sailed to them, to run from them.  Till the flight of Cope’s army, Wade was not sent.  ’Two roads still lay into England, and till they had chosen that which Wade had not taken, no army was thought of being sent to secure the other.  Now Ligonier, with seven old regiments, and six of the new, is ordered to Lancashire:  before this first division of the army could get to Coventry, they are forced to order it to halt, for fear the enemy should be up with it before it was all assembled.  It is uncertain if the rebels will march to the north of Wales, to Bristol, or towards London.  If to the latter, Ligonier must fight the n:  if to either of the other, I hope, the two armies may join and drive them into a corner, where they must all perish.  They cannot subsist in Wales, but by being supplied by the’ Papists in Ireland(.  The best is, that we are in no fear from France; there is no preparation for invasions in any of their ports.  Lord Clancarty,(1133) a Scotchman of great parts, but mad and drunken, and whose family forfeited 90,000 pounds a-@ear for King James, is made vice-admiral at Brest.  The Duke of Bedford goes in his little round person with his regiment:  he now takes to the land, and says he is tired of being a pen and ink man.  Lord Gower too, insisted upon going with his regiment, but is laid up with the gout.

With the rebels in England, you may imagine we have no private news, nor think of foreign.  From this account you may judge, that our case is far from desperate, though disagreeable, The Prince, while the Princess lies-in, has taken to give dinners, to which he asks two of the ladies of the bedchamber, two of the maids of honour, etc. by turns, and five or six others.  He sits at the head of the table, drinks and harangues to all this medley till nine at night; and the other day, after the affair of the regiments, drank Mr. Fox’s health in a bumper, with three huzzas, for opposing Mr. Pelham—­

“Si quel fata aspera rumpas,
Tu Marcellus eris!”

You put me in pain for my eagle, and in more for the Chutes; whose zeal is very heroic, but very ill-placed.  I long to hear that all my Chutes and eagles are safe out of the Pope’s hands!  Pray wish the Suares’s joy of all their espousals.  Does the Princess pray abundantly for her friend the Pretender?  Is she extremely abbatue with her devotion? and does she fast till she has got a violent appetite for supper?  And then, does she eat so long that old Sarrasin is quite impatient to go to cards again?  Good night!  I intend you shall be resident from King George.

P. S. I forgot to tell you, that the other day I concluded the ministry knew the danger was all over; for the Duke of Newcastle ventured to have the Pretender’s declaration burnt at the Royal Exchange.

(1133) Donagh Maccarty, Earl of Clancarty, was an Irishman, and not a Scotchman.-D.

451 Letter 187 To Sir Horace Mann.  Arlington Street, Nov. 22, 1745.