The parliament does not meet till the first of December, which relieves me into a little happiness, and gives me a little time to settle myself.  I have unpacked all my things, and have not had the least thing suffer.  I am now only in a fright about my birthday clothes, which I bespoke at Paris:  Friday is the day, and this is Monday, without any news of them!

I have been two or three times at the play, very unwillingly; for nothing was ever so bad as the actors, except the company.  There is much in vogue a Mrs. Woffington, (267) a bad actress; but she has life.

Lord Hartington (268) dines here:  it is said (and from his father’s partiality to another person’s father, I don’t think it impossible) that he is to marry a certain miss:(269) Lord Fitzwilliam is supposed another candidate.

Here is a new thing which has been much about town, and liked; your brother Gale (270) gave me the copy of it: 

“Les cours de l’Europe

L’Allemagne craint tout;
L’Autriche risque tout;
La Bavi`ere esp`ere touut;
La Prusse entreprend tout;
La Mayence vend tout;
Le Portugal regarde tout;
L’Angleterre veut faire tout;
L’Espagne embrouille tout;
La Savoye se d`efie de tout;
Le Mercure se m`ele de tout;
La France sch`ete tout;
Les Jesuites se trouvent par tout;
Rome b`enit tout’
Si dieu ne pourvoye `a tout,
Le diable emportera tout.”

Good night, my dear child:  you never say a word of your own health; are not you quite recovered? a thousand services to Mr. Chute and Mr. Whithed, and to all my friends:  do they begin to forget me?  I don’t them.  Yours, ever.

(259) Consul at Leghorn, who was endeavouring to supplant Mr. Mann.

(260)An Italian, secretary to Mr. Mann.

(261"Winnington,” says Walpole, (Memoirs, i.  P. 151), “had been bred a Tory, but had left them in the height of Sir Robert Walpole’s power -. when that minister sunk. he had injudiciously, and, to please my Lady Townshend, who had then the greatest influence over him, declined visiting him, in a manner to offend the steady old Whigs; and his jolly way of laughing.at his own want of principles had revolted all the graver sort, who thought deficiency of honesty too sacred and profitable a commodity to be profaned and turned into ridicule.  He had infinitely more wit than any man I ever knew, and it was as ready and quick as it was constant and Unmeditated.  His style was a little brutal, his courage not at all so; his good-humour inexhaustible; it was impossible to hate or to trust him.”  Winnington was first Ynade lord of the admiralty, then of the treasury, then cofferer, and lastly paymaster of the forces:  to which office, on his death in 1746, Mr. Pitt succeeded.-E.

(262) The Hon. Augustus Townshend was second son of the minister, Lord Townshend, by his second wife, the sister of Sir Robert Walpole.  He was consequently half-brother to Charles, the third viscount, husband to Ethelreda, Lady Townshend.-D.