to any thing I could ever read, much more to any thing I could write.  However, after all I have said, perhaps I may now and then, by degrees, throw together some short anecdotes of my father’s private life and particular story, and leave his public history to more proper and more able hands, if such will undertake it.  Before I finish on this chapter, I can assure you he did forgive my Lord Bolingbroke(975)—­his nature was forgiving:  after all was over, and he had nothing to fear or disguise, I can say with truth, that there were not three men of whom he ever dropped a word with rancour.  What I meant of the clergy not forgiving Lord Bolingbroke, alluded not to his doctrines, but to the direct attack and war he made on the whole body.  And now, Sir, I will confess my own weakness to you.  I do not think so highly of that writer, as I seem to do in my book; but I thought it would be imputed to prejudice in me, if I appeared to undervalue an author of whom so many persons of sense still think highly.  My being Sir Robert Walpole’s son warped me to praise, instead of censuring, Lord Bolingbroke.  With regard to the Duke of Leeds, I think you have misconstrued the decency of my expression.  I said, Burnet had treated him severely; that is, I chose that Burnet should say so, rather than myself.  I have never praised where my heart condemned.  Little attentions, perhaps, to worthy descendants, were excusable in a work of so extensive a nature, and that approached so near to these times.  I may, perhaps, have an opportunity at one day or other of showing you some passages suppressed on these motives, which yet I do not intend to destroy.

Crew, Bishop of Durham, was is abject a tool as possible.  I would be very certain he is an author before I should think him worth mentioning.  If ever you should touch on Lord Willoughby’s sermon, I should be obliged for a hint of it.  I actually have a printed copy of verses by his son, on the marriage of the Princess Royal; but they are so ridiculously unlike measure, and the man was so mad and so poor,(976) that I determined not to mention them.

If these details, Sir, which I should have thought interesting to no mortal but myself’, should happen to amuse you, I shall be glad; if they do not, you will learn not to question a man who thinks it his duty to satisfy the curiosity of men of sense and honour, and who, being of too little consequence to have secrets, is not ambitious of the less consequence of appearing to have any.

P. S. I must ask you one question, but to be answered entirely at your leisure.  I have a play in rhyme called Saul, said to be written by a peer.  I guess Lord Orrery.  If ever you happen to find out, be so good to tell me.

(974) It is evident that Mr. Walpole has here transposed, contrary to his meanings the references to lord Clarendon and Polybius:  the latter wrote the general history, the former the portion of history.-C.