(870) George ii. uncle of the King of Prussia.

(871) Lord Chesterfield, in a letter to his son of the 8th, says, “Every thing goes smoothly in Parliament:  the King of Prussia has united all our parties in his support, and the Tories have declared that they will give Mr. Pitt unlimited credit for this session:  there has not been one single division yet upon public points, and I believe will not."-E.

(872) The three days’ sale produced seven thousand seven hundred and eighty-four pounds five shillings.-E.

(873) It was purchased by the Duchess Dowager of Portland, for seven hundred and three pounds ten shillings.-E.

(874) Lady Margaret Cavendish Harley, only daughter of Edward Harley, second Earl of Oxford, and heiress of the vast possessions of the Newcastle branch of the Cavendishes.  She married William Bentinck, second Duke of Portland.-D.

(875) Swift’s “History of the Four last Years of Queen Anne,” was first published in this year.-E.

(876) Dr. Johnson, in a review of Dr. Lucas’s Essay on Waters, which appeared in the Literary Magazine for 1756, thus speaks of him:  “The Irish ministers drove him from his native country by a proclamation, in which they charge him with crimes of which they never intended to be called to the proof, and oppressed him by methods equally irresistible by guilt and innocence:  let the man thus driven into exile, for having been the friend of his country, be received in every other place as a confessor of liberty; and let the tools of power be taught in time, that they may rob, but cannot impoverish.”  In 1761, Dr. Lucas was elected representative for Dublin.  He died in 1771, and a statue to his honour is erected in the Royal Exchange of Dublin.-E.’

415 Letter 256 To Sir Horace Mann.  Arlington Street, Feb. 23, 1758.

Though the inactivity of our parliamentary winter has let me be correspondent, I am far from having been so remiss as the posts have made me seem.  I remember to have thought that I had no letter on board the packet that was taken; but since the 20th of November I have writ to you on December 14, January 11, February 9.  The acquittal of General Mordaunt would, I thought, make you entirely easy about Mr. Conway.  The paper war on their subject is still kept up; but all inquiries are at an end.  When Mr. Pitt, who is laid up with the gout, is a little cool again, I think he has too much eagerness to perform something of `eclatt, to let the public have to reproach him with not employing so brave a man and so able as Mr. Conway.  Though your brothers do not satisfy your impatience to know, you must a little excuse them; the eldest lives out of the world, and James not in that world from whence he can learn or inform you.  Besides our dear Gal.’s warmth of friendship, he had innumerable opportunities of intelligence.  He, who lent all the world money for nothing, had at least a right to know something.