My Lady Townshend, who fell in love -with Lord Kilmarnock at his trial, will go nowhere to dinner, for fear of meeting with a rebel- pie; she says, every body is so bloody-minded, that they eat rebels!  The Prince of Wales, whose intercession saved Lord Cromartie, says he did it in return for old Sir William Gordon, Lady Cromartie’s father, coming down out of his deathbed to vote against my father in the Chippenham election.(1281) If his Royal Highness had not countenanced inveteracy like that of Sir Gordon he would have no occasion to exert his gratitude now in favour of rebels.  His brother has plucked a very useful feather out of the cap of the ministry, by forbidding any application for posts in the army to be made to any body but himself:  a resolution I dare say, he will keep as strictly and minutely as he does the discipline and dress of the army.  Adieu!

P. S. I have just received yours of Aug. 9th.  You had not then heard of the second great battle of Placentia, which has already occasioned new instructions, or, in effect, a recall, being sent after Lord Sandwich.

(1278) “When,” says Sir Walter Scott, in Tales of a Grandfather, “he beheld the fatal scaffold, covered with black cloth; the executioner with his axe and his assistants; the saw-dust which was soon to be drenched with his blood; the coffin prepared to receive the limbs which were yet warm with life; above all, the immense display of human countenances which surrounded the scaffold like a sea, all eyes being bent on the sad object of the preparation, his natural feelings broke forth in a whisper to the friend on whose arm he leaned, ‘Home, this is terrible!’ No sign of indecent timidity, however, affected his behaviour."-E.

(1279) Ford, in his account, states that " so far was this speech from being filled with passionate invective, that it mentioned his Majesty as a Prince of the greatest magnanimity and mercy, at the same time that, through erroneous ’political principles, it denied him a right to the allegiance of his people."-E.

(1280) He once more turned to his friends and took his last farewell, and looking on the crowd, said, ’Perhaps some may think my behaviour too bold; but remember, Sir,’ said he to a gentleman who stood near him, ’that I now declare it is the effect of confidence in God, and a good conscience, and I should dissemble if I should show any signs of fear.’” Ford.-E.

(1281) See ant`e, P. 215. (in Letter 51, which begins p. 212.)

504 Letter 218 To Sir Horace Mann.  Windsor, Sept. 15, 1746.

You have sent me Marquis Rinuncini with as much secrecy as if you had sent me a present.  I was here; there came an exceedingly fair written and civil letter from you, dated last May:  I comprehended by the formality of it, that it was written for the person who brought it, not for the person it was sent to.  I have been to town on purpose to wait on him, and though you know he was not of my set, yet being of