is all adjusted.  The Secretary,(874) since his return, has carried all with a high hand, and treated the rest as ciphers; but he has been so beaten in the cabinet council, that in appearance he submits, though the favour is most evidently with him.  All the old ministers have flown hither as zealously as in former days; and of the three lev`ees (875) in this street, the greatest is in this house, as my Lord Carteret told them the other day; “I know you all go to Lord Orford — he has more company than any of us—­ do you think I can’t go to him too?” He is never sober; his rants are amazing; so are his parts and spirits.  He has now made up with the Pelhams, though after naming to two vacancies in the Admiralty without their knowledge; Sir Charles Hardy and Mr. Philipson.  The other alterations are at last fixed.  Winnington is to be paymaster; Sandys, cofferer, on resigning the exchequer to Mr. Pelham; Sir John Rushout, treasurer of the navy; and Harry Fox, lord of the treasury.  Mr. Compton,(876) and Gybbons remain at that board.  Wat.  Plumber, a known man, said, the other day, “Zounds!  Mr. Pultney took those old dishclouts to wipe out the ’treasury, and now they are going to lace them and lay them up!” It is a most just idea:  to be sure, Sandys and Rushout, and their fellows, are dishclouts, if dishclouts there are in the world:  and now to lace them!

The Duke of Marlborough has resigned every thing, to reinstate himself in the old duchess’s will.  She said the other day, “It is very natural:  he listed as soldiers do when they are drunk, and repented when he was sober.”  So much for news:  now for your letters.

All joy to Mr. Whithed on the increase of his family! and joy to you; for now he is established in so comfortable a way, I trust you will not lose him soon-and la Dame s’appelle?

If my Lady Walpole has a mind once in her life to speak truth, or to foretell,-the latter of which has as seldom any thing to do with truth as her ladyship has,-why she may now about the Tesi’s dog, for I shall certainly forget what it would be in vain to remember.  My dear Sir, how should one convey a dog to Florence!  There are no travelling Princes of Saxe Gotha or Modena here at present, who would carry a little dog in a nutshell.  The poor Maltese cats, to the tune of how many! never arrived here; and how should one little dog ever find its way to Florence!  But tell me, and, if it is possible, I will send it.  Was it to be a greyhound, or of King Charles’s breed?  It was to have been the latter; but I think you told me that she rather had a mind to the other sort, which, by the way, I don’t think I could get for her.

Thursday, eight o’clock at night.

I am just come from the House, and dined.  Mr. Coke(877) moved the address, seconded by Mr. Yorke, the lord chancellor’s son.(878) The Opposition divided 149 against 278; which gives a better prospect of carrying on the winter easily.  In the lords’ house there was no division.  Mr. Pitt called Lord Carteret the execrable author of our measures, and sole minister.(879) Mr. Winnington replied, that he did not know of any sole minister; but if my Lord Carteret was so, the gentlemen of the other side had contributed more to make him so than he had.