page 506)

You are now, I reckon, settled in your new habitation:(1000) I would not interrupt you in your journeyings, dear Sir, but am not at all pleased that you are seated so little to your mind; and yet I think you will stay there. Cambridge and Ely are neighbourhoods to your taste, and if you do not again s.h.i.+ft your quarters, I shall make them and you a visit: Ely I have never seen. I Could have wished that you had preferred this part of the world; and yet, I trust, I shall see you here oftener than I have done of late. This, to my great satisfaction, is my last session of Parliament; to which, and to politics, I shall ever bid adieu!

I did not go to Paris for my health, though I found the journey and the seasickness, which I had never experienced before, contributed to it greatly. I have not been so well for some years as I am at present, and if I continue to plump up as I do at present, I do not know but by the time we may meet, whether you may not discover, without a microscope, that I am really fatter. I went to make a visit to my dear old blind woman, and to see some things I could not see in winter.

For the Catholic religion, I think it very consumptive. With a little patience, if Whitfield, Wesley, my Lady Huntingdon, and that rogue Madan(1001) live, I do not doubt but we shall have something very like it here. And yet I had rather live at the end of a tawdry religion, than at the beginning; which is always more stern and hypocritic.

I shall be very glad to see your laborious work of the maps; you are indefatigable, I know: I think mapping would try my patience more than any thing.

My Richard the Third will go to press this week, and you shall have one of the first copies, which I think will be in about a month, if you will tell me how to convey it: direct to Arlington street. Mr. Gray went to Cambridge yesterday se'nnight: I wait for some papers from him for my purpose. I grieve for your sufferings by the inundation; but you are not only an hermit, but, what is better, a real philosopher. Let me hear from you soon. Yours ever.

(1000) Mr. Cole had lately removed from Bleckeley, Bucks, to Waterbeach, near Cambridge.

(1001) The Rev. Martin Madan, author of "Thelypthora," a defence of a plurality of wives. In 1767, he subjected himself to much obloquy, by dissuading a clerical friend from giving up a benefice, which he had accepted under a solemn promise of eventual resignation.-E.

Letter 334 To Sir David Dalrymple.(1002) Strawberry Hill, Jan. 17, 1768. (page 507)

I will begin, Sir, with telling you that I have seen Mr. Sherriff and his son. The father desired my opinion on sending his son to Italy. I own I could by no means advise it. Where a genius is indubitable and has already made much progress, the study of antique and the works of the great masters may improve a young man extremely, and open lights to him which he might never discover of himself: but it is very different sending a young man to Rome to try whether he has genius or not; which may be ascertained with infinitely less trouble and expense at home.

Young Mr. Sherriff has certainly a disposition to drawing; but that may not be genius. His misfortune may have made him embrace it as a resource in his melancholy hours. Labouring under the misfortune of deafness, his friends should consider to what unhappiness they may expose him. His family have naturally applied to alleviate his misfortune, and to cultivate the parts they saw in him: but who, in so long a journey and at such a distance, is to attend him in the same affectionate manner? Can he s.h.i.+ft for himself, especially without the language? who will take the trouble at Rome of a.s.sisting him, instructing him, pointing out to him what he should study? who will facilitate the means to him of gaining access to palaces and churches, and obtain permission for him to work there? I felt so much for the distresses he must undergo, that I could not see the benefits to accrue, and those eventual, as a compensation. Surely, Sir, it were better to place him here with some painter for a year or two. He does not seem to me to be grounded enough for such an expedition.

I will beg to know how I may convey my Richard to you, which will be published to-morrow fortnight. I do not wonder you could not guess the discovery I have made. It is one of the most marvellous that ever was made. In short, it is the original coronation roll of Richard the Third, by which it appears that very magnificent robes were ordered for Edward the Fifth, and that he did, or was to have walked at his uncle's coronation.

This most valuable monument is in the Great Wardrobe. It is not, though the most extraordinary the only thing that will much surprise you in my work. But I will not antic.i.p.ate what little amus.e.m.e.nt you may find there. I am, Sir, etc.

(1002) Now first collected.

Letter 335 To The Rev. Mr. Cole.

Arlington Street, Feb. 1, 1768. (page 508)

Dear Sir, I have waited for the impression of my Richard, to send you the whole parcel together. This moment I have conveyed to Mr.

Cartwright a large bundle for you, containing Richard the Third,(1003) the four volumes of the new edition of the Anecdotes, and six prints of your relation Tuer. You will find his head very small: but the original was too inconsiderable to allow it to be larger. I have sent you no Patagon'eans;(1004) for they are out of print: I have only my own copy, and could not get another. Pray tell me how, or what you heard of it; and tell me sincerely, for I did not know it had made any noise.

I shall be much obliged to you for the extract relating to the Academy of which a Walpole was president. I doubt if he was of our branch; and rather think he was of the younger and Roman Catholic branch.

Are you reconciled to your new habitation? Don't you find it too damp? and if you do, don't deceive yourself, and try to surmount it, but remove immediately. Health is the most important of all considerations. Adieu! dear Sir.

(1003) "Historic Doubts on the Life and Reign of King Richard the Third, by Mr. Horace Walpole;" London, 1768, 4to. Two editions of this work, which occasioned a good deal of historical controversy, were published during the year.-E.

(1004) "An Account of the Giants lately discovered; in a letter to a friend in the country." London, 1766, 8vo. It was afterwards translated into French by the Chevalier Redmond, an Irish officer in the French service.-E.

Letter 336 To Sir David Dalrymple.(1005) Arlington Street, Feb. 2, 1768. (page 509)

I have sent to Mr. Cadell my Historic Doubts, Sir, for you. I hope they may draw forth more materials, which I shall be very ready either to subscribe to or to adopt. In this view I must beg you, Sir, to look into Speed's History of England, and in his account of Perkin Warbeck you will find Bishop Leslie often quoted. May I trouble you to ask, to what work that alludes, and whether in print or MS.? Bishop Leslie lived under Queen Elizabeth, and though he could know nothing of Perkin Warbeck, was yet near enough to the time to have had much better materials than we have. May I ask, too, if Perkin Warbeck's Proclamation exists any where authentically? You will see in my book the reason of all these questions.

I am so much hurried with it just now, that you will excuse my being so brief. I can attribute to nothing but the curiosity of the subject, the great demand for it; though it was sold publicly but yesterday, and twelve hundred and fifty copies were printed, Dodsley has been with me this morning to tell me he must prepare another edition directly. I am, Sir, etc.

(1005) Now first collected.

Letter 337 To Mr. Gray.

Arlington Street, Feb. 18, 1768. (page 509)

You have sent me a long and very obliging letter, and yet I am extremely out of humour with you. I saw Poems by Mr. Gray advertised: I called directly at Dodsley's to know if this was to be more than a new edition? He was not at home himself, but his foreman told me he thought there were some new pieces, and notes to the whole. It was very unkind, not only to go out of town without mentioning them to me, without showing them to me, but not to say a word of them in this letter. Do you think I am indifferent, or not curious, about what you write? I have ceased to ask you, because you have so long refused to show me any thing. You could not suppose I thought that you never write.