My preface will be short; for I have nothing to tell, and a great deal that I am waiting patiently to hear; all which, however, may be couched in these two phrases,-,, I am quite recovered of my fall, and my nose will not be the worse for it”—­for with all my pretences, I cannot help having that nose a little upon my spirits; though if it were flat, I should love it as much as ever, for the sake of the head and heart that belong to it.  I have seen O’Hara, with his face as ruddy and black, and his teeth as white as ever; and as fond of you two, and as grieved for your fall, as any body—­but I. He has got a better regiment.

Strawberry Hill, Sunday night, past eleven.

You chose your time ill for going abroad this year:  England never saw such a spring since it was fifteen years old.  The warmth, blossoms, and verdure are unparalleled.  I am just come from Richmond, having first called on Lady Di. who is designing and painting pictures for prints to Dryden’s Fables.(773) Oh! she has done two most beautiful; one of Emily walking in the garden, and Palamon seeing her from the tower:  the other, a noble, free composition of Theseus parting the rivals, when fighting in the wood.  They are not, as you will imagine, at all like the pictures in the Shakspeare Gallery:  no; they are -worthy of Dryden.

I can tell you nothing at all certain with our war with Russia.  If one believes the weather-glass of the stocks, it will be peace; they had fallen to 71, and are risen again, and soberly, to 79.  Fawkener” clerk of the council, sets out to-day or to-morrow for Berlin; probably, I hope, with an excuse.  In the present case, I had much rather our ministers were bullies than heroes:  no mortal likes the war.  The court-majority lost thirteen of its former number at the beginning of the week, which put the Opposition into spirits; but, put pursuing their motions on Friday, twelve of the thirteen were recovered.(774) Lord Onslow told me just now, at Madame de BOufflers’s, that Lady Salisbury was brought to bed of a son and heir(775) last night, two hours after she came from the Opera; and that Madame du Barry dined yesterday with the Prince of Wales, at the Duke of Queensberry’s, at Richmond.  Thus you have all my news, such as it is ; and I flatter myself no English at Pisa or Florence can boast of better intelligence than you—­but for you, should I care about Madame du Barry or my Lady Salisbury, or which of them lies in or lies out?

Berkeley Square, Monday, April 18.

Oh! what a dear letter have I found, and from both at once; and with such a delightful bulletin!  I should not be pleased with the idleness of the pencil, were it not owing to the chapter of health, which I prefer to every thing.  You order me to be particular about my own health:  I have nothing to say about it, but that it is as good as before my last fit.  Can I expect or desire more at my age?  My ambition is to pass a summer, with