The King has been much out of order, but he is quite well again, and they say, not above sixty-seven!  Adieu!

(223) Anne, second daughter of Mr. Hawes, the wife of William, Lord Viscount Vane.  The history of her intrigues, communicated by herself, had just been published in Smollett’s Adventures of Peregrine Pickle.  See vol. i.  Gray, in a letter to Walpole, of the 3d of March, writes, “Has that miracle of tenderness and sensibility (as she calls it), given you any amusement?  Peregrine, whom she uses as a vehicle, is very poor indeed, with a few exceptions."-E.

(224) Isabella, youngest daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Tufton, Earl of Thanet, and widow of Lord Nassau Poulett, youngest brother of the Duke of Bolton.  She was mad.

95 Letter 37 To Sir Horace Mann.  Arlington Street, March 21, 1751.

What, another letter, -when I wrote to you but last week!- -Yes—­and with an event too big to be kept for a regular interval.  You will imagine from the conclusion of my last letter that our King is dead—­or, before you receive this, you will probably have heard by flying couriers that it is only our King that was to be.  In short, the Prince died last night between nine and ten.  If I don’t tell you ample details, it is because you must content yourself with hearing nothing but what I know true.  He had had a pleurisy, and was recovered.  Last Tuesday was se’nnight he went to attend the King’s passing some bills in the House of Lords; from thence to Carlton House, very hot, where he unrobed, put on a light unaired frock and waistcoat, went to Kew, walked in a bitter day, came home tired, and lay down for three hours, upon a couch in a very cold room at Carlton House, that opens into the garden.  Lord Egmont told him how dangerous it was, but the Prince did not mind him.  My father once said to this King, when he was ill and royally untractable, “Sir, do you know what your father died of? of thinking he could not die.”  In short, the Prince relapsed that night, has had three physicians ever since, and has never been supposed out of danger till yesterday:  a thrush had appeared, and for the two or three last evenings he had dangerous suppressions of breath.  However, his family thought him so well yesterday, that there were cards in his outward room.  Between nine and ten he was seized with a violent fit of coughing.  Wilmot, and Hawkins the surgeon, were present:  the former said, ,Sir, have you brought up all the phlegm?  I hope this will be over in a quarter of an hour, and that your Royal Highness will have a good night.”  Hawkins had occasion to go out of the room, and said, “Here is something I don’t like.”  The cough continued; the prince laid his hand upon his stomach, and said, “Je sens la mort.”  The page who held him up, felt him shiver, and cried out, The Prince is going!” The Princess was at the feet of the bed; she catched up a candle and ran to him, but before she got to the head of the bed, he was dead.(225)