seen at Florence. It is a huge white Hyacynth tinged with pink (Mr. M. knows what I mean, by the same token that they grow sometimes in the fat Gerina's Boosom), I mean if they bear a reasonable price, which you will judge of for me: but don't give yourself any pains about it, for if they are not easily had, and at an easy rate, I am not at all eager for them. Do you talk of Strumming? ohi me! who have not seen the face of a Haspical, since I came home; no! I have hang'd up my Harp on the Willows however, I look at my musick now and then, that I may not forget it; for when you return, I intend to sing a song of thanksgiving, and praise the Lord with a cheerful noise of many - stringed instruments. Adieu! dear Sir, I am sincerely yours, T. G.

O. S. London. Not forgetting my kiss-hands to Mr. Whithed.

MY DEAR SIR-What do you choose I should think of a whole year's silence; have you absolutely forgot me, or do you not reflect, that it is from yourself alone I can have any information concerning you. I do not find myself inclined to forget you, the same regard for your Person, the same desire of seeing you again I felt when we parted, still continues with

I

me as fresh as ever; don't wonder then if in spite of appearances, I try to flatter myself with the hopes of finding sentiments something of the same kind, however, buried in some dark corner of your heart; and perhaps more than half extinguished by long absence and various cares of a different nature. will not alarm your indolence with a long letter, my demands are only three, and may be answer'd in as many words, how you do? where you are? and when you return? if you choose to add anything farther, it will be a work of superer I will not write so long a word entire, least I fatigue your delicacy, and you may think it incumbent on you to answer it by another of equal dimensions. You believe me, I hope, with great sincerity, yours,

T. G.

P.S.-For ought I know you may be in England. My very true compliments (not such as People make to one another) wait upon Mr. Whithed. He will be the most travelled Gentleman in Hampshire.

October 25, Cambridge.

LVI. TO THOMAS WHARTON.

MY DEAR WHARTON-I am just returned hither from town, where I have past better than a fortnight (including an excursion that I made to Hampton Court, Richmond, Greenwich, and other places), and am

happily met by a letter from you, one from Tuthill, and another from Trollope. As I only run over Dr. Andrew's Answers hastily in a Coffee-house, all I could judge was that they seemed very unfavourable on the whole to our cause, and threw everything into the hands of a visitour, for which reason I thought they might have been concealed, till the AttorneyGeneral's opinion arrived, which will perhaps raise the spirits of such, as the other may have damped a little; or leave room at least to doubt, whether the matter be so clear on the Master's side as Andrew would have it. You can't suppose that I was in the least uneasy about Mr. Brown's1 fortitude, who wants nothing but a foot in height and his own hair, to make him a little old Roman: with two dozen such I should not hesitate to face an army of heads, though they were all as tall as Dr. Adams. I only wish everybody may continue in as good a disposition as they were; and imagine, if possible, Roger 2 will be fool enough to keep them so. I saw Trollope for about an hour in London; and imagining he could not be left in the dark as to your consultations, I mentioned, that I had cast an eye over Andrew's paper, and that it was not so favourable as we hoped. He spoke however with horrour of going to law; with great passion of the master; and with pleasure of

1 The Rev. James Brown, in 1770 elected Master of Pembroke College, and joint executor with Mason of Gray's will. He died in 1784.

2 Dr. Roger Long, Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge.

himself for quitting a place, where he had not found a minute's ease in I know not how long: yet I perceive his thoughts run on nothing else; he trembled while he spoke. He writes to me here on the same subject; and after abusing Roger, he adds, Whartoni rubro hæc subscribe libello.

My evenings have been chiefly spent at Ranelagh and Vauxhall, several of my mornings, or rather noons, in Arlington Street,1 and the rest at the tryal of the Lords. The first day I was not there, and only saw the Lord High Steward's parade in going; the second and third [... Peers were all in their robes .. by their wearing bag - wigs and hats instead of coronets. My Lord High-Steward]2 was the least part of the shew, as he wore only his baron's robe, and was always asking the heralds what he should do next, and bowing or smileing about to his acquaintance. As to his speech, you see it; people hold it very cheap, tho' several incorrectnesses have been altered in the printed copy. Kilmarnock spoke in mitigation of his crime near half an hour, with a decent courage, and in a strong, but pathetic, voice. His figure would prejudice people in his favour, being

1 At Mr. Walpole's.

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2 All words after "third" to "was the least part" have been lost from the bottom of the MS.; but some person has stated on the top of the MS. page that some of the words were what are here given.-[Ed.]

3 William Boyd, fourth Earl of Kilmarnock in Scotland, beheaded on Tower Hill, August 18, 1746.

"Pitied by gentle minds Kilmarnock died."-Johnson.—[Mit.]

tall and genteel; he is upwards of forty, but to the eye not above thirty-five years of age.

appears to less advantage, when read.

What he said

Cromartie 1

(who is about the same age, a man of lower stature, but much like a gentleman), was sinking into the With eyes cast down, heard a syllable, that

:

earth with grief and dejection. and a voice so low, that no one did not sit close to the bar; he made a short speech to raise compassion. It is now, I see printed; and is reckoned extremely fine. I believe, you will think it touching and well expressed if there be any meanness in it, it is lost in that sorrow he gives us for so numerous and helpless a family. Lady Cromartie 2 (who is said to have drawn her husband into these circumstances) was at Leicester House on Wednesday, with four of her children; the Princess saw her, and made no other answer than by bringing in her own children and placing them by her; which (if true) is one of the prettiest things I ever heard. She was also at the Duke's, who refused to admit her: but she waited till he came to his coach, and threw herself at his knees, while her children hung upon him, till he promised her all his interest could do; and before on several occasions he has been heard to speak very mildly of Cromartie, and very severely of Kilmarnock.

1 George Mackenzie, third Earl of Cromartie.

2 Lady Cromartie was Isabel, daughter of Sir William Gordon, of Invergordon, Bart. "Lady Cromartie went down incog. to Woolwich to see her son pass by without the power of speaking to him. I never heard a more melancholy instance of affection."-Walpole's Letters to Mann, vol. ii. p. 156.—[Mit.]