Last week, when I was in town, I went to pay a bill to the glazier who fixed up the painted glass:  I said, “Mr. Palmer, you charge me seven shillings a-day for your man’s work:  I know you give him but two shillings; and I am told that it is impossible for him to earn seven shillings a-day.”—­“Why no, Sir,” replied be, “it is not that; but one must pay house-rent, and one must eat, and one must wear.”  I looked at him, and he had on a blue silk waistcoat with an extremely broad gold lace.  I could not help smiling.  I turned round, and saw his own portrait, and his wife’s, and his son’s.  “And I see,” said I, “one must sit for one’s picture; I am very sorry that I am to contribute for all you must do!” Adieu!  I gave you warning that I had nothing to say.

(430) Mr. Mann mistook; I think it was in a paper called “The Adventurer.”

(431) Lord Chesterfield, Lord Bath, Mr. W. Whithed, Sir Charles Williams, Mr. Soame Jennings, Mr. Cambridge, Mr. Coventry, etc.

(432) It was between the Empress-Queen and the Duke of Modena, for settling the duchy of Milan on one of the little Archdukes, on his marrying the Duke’s granddaughter, and in the mean time the Duke was made administrator of Milan.

187 Letter 87 To Sir Horace Mann.  Arlington Street, Dec 6, 1753.

In a very long, and consequently a very agreeable letter, which I received from you yesterday, you set me an example which I despair of following, keeping up a correspondence with spirit when the world furnishes no events.  I should not say no events, for France is big with matter, but to talk of the parliamentary wars of another country would be only transcribing gazettes:  and as to Prince Heracilus,(433) the other phenomenon of the age, it is difficult to say much about a person of whom one knows nothing at all.  The only scene, that promises to Interest one, lies in Ireland, from whence we are told that the Speaker’s party has carried a question against the Lord Lieutenant’s; but no particulars are yet arrived.  Foundations have formerly been laid in Ireland of troubles that have spread hither:  I have read somewhere this old saw,

“He that would England win,
Must with Ireland-first begin.”

The only novelty I know, and which is quite private history, is, that there is a man(434) in the world, who has so much obligingness and attention in his friendships, that in the middle of public business, and teased to death with all kind of commissions, and overrun with cubs and cubaccioni’s of every kind, he can for twelve years together remember any single picture, or bust, or morsel of virtu, that a friend of his ever liked; and what is forty times more extraordinary than this circumstantial kindness, he remembers it just at the time when others, who might be afflicted with as good a memory, would take pains to forget it, that is, when it is to be obtained:-exactly then this person goes and purchases the thing in question,