Here is a Saxe-Gothic prince, brother to her Royal Highness:(448) he sent her word from Dover that he was driven in there, in his way to Italy.  The man of the inn, Whom he consulted about lodgings in town, recommended him to one of very ill-fame in Suffolk-street.  He has got a neutrality for himself, and goes to both courts.

Churchill (449) asked Pultney the other day, “Well, Mr. Pultney, will you break me too?"-"No, Charles,” replied he, “you break fast enough of yourself!” Don’t you think it hurt him more than the other breaking would?  Good night!  Yours, ever.

Thursday, Feb. 11, 1741-2.

P. S. I had finished my letter, and unwillingly resolved to send you all that bad news, rather than leave you ignorant of our doings; but I have the pleasure of mending your prospect a little.  Yesterday the Common Council met, and resolved upon instructions to their members, which, except one not very descriptive paragraph, contains nothing personal -,against our new earl; and ends with resolutions “to stand by our present constitution.”  Mind what followed!  One of them proposed to insert “the King and Royal Family” before the words, “our present constitution;” but, on a division, it was rejected by three to one.

But to-day, for good news!  Sir Robert has resigned; Lord Wilmington is first lord of the treasury, and Sandys has accepted the seals as chancellor of the exchequer, with Gibbon (450) and Sir John Rushout,(451) joined to him as other lords of the treasury.  Waller was to have been the other, but has formally refused.  So, Lord Sundon, Earle, Treby,(452) and Clutterbuck (453) are the first discarded, unless the latter saves himself by Waller’s refusal.  Lord Harrington, who is created an earl, is made president of the council, and Lord Carteret has consented to be secretary of state in his room-but mind; not one of them has promised to be against the prosecution of Sir Robert, though I don’t believe now that it will go on.  You see Pultney is not come in, except in his friend Sir John Rushout, but is to hold the balance between liberty and prerogative; at least, in this, he acts with honour.  They say Sir John Hind Cotton and the Jacobites will be left out,,unless they bring in Dr. Lee and Sir John Barnard to the admiralty, as they propose; for I do not think it is decided what are their principles.  Sir Charles Wager has resigned this morning:(454) he says, “We shall not die, but be all changed!” though he says, a parson lately reading this text in an old Bible, where the c was rubbed out, read it, not die, but be all hanged!

To-morrow our earl goes to Richmond Park, en retir`e; comes on Thursday to take his seat in the Lords, and returns thither again.  Sandys is very angry at his taking the title of Orford, which belonged to his wife’s (455) great uncle.  You know a step of that nature cost the great Lord Strafford (456) his head, at the prosecution of a less bloody-minded man than Sandys.