(340) Sarah, Dowager Duchess of Marlborough.

(341) Nor did she, Her grace survived the date of this letter nearly three years.  She died on the 18th of October 1744, being then eighty-four years of age.-E.

197 Letter 46 To Sir Horace Mann.  Wednesday night, eleven o’clock, Dec. 16, 1741.

Remember this day.

Nous voil`a de la Minorit`e! entens-tu cela! h`e!  My dear child, since you will have these ugly words explained, they just mean that we ar—­ metamorphosed into the minority.  This was the night of choosing a chairman of the committee of elections.  Gyles Earle, (342) (as in the two last parliaments) was named by the Court; Dr. Lee, (343) a civilian, by the Opposition, a man of a fair character. (344) Earle was formerly a dependent on the Duke of Argyle,(345) is of remarkable covetousness and wit, which he has dealt out largely against the Scotch and the Patriots.  It was a day of much expectation, and both sides had raked together all probabilities:  I except near twenty who are in town, but stay to vote on a second question, when the majority may be decided to either party. have you not read of such in story?  Men, who would not care to find themselves on the weaker side, contrary to their intent.  In short, the determined sick were dragged out of their beds; zeal came in a great coat.  There were two vast dinners at two taverns, for either-party; at six we met in the House.  Sir William Yonge, seconded by my uncle Horace, (346) moved for Mr. Earle:  Sir Paul Methuen (347) and Sir Watkyn Williams (348) proposed Dr. Lee-and carried him, by a majority of four:  242 against 238-the greatest number, I believe, that ever lost a question.  You have no idea of their huzza! unless you can conceive how people must triumph after defeats of twenty years together.  We had one vote shut out, by coming a moment too late; one that quitted us, for having been ill used by the Duke of Newcastle but yesterday-for which in all probability, he will use him well to-morrow-I mean, for quitting us.  Sir Thomas Lowther,(349) Lord Hartington’s (350) uncle, was fetched down by him and voted against us.  Young Ross,(351) son to a commissioner of the customs, and saved from the dishonour of not liking to go to the West Indies when it was his turn, by Sir R.s giving him a lieutenancy, voted against us; and Tom Hervey,(352) who is always with us, but is quite mad; and being asked why he left us, replied, “Jesus knows my thoughts; one day I blaspheme, and pray the next.” so, you see what accidents were against us, or we had carried our point.  They cry, Sir R. miscalculated:  how should he calculate, when there are men like Ross, and fifty others he could name!  It was not very pleasant to be stared in the face to see how one bore it-you can guess at my bearing it, who interest myself so little about any thing.  I have had a taste of what I am to meet from all sorts of people.  The moment we had lost the question, I went from the