till these last three days.  His spirits are amazing, and his constitution more; for Dr. Hulse, said honestly from the first, that if he recovered, it would be from his own strength, not from their art.  After the four or five first days, in which they gave him the bark, they resigned him to the struggles of his own good temperament-and it has surmounted! surmounted an explosion and discharge of thirty-two pieces of stone, a constant and vast effusion of blood for five days, a fever of three weeks, a perpetual flux of water, and sixty-nine years, already (one should think) worn down with his vast fatigues!  How much more he will ever recover, one scarce dare hope about:  for us, he is greatly recovered; for himself-

March 4th.

I had written thus far last week, without being able to find a moment to finish.  In the midst of all my attendance on my lord and receiving visits, I am forced to go out and thank those that have come and sent; for his recovery is now at such a pause, that I fear it is in vain to expect much farther amendment.  How dismal a prospect for him, with the possession of the greatest understanding in the world, not the least impaired to lie without any use of it! for to keep him from pains and restlessness, he takes so much opiate, that he is scarce awake four hours of the four-and-twenty; but I -will say no more on this.

Our coalition goes on thrivingly; but at the expense of the old Court, who are all discontented, and are likely soon to show their resentment.  The brothers have seen the best days of their ministry.  The Hanover troops dismissed to please the Opposition, and taken again with their consent, under the cloak of an additional subsidy to the Queen of Hungary, who is to pay them.  This has set the patriots in so villainous a light, that they will be ill able to support a minister who has thrown such an odium on the Whigs, after they had so stoutly supported that measure last year, and which, after all the clamour, is now universally adopted, as you see.  If my Lord Granville had any resentment, as he seems to have nothing but thirst, sure there is no vengeance he might not take!  So far from contracting any prudence from his fall, he laughs it off every night over two or three bottles.  The countess is with child.  I believe she and the countess-mother have got it; for there is nothing ridiculous which they have not done and said about it.  There was a private masquerade lately at the Venetian ambassadress’s for the Prince of Wales, who named the company, and expressly excepted my Lady Lincoln and others of the Pelham faction.  My Lady Granville came late, dressed like Imoinda, and handsomer than one of the houris — the Prince asked her why she would not dance? , Indeed, Sir, I was afraid I could not have come at all, for I had a fainting fit after dinner.”  The other night my Lady Townshend made a great ball on her son’s coming of age:  I went for a little while, little thinking of dancing.  I asked my Lord Granville, why my lady did not dance?  “Oh, Lord!  I wish you would ask her:  she will with you.”  I was caught, and did walk down one country dance with her; but the prudent Signora-madre would not let her expose the young Carteret any farther.