comfort me, it would be, that even so early as last night, and only this happened on Friday night, it was generally allowed how much I had been in the right, and foretold exactly all that had happened.  They had vaunted to me how strong they should be.  I had replied, “When you were but 76 on the most inoffensive question, do you think you will be half that number on the most personal and indecent that can be devised?” Accordingly, they were but 37 to 167; and to show how much the Bedfords were at the bottom of all, Rigby, they Forrester, and Lord Charles Spencer, went up into the Speaker’s chamber, and would not vote for the Princess!  At first I was not quite so well treated.  Sir William Meredith, who, by the way, voted in the second question against his opinion, told me Onslow had said that he, Sir William, your brother, and Lord Townshend, had stayed away from conscience, but all the others from interest.  I replied, “Then I am included in the latter predicament.(822) but you may tell Mr. Onslow that he will take a place before I shall, and that I had rather be suspected of being mercenary, than stand up in my place and call God to witness that I meant nothing personal, when I was doing the most personal thing in the world.”  I beg your pardon, my dear lord, for talking so much about myself, but the detail was necessary and important to you; who I wish should see that I can act with a little common sense, and will not be governed by all the frenzy of party.

The rest of the bill was contested inch by inch, and by division on division, till eleven at night, after our wise leaders had whittled down the minority to twenty-four.(823) Charles Townshend, they say, surpassed all he had ever done, in a wrangle with Onslow, and was so lucky as to have Barr`e absent, who has long lain in wait for him.  When they told me how well Charles had spoken on himself, I replied, “That is conformable to what I always thought of his parts, that he speaks best on what he understands the least.”

We have done with the bill, and to-morrow our correction goes to the Lords.  It will be a day of wonderful expectation.. to see in what manner they will swallow their vomit.  The Duke of Bedford, it is conjectured, will stay away:—­but what will that scape-goose, Lord Halifax, do, who is already convicted of having told the King a most notorious lie, that if the Princess was not given up by the Lords, she would be unanimously excluded by the Commons!  The Duke of Bedford, who had broke the ground, is little less blamable; but Sandwich, who was present, has, with his usual address, contrived not to be talked of, since the first hour.