Murray’s year, and is certainly of their principles—­to be sure, that is, Whig—­but the Whigs don’t seem to think so.  As yet no successors are named; the Duke of Leeds,(359) Lord Cardigan, Lord Waldegrave, Lord Hertford, Lord Bathurst, and Lord Ashburnham,(360) are talked of for governor.  The two first are said to have refused; the third dreads it; the next I hope will not have it; the Princess is inclined to the fifth, and the last I believe eagerly wishes for it.  Within this day or two another is named, which leads me to tell you another interlude in our politics.  This is poor Lord Holderness —­to make room in the secretary’s office for Lord Halifax.  Holderness has been in disgrace from the first minute of the King’s return:  besides not being spoken to, he is made to wait at the closet-door with the bag in his hand, while the Duke of Newcastle is within; though the constant etiquette has been for both secretaries of state to go in together, or to go in immediately, if one came after the other.  I knew of this disgrace; but not being quite so able a politician as Lord Lincoln, at least having an inclination to great men in misfortune, I went the other morning to visit the afflicted.  I found him alone:  he said, “You are very good to visit any body in my situation.”  This lamentable tone had like to have made me laugh; however I kept my countenance, and asked him what he meant? he said, “Have not you heard how the world abuses me only for playing at blindman’s-buff in a private room at Tunbridge?” Oh! this was too much!  I laughed out.  I do assure you, this account of his misfortunes was not given particularly to me:  nay, to some he goes so far as to say, “Let them go to the office, and look over my letters and see if I am behindhand!” To be sure, when he has done his book, it is very hard he may not play!  My dear Sir, I don’t know what apologies a P`ere d’Orl`eans must make for our present history! it is too ridiculous!

The preceptor is as much in suspense as the governor.  The Whigs clamour so much against Johnson, that they are regarded,- -at least for a time.  Keene,(361) Bishop of Chester, and brother of your brother minister, has been talked of.  He is a man that will not prejudice his fortune by any ill-placed scruples.  My father gave him a living of seven hundred pounds a year to marry one of his natural daughters; he took the living; and my father dying soon after, he dispensed with himself from taking the wife, but was so generous as to give her very near one year’s income of the living.  He then was the Duke of Newcastle’s- tool at Cambridge, which university be has half turned Jacobite, by cramming down new ordinances to carry measures of that Duke; and being rewarded with the bishopric, he was at dinner at the Bishop of Lincoln’s when he received the nomination.  He immediately rose from the table, took his host into another room, and begged he would propose him to a certain great fortune, to whom he never spoke, but for whom he now