(974) The Queen of Naples,-Maria of Saxony, wife of Charles the Third, King of Naples, and subsequently, on the death of his elder brother, King of Spain.  This alludes to the Austrian campaign in the Neapolitan territories, the attack on the town of Velletri, etc.-E.

391 Letter 150 To Sir Horace Mann.  Arlington Street, Oct 19, 1744.

I have received two or three letters from you since I wrote to you last, and all contribute to give me fears for your situation at Florence.  How absurdly all the Queen’s ban haughtinesses are dictated to her by her ministers, or by her own Austriacity!  She lost all Silesia because she would not lose a small piece of it, and she is going to lose Tuscany for want of a neutrality, because she would not accept one for Naples, even after all prospect of conquering it was vanished.  Every thing goes ill! the King of Sardinia beaten; and to-day we hear of Coni lost!  You will see in the papers too, that the Victory, our finest ship, is lost, with Sir John Balchen and nine hundred men.(975) The expense alone of the ship is computed at above two hundred thousand pounds.  We have nothing good but a flying report of a victory of Prince Charles over the Prussian, who, it ’Is said, has lost ten thousand men, and both his legs by a cannon-ball.  I have no notion of his losing them, but by breaking them in over-hurry to run away.  However, it comes from a Jew, who had the first news of the passage of the Rhine.(976) But, my dear child, how will this comfort me, if you are not to remain in peace at Florence!  I tremble as I write!

Yesterday morning carried off those two old beldamss, Sarah of Marlborough and the (.countess Granville;(977) so now Uguccioni’s(978) epithalamium must be new-tricked out in titles, for my Lady Carteret is Countess!  Poor Bistino!  I wish my Lady Pomfret may leave off her translation of Froissart to English the eight hundred and forty heroics!  When I know the particulars of old Marlborough’s will, you shall.

My Lord Walpole has promised me a letter for young Gardiner; who, by the way, has pushed his fortune en vrai b`atard, without being so, for it never was pretended that he was my brother’s — he protests he is not; but the youth has profited of his mother’s gallantries.

I have not seen Admiral Matthews yet, but I take him to be very mad.  He walks in the Park with a cockade of three colours:  the Duke desired a gentleman to ask him the meaning, and all the answer he would give was, “The Treaty of Worms! the treaty of Worms!” I design to see him, thank him for my packet, and inquire after the cases.