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wishes for your recovery. How ardently I wish it no words can tell you; every day I live convinces me more of the value of such men as you, and makes you more dear to your most affectionate, G. LYTTELTON.

MR. WILLIAM MURRAY TO MR. GEORGE GRENVILLE.
Lincoln's Inn, 3rd Nov., 1742.

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DEAR GEORGE,—I have long had a strong impulse write to you; you are much in my heart, and often in my thoughts. I am very impatient for your recovery, and rejoice in the favourable accounts I hear. I rambled about as usual during the leisure time I had, and amongst other places I was at, I spent three days most agreeably at Hagley, with our friends Lyttelton and Pitt, where you may believe you was not forgot. You guessed right, too, that I should probably be at Cornbury, for your letter to my Lord, which makes very obliging mention of me, found me there. I can send you no news of your friends; to tell you they are extremely anxious about you is none. Pope is at Bath, perched upon his hill, making epigrams, and stifling them in their birth, and Lord H- -y' (would you believe it?) is

1 John, Lord Hervey, eldest surviving son of the first Earl of Bristol of that name, by his second wife, daughter of Sir Thomas Felton and Lady Elizabeth Howard, daughter and heiress of the third Earl of Suffolk. Lord Hervey's most entertaining Memoirs of the Reign of George the Second have been recently published from the original manuscript, with Notes and a Biography from the pen of the Right Hon. John Wilson Croker. Lord Hervey died in August, 1743. The libels mentioned above probably refer to a political ballad said to have been written by Lord Hervey. A copy of it was sent by Horace Walpole to Sir Horace Mann, October 16, 1742.-See Walpole Correspondence, collected edition, vol. i. p. 235.

writing libels upon the King and his Ministers. It does not become him to be so employed. Mrs. Smith' has left all the Bradford estate to my Lord Bath2, upon the death of Mr. Newport without issue, who is a lunatic to a degree of idiotcy, and never can recover. They say, when it all comes in, for part now belongs to this Earl of Bradford, who is, and has been a lunatic for many years, it will be near 12,000l. a year; but perhaps this is magnified. I have been concerned in a cause about it, and therefore I know 't is reckoned a very great estate. She has left Small, the surgeon, her personal estate, which is said to be worth 50,000l., and she has given George Wilson, whom you know, 1000l., which I am very glad of.

You know as much of foreign news as we do; we are told affairs in Germany go very well, and as to domestic, they wait the meeting of the Parliament.

I have a friend and near relation at A -on, a lady whose acquaintance you would be pleased with, and who would show a great regard to any one I have so great a friendship for as I have for you. Let me know if your route is like to lie that way, and I will send you a letter to her. No man more ardently wishes to see you return soon to us in strength and health than your most affectionate, &c., W. MURRAY.

1 Mrs. Smyth, of Chelsea, who had been mistress to the late Lord Bradford, and by whom she had a son, who changed his name by Act of Parliament from Smyth to Newport. Lord Bradford left her a considerable estate, which she disposed of at her death as above mentioned.

2 William Pulteney, recently created Earl of Bath.

VOL. I.

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MR. RICHARD GRENVILLE' TO MR. GEORGE GRENVILLE.

November 22, 1742.

DEAR GEORGE,-I will begin a long letter to you by thanking you for the great instance of your kindness which you have so lately given me, by consenting to submit the government of yourself, at this critical conjuncture, entirely to me; if I refuse to take it, there are people enough here who will be glad of it, I assure you, the moment they see you enter St. Stephen's Chapel. However, that I may still retain my credit with you, I will begin by telling you that I have this morning consulted Dr. Hulse about you, who, upon hearing your letter read, consents to your coming home whenever you please. By him and your own account all your friends here are governed. I long to see you, and could I but flatter myself I should see you well, I should have nothing left to wish. You are to take up your quarters when you come either at my house or Lord Cobham's2. Berenger is not yet come, and has already drawn for

near 5001.

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Mr. Dodington has writ a very fine and civil letter to Lord Cobham, owning his marriage, and acquainting him that, though it is of a long date, yet he has no

'Richard Grenville, afterwards Earl Temple. He was at this time Member for the county of Buckingham.

