it is a most terrible loss for his parents, Lord Beauchamp’s(979) death:  if they were out of the question, one could not be sorry for such a mortification to the pride of old Somerset.  He has written the most shocking letter imaginable to poor Lord Hertford, telling him that it is a judgment upon him for all his undutifulness, and that he must always look upon himself. as the cause of’ his son’s death.  Lord Hertford is as good a man as lives, and has always been most unreasonably ill-used by that old tyrant.  The title of’ Somerset will revert to Sir Edward Seymour, whose line has been most unjustly deprived of it from the first creation. 
  The Protector when only Earl of Hertford, married a great
heiress, and had a Lord Beauchamp, who was about twenty when his mother died.  His father then married an Anne Stanhope, with whom he was In love, and not only procured an act of parliament to deprive Lord Beauchamp of’ his honours and to settle the title of Somerset, which he was going to have, on the children of’ this second match, but took from him even his mother’s fortune.  From him descended Sir Edward Seymour, the Speaker, who, on King William’s landing, when he said to him, “Sir Edward, I think you are of the Duke of Somerset’s family!” replied, “No, Sir:  he is of mine.”

Lord Lincoln was married last Tuesday, and Lord Middlesex will be very soon.  Have you heard the gentle manner of the French King’s dismissing Madame de Chateauroux?  In the very circle, the Bishop of Soissons(980) told her, that, as the scandal the King had given with her was public, his Majesty thought his repentance ought to be so too, and that he therefore forbade her the court; and then turning to the monarch, asked him if that was not his pleasure, who replied, Yes.  They have taken away her pension too, and turned out even laundresses that she had recommended for the future Dauphiness.  A-propos to the Chateauroux:  there is a Hanoverian come over, who was so ingenuous as to tell Master Louis,(981) how like he is to M. Walmoden.  You conceive that “nous autres souvereins nous n’aimons pas qu’on se m`eprenne aux gens:”  we don’t love that our Fitzroys should be scandalized with any mortal resemblance.

I must tell you a good piece of discretion of a Scotch soldier, whom Mr. Selwyn met on Bexley Heath walking back to the army.  He had met with a single glove at Higham, which had been left there last year in an inn by an officer now in Flanders:  this the fellow was carrying in hopes of a little money; but, for fear he should lose the glove, wore it all the way.

Thank you for General Braitwitz’s deux potences.(982) I hope that one of them, at least will rid us of the Prussian.  Adieu! my dear child:  all my wishes are employed about Florence.

(975) The Victory, of a hundred and ten brass guns, was lost, between the 4th and 5th of October, near Alderney.-E.

(976) This report proved to be without foundation.