in it than in half Thucydides, and in all the grand Cyrus.  Do you think Demosthenes or Themistocles ever raised the Grecian stocks two per cent. in four-and-twenty hours?  I shall burn all my Greek and Latin books; they are histories of little people.  The Romans never conquered the world, till they had conquered three parts of it, and were three hundred years about it; we subdue the globe in three campaigns; and a globe, let me tell you, as big again as It was in their days.  Perhaps you may think me proud; but you don’t know that I had some share in the reduction of Martinico; the express was brought to my godson, Mr. Horatio Gates; and I have a very good precedent for attributing some of the glory to myself — I have by me a love-letter, written during my father’s administration, by a journeyman tailor to my brother’s second chambermaid; his offers Honourable; he proposed matrimony, and to better his terms, informed her of his pretensions to a place; they were founded on what he called, “some services to the government.”  As the nymph could not read, she carried the epistle to the housekeeper to be deciphered, by which means it came into my hands.  I inquired what were the merits of Mr. Vice Crispin, was informed that he had made the suit of clothes for a figure of Lord Marr, that was burned after the rebellion.  I hope now you don’t hold me too presumptuous for pluming myself on the reduction of Martinico.  However, I shall not aspire to a post, nor to marry my Lady Bute’s Abigail.  I only trust my services to you as a friend, and do not mean under your temperate administration to get the list of Irish pensions loaded with my name, though I am godfather to Mr. Horatio Gates.

The Duchess of Grafton and the English have been miraculously preserved at Rome by being at loo, instead of going to a great concert, where the palace fell in, and killed ten persons and wounded several others.  I shall send orders to have an altar dedicated in the Capitol.

Pammio O. M.
Capitolino
Annam Ducisam de Grafton
Merito Incolumem.

I tell you of it now, because I don’t know whether it will be worth while to write another letter on purpose.  Lord Albemarle takes up the victorious grenadiers at Martinico, and in six weeks will conquer the Havannah.- Adieu!

(224) The Irish House of Commons having voted an address to the King to increase the salary of the lord-lieutenant, the Earl of Halifax declined having any augmentation.

(225) Dr. Crane, chaplain to the Earl of Halifax, had refused the bishopric of Elphin.

(226) Single-speech Hamilton.