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Comédie nouvelle en un Acte.
Suivi d'un Divertissement,

Précédée

Des INTRIGUES d'Arlequin,
Pièce Italienne.

On commencera à cinq heures et un quart.]

STRAWBERRY HILL, Sept. 9, 1771.

Who would ever have thought that Raton and Rosette would be talked of for one another? But neither innocence nor age are secure! People say that there never is a smoke without some fire: here is a striking proof to the contrary. Only think of the poor dear souls having a comic opera made upon their loves! Rosette is so shocked that she insists upon Raton's posting to Paris, and breaking the poet's bones; sauf à les ronger après. If he is a preux chevalier, he will vindicate her character, d'une manière éclatante. Do not tell me that you are lying-in and cannot spare him; I am sure you are so fond of your little girl, that you will not miss him.

Have you heard the last adventure of the fiancée du Roi de Garbe? She was seven years and a half at sea; the captain of the packet-boat is tall, comely enough, and a very shark on such an occasion. He snapped her up at once as voraciously as she did John Harding. They passed a week together at Calais, and he then consigned her over to a marching regiment at Ardres. Alfieri told this story himself to Monsieur Francès, from whom

I had it fresh. Alfieri's sentiments, that had resisted so many trials, could not digest this last chapter; he has given her up. I wish, when she has run the gauntlet through all the troops on the road to Paris, she may replace Madame du Barry, and prove la fiancée du Roi de France."

Yours ever,

H. WALPOLE.

LORD GRANTHAM.

THOMAS ROBINSON, second Baron Grantham, was born at Vienna, November 30, 1738. In 1761 he was employed as secretary of the embassy at the congress of Augsburg; on the Ist of October, 1766, he was appointed a commissioner of trade and plantations, and, at the period when this letter was written, was ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary at the court of Madrid. He subsequently succeeded Fox as secretary of state for foreign affairs in 1782. By his wife, Jemima, daughter and coheir of Philip, second Earl of Hardwicke, he was the father of Thomas Philip and Frederick John, the present

'Alfieri had recently visited England, where he had distinguished himself by his numerous gallantries.

Walpole, of course, alludes to La Fontaine's lively tale, "La Fiancée du Roi de Garbe," in which la fiancée meets with several piquant and not very creditable adventures, on her way to meet le Roi de Garbe.

Earls De Grey and Ripon. Lord Grantham died on the 20th of July, 1786.

Lord Grantham to George Selwyn.

ESCURIAL, 31st October, 1771.

DEAR GEORGE:-I am delighted with your account of Carlisle and his family. You are pleased to call yourself an old Hun; be it so; but I am glad you told me the little girl was handsome; more because it is a proof of her health, than any pledge of future beauty. The very post before I received yours I had written to Carlisle. I hope he will sometimes let me hear from him, and I shall in my next desire him not to let you be idle. Thank you for thinking of fixing some scheme of rotation at the club, for writing to me.

I really wish to know the true story of Richard's winnings, and why they are to be concealed, unless the loser is afraid of his father, and the winner of his creditors. I fear James is not well; he does not give a good account of himself.

You ask me if there are good prints of Penoushen. I believe not, except you like saints, of whom there are innumerable, and there is one just published of the venerable Palafox, who expects to be called up to that house very soon. The nourriture, which you hope agrees with me, 'Probably General Fitzpatrick.

is much better than I expected, and, what is remarkable, the sea-fish is as fresh here as on the coast. What does St. John do about Miss Kennedy? Your account of Harry pleased me much; pray give my compliments to him. Believe me,

I

Most sincerely yours,

GRANTHAM.

The Earl of Carlisle to George Selwyn.

Friday [Circ. Nov., 1771].

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We shall leave this place

MY DEAR GEORGE: in about three weeks. I can assure you it will give me great pleasure to see you again. I think I can account for your headache after Lord Clermont's 2 dinner. I suppose, while they are talking of horses, you drank all the red wine within your reach. I have made Mr. Car, of York, give me a plan for stables, of a very different kind from that of Mr. Chambers in point of expense.

This fine weather agrees with us all, particularly the little girl. I hear Mr. Delavel met the Duchess of Cumberland at Calais, and kissed her hand. She said it was disagreeable at first, but she should soon

'This is apparently an allusion to the sister of the unfortunate Kennedys, in whose fate Mr. St. John had interested himself.

2 William Henry Fortescue, Earl of Clermont, in Ireland, Knight of St. Patrick, and governor of the county of Monaghan. He was born August 5, 1722, and died at his house on the Steyne, at Brighton, September 30, 1806.

be used to it. Everybody here desires to be remembered to you. I am,

Yours most affectionately,

C.

[The Duchess of Cumberland, alluded to in this letter, was Lady Anne Luttrell, daughter of the Earl of Carhampton, and widow of Christopher Horton, Esq., of Catton, in Derbyshire. She was married, on the 2d of October, 1771, to Henry Frederic, Duke of Cumberland, brother of George the Third. Their union was first announced to the world in the public journals of the day, and caused so much annoyance to the king, that he immediately issued an order, forbidding the duke and duchess to appear at court. A bill was subsequently passed, which precluded any member of the royal family from contracting marriage under the age of twenty-five without the permission of the sovereign; nor after that age, unless with the joint and express sanction of the sovereign and both Houses of Parliament, to whom the law compelled them to give due notification.]

The Earl of Carlisle to George Selwyn.

[1771.]

MY DEAR GEORGE:-I have been out shooting till my hand shakes, so that I can hardly hold the pen. I think Lord Robert's affair will be kept secret if he manages well, though too many people

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