(1336) All the succeeding paragraph alludes to Princess Craon.

(1337) Her gentleman usher.

(1338) The Electress Palatine Dowager, the last of the house of Medici; she lived at Florence.

(1339) The drama of Fetonte was written by Vaneschi.  “The best apologies for the absurdities of an Italian opera, in a country where the language is little understood, are,” says Dr. Burney, “good music and exquisite singing:  unluckily, neither the composition nor performance of Phaeton had the siren power of enchanting men so much, as to stimulate attention at the expense of reason.”  Hist. of Music, Vol. iv. p. 456.-E.

(1340) Meaning an English viscount.  He was created Viscount Leinster, of Taplow, in Bucks, Feb. 21st, 1747.-D.

(1341) In 1761 his lordship was advanced to the Marquisate of Kildare, and in 1766 created Duke of Leinster.  By Lady Emily Lennox the Duke had seventeen children.-E.

(1342) George, eldest son of John, Lord Hervey, and afterwards Earl of Bristol, and minister at Turin and Madrid.

521 Letter 230 To Sir Horace Mann.  Arlington Street, March 20, 1747.

I have been living at old Lovat’s trial, and was willing to have it over before I talked to you of it.  It lasted seven days:  the evidence was as strong as possible; and after all he had denounced, he made no defence.  The Solicitor-General,(1343) who was one of the managers for the House of Commons, shone extremely; the Attorney-General ,(1344) who is a much greater lawyer, is cold and tedious.  The old creature’s behaviour has been foolish, and at last, indecent.  I see little of parts in him, nor attribute much to that cunning for which he is so famous:  it might catch wild Highlanders; but the art of dissimulation and flattery is so refined and improved, that it is of little use where it is not very delicate.  His character seems a mixture of tyranny and pride in his villainy.  I must make you a little acquainted with him.  In his own domain he governed despotically, either burning or plundering the lands and houses of his open enemies, or taking off his secret ones by the assistance of his cook, who was his poisoner in chief.  He had two servants who married without his consent; he said, “You shall have enough of each other,” and stowed them in a dungeon, that had been a well for three weeks.  When he came to the Tower, he told them, that if he were not so old and infirm, they would find it difficult to keep him there.  They told him they had kept much younger:  “Yes,” said he, “but they were inexperienced:  they had not broke so many gaols as I have.”  At his own house he used to say, that for thirty years of his life he never saw a gallows but it made his neck ache.  His last act was to shift his treason upon his eldest son, whom he forced into the rebellion.  He told Williamson, the Lieutenant of the Tower, “We will hang my eldest son, and then my second shall marry your niece.”  He has a sort of