I must tell you a bon-mot of Winnington.  I was at dinner with him and Lord Lincoln and Lord Stafford last week, and it happened to be a maigre day of which Stafford was talking, though, you may believe, without any scruples; “Why,” said Winnington, “what a religion is yours! they let you eat nothing, and vet make you swallow every thing!”

My dear child, you will think when I am going to give you a new commission, that I ought to remember those you give me.  Indeed I have not forgot one, though I know not how to execute them.  The Life of King Theodore is too big to send but by a messenger; by the first that goes you shall have it.  For cobolt and zingho, your brother and I have made all inquiries, but almost in vain, except that one person has told him that there Is some such thing in Lancashire; I have written thither to inquire.  For the tea-trees, it is my brother-’s fault, whom I desired, as he is at Chelsea, to get some from the Physic-garden:  he forgot it; but now I am in town myself, if possible, you shall have some seed.  After this, I still know not how to give you a commission, for you over-execute; but on conditions uninfringeable, I will give you one.  I have begun to collect drawings:  now, if you will at any time buy me any that you meet with at reasonable rates, for I will not give great prices, I shall be much obliged to you.  I would not have above one, to be sure, of any of the Florentine school, nor above one of any master after the immediate scholars of Carlo Maratti.  For the Bolognese school, I care not how many; though I fear they will be too dear.  But Mr. Chute understands them.  One condition is, that if he collects drawings as well as prints, there is an end of the commission; for you shall not buy me any, when he perhaps would like to purchase them.  The other condition is, that you regularly set down the prices you pay; otherwise, if you send me any without the price, I instantly return them unopened to your brother:  this, upon my honour, I will most strictly perform.

Adieu! write me minutely the history of the plague.  If it makes any progress towards you, I shall be a most unhappy man.  I am far from easy on our own account here.

(843) Mr. Thompson and the Abb`e de Bussy were the English and French residents.

336 letter 117 To Sir Horace Mann.  Arlington Street, Aug. 14, 1743.

I should write to Mr. Chute to-day, but I won’t till next post:  I will tell you why presently.  Last week I did not write at all; because I was every day waiting for the Dominichin, etc. which I at last got last night-But oh! that etc.!  It makes me write to you, but I must leave it etc. for I can’t undertake to develop it.  I can find no words to thank you from my own fund; but Must apply an expression of the Princess Craon’s to myself, Which the number of charming things you have sent me absolutely melts down from the bombast, of which it consisted when she sent it me.  “Monsieur,