But how will Walpole justify his fate? 
He trusted Islay (485) till it was too late. 
Where were those parts! where was that piercing mind! 
That judgment, and that knowledge of mankind! 
To trust a Traitor that he knew so well! 
(Strange truth!  I)ctray’d, but not deceived, he fell!)
He knew his heart was, like his aspect, vile;
Knew him the tool, and Brother of Argyll! 
Yet to his hands his power and hopes gave up;
And though he saw ’twas poison, drank the cup! 
Trusted to one he never could think true,
And perish’d by a villain that he knew.

(476) “February 21.  Prince taken ill of the measles.  The King sent no message to him in his illnesses Secker ms.-E.

(477) William Shippen, a celebrated Jacobite.  Sir R. Walpole said that he was the Only man whose price he did not know. [See ante, p. 194, Letter 45.]

(478) William Murray, Mr. Pope’s friend, afterwards Solicitor, and then Attorney-general.

(479) Sir Richard Lloyd, who succeeded Mr. Murray, in 1754, as Solicitor-general.

(480) Horace Walpole, brother of Sir Robert.

(481) Algernon Seymour, Earl of Hertford, eldest son of Charles, called the proud Duke of Somerset, whom he succeeded in that Title, and was the last Duke of Somerset of that branch; his son, who is here mentioned, having died before him.-D.

(482) These Lines were written by Sir Charles Hanbury Williams. [And are published in the edition of his works, in three volumes, 12 no.1.

(483) Alluding to the Grand Rebellion against Charles the First.

(484) The Parliament which overthrew Sir R. W. was carried

against him by his losing the majority of the Scotch and Cornish boroughs; the latter managed by Lord Falmouth
                           and Thomas Pitt.

(485) Archibald Campbell, Earl of Islay, brother of John, Duke of Argyll, in conjunction with whom (though then openly at variance) he was supposed to have betrayed Sir R.
W. and to have let the Opposition
succeed in the Scotch elections, which were trusted to
his management.  It must be
observed, that Sir R. W. would never allow that he believed
himself betrayed by Lord Islay.

229 Letter 56 To Sir Horace Mann.  London, March 3d, 1742.

I am Obliged to write to you to-day, for I am sure I shall not have a moment to-morrow; they are to make their motion for a secret committee to examine into the late administration.  We are to oppose it strongly, but to no purpose; for since the change, they have beat us on no division under a majority of forty.  This last week has produced no new novelties; his Royal Highness has been shut up with the measles, of which he was near dying, by eating China oranges.

We are to send sixteen thousand men into Flanders in the spring, under his Grace of Argyll; they talk of the Duke of Marlborough and Lord Albemarle to command under him.  Lord Cadogan (486) is just dead, so there is another regiment vacant:  they design Lord Delawar’s for Westmoreland;(487) so now Sir Francis Dashwood (488) will grow as fond of the King again as he used to be-or as he has hated him since.