The Duke of Montagu has found out an old penny-history-book, called the Old Woman’s Will of Ratcliffe-Highway, which he has bound up with his mother-in-law’s, Old Marlborough,(1003) only-tearing away the title-page of the latter.

My father has been extremely ill this week with his disorder—­ I think the physicians are more and more persuaded that it is the stone in his bladder.  He is taking a preparation of Mrs. Stevens’s medicine, a receipt of one Dr. Jurin, which we began to fear was too violent for him:  I made his doctor angry with me, by arguing on this medicine, which I never could comprehend. it is of so great violence, that it Is to split a stone when it arrives at it, and yet it is to do no damage to all the tender intestines through which it must first pass.(1004) I told him, I thought it was like an admiral going on a secret expedition of war, with instructions, which are not to be opened till he arrives in such a latitude.

George Townshend,(1005) my lord’s eldest son, who is at the Hague on his travels, has had an offer to raise a regiment for their service, of which he is to be colonel, with power of naming all his own officers.  It was proposed, that it should consist of Irish Roman Catholics, but the regency of Ireland have represented against that, because they think they will all desert to the French.  He is now to try it of Scotch, which will scarce succeed, unless he will let all the officers be of the same nation.  An affair of this kind first raised the late Duke of Argyll; and was the cause of the first quarrel with the Duke of Marlborough, who was against his coming into our army in the same rank.

Sir Thomas Hanmer has at last published his Shakspeare:  he has made several alterations, but they will be the less talked of, as he has not marked in the text, margin, or notes, where or why he has made any change; but every body must be obliged to collate it with other editions.  One most curiously absurd alteration I have been told.  In Othello, it is said of Cassio, “a Florentine, one almost damned in a fair wife.”  It happens that there is no other mention in the play of Cassio’s wife.  Sir Thomas has altered it-how do you think?-no, I should be sorry if you could think how-"almost damned in a fair phiz!"-what a tragic word! and what sense!

Adieu!  I see advertised a translation of Dr. Cocchi’s book on living on vegetables:(1006) Does he know any thing of it?  My service to him and every body.

(1000) James, first Earl of Waldegrave, ambassador at Paris, K. G. He died in 1741.-D.

(1001) Those who play at court on Twelfth-night, make a bank with several people.

(1002) Lady Juliana Fermor, married in 1751 to Thomas Penn, Esq. (son of William Penn, the great legislator of the Quakers) one of the proprietors of Pennsylvania.  He died in 1775, and Lady Juliana in 1781.-E.

(1003) The Duchess of Marlborough’s will was published in a thin octavo volume.-D.