dispose of what I can for him.  But as most of them are very indifferent, and the total value most unreasonable, I absolutely will not undertake the sale of them upon any other terms, but will pack them up, and send them away to Leghorn by the first ship that sails; for as we are at war with France, I cannot send them that way, nor will I trouble any gentleman to carry them, as he might think himself liable to make them good if they met with any accident; nor will I answer for them by whatever way they go, as I did not consent to receive them, nor am sure that I have received the Marquis’s collection.

My dear Sir, translate this very distinctly for him, for he never shall receive any other notice from me; nor will I give them up to Wasner or Pucci,(1084) or any body else, though he should send me an order for it; for nobody saw me open them, nor shall any body be able to say I had them, by receiving them from me.  In short, I think I cannot be too cautious in such a negotiation.  If a man will send Me things to the value of two thousand pistoles, whether they are really worth it or not, he shall take his chance for losing them, and shall certainly never come upon me for them.  He must absolutely take his choice, of selling them at a proper price and separately, or of having them directly sent back by sea; for whether he consents to either or not, I shall certainly proceed in my resolution about them the very instant I receive an answer from you; for the sooner I am clear of them the better.  If he will let me sell them without setting a price, he may depend upon my taking the best method for his service; though really, my dear child, it will be for my own honour, not for his sake, who has treated me so impertinently.  I am sorry to give you this trouble, but judge how much the fool gives me!  Adieu!

(1084) Ministers of the Queen of Hungary and the Great Duke.

430 Letter 174 To Sir Horace Mann.  Arlington Street, July 26, 1745.

It is a pain to me to write to you, when all I can tell you will but distress you.  How much I wish myself with you! anywhere, where I should have my thoughts detached in some degree by distance and by length of time from England!  With all the reasons that I have for not loving great part of it, it is impossible not to feel the shock of living at the period of all its greatness! to be one of the Ultimi Romanorum!  I will not proceed upon the chapter of reflections, but mention some facts, which will supply your thoughts with all I should say.

The French make no secret of their intending to come hither; the letters from Holland speak of it as a notoriety.  Their Mediterranean fleet is come to Rochfort, and they have another at Brest.  Their immediate design is to attack our army, the very lessening which will be victory for them.  Our six hundred men, which have lain cooped up in the river till they had contracted diseases, are at last gone to Ostend.  Of all this our notable