which I dread to hear. Dear Lady Temple has more room in my thoughts than in my paper. All happiness to Miss Banks. Adieu.

MR. PITT TO MR. GRENVILLE.

Saturday, November 2, 1754.

I WRITE to my dear Grenville from a place where it is impossible I should give much time to anything but one. I never can thank you as I feel for your kind letter which this day brought me, and Mrs. Grenville for the infinitely obliging prolongation of that concluding letter. How shall I say what I ought for the additional trouble I am now perhaps giving you in the person of Mr. Nuthall? I conceive there may have been some want of sufficient explanation of my wishes with regard to the estates in reversion. Give me leave to state in a few words how I understand it. Having reasons, of a sort I am sure you and Lady Hester will approve, against tying all those contingent estates, I proposed that by an after settlement in the most proper manner to be judged of by you, the Sunderland estate should be settled in the strictest manner, but those estates that come under the Duchess of Marlborough's will should be left at my disposal. My reasons are these: that I thought myself bound by every tie to take care of Mr. Spencer's debts in case I succeeded to his estate, which I could only do by a power over these lands from the Duchess. I also wished, in case of such a large fortune, to have elbow-room for a town house of some expense, perhaps one near town, and particularly to be in a condition to purchase Old Sarum. But in case I should succeed to

the estates of the Duchess of Marlborough only, I meant, and I mean, that they in like manner should be strictly entailed. If you should recollect any of these reasons to have been mentioned, or should now not think them improper, I conceive the draughts may be easily altered to this plan. I write in a way not to state business very clearly, but I trust your goodness will supply what I ought to have better explained.

A thousand pardons for all the loads I venture to lay upon your friendship. As we shall have the pleasure of seeing you in town Thursday, I will take no more of your time now, than to repeat how much I feel I abuse that goodness and infinite kindness I must ever most gratefully and affectionately love. Yours most unalterably, W. PITT.

The 15th Lady Hester has had the goodness to grant. How late a day for me, and yet how early for her!

MR. FOX TO MR. GRENVILLE.

Holland House, Saturday night, November 16, 1754.

DEAR SIR,-We are to meet to-morrow night on Oxfordshire'. I will wait on you previously for half an

1 The Oxfordshire Election petition was now the cause of great party animosities. The Sheriff returned all the four candidates, and they all petitioned, complaining of undue election and double return. After a very long debate on the 18th of November, and on many subsequent days, it was eventually decided that Lord Parker and Sir Edward Turner were the sitting members, and that Lord Wenman and Sir James Dashwood had not been duly elected. The sum of money spent on this occasion was enormous. Walpole writes to Sir Horace Mann, "A knowing lawyer said to-day, that with purchasing tenures, votes, and carrying on the election and petition, five-and-fifty thousand pounds will not pay the whole expense."

hour wherever you will appoint, or at eleven on Monday morning. If the former, send a note to me to be left at White's; if the latter, or any other time, it will be time enough to appoint it when we meet at Lord Macclesfield's'. If we meet now determined not to agree, I flatter myself we shall however disagree so as that it may be the last time. If you say this is unavoidable, I will disagree with you even in that, and in everything relating to this election at Hindon, and I hope never in anything else. I am, most sincerely yours,

H. Fox.

THE COUNTESS TEMPLE TO EARL TEMPLE.

Saturday (December 28, 1754.)

