(51) Gray, in a letter of the 22d, gives the following account of the result of this trial.  “The old Pundles that sat on Lord George Sackville have at last hammered out their sentence.  He is declared disobedient, and unfit for all military command.  What he will do with himself, nobody guesses.  The unembarrassed countenance, the looks of revenge, contempt, and superiority that he bestowed on his accusers were the admiration of all, but his usual talent and art did not appear; in short, his cause would not support him.  You may think, perhaps, he intends to go abroad and hide his head; au contraire, all the world visits him on his condemnation.”  Works, vol. iii. p. 239.-E.

(52) George Prince of Wales.

(53) “I was not present,” says Gray, “but Mason was in the Duke of Ancaster’s gallery. and in the greatest danger; for the cell underneath him (to which the prisoner retires) was on fire during the trial, and the Duke, with the workmen, by sawing away some timbers, and other assistance, contrived to put it out without any alarm to the Court.”  Works, vol. iii. p. 240.-E.

(54) Prince Edward, second son of Frederic Prince of Wales.-D.

Letter 22 To The Rev. Henry Zouch.  Strawberry Hill, May 3, 1760. (page 55)

Indeed, Sir, you have been misinformed; I had not the least hand in the answer to my Lord Bath’s Rhapsody:  it is true the booksellers sold it as mine, and it was believed so till people had ’read it, because my name and that of Pulteney had been apt to answer one another, and because that war was dirtily revived by the latter in his libel; but the deceit soon vanished; the answer a appeared to have much more knowledge of the subject than I have, and a good deal more temper than I should probably have exerted, if I had thought it worth while to proceed to an answer; but though my Lord Bath is unwilling to enter lists in which he has suffered so much shame, I am by no means fond of entering them; nor was there any honour to be acquired, either from the contest or the combatant.

My history of artists proceeds very leisurely; I find the subject dry and uninteresting, and the materials scarce worth arranging:  yet I think I shall execute my purpose, at least as far as relates to painters.  It is a work I can scribble at any time, and on which I shall bestow little pains; things that are so soon forgotten should not take one up too much.  I had consulted Mr. Lethinkai, who told me he had communicated to Mr. Vertue what observations he had made.  I believe they were scanty, for I find small materials relating to architects among his manuscripts.  Adieu!

Letter 23 To George Montagu, Esq.  Arlington Street, May 6, 1760. (page 56)