Probably by this time you have seen the Duke of Richmond or Fitzroy—­but lest you should not, I will tell you all I can learn, and a wonderful history it is.  Admiral Byng was not more unpopular than Lord George Sackville.[1] I should scruple repeating his story if Betty and the waiters at Arthur’s did not talk of it publicly, and thrust Prince Ferdinand’s orders into one’s hand.

[Footnote 1:  Lord George was brought to court-martial for disobedience of orders, and most deservedly cashiered—­a sentence which was, not very becomingly, oveilooked some years afterwards, when, having changed his name to Germaine on succeeding to a large fortune, and having become a member of the House of Commons, he was made a Secretary of State by Lord North.]

You have heard, I suppose, of the violent animosities that have reigned for the whole campaign between him and Lord Granby—­in which some other warm persons have been very warm too.  In the heat of the battle, the Prince, finding thirty-six squadrons of French coming down upon our army, sent Ligonier to order our thirty-two squadrons, under Lord George, to advance.  During that transaction, the French appeared to waver; and Prince Ferdinand, willing, as it is supposed, to give the honour to the British horse of terminating the day, sent Fitzroy to bid Lord George bring up only the British cavalry.  Ligonier had but just delivered his message, when Fitzroy came with his.—­Lord George said, “This can’t be so—­would he have me break the line? here is some mistake.”  Fitzroy replied, he had not argued upon the orders, but those were the orders.  “Well!” said Lord George, “but I want a guide.”  Fitzroy said, he would be his guide.  Lord George, “Where is the Prince?” Fitzroy, “I left him at the head of the left wing, I don’t know where he is now.”  Lord George said he would go seek him, and have this explained.  Smith then asked Fitzroy to repeat the orders to him; which being done, Smith went and whispered Lord George, who says he then bid Smith carry up the cavalry.  Smith is come, and says he is ready to answer anybody any question.  Lord George says, Prince Ferdinand’s behaviour to him has been most infamous, has asked leave to resign his command, and to come over, which is granted.  Prince Ferdinand’s behaviour is summed up in the enclosed extraordinary paper:  which you will doubt as I did, but which is certainly genuine.  I doubted, because, in the military, I thought direct disobedience of orders was punished with an immediate arrest, and because the last paragraph seemed to me very foolish.  The going out of the way to compliment Lord Granby with what he would have done, seems to take off a little from the compliments paid to those that have done something; but, in short, Prince Ferdinand or Lord George, one of them, is most outrageously in the wrong, and the latter has much the least chance of being thought in the right.

The particulars I tell you, I collected from the most accurate authorities.—­I make no comments on Lord George, it would look like a little dirty court to you; and the best compliment I can make you, is to think, as I do, that you will be the last man to enjoy this revenge.