Ste, they tell me, has come to a resolution of selling Holland H(ouse) as soon as possible, and of rebuilding Winterslow.  If Lady Holland had not died just as she did, I believe that I should have had him and Lady Mary here for some days, which I should have liked very well.

I have got a prize in Barbot’s Lottery, as it may be Conty has told you.  I left a man in London, when I came away, with a commission to see that justice was done me, and to send my pye, if I should have one, into Kent.  Mine is a quatre perdrises (sic); so I have no reason to complain of Conty’s Lotteries, for I have had a prize in both of them.

If you intend to buy a ticket in the State Lottery, I should be glad to have a share of it with Lady C(arlisle), Lord Morpeth, and little Caroline, that is, one ticket between us five.  Three of my tenants joined for one in the Lottery two or three years since, and they got a 20,000 pound prize.  I made a visit to one of them the other day, whose farm is not far off, and he had made it the prettiest in the world; and he has three children to share his 10,000, for one moiety of this ticket was his.

Pray make my very best compliments to Lady C. and Lady J.,(116) and give my hearty love to Caroline; and as for the little Marmot, tell him that if he treats his sister with great attention I shall love him excessively, but s’il fait le fier, because he is a Viscount and a Howard, I shall give him several spanks upon his dernere.  Make Storer write to me, and make Ekins read Atterbury till he can say him by heart.

(116) Lady Juliana Howard was Lord Carlisle’s youngest sister.  She died unmarried.

By the end of August, Selwyn had escaped from Gloucester and was again among his friends and in his favourite haunts in London.

[1774,] Aug. 25, Thursday night, Almack’s.—­Here are the Duke of Roxb[urgh], Vernon, James, and Sir W. Draper at Whist; Boothby, Richard, and R. Fletcher at Quinze.  I dined to-day at the Duke of Argyle’s(117) at a quarter before four.  He and the Duchess went to Richmond at six.  The maccaroni dinner was at Mannin’s.  My eyes are still very painful to me at night, and I do not know what I shall do for them.  I hear of no news; that of the Duchess of Leinster’s(118) match is very equivoque; and extreme their drawing-room.

I (am) in constant expectation of being sent for again to Gloucester, and begin (sic) a canvas.  I think if I prevent it, and an opposition, I shall be very vain of my conduct.  There is nothing so flattering as the shewing people who thought that they could dupe you, that you know more of the matter than they do.  I know too little to be active, but have prudence enough to take no steps while I am in the dark upon the suggestion of others who cannot possibly interest themselves for me.  But I really think it will be a miracle if this is not a troublesome and expensive Election to me.  However, I will not anticipate the evil by groaning about it before it happens. . . .