(160) Of Gloucester.

(161) In the time of George iii. and up to the date when it was abolished in 1847, Montem at Eton was a school holiday, an “event,” as we should now say, of the London season.  Of its origin nothing is known, but the ceremony of a procession in military costume “ad Montem” to a mound near Slough, now called Salt Hill, can be traced back to the sixteenth century.  Visitors were offered salt by some of the boys, and in exchange gave money.  The amount collected after payment of the expenses belonged to the captain of the school.  —­“History of Eton College,” by H. C. Maxwell-Lyte, p. 450.

(162) Edward Emly, Dean of Derry.

(1781,) June 1, Friday m(orning).—­I am at this moment employed fort pedagoguement.  I have taken into my own department Mie Mie’s translations out of English into French.  That is, I am at her elbow when she translates, and by that means can see what faults she makes from insufficiency, and what are produced from carelessness.  She is very much so if left to herself, but is very much improved, as I perceive.  But Mrs. Webb can be of no use in this, and so I have the task when Labort is not here.  I hope that Caroline has somebody to read French with her who has a real good pronunciation, otherwise it will take un mauvais pli, which will not be so easy to recover, and it is better not to speak a language at all than without some sort of grace.

To-day I give a dinner to the bankers; the two not upon duty come here at five, and when the other two come off they will find here des rechauffes; to the Duke of Q(ueensberry) and Mr. Greenville, and to two chance comers; it may be Boothby and Storer, or Sir C. Bunbury.  It is too hot to go out to-day.  I have seen nobody, and the rise and fall of the bank is not as yet added to the other stocks in the morning papers.  It is frequently declared from the window, or gallery, aux passans.  Pigott was there this morning at four, and from May the 31st (sic) at night, that is, from Tuesday night, about nine.  The account brought to White’s, about supper time, was that he had rose to eat a mutton chop.  But that merits confirmation.

Young Pitt made yesterday on the Accounts another speech,(163) which is much admired, in which there was du sel, et du piquant, a pleines mains.  Charles en fut enchants, and I hear that the satire of it was pointed strongly against Lord N(orth).  It wanted no other recommendation to the party who dines here to-day.  Sir J. Irwin will be soon with you.  I supped with him at White’s, and with Lord Glendower and Lord Westmoreland, &c., &c., and I concluded my sitting with a little bank to Harry Carteret, Sir W. Gordon, Lord Ailsford and General Grant, and to no others.  I had them in great order.  I do not allow the opposite no greater sum than 5 guineas, and such byelaws as these I oblige the observance of, and I won 120 guineas.  They waited till near one before I had finished my prosing, and telling old stories at supper to the two young men.  When they were finished, I retired and opened my bank.