What shall I say to you, my dearest Sir, for all your tenderness to poor Mr. Mann and me? as you have so much friendship for him, you may conceive how much I am obliged to you.  How much do I regret not having had more opportunities of showing you my esteem and love, before this new attention, to Mr. Mann.  You do flatter me, and tell me he is recovering—­nay I trust you? and don’t you say it, only to comfort me?-Say a great deal for me to Mr. Whithed; he is excessively good to me; I don’t know how to thank him.  I am happy that you are so well yourself, and so constant to your fasting.  To reward your virtues, I will tell you the news I know; not much, but very extraordinary.  What would be the most extraordinary event that you think could happen?  Would not-next to his becoming a real patriot-the Duke of Argyll’s resigning be the most unexpected? would any thing be more surprising than his immediately resigning power at having felt the want of them?  Be that as it will, he literally, actually, resigned all his new commissions yesterday, because the King refused to employ the Tories.(506) What part he will act next is yet to come.  Mrs. Boothby said, upon the occasion, “that in one month’s time he had contrived to please the whole nation-the Tories, by going to court; the Whigs, by leaving it.”

They talk much of impeaching my father, since they could not committee him; but as they could not, I think they will scarce be able to carry a more violent step.  However, to show how little Tory resentments are feared, the King has named a new Admiralty; Lord Winchilsea, Admiral Cavendish, Mr. Cockburn, Dr. Lee, Lord Baltimore, young Trevor,(507) (which is much disliked, for he is of no consequence for estate, and less for parts, but is a relation of the Pelhams,) and Lord Archibald Hamilton,(508)-to please his Royal Highness.  Some of his people (not the Lytteltons and Pitts) stayed away the other night upon the Secret Committee, and they think he will at last rather take his father’s part, than Argyll’s.

Poor Mr. PUltney has lost his girl:  she was an only daughter, and sensible and handsome.  He has only a son left, and, they say, is afflicted to the greatest degree.

I will say nothing about old Sarah’s Memoirs; for, with some spirit they are nothing but remnants of old women’s frippery.  Good night!  I recommend my poor Mr. Mann to you, and am yours, most faithfully.

P. S. My dearest child, how unhappy I shall be, till I hear you are quite recovered

(499) The young lady died on the preceding evening.  She was in her fourteenth year.-E.

(500) William Hamilton, Lord Viscount Limerick. (According to the peerages, Lord Limerick’s Christian name was James, and not William.-D.)

(501) For removing Sir Robert Walpole.

(502) Sir John St. Aubyn, of Clowance in Cornwall, third baronet of that family.-D. [He died in 1744.