2 Sir Richard Temple, Viscount Cobham, of Stowe.

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3 George Bubb Dodington, afterwards Lord Melcombe. He was at this time M.P. for Bridgewater. He married a Mrs. Beghan. Horace Walpole says, Mr. Dodington has at last owned his match with his old mistress: I suppose he wants a new one."-See Walpole Correspondence, vol. i. p. 245. Lord Hervey, also, in his Memoirs of the Reignof George II., pp. 431-34, has given an amusing account of the character of Dodington.

children. Poor old Carter, of Buckingham', is dead, and there has been the devil to pay there about the choice of a burgess: Mr. Read has struck for the government of the Corporation, but I think we shall defeat him entirely; however, it will cost me a journey thither.

The latter part of your letter is very political, and so great an alteration do three months make that you appear as unknowing in them as any French marquis of them all. Your hero is not the hero he was when you left him. Lord Cobham and Lord Gower 2 have refused going to the cabinet, and we have had very warm work in the House of Commons the first day upon the Address. Pitt spoke like ten thousand angels; your humble servant was so inflamed at their indecency that he could not contain, but talked a good while with his usual modesty. Jemmy, too, was all on fire, but could not get a place. We divided 150 against 259. reckon ourselves, however, 200; and it is inconceivable how colloguing and flattering all the ministers are to all of us, notwithstanding our impertinence. We understand it, indeed, but had rather they should behave so to us than we to them. Who but young Bathurst to answer me, in the most ridiculous, indecent, stupid

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1 One of the burgesses of Buckingham, and, consequently, one of the thirteen electors for the borough.

2 John Leveson Gower succeeded his father as second Baron Gower, in Sept., 1709. He was made Lord Privy Seal in 1742, and in 1746 created Viscount Trentham and Earl Gower. He died Dec. 25, 1754.

3 Mr. Pitt's speech upon this occasion was not reported; neither was that of Mr. Grenville, nor the reply by Mr. Bathurst.

* James Grenville, younger brother to Richard and George Grenville; at this time in Parliament for Oakhampton.

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Henry Bathurst, second son of Allen, Lord Bathurst. He was now M.P. for Cirencester. Having joined the Leicester House party, he was made Solicitor General to the Prince of Wales in 1745. After the death of Frederick he went over to the Court party, and in 1754

speech that ever was made. It was melancholy, but entertaining enough, to see them skulk in with their tails betwixt their legs, like so many spaniels, to the tune of above 40. Our friends are not yet come. Your brother Denton', as a great independent country gentleman, thinks it beneath him to attend. We shall have a glorious day' about the 16,000. We shall then see also who are Hanoverians, and who Englishmen.

Adieu, my dear George; be not in too great a hurry to see us, but according as you find yourself, and the different airs you pass through. Believe and be assured we all love you most cordially.

CAPTAIN THOMAS GRENVILLE TO MR. GEORGE GRENVILLE. Romney, off Cape St. Vincent, February 28, 1742-3.

DEAR BROTHER,-I believe you will not grudge the trouble of reading this letter, since it is to tell you the was made a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas. He was advanced to the dignity of Lord Chancellor, and to the Peerage by the title of Baron Apsley, in 1771. By the death of his father in 1775 he succeeded to the earldom of Bathurst; and, having reached his 86th year, he died in 1794. Lord Campbell, in his most amusing work, the Lives of the Lord Chancellors of England, says that "perhaps the most memorable act in the life of Lord Chancellor Bathurst is, that he built Apsley House, now the residence of the illustrious Duke of Wellington, where once stood the Hercules' Pillars, the inn frequented by Squire Western."

1 George Denton, Esq., of Hillesden, M.P. for the borough of Buckingham.

2 The debate took place on the 10th of December, on the motion of Sir William Yonge, to grant 265,190l., for defraying the charge of 16,000 Hanoverian troops. Pitt and the Grenvilles denounced the question, and moved that the troops should be dismissed. Pitt was opposed on this occasion by his great Parliamentary rival Murray (now become Solicitor General), in one of his best speeches. Sir William Yonge's motion was carried by a majority of 251 to 181.

3 Thomas Grenville, the youngest of the Grenville brothers. He

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