I did, indeed, design the letter of this post for Mr. Chute; but I have received two such charming long ones from you of the 15th and 20th of May (N.S.), that I must answer them, and beg him to excuse me till another post; so must the Prince [Craon], Princess, the Grifona, and Countess Galli.  For the Princess’s letter, I am not sure I shall answer it so soon, for hitherto I have not been able to read above every third word; however, you may thank her as much as if I understood it all.  I am very happy that mes bagatelles (for I still insist they were so) pleased.  You, my dear child, are very good to be pleased with the snuff-box.  I am much obliged to the superior lumieres of old Sarasin about the Indian ink:  if she meant the black, I am sorry to say I had it into the bargain with the rest of the Japan:  for coloured, it is only a curiosity, because it has seldom been brought over.  I remember Sir Hans Sloane was the first who ever had any of it, and would on no account give my mother the least morsel of it.  She afterwards got a good deal of it from China; and since that, more has come over; but it is even less valuable than the other, for we never could tell how to use it; however, let it make its figure.

I am sure you hate me all this time, for chatting about so many trifles, and telling you no politics.  I own to you, I am so wearied, so worn with them, that I scarce know how to turn my hand to them; but you shall know all I know.  I told you of the meeting at the Fountain tavern:  Pulteney had promised to be there, but was not; nor Carteret.  As the Lords had put off the debate on the Indemnity Bill,[1] nothing material passed; but the meeting was very Jacobite.  Yesterday the bill came on, and Lord Carteret took the lead against it, and about seven in the evening it was flung out by almost two to one, 92 to 47, and 17 proxies to 10.  To-day we had a motion by the new Lord Hillsborough (for the father is just dead), and seconded by Lord Barrington, to examine the Lords’ votes, to see what was become of the bill; this is the form.  The Chancellor of the Exchequer, and all the new ministry, were with us against it; but they carried it, 164 to 159.  It is to be reported to-morrow, and as we have notice, we may possibly throw it out; else they will hurry on to a breach with the Lords.  Pulteney was not in the House:  he was riding the other day, and met the King’s coach; endeavouring to turn out of the way, his horse started, flung him, and fell upon him:  he is much bruised; but not at all dangerously.  On this occasion, there was an epigram fixed to a list, which I will explain to you afterwards:  it is not known who wrote it, but it was addressed to him: 

    Thy horse does things by halves, like thee: 
      Thou, with irresolution,
    Hurt’st friend and foe, thyself and me,
      The King and Constitution.

[Footnote 1:  A previous letter describes this as a Bill “to indemnify all persons who should accuse themselves of any crime, provided they accuse Lord Orford [Sir R.W.].”  It was carried in the House of Commons by 251 to 228, but, as this letter mentions, was thrown out by the Lords by 109 to 57.  Lord Stanhope (c. 24) describes it as “a Bill which broke through the settled forms and safeguards of law, to strike at one obnoxious head.”]