(1004) Mrs. Stephens’s remedy for the stone made for some time, the greatest noise, and met both with medical approbation and national reward.  In 1742, Dr. James Parsons published a pamphlet on the subject, which Dr. Mead describes as @’ a very useful book; in which both the mischiefs done by the medicine, and the artifices employed to bring it into vogue are set in a clear light.”—­E.

(1005) Afterwards first Marquis Townshend, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Master General of the Ordnance. etc.

(1006) The Doctor’s treatise “Di Vitto Pythagorico,” appeared this year in England, under the title of “The Pythagorean Diet; or Vegetables only conducive to the Preservation of Health and the Cure of Diseases."-E.

402 letter 156 To Sir Horace Mann.  Arlington Street, Feb. 1, 1745.

I am glad my letters, obscure as they of course must be, give you any light into England; but don’t mind them too much; they may be partial; must be imperfect:  don’t negotiate upon their authority, but have Capello’s(1007) example before your eyes!  How I laugh when I see him important, and see my Lady Pomfret’s letters at the bottom of his instructions! how it would make a philosopher smile at the vanity of politics!  How it diverts me, who can entertain myself at the expense of philosophy, politics, or any thing else!  Mr. Conway says I laugh at all serious characters-so I do-and at myself too, who am far from being of the number.  Who would not laugh at a world, where so ridiculous a creature as the Duke of Newcastle can overturn ministries!  Don’t take me for a partisan of Lord Granville’s because I despise his rivals; I am not for adopting his measures; they were wild and dangerous -. in his single capacity, I think him a great genius(1008) and without having recourse to the Countess’s translatable periods, am pleased with his company.  His frankness charms one when it is not necessary to depend upon it:  and his contempt for fools is very flattering to any one who happens to know the present ministry.  Their coalition goes on as One should expect; they have the name of having effected it; and the Opposition is no longer mentioned:  yet there is not a half-witted prater in the House but can divide with every new minister on his side, except Lyttelton, whenever he pleases.  They actually do every day bring in popular bills, and on the first tinkling of the brass, all the new bees swarm back to the Tory side of the House.  The other day, on the Flanders army, Mr. Pitt came down to prevent this:  he was very ill, but made a very strong and much admired speech for coalition,(1009) which for that day succeeded, and the army was voted with but one negative,.  But now the Emperor (1010) is dead, and every thing must wear a new face.  If it produces a peace, Mr. Pelham is a fortunate man!  He will do extremely well at the beginning of peace, like the man in Madame de la Fayette’s Memoirs, Qui exer`coit extr`emement bien sa charge, quand il n’avoit rien `a faire.”  However, do you keep well with them, and be sure don’t write me back any treason, in answer to all I write to you:  you are to please them; I think of them -is they are.