I 
 
WALPOLI ANA. 
 
 I. FRENCH NATIONALITY. 
 
 The AbbeRaynal came, with fome French- 
 men of rank, to fee me at Strawberry-hill. 
 They were ftanding at a window, looking at 
 the profpe£t to the Thames, which they 
 found flat, and one of them faid in French, 
 not thinking that I and Mr. Churchill over- 
 heard them, " Every thing in England 
 only ferves to recommend France to us the 
 more." Mr. Churchill inllantly ftepped up, 
 and faid, " Gentlemen, when the Chero- 
 kees were in this country they could eat no- 
 thing but train-oil." 
 
 Vol. IL B ii. cri- 
 
2 
 
 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 II. CRITICISM ON GRAY. 
 
 Gray fhould not have admitted 
 
 " Yc towers of Julius, London's lading fhamc, 
 
 into his beautiful ode. ** Towers of Csefar" 
 would have been unexceptionable. He goes 
 merely on tradition, it is true ; but we know 
 that the Romans were not poffeffed of Lon-" 
 don, nor any part of this country, in the time 
 of Julius Csefar. Under Claudius they were. 
 Tradition can never be alleged for an abfo-. 
 iute impoffibility. 
 
 in. bruce's travels. 
 
 Bruce's book is both dull and dear. We 
 join in clubs of five, each pays a guinea, 
 draw lots who (hall have it firft, and the laft 
 to keep it for his patience. 
 
 Bruce's overbearing manner has raifed en- 
 mity and prejudices; and he did wrong in. 
 retailing the moft wonderful parts of his book 
 in companies. A ftory may be credible when 
 attended with circumftances, which feems 
 falfe if detached. 
 
 I was prefent in a large company at din- 
 ner, 
 
WALPOLIANA. 3 
 
 ner, when Bruce was talking away. Some 
 one afked him what mufical inftruments are 
 ufed in Abyflinia. Bruce hefitated, not be- 
 ing prepared for the queftion; and at laft 
 laid, " I think I faw one lyre * there." 
 George Selwyn whifpered his next man, 
 '* Yes; and there is one lefs fmce he left 
 the country." 
 
 IV. COLISEUM. 
 
 When I was at Rome the firft time I went 
 mto the Colifeum ; it was ftill fo ftupendous, 
 that though a company of ftrollers were add- 
 ing, on a temporary ftage, and their au- 
 dience were fitting on benches, the whole 
 fpe&acle was fo very inconfiderable, that it 
 feemed remote, and not to be noticed in that 
 vaft area, of which it occupied a moft trifling 
 fpace. Yet as ancient Romans were not taller 
 than modern, it ftruck me that the gladiators 
 and actors muft have appeared ftill more 
 diminutive to the original fpe&ators from the 
 elevated arches. They muft have been like 
 thoufands of flies, gazing at mites from an 
 immenfe height. 
 
 . * Same pronunciation as Iyar, 
 
 B 2 v. EM- 
 
4 
 
 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 V. EMPHATIC OATH. 
 
 Some time after the maffacre of St. Bar- 
 tholomew, the deputies of the reformed were 
 treating with the king, the queen-mother, 
 and fome of the council, for a peace. The 
 articles were mutually agreed on ; the quef- 
 tion was upon the fecurity for performance. 
 After fome particulars propounded and re- 
 jected, the queen-mother faid, " Is not the 
 word of a king fufficient fecurity ?" One of 
 the deputies anfwered, " No, by St. Bar- 
 tholomew, Madam." 
 
 VI. RIDICULE. 
 
 We havejuftly abandoned the maxim that 
 ridicule is a tell of truth. It is rather the 
 moft powerful weapon of vice, which has 
 fcarcely any other mean of attacking virtue, 
 except ridicule and llander, well knowing the 
 confequence. Contemptu fanus contemni vir- 
 iutcj. 
 
 VII. THE FIRST STEP. 
 
 II ny a que le premier pas qui coute : " The 
 firft ftep is the only difficulty." This pro- 
 5 verb 
 
WALPOLIANA. 5 
 
 verb was oddly applied by a lady, who, hear- 
 ing a canon in the company fay that St. Piat, 
 after his head was cut off, walked two en- 
 tire leagues with it in his hand. « Yes, 
 Madam, two entire leagues." — " I firmly 
 believe it," anfwered the lady; " ort fuch 
 an occafion the firji Jlep is the only difficulty:" 
 
