possession.  There never was so extraordinary a sort of rebellion!  One can’t tell what assurances of support they may have from the Jacobites in England, or from the French; but nothing of either sort has yet appeared-and if there does not, never was so desperate an enterprise.(1111) One can hardly believe that the English are more disaffected than the Scotch; and among the latter, no persons of property have joined them:  both nations seem to profess a neutrality.  Their money is all gone, and they subsist. merely by levying contributions.  But, sure, banditti can never conquer a kingdom!  On the other hand, what cannot any number of men do, who meet no opposition?  They have hitherto taken no place but open towns, nor have they any artillery for a siege but one-pounders.  Three battalions of Dutch are landed at Gravesend, and ,re ordered to Lancashire:  we expect every moment to hear that the rest are got to Scotland; none of our own are come yet.  Lord Granville and his faction persist in persuading the King, that it is an affair of no consequence; and for the Duke of Newcastle, he is glad when the rebels make any progress, in order to confute Lord Granville’s assertions.  The best of our situation is, our strength at sea:  the Channel is well guarded, and twelve men-of-war more are arrived from rowley.  Vernon, that simple noisy creature, has hit upon a scheme that is of great service; he has laid Folkstone cutters all round the coast, which are continually relieved, and bring constant notice of every thing that stirs.  I just hear, that the Duke of Bedford(1112) declares he will be amused no longer, but will ask the King’s leave to raise a regiment.  The Duke of Montagu has a troop of horse ready, and the Duke of Devonshire is raising men in Derbyshire.  The Yorkshiremen, headed by the Archbishop and Lord Malton, meet the gentlemen of the county the day after to-morrow to defend that part of England.  Unless we have more ill fortune than is conceivable, or the general supineness continues, it is impossible but we must get over this.  You desire me to send you news:  I confine myself to tell you nothing but what you may depend upon and leave you in a fright rather than deceive you.  I confess my own apprehensions are not near so strong as they were:  and if we get over this, I shall believe that we never can be hurt; for we never can be more exposed to danger.  Whatever disaffection there is to the present family, it plainly does not proceed from love to the other.

My Lady O. makes little progress in popularity.  Neither the protection of my Lady Pomfret’s prudery, nor of my Lady Townshend’s libertinism, do her any services The women stare at her, think her ugly, awkward, and disagreeable; and what is worse, the men think so too.  For the height of mortification, the King has declared publicly to the ministry, that he has been told of the great civilities which be was said to show her at Hanover; that he protests he showed her only the common civilities due to any