I cannot end this long tedious letter without again talking to you about your health. I wish you would ask whoever you trust whether made asses' milk would not be a good thing for you to take now. It is made of snails and aringo roots, and other ingredients very strengthening, and healing, and cooling. I inclose to you the receipt for it, because I have known great good done by it, to persons who have had your complaints, but do not take it without advice, for I know, too, that it may be improper.

You will think, from talking like a politician, I am, on the sudden, talking like an old woman. If you should, I shall not be the first politician you and I have heard talk so. However, that I may not talk as long as an old woman, let me release you, after I have first assured you (if I need assure you) that I am ever, &c., CORNBURY.

&c.

Let me hear from you sometimes, and especially if you go out of England. Since your health is out of order, I shall long the more to hear from you.

'Tis like reading newspapers in time of war. My stay here is uncertain, but I believe I shall go away the middle of next week for ten days or a fortnight, part of which time I shall be at Woburn with Mr. Murray2; and after that, stay here till September, when I expect father here. I mention this, because any friend of mine who was not acquainted with him, might like as well to take some other time to see me here. I believe

my

1 The receipt has not been preserved.

2 The Hon. William Murray, younger son of Lord Viscount Stormont, afterwards Lord Chief Justice, and Earl of Mansfield. He was at this time in Parliament for Boroughbridge.

he will stay till some time in October, and part of the time he stays here I shall, I believe, ramble into Worcestershire, &c.

Pray make my compliments to Mr. Pope' when you see him.

VISCOUNT CORNBURY TO MR. GEORGE GRENVILLE.

London, August 16, O.S., 1742.

I HAVE but this moment received yours, my dear Mr. Grenville; and this is post-day, and I am in company, and engaged in company the rest of the day; my letter must therefore be short, though I had more to say than I have at present.

I am here for a few days only upon business, and then return by Woburn to Cornbury, which I hope you will see another year, and like as much as I do.

I wish I could have come sooner, to have seen you before you went. I have had, however, the pleasure to learn from Mr. Pitt how much you were mended, and have no doubt the south of France will quite re-establish your health.

Pray let me hear from you sometimes when it is quite easy to you to write; I hope you know it can only be pleasant to me upon those terms. my best compliments at Argeville 2. broke think well of me, if you can.

3

Make, I beg you, Make Lady BolingI am afraid she

1 Pope has complimented Lord Cornbury in the following lines :

"Would you be blest? despise low joys, low gains;

Disdain whatever Cornbury disdains;

Be virtuous, and be happy for your pains!"

2 Lord Bolingbroke's seat in France, near Fontainebleau.

1 Clara de Marsilly, niece of Madame de Maintenon, widow of the Marquis de Villette, and second wife of Henry St. John, Viscount Bolingbroke. She died in 1750.

does not just now believe I love and honour her as much as you know I do. Nobody can love and honour you more than yours, &c.

C.

Pray make my compliments to Sir John and to Lady Lambert, if she is returned '.

MR. WILLIAM PITT TO MR. GEORGE GRENVILLE.

4

3

Clifden, Sept. 1, 1742.

MY DEAR GRENVILLE,-I cannot tell you the pleasure I received at Marble Hill yesterday in reading Mr. Berenger's letter from Paris. We talked of you by the hour. I will not tell you all we said of you, but one of our tendernesses and what we all agreed in was, that we wished not to see you these six or seven months at least. Till I knew how you bore your journey, I own I had a thousand fears for you; I have now but one left, which is, that the sudden change in your health may make you neglect the care of yourself. I hope you have consulted the physician at Argeville, and have resolved to guide yourself by his directions as to the air you will go to live in. Our people here are certainly no judges of that matter. I have just been told by Mr.

1 This letter is addressed to Mr. George Grenville, “chez Mons. le Chevalier Lambert, Banquier, à Paris.”

2 Clifden, in Buckinghamshire, then the residence of Frederick, Prince of Wales. Mr. Pitt had been for some time attached to the household of His Royal Highness.

3 Marble Hill, Twickenham, was built by King George the Second, as a residence for the Countess of Suffolk. Henry, Earl of Pembroke, was the architect; and the gardens were laid out after a design by Pope.

4 Lord Cobham's nephew; a son of his youngest sister, Penelope Berenger.

Schutz, that his son received little or no benefit at Aix, but mended instantly at Lisbon: I don't mention this to you to recommend Lisbon, but as an instance that the air of Aix is not the properest for your complaint. I have seen none of your family since we parted. I shall leave this place in a week and go and rejoice with your friends at Wotton', Stowe2, and Hagley3, upon the great amendment you have already found. Murray is to meet me at Hagley, who talks of you as I do, or as you do of him. I beg you will not write to me, but if Mr. Berenger will have the goodness to give me a line, let him direct to me under cover to Mr. Ritzau in Pall Mall. Adieu, my dear George, and remember perpetually how many of us you will oblige by taking care of yourself.-Ever yours most affectionately, W. PITT.

VISCOUNT CORNBURY TO MR. GEORGE GRENVILLE.

Cornbury, Oct. 14, 1742.

It was with great pleasure, dear Sir, that I received your letter from Le Teil. At first sight the length of it made me very happy, even before I had read it, since it not only showed me how many of your thoughts you allowed to me, but seemed to promise that your health was extremely mended, since I flattered myself you knew too well the regard I have for you to imagine that you could please me by hurting yourself in the least. But when I had read it, I could not but regret the fatigue my letter must have given you after your journey, and Mr. Grenville's seat in Buckinghamshire.

2 Lord Cobham's seat.

3 The residence of Mr. George Lyttelton, in Worcestershire.

wished you had had company or amusement to have shortened it. We have known together what a bad inn in France can be, but I know nothing is so bad as being alone in such a place; so that I flattered myself that the indifferent account you give of your health proceeded rather from fatigue and disgust (of both which, by your own account, you must have had a great share since you left Argeville), and that rest and amusement in a good air, with the help of some time, too, will reconcile you better to the scheme you have submitted to. And, indeed, I am the more in haste to answer your letter, because I would use whatever little interest you allow me to have with you, to dissuade you from those thoughts of returning this winter, to which the disagreeableness of your situation might naturally enough have led you. But I beg you will consider that your journey was not a party of pleasure, but a prescription, and that the operations of climates can only be effectual from time, so that to give up a method to which your physicians have advised you, because you do not immediately find the benefit you expected (and which has been occasioned by your own fatigue, perhaps, or some accidental ill weather, or being weary of the place you are in): this would not, give me leave to say, be doing justice to yourself, or, what I know you consider more, not doing justice to your friends, who have a right to your giving them the satisfaction of taking all reasonable ways to re-establish your health. You know very well how necessary time is in this sort of remedy, and therefore I hope you will think no more of returning this winter to England.

What may be the business of next winter few persons, I believe, if any one, can tell; but if there should