 VIII. SPANISH ETIQUETTE. 
 
 The etiquette of the Spanifli court was 
 the mod fevere in Europe. One of their 
 kings even fell a vidim to it. Philip HI. 
 being newly recovered from a dangerous ma- 
 lady, was fitting near a chimney, in which 
 was fo large a fire of wood, that he was al- 
 mofl: ftifled. Etiquette did not permit him 
 to rife, nor a common domeftic to enter. At 
 length the Marquis de Pobar, chamberlain, 
 came in, but etiquette forbad his inter- 
 ference, and the Duke of Uffeda, matter of 
 the houfehold, was fent for. He was gone 
 out ; and the flame increaled, while the king 
 bore it patiently, rather than violate his dii- 
 nity. But his blood was fo heated, that next 
 morning an eryfipelas of the head appeared, 
 B3 and 
 
6 
 
 WALPOLIAWA. 
 
 and a relapfe of the fever foon carried him 
 off. 
 
 IX. ETRURIAN WARE. 
 
 Concerning the Etrurian earthen ware 
 fee Plutarch's life of Publicola, where there 
 is a long and curious paflage mentioning a 
 chariot made of earthen ware; a point of 
 perfection to which it has not yet arrived 
 among us. 
 
 x. languet's letters. 
 
 I have read Lord Hailes's edition of Lan- 
 guet's epiftles. There are forae curious 
 things, particularly his remarks on the Eng- 
 lifli pronunciation of the Latin language. 
 
 XI. ERUDITION. 
 
 Erudition is excellent when managed hy 
 good fenfe. But how often does it only in- 
 creafe a man's natural fund of nonfenfe? 
 What do you fay to the fcholaftic quefHon, 
 Si Deus felt qua non fciuntur ? Hobbes faid ? 
 that if he had read as much as the eruditi, he 
 fhould have been as ignorant as they. 
 
 XII. ME- 
 
WALPOLIANA. 
 
 7 
 
 XII. MEMOIRES DE GRAMMONT. 
 
 1 find that, in the notes to the Strawberry- 
 hill edition of the Memoires de Grammonf, 
 republished by Dodfley, and of which I gave 
 you a copy, I have fallen into fome miitakes 
 for want of a proper genealogy of the Aber- 
 eorn family. 
 
 [The following little memoir, remitted to 
 the editor by an ingenious correfpondent in 
 Ireland, will ferve to rectify thofe miftakes, 
 and will at the fame time prove interefting 
 to the admirers of the Memoires de Gram- 
 mont, perhaps the moft witty and amufing 
 of literary productions. Mr. Walpole's chief 
 errors occur p. 7.5 and 273, in which he fup- 
 pofes George to be the eldeft fon ; and thus 
 perplexes feveral of the anecdotes. J 
 
 " James, fecond Lord Hamilton, married 
 Mary, daughter of James III. and by her 
 had James, third Lord Hamilton, firft Earl 
 of Arran. His fon James was fecond Earl 
 of Arran and Duke of Chatelheraut, whofe 
 eldeft fon James became infane. John, the 
 fecond fon, was created Marquis of Hamilton 
 in 1599. 
 
 B 4 « The 
 
S WALPOLIANA. 
 
 " The third fon, Claud, was, in 1585, 
 created Lord Paifley, and his eldeft fon, 
 James, was made Earl of Abercorn in 1606. 
 By Mariana, daughter of Lord Boyd, he had 
 five f©ns and three daughters. 
 
 " The three eldeft fons failing of iflue, 
 the title of Abercorn afterwards fell to the 
 defcendants of Sir George, the fourth fon. 
 (Alexander, the fifth fon, became a count of 
 the empire, and fettled in Germany, where 
 his pofterity ftill remain.) 
 
 " Sir George Hamilton, fourth fon of 
 James, firft Earl of Abercorn, married 
 Mary *, third lifter to James, firft Duke of 
 
 Ormond 
 
 * " Her nieces, daughters of James, Duke of Ormond, 
 Lady Mary, wife of the Earl of Dcvonlhire, and Lady Eli- 
 zabeth, fecond wife of the Earl of Chefterfield, were the 
 reigning beauties of the age. There are pictures of both in 
 the prefent Earl of Ormond's caftle at Kilkenny. Lady 
 Chefterfield was of a delicate form and low ftature; her 
 daughter married John, Earl of Strathmore. 
 
