take long strides in proportion.  I am not surprised at your finding voiturins, or any body, or any thing, dearer:  where all credit and all control are swept away, every man will be a tyrant in proportion to his necessities and his strength.  Societies were invented to temperate force:  but it seems force was liberty, and much good may it do the French with being delivered from every thing but violence!—­which I believe they will soon taste pro and con.!  You may make me smile by desiring me to continue my affection.  Have I so much time left for inconstancy?  For threescore years and ten I have not been very fickle in my friendship:  in all these years I never found such a pair as you and your sister.  Should I meet with a superior pair,-but they must not be deficient in any one of the qualities which I find in you two,-why, Perhaps, I may change; but, with that double mortgage on my affections, I do not think you are in much danger of losing them.  You shall have timely notice if a second couple drops out of the clouds and falls in my way.

(708) The far-famed “Reflections on the Revolution in France;” of which about thirty thousand copies were sold in a comparatively short space of time.-E.

(709) A French translation, by M. Dupont, shortly after made its appearance, and spread the reputation of the work over all Europe.  The Emperor of Germany, Catherine of Russia, and the French Princes transmitted to Mr. Burke their warm approbation of it, and the unfortunate Stanislaus of Poland sent him his likeness on a gold medal.-E.

(710) The Landgrave of Furstemberg had been sent from the Emperor Leopold to notify his being elected King of the Romans, and his subsequent coronation as Emperor of Germany.-E.

Letter 359 To Miss Berry.  November 11, 1790. (page 460)

I had a letter from Mrs. Damer at Falmouth.  She suffered much by cold and fatigue, and probably sailed on Saturday evening last, and may be at Lisbon by this time, as you, I trust, are in Italy.  Mr. Burke’s pamphlet has quite turned Dr. Price’s head.  He got upon a table at their club, toasted to our Parliament becoming a National Assembly, and to admitting no more peers of their assembly, having lost the only one they had.  They themselves are very like the French `Etats:  two more members got on the table (their pulpit), and broke it down:  so be it!

The Marquisate(711) is just where it was—­to be and not to be.  The Duchess of Argyll is said to be worse.  Della Crusca(712) has published a poem, called “The Laurel of Liberty,” which, like the Enrag`es, has confounded and overturned all ideas.  There are gossamery tears and silky oceans—­the first time, to be sure, that any body ever cried cobwebs, or that the sea was made of paduasoy.(713) There is, besides, a violent tirade against a considerable personage, who, it is supposed, the author was jealous of, as too much favoured a few years ago by a certain Countess.  You may guess why I am not more explicit:  for the same reason I beg you not to mention it at all; it would be exceedingly improper.  As the Parliament will meet in a fortnight, and the town be plumper, my letters may grow more amusing; though, unless the weather grows worse, I shall not contribute my leanness to its embonpoint.  Adieu!