Walpole’s compliments to you, and he has got a house-breaker for you!” A squadron immediately came to reinforce me, and having summoned Moreland with the keys of the fortress, we marched into the house to search for more of the gang.  Colonel Seabright with his sword drawn went first, and then I, exactly the figure of Robinson Crusoe, with a candle and lanthorn in my hand, a carbine upon my shoulder, my hair wet and about my ears, and in a linen night-gown and slippers.  We found the kitchen shutters forced but not finished; and in the area a tremendous bag of tools, a hammer large enough for the hand of a Joel, and six chisels!  All which opima spolia, as there was no temple of Jupiter Capitolinus in the neighbourhood, I was reduced to offer on the altar of Sir Thomas Clarges.

am now, as I told you, returned to my plough with as much humility and pride as any of my great predecessors.  We lead quite a rural life, have had a sheep-shearing, a hay-making, a syllabub under the cow, and a fishing of three gold fish out of Poyang,(313) for a present to Madam Clive.  They breed with me excessively, and are grown to the size of small perch.  Every thing grows, if tempests would let it; but I have had two of my largest trees broke to-day with the wind, and another last week.  I am much obliged to you for the flower you offer me, but by the description it is an Austrian rose, and I have several now in bloom.  Mr. Bentley is with me, finishing the drawings for Gray’s Odes; there are some mandarin-cats fishing for gold fish, which will delight you; au reste, he is just where he was:  he has heard something about a journey to Haughton, to the great Cu(314) of Hauculeo, but it don’t seem fixed, unless he hears farther.  Did he tell you the Prices and your aunt Cosby had dined here from Hampton Court?  The mignonette beauty looks mighty well in his grandmother’s jointure.  The Memoires of last year are quite finished, but I shall add some pages of notes, that will not want anecdotes.  Discontents, of the nature of those about Windsor-park, are spreading about Richmond.  Lord Brooke, who has taken the late Duchess of Rutland’s at Petersham, asked for a key; the answer was, (mind it, for it was tolerably mortifying to an Earl,) “that the Princess had already refused one to my Lord Chancellor.”

By the way, you know that reverend head of the law is frequently shut up here with my Lady M * * * * h, who is as rich and as tipsy as Cacafogo in the comedy.  What a jumble of avarice, lewdness, dignity,—­and claret!

You will be pleased with a story of Lord Bury, that is come from Scotland:  he is quartered at Inverness:  the magistrates invited him to an entertainment with fire-works, which they intended to give on the morrow for the Duke’s birthday.  He thanked them, assured them he would represent their zeal to his Royal Highness; but he did not doubt but it would be more agreeable to him, if they postponed it to the day following, the anniversary of the battle of Culloden.