and married to some Hammond or Hoste (820) who is Duke of Wootton or Darsingham.  I remember in the fairy tales where a yellow dwarf steals a princess, and shows her his duchy, of which he is very proud:  among the blessings of grandeur, of which he makes her mistress, there is a most beautiful ass for her palfrey, a blooming meadow of nettles and thistles to walk in, and a fine troubled ditch to slake her thirst, after either of the above mentioned exercises.

Adieu!  My next will be dated from some of the doleful castles in the principality of your forlorn friend, the duchy of Reepham.

(818) William Fortescue, master of the rolls, a relation of Margaret Lady Walpole. ffortescue was made master of the rolls in 1741, and continued so until his death in 1749.  He was the friend and correspondent of Pope, and assisted the poet in drawing up the humorous report, “Stradling versus Stiles.”  He was a man of great humour, talents, and integrity.]

(819) Mademoiselle de Valois, who had made herself notorious during the regency of her father, by her intrigue with the Duke of Richelieu.  She consented to marry the Duke of Modena, in order to obtain the liberty of her lover, who was confined in the Bastille, for conspiring against the Regent.  The Duke of Richelieu, in return, followed her afterwards secretly to Modena.-D.

(820) The Hammonds and Hostes are two Norfolk families, nearly allied to the Walpoles.

324 letter 108 To Sir Horace Mann.  Houghton, Jan. 4, 1743.

I wrote, this week to Mr. Chute, addressed to you; I could not afford two letters in one post from the country, and in the dead of summer.  I have received one from you of May 21st, since I came I must tell you a smart dialogue between your father and me the morning we left London:  he came to wish my lord a good journey:  I found him in the parlour.  “Sir,” said he, “I may ask you how my son does; I think you hear from him frequently:  I never do.”  I replied, “Sir, I write him kind answers; pray do you do so?” He coloured, and said with a half mutter, “Perhaps I have lived too long for him!” I answered shortly, “Perhaps you have.”  My dear child, I beg your pardon, but I could not help this.  When one loves any body, one can’t help being warm for them at a fair opportunity.  Bland and Mr. Legge were present-your father could have stabbed me.  I told your brother Gal, who was glad.

We are as private here as if we were in devotion-. there is nobody with us now but Lord Edgecumbe and his son.  The Duke of Grafton and Mr. Pelham come next week, and I hope Lord Lincoln with them.  Poor Lady Sophia is at the gasp of her hopes; all is concluded for his match with Miss Pelham.  It is not to be till the winter.  He is to have all Mr. Pelham and the Duke of Newcastle can give or settle; unless Lady Catherine should produce a son, or the duchess should die, and the duke marry again.

Earl Poulett(821) is dead, and makes vacant another riband.  I imagine Lord Carteret will have one; Lord Bath will ask it.  I think they should give Prince Charles(822) one of the two, for all the trouble he saves us.  The papers talk of nothing but a suspension of arms:  it seems toward, for at least we hear of no battle, though there are so many armies looking at one another.