I only write you a line to tell you, that as you mention Miss Montagu’s being well and alone, if she could like to accompany the Colonel(807) and you to Strawberry Hill and the Vine, the seneschals of those castles will be very proud to see her.  I am sorry to be forced to say any thing civil in a letter to you; you deserve nothing but ill-usage for disappointing us so often, but we stay till we have got you into our power, and then—­why then, I am afraid we shall still be what I have been so long.

(807) mr.  Montagu’s brother.

387 Letter 230
To Sir Horace Mann. 
Strawberry Hill, July 25, 1757.

The Empress-Queen has not yet hurt my particular.  I have received two letters from you within this week, dated July 2d and 9th.  Yet she has given up Ostend and Nieuport, and, I think, Furnes and Ypr`es, to the French.  We are in a piteous way!  The French have passed the Weser, and a courier yesterday brought word that the Duke was marching towards them, and within five miles:  by this time his fate is decided.  The world here is very inquisitive about a secret expedition(808) which we are fitting out:  a letter is not a proper place to talk about it; I can only tell you, that be it whither it will, I do not augur well about it, and what makes me dislike it infinitely more, Mr. Conway is of it.  I am more easy about your situation than I was, though I do not like the rejoicings ordered at Leghorn for the victory over the Prussians.

I have so little to say to-day that I should not have writ, but for one particular reason.  The Mediterranean trade being arrived, I concluded the vases for Mr. Fox were on board it, but we cannot discover them.  Unluckily it happens that the bill of lading is lost, and I have forgot in what ship they were embarked.  In short, my dear Sir, I think that, as I always used to do, I gave the bill to your dearest brother, by which means it is lost.  I imagine you have a duplicate. send it as soon as you can.

I thank you for what you have given to Mr. Phelps.  I don’t call this billet part of the acknowledgment.  All the world is dispersed:  the ministers are at their several villas:  one day in a week serves to take care of a nation, let it be in as bad a plight as it will!  We have a sort of Jewish superstition, and would not come to town on a Saturday or Sunday though it were to defend the Holy of Holies.  Adieu!

(808) the expedition to Rochfort.

387 Letter 231
To John Chute, Esq. 
Strawberry Hill, July 26, 1757.

I love to communicate my satisfactions to you.  You will imagine that I have got an original portrait of John Guttemburg, the first inventor of printing, or that I have met with a little boke called Eneyr dos, which I am going to translate and print.  No, no; far beyond any such thing!  Old Lady Sandwich(809) is dead at Paris, and my lord has given me her picture of Ninon l’Enclos; given it me in the prettiest manner in the world.  I beg if he should ever meddle in any election in Hampshire, that you will serve him to the last drop of your shrievalty.  If you reckon by the thermometer of my natural impatience, the picture would be here already, but I fear I must wait some time for it.