(837) Mr. Onslow, the Speaker.

402 Letter 244
To Sir Horace Mann. 
Strawberry Hill, Oct. 12, 1757.

I shall Write you but a short letter for more reasons than one—­there are you blushing again for your country!  We have often behaved extravagantly, and often shamefully-this time we have united both.  I think I will not read a newspaper this month, till the French have vented all their mirth.  If I had told You two months ago that this magnificent expedition was designed against Rochfort, would you have believed me?  Yet we are strangely angry that we have not taken it!  The clamour against Sir John Mordaunt is at high-water-mark, but as I was the dupe of clamour last year against one of the bravest of men,(838) I shall suspend my belief till all is explained.  Explained it will be somehow or other:  it seems to me that we do nothing but expose ourselves in summer, in order to furnish inquiries for the winter; and then those inquiries expose us again.  My great satisfaction is, that Mr. Conway is not only returned safe, but that all the world agrees that it is not his fault that he is so.  He is still at Portsmouth to see the troops disembark.  Hawke is come, and was graciously received.—­poor Sir John Mordaunt, who was sent for, was received -as ill.  I tell you no particulars of their campaign, for I know it slightly, and will wait till I know it exactly.

The Duke came last night.  You will not hear much more of his affair:  he will not do himself justice, and it proves too gross, to be possible to do him injustice.

I think all the comfort we extract from a thousand bitter herbs, is, that the Russians are gone back, gone precipitately, and as yet we don’t know why.

I have received yours of the 17th of last month, and you may quiet your fears about posts:  we have received all that each has written, except my last, which could not be arrived at Florence when yours came away.  Mine was of the 29th of last month, and had many particulars; I hope not too many to stop its journey!

To add to the ill-humour, our papers are filled with the new loss of Fort William-Henry, which covered New York.  That opulent and proud colony between their own factions and our folly is in imminent danger; but I will have done—­nay, if we lose another dominion.  I think I will have done writing to you, I cannot bear to chronicle so many disgraces.  Adieu!

(838) Admiral Byng.

403 Letter 245
To The Hon. H. S. Conway. 
Strawberry Hill, Oct. 13, 1757.

If you have received mine of Tuesday, which I directed to Portsmouth, you will perceive how much I agree with you.  I am charmed with your sensible modesty.  When I talked to you of defence, it was from concluding that you had all agreed that the attempt(839) was impracticable, nay, impossible; and from thence I judged that the ministry intended to cast the blame of a wild project upon the officers.  That they