To keep up a custom, I must write to you, though I have not much to say; there is one piece of news, which is much to the King's honour, and shows a great deal of good nature: when he heard of my Lord Albemarle's death, he immediately gave my lady a pension

2

1 George, second Earl of Macclesfield: he died 1764.

2 See ante, page 67, note. Lord Albemarle was taken ill after supper and died in a few hours, at Paris, where he was the British Ambassador. He married Lady Anne Lennox, sister of Charles, second Duke of Richmond. She died in 1789. He was succeeded by his son George, Lord Viscount Bury, Lord of the Bedchamber to William, Duke of Cumberland. Horace Walpole, mentioning his death to Sir Horace Mann, says, "Everybody is so sorry for him!-without being so; yet as sorry as he would have been for anybody, or as he deserved. Can one really regret a man who, with the most meritorious wife and sons in the world, and with near 15,000l. a year from the Government, leaves not a shilling to his family, lawful or illegitimate (and both very numerous), but dies immensely in debt, though, when he married, he had 90,000l. in the funds, and my Lady Albemarle brought him 25,000l. more, all which is dissipated to 14,000l."-See Walpole Correspondence, vol. iii. p. 97, where Lord

of twelve hundred pounds a year. She was very much shocked when Lord Bury told her the news; but as soon as he came into the room, bid him not speak a word, for she knew what he was come about; she was sure his father was dead, for she had seen him the night before, and it never failed. When this came to be explained, it was only a dream: she thought she saw him dressed in white; the same thing happened before the Duke of Richmond's death, and often has happened before the death of any of her family. Methinks I see you laugh! I am, your most affectionate,

A. TEMPLE.

EARL TEMPLE TO MR. GRENVILLE.

Thursday night (May 8, 1755.)

DEAR BROTHER,-That wise, virtuous, and able statesman Sir G. L. told Mrs. Grenville, it seems, at parting, that it would be necessary for you to look in upon this delightful town about once a week. I little thought that I should ever adopt one tittle of his sentiments,

would try

Oblige me so far firm confidence of

and yet I cannot help saying that I wish you
it this once, and see how you like it.
and come as soon as you can; in the
which I remain, &c.

T.

The Brest squadron is in the Bay of Biscay, consisting of twenty-five ships of the line, as I hear. Boscawen there, too, with at least half that number. The Lord preserve us! Many affectionate compliments. I have

Dover, in a note, refers to the Mémoires de Marmontel, for an interesting account of this magnificent spendthrift: and see also Walpole's Memoirs of George the Second, vol. i. p. 82.

1 Sir George Lyttelton.

deferred to the last moment giving you the trouble of this piece of advice relating to your own expedition.

EARL TEMPLE TO MR. GRENVILLE.

May 29, 1755.

DEAR BROTHER,-The accident which has happened to Lady Betty Germain' of setting herself on fire in two places, which I suppose you have heard of, has amongst other ill consequences obliged me to put off my journey to Stowe till Saturday or Sunday se'nnight. I am the more mortified at this, as I have not heard that Mrs. Conway' and Miss Stapleton have left you, I saw

3

1 Daughter of Charles, second Earl of Berkeley, and widow of Sir John Germaine, who left her a very large fortune, including the estate of Drayton, in Northamptonshire, which at her death she bequeathed to Lord George Sackville. When her father was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Swift was his chaplain, and Lady Betty was consequently much in the Dean's society, and she remained his friend and frequent correspondent for many years after. She is often mentioned in his letters and poems. Lady Betty's elder sister had married Mr. Chamber, of Hanworth-they had two daughters, who, having lost their parents early, were brought up entirely under the guardianship of Lady Betty; the eldest became the wife of Lord Vere Beauclerc, afterwards Baron Vere of Hanworth; and the youngest the wife of Richard Grenville, now Earl Temple. Lady Betty died at her house in St James's Square, in December, 1769. Nothing is now known of the

accident mentioned in Lord Temple's letter.

2 Second daughter of Sir John Conway, of Bodrhyddan, by Penelope Grenville, daughter of Mr. Richard Grenville, of Wotton. She was, therefore, aunt to Lord Temple.

3 Second daughter of James Russell-Stapleton, Esq., by Penelope, eldest daughter of Sir John Conway. Miss Stapleton died unmarried, in 1815. Her youngest sister married Sir Robert Salusbury-Cotton, Bart., and had a son and heir, the present Lord Viscount Combermere, G.C.B.