(401) In the House of Commons, a few days before, Mr. Pitt had condemned the whole series of North Britons, and called them illiberal, unmanly, and detestable:  “he abhorred,” he said, “all national reflections:  the King’s subjects were one people; whoever divided them was guilty of sedition:  his Majesty’s complaint was well-founded; it was just; it was necessary:  the author did not deserve to be ranked among the human species; he was the blasphemer of his God and the libeller of the King."-E.

(402) This improbable event a few weeks brought about.  We shall see that Mr. Walpole did sing his Palinodia, and went down to Claremont to eat a bit of mutton with the man in the world whom (as all his writings, but especially his lately published Memoires, show) he had most heartily hated and despised.-C.

(403) Philip Carteret Webb, Esq. solicitor to the treasury and member for Haslemere.-E.

(404) George third Earl of Cholmondeley; born in 1703:  married Mr. Walpole’s only legitimate sister, who died at Aix in 1731; and as all Sir Robert Walpole’s sons died without issue, Lord Cholmondeley’s family succeeded to Houghton, and the rest of the Walpole property, as heirs-at-law of Sir Robert.-C.

(405) John, second Earl of Egmont, at this time first lord of the admiralty.  Lord Egmont had been in the House of Commons what Coxe calls “a fluent and plausible debater;” but he had some peculiarities of mind, to which Walpole here and elsewhere alludes.-C.

(406) James, eighth Earl of Abercorn, “a nobleman,” says his panegyrist, “whose character was but little known, or rather but little understood; but who possessed singular vigour of mind, integrity of conduct, and patriotic views.”  Mr. Walpole elsewhere laughs at his lordship’s dignified aversion to throwing away his words.-C.

(407) An action brought by Wilkes against Robert Wood, Esq. late under-secretary of State for seizing Wilkes’s papers, etc.  It was tried before Chief Justice Pratt, and under his direction the jury found for the plaintiff.-C.

(408) Sir Fletcher Norton was not made attorney-general till after this trial.-E.

(409) Mr. John Fielding, chief police magistrate.-E.

(410) The robbery was committed by one Bradley, a discharged footman, and one John Wisket.  The former was admitted a witness for the crown, and the latter was hanged on his evidence, in Dec. 1764.-C.

Letter 185 To The Earl Of Hertford.  Arlington Street, Dec. 16, 1763. (page 261)