There has been a great fracas at Kensington:  one of the Mesdames(718) pulled the chair from under Countess Deloraine(719) at cards, who, being provoked that her monarch was diverted with her disgrace, with the malice of a hobby-horse, gave him just such another fall.  But alas! the Monarch, like Louis XIV. is mortal in the part that touched the ground, and was so hurt and so angry, that the countess is disgraced, and her German rival (720) remains in the sole and quiet possession of her royal master’s favour.

October 9th.

Well!  I have waited till this morning, but have no letter from you; what can be the meaning of it?  Sure, if you was ill, Mr. Chute would write to me!  Your brother protests he never lets your letters lie at the office.

Sa Majest`e Patapanique(721) has had a dreadful misfortune!-not lost his first minister, nor his purse—­nor had part of his camp equipage burned in the river, nor waited for his secretary of state, who is perhaps blown to Flanders—­nay, nor had his chair pulled from under him-worse! worse! quarrelling with a great pointer last night about their countesses, he received a terrible shake by the back and a bruise on the left eye—­poor dear Pat! you never saw such universal consternation! it was at supper.  Sir Robert, who makes as much rout with him as I do, says, he never saw ten people show so much real concern!  Adieu!  Yours, ever and ever-but write to me.

(714) The Marshal de Maillebois and the Count de Saxe had been sent with reinforcements from France, to deliver the Marshal de Broglio and the Marshal de Belleisle, who, with their army, were shut up in Prague, and surrounded by the superior forces of the Queen of Hungary, commanded by Prince Charles of Lorraine.  They succeeded in facilitating the escape of the Marshal de Broglio, and of a portion of the French troops; but the Marshal de Belleisle continued to be blockaded in Prague with twenty-two thousand men, till December 1742, when he made his escape to Egra.-D.

(715) Felton Hervey, tenth son of John, first Earl of Bristol; in 1737, appointed groom of the bedchamber to the Duke of Cumberland.  He died in 1775.-E.

(716) These are “The Capuchin,” and the ode beginning, “’Great Earl of Bath, your reign is o’er;” As they have been frequently published, they are omitted.  The “Nova Progenies” is the well-known ode beginning, “See, a new progeny descends."-D.

(717) Eldest son of old Horace Walpole. [Afterwards the second Lord Walpole of Wolterton, and in 1806, at the age of eighty-three created Earl of Orford.  He died in 1809.-E.]

(718) The Princesses, daughters of George II.-D.

(719) Elizabeth Fenwick, widow of Henry Scott, third Earl of Deloraine.  She was a favourite of George II. and lived much in his intimate society.  From the ironical epithets applied to her in Lord Hervey’s ballad in the subsequent letter, it would appear, that her general conduct was not considered to be very exemplary.  She died in 1794.-D.