There is yet no news of the Pembroke.  The Dominichin has a post of honour reserved in the gallery.  My Lord says, as to that Dalton’s Raphael, he can say nothing without some particular description of the picture and the size, and some hint at the price, which you have promised to get.  I leave the residue of my paper for tomorrow:  I tremble, lest I should be forced to finish it abruptly!  I forgot to tell you that I left a particular commission with my brother Ned, who is at Chelsea, to get some tea-seed from the physic-garden; and he promised me to go to Lord Islay, to know what cobolt and zingho(831) are, and where they are to be got.

Saturday morning.

The post is come:  no battle!  Just as they were marching against the French, they received orders from Hanover not to engage, for the Queen’s generals thought they were inferior, and were positive against fighting.  Lord Stair, with only the English, proceeded, and drew out in order; but though the French were then so vastly superior, they did not attack him.  The King is now at the army, and, they say, will endeavour to make the Austrians fight.  It wilt make great confusion here if they do not.  The French are evacuating Bavaria as fast as possible, and seem to intend to join all their force together.  I shall still dread all the events of this campaign.  Adieu!

(826) Mr. Conway the most intimate friend of Horace Walpole, was now serving in Lord Stair’s army.

(827) Miss Norsa; she was a Jewess, and had been a singer.

(828) Lady Maria Walpole.

(829) Eliza Heywood, a voluminous writer of indifferent novels; of which the best known is one called “Betsy Thoughtless.”  She was also authoress of a work entitled “The Female Spectator.” — Mrs. Heywood was born in 1693, and died in 1756.-D.

(830) Mrs. Afra Behn, a woman whose character and writings were equally incorrect.  Of her plays, which were seventeen in number, Pope says,

“The stage how loosely does Astrea tread, Who fairly puts all characters to bed.”

Her novels and other productions were also marked with similar characteristics.  She died in 1689-D.

(831) Cobalt and Zinc, two metallic substances; the former composed of silver, copper, and arsenic, the latter of tin and iron.-D.

328 letter 110 To Sir Horace Mann.  Houghton, June 20, 1743.

I have painted the Raphael to my lord almost as fine as Raphael himself could; but he will not think of it-. he will not give a thousand guineas for what he never saw.  I wish I could persuade him.  For the other hands, he has already fine ones of every one of them.  There are yet no news of the Pembroke:  we row impatient.

I have made a short tour to Euston this week with the Duke of Grafton, who came over from thence with Lord Lincoln and Mr. Pelham.  Lord Lovel and Mr. Coke carried me and brought me back.  It is one of the most admired seats in England-in my opinion, because Kent has a most absolute disposition of it.  Kent is now so fashionable, that, like Addison’s Liberty, he