I write to you more tired, and with more headache, than any one but you could conceive!  I came home at five this morning from the Duchess of Norfolk’s masquerade, and was forced to rise before eleven, for my father, who came from Richmond to take his seat in the Lords, for the Houses met to-day.  He is gone back to his retirement.  Things wear a better aspect:  at the great meeting (460) on Friday, at the Fountain, Lord Carteret and Lord Winchilsea (461) refused to go, only saying, that they never dined at a tavern.  Pultney and the new chancellor of the exchequer went, and were abused by his Grace of Argyll.  The former said he was content with what was already done, and would not be active in any further proceedings, though he would not desert the party.  Sandys said the King had done him the honour to offer him that place; why should he not accept it? if he had not, another would:  if nobody would, the King would be obliged to employ his old minister again, which he imagined the gentlemen present would not wish to see; and protested against screening, with the same conclusion as Pultney.  The Duke of Bedford was very warm against Sir William Yonge; Lord Talbot (462) was so in general.(463)

During the recess, they have employed Fazakerley to draw up four impeachments; against Sir Robert, my uncle, Mr. Keene, and Colonel Bladen, who was only commissioner for the tariff at Antwerp.  One of the articles against Sir R. is, his having at this conjuncture trusted Lord Waldegrave as ambassador, who is so near a relation (464) of the Pretender-. but these impeachments are likely to grow obsolete manuscripts.  The minds of the people grow more candid:  at first, they made one of the actors at Drury Lane repeat some applicable lines at the end of Harry the Fourth; but last Monday, when his Royal Highness-, had purposely bespoken “The Unhappy Favourite” (465) for Mrs. Porter’s benefit, they never once applied the most glaring passages; as where they read the indictment against Robert Earl of Essex, etc.  The Tories declare against further prosecution-if Tories there are, for now one hears of nothing but the Broad Bottom:  it is the reigning cant word, and means, the taking all parties and people, indifferently into the ministry.  The Whigs are the dupes of this; And those in the Opposition affirm that Tories no longer exist.  Notwithstanding this, they will not come into the new ministry, unless what were always reckoned Tories are admitted.  The Treasury has gone a-begging:  I mean one of the lordships, which is at last filled up with Major Compton, a relation of Lord Wilmington; but now we shall see a new scene.  On Tuesday night Mr. Pultney went to the Prince, and, without the knowledge of Argyll, etc., prevailed on him to write to the King:  he was so long determining, that it was eleven at night before the King received his letter.  Yesterday morning the prince, attended by two of his lords, two grooms of the Bedchamber,