For myself, I am quite happy to be free from all the fatigue, envy, and uncertainty of our late situation.  I go every where; indeed, to have the stare over, and to use myself to neglect, but I meet nothing but civilities.  Here have been Lord Hartington, Coke, and poor Fitzwilliam,(438) and others crying:  here has been Lord Deskford (439) and numbers to wish me joy; in short, it is a most extraordinary and various scene.(440)

There are three people whom I pity much; the King, Lord Wilmington, and my own sister; the first, for the affront, to be forced to part with his minister, and to be forced to forgive his son; the second, as he is too old, and (even when he was young,) unfit for the burthen:  and the poor girl,(441) who must be created an earl’s daughter, as her birth would deprive her of the rank.  She must kiss hands, and bear the flirts of impertinent real quality

I am invited to dinner to-day by Lord Strafford (442) Argyll’s son-in-law.  You see we shall grow the fashion.

My dear child, these are the most material points:  I am sensible how much you must want particulars; but you must be sensible, too, that just yet, I have not time.

Don’t be uneasy; your brother Ned has been here to wish me joy:  your brother Gal. has been here and cried; your tender nature will at first make you like the latter; but afterwards you will rejoice with the elder and me.  Adieu!  Yours, ever, and the same.

(436) “Sir Robert,” says Coxe, “seemed to have anticipated this event, and met it with his usual fortitude and cheerfulness.  While the tellers were performing their office, he beckoned Sir Edward Baynton, the member whose return was supported by the Opposition, to sit near him., spoke to him with great complacency, animadverted on the ingratitude of several individuals who were voting against him, on whom he had conferred great favour, and declared he would never again sit in that House."-E.

(437) Sir Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, knight of the garter, and at this time lord president of the council.

(438) william, Baron, and afterwards Earl Fitzwilliam; a young lord, much attached to Sir R. W.

(439) James Ogilvy, Lord Deskford succeeded his father, in 1764, as sixth Earl of Findlater, and third Earl of Seafield.  He held some inconsiderable offices in Scotland, and died in 1770.-D.

(440) the peculiar antipathy to Lord Hardwicke manifested by Horace Walpole on all occasions is founded, no doubt, upon the opinion which he had taken up, that the resignation of Sir Robert Walpole at this moment had been rendered necessary by the treachery and intrigues of that nobleman and the Duke of Newcastle.  In his “Memoires” he repeatedly charges him with such treachery; and the Edinburgh reviewer of that work (xxxvi. 1). 29) favours this view, observing, “It appears that, unless there was a secret understanding of Newcastle and Hardwicke with Pulteney