is daily making Christian preparation against it.  He has just married his other daughter to Sir John Heathcote’s son;(66) a Prince little inferior to Pigwiggin in person; and procreated in a greater bed of money and avarice than Pigwiggin himself:  they say, there is a peerage already promised to him by the title of Lord Normanton.  The King has consented to give two earldoms to replace the great families of Somerset and Northumberland in their descendants; Lady Betty Smithson is to have the latter title after the Duke of Somerset’s death, and Sir Charles Windham any other appellation he shall choose.  You know Lord Granville had got a grant of Northumberland for him, but it was stopped.  These two hang a little, by the Duke of Somerset’s wanting to have the earldom for his son-in-law,(67) instead of his daughter.(68)

You ask me about the principles of the Methodists:  I have tried to learn them, and have read one of their books.  The visible part seems to be nothing but stricter practice than that of our church, clothed in the old exploded cant of mystical devotion.  For example, you take a metaphor; we will say our passions are weeds; you immediately drop every description of the passions, and adopt every thing peculiar to weeds:  in five minutes a true Methodist will talk with the greatest compunction of hoeing—­this catches women of fashion and shopkeepers.

I have now a request to make to you:  Mrs. Gibberne is extremely desirous of having her son come to England for a short time.  There is a small estate left to the family, I think by the uncle; his presence is absolutely necessary:  however, the poor woman is so happy in his situation with you, that she talks Of giving up every thing rather than disoblige you by fetching him to England.  She has been so unfortunate as to lose a favourite daughter ’ that was just married greatly to a Lisbon merchant:  the girl was so divided in her affections, that she had a mind not to have followed her husband to Portugal.  Mrs. Leneve, to comfort the poor woman, told her what a distress this would have been either way:  she was so struck with this position, that she said, “Dear Madam, it is very lucky she died!”—­and since that, she has never cried, but for joy!  Though it is impossible not to smile at these awkward sensations of unrefined nature, yet I am sure your good nature will agree with me in giving the poor creature this satisfaction; and therefore I beg it.  Adieu!

(64) John, the last Duke of Montague, was knight of the garter, great master of the order of the Bath, master of the great wardrobe, Colonel of the Blues, etc. etc.

(65) Lord Vere Beauclerc, brother of the Duke of St. Albans, afterwards created Lord Vere of Hanworth.

(66) Sir John Heathcote, Bart. of Normanton Park, in Rutlandshire.  He was the son of Sir Gilbert Heathcote, Lord Mayor of London, who acquired a vast fortune, and was created a baronet in 1733.  Sir John’s son, Sir Gilbert, the third baronet, married to his first wife, Margaret, youngest daughter of the Lord Chancellor Hardwicke.-D.