We talk of adjourning, soon for a month or six weeks, to give the Secret Committee time to proceed, which yet they have not done.  Their object is returned from Houghton in great health and greater spirits.  They are extremely angry with him for laughing at their power.  The concourse to him is as great as ever; so is the rage against him.  All this week the mob has been carrying about his effigies in procession, and to the Tower.  The chiefs of the Opposition have been so mean as to give these mobs money for bonfires, particularly the Earls of Lichfield, Westmoreland, Denbigh, (548) and Stanhope:(549) the servants of these last got one of these figures, chalked out a place for the heart and shot at it.  You will laugh at me, who, the other day, meeting one of these mobs, drove up to it to see what was the matter:  the first thing I beheld was a maulkin, in a chair, with three footmen, and a label on the breast, inscribed “Lady mary.” (550)

The Speaker, who has been much abused for naming two of our friends to the Secret Committee, to show his disinterestedness, has resigned his place of treasurer of the navy.  Mr. Clutterbuck,(551) one of the late treasury is to have it; so there seems a stop put to any new persons from the Opposition.

His Royal Highness is gone to Kew his drawing-rooms Will not be so crowded at his return, as he has disobliged so many considerable people, particularly the Dukes of Montagu (552) and Richmond, Lord Albemarle,(553) etc.  The Richmond went twice, and yet was not spoken to; nor the others; nay, he has vented his princely resentment even upon the women, for to Lady Hervey, not a word.

This is all the news except that little Brook (554) is on the point of matrimony with Miss Hamilton, Lady Archibald’s daughter.  She is excessively pretty and sensible, but as diminutive as he.

I forgot to tell you that the Place Bill has met with the same fate from the Lords as the Pension Bill (555) and the Triennial Act; so that, after all their clamour and changing of measures, they have not been able to get one of their popular bills passed, though the newspapers, for these three months, have swarmed with instructions for these purposes, from the constituents of all parts of Great Britain to their representatives.

We go into mourning on Sunday for the old Empress Amelia.(556) Lord Chedworth, (557) one of three new Peers, is dead.  We hear the King of Sardinia is at Piacenza, to open the campaign.  I shall be in continual fears lest they disturb you at Florence.  All love to the Chutes, and my compliments to all my old acquaintance.  I don’t think I have forgot one of Them.  Pataman is entirely yours, and entirely handsome.  Good night!