 " The fcandalous chronicles of thofe times charge her 
 hulband, the Earl of Cherterfield, with having caufed her to 
 take the facrament upon her innocence, respecting any inti- 
 macy with the Duke of York, and having then bribed h : s 
 chaplain to put poifon into the fccramental cup, of which ihe 
 died. His fon, Lord Stanhope, by his third wife (father of 
 Lord Chefterfield the author), married Gertrude Saville, 
 
 daughter 
 
WALPOLIANA. 9 
 
 Ormond (the died in 1680), and by her he 
 had, 
 
 " 1. James, groom of the bedchamber to 
 Charles II. and colonel of a regiment. Be- 
 ing on board the fleet with the Duke of 
 York, a cannon-ball carried off his leg, and 
 he died the 6th of June, 1673. From him 
 fprings the prefent Earl of Abercorn. 
 
 " 2. George, Count Hamilton, a mare- 
 chal de camp in the French fervice. He 
 married Frances Jennings, filter to the 
 Duehefs of Marlborough, and left three 
 daughters; Elizabeth, wedded to Vifcount 
 Rofs ; Frances, to Vifcount Dillon ; Mary, 
 to Vifcount Kingfland. 
 
 daughter of the Marqiiis of Halifax. The marquis and earl 
 quarrelled, and the Utter made his fon. bring his wife to 
 Litchfield, breaking off all intercourle between the families. 
 Lady Stanhope had always on her toilette her father's " Ad- 
 vice to a Daughter:" her father-in-law took, it up one day, 
 and wrote in the title-pjge, •< Labour in vain." On her fide, 
 the lady made her fervant out of livery carry in his pocket a 
 bottle of wine, another of water, and a cup; and whenever 
 file dined or fupped in company with her father-in-law, either 
 at his own houle or abroad, Ihe never would drink but of 
 thofe liquors, from her fervant's hand, as a hint to the Earl, 
 and fociety prefent, of what his lordlhip was fufpedled of hav- 
 ing effected by a facred beverage." 
 
10 
 
 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 " (By which laft marriage the pictures I 
 faw at Tarvey, Lord Kingfland's houfe, 
 came to him. I particularly recollect the 
 portraits of Count Hamilton and his brother 
 Antony; and two of Madame Grammont, 
 one taken in her youth, the other in an ad- 
 vanced age.) 
 
 " 3- The third fon of Sir George was 
 Antony, who followed King James into 
 France, where he died a lieutenant-general. 
 
 " 4. Thomas, a captain in the fea-fervice, 
 died in New-England. 
 
 " 5. Richard, died a lieutenant-general 
 in France. 
 
 " 6. John, a colonel, flain at the battle of 
 Aghrim. 
 
 " As Sir George Hamilton was governor 
 of the caftle of Ninagh in 1649, ^ rom tnat » 
 and his affinity to the Duke of Ormond, it 
 has been concluded that his children were all 
 born in Ireland *. 
 
 * He afterwards went abroad, and did not return till the 
 reftoration, when he was created a baronet. Dougl. Peer. Sir 
 George himfelf was probably born in Scotland. Any of his 
 children, born between 1649 and 1660, may claim a foreign 
 birth. Edit. 
 
 « He 
 
 3 
 
WALPOLIANA. II 
 
 " He had alfo three daughters. 
 
 " i. Elizabeth, wedded to Philibert, Count 
 de Grammont, by whom ihe had a daughter, 
 who became the wife of Henry, Earl of 
 Stafford. Tradition reports that Grammont, 
 having attached, if not engaged, himfelf to 
 Mifs Hamilton, went off abruptly for France; 
 that Count [George] Hamilton purfued and 
 overtook him at Dover, when he thus ad- 
 dreffed him : " My dear friend, I believe you 
 have forgot a circumftance that fhould take 
 place before your return to France." To 
 which Grammont anfwered, " True, my 
 dear friend ; what a memory I have ! I quite 
 forgot that I was to marry your fifter ; but I 
 will inftantly accompany you back to Lon- 
 don, and rectify that forgetfulnefs." It is 
 hardly requifite to add, that the witty Count 
 de Grammont is not recorded to have been a 
 man of perfonal courage. 
 
 " 2. Lucy, married to Sir Donogh O'Brien, 
 of Lemineagh. 
 
 " 3. Margaret, to Matthew Forde, Efq. 
 of Coolgraney, Wexford. 
 
 " (With his defcendant at Seaford, 
 
 county 
 
12 
 
 WALPOLI ANA. 
 
 county Down, I faw the pi&ure of Count 
 [George] Hamilton, dreffed in the French 
 uniform ; the painting not near fo good as 
 that in the Kingfland family.) 
 
 " Frances Jennings, widow of Count Ha- 
 milton, was fecondly married to Richard 
 Talbot, Duke of Tyrconnel. She died at 
 his houfe in Paradife-row, Dublin, 1 think 
 in the year 1736. Her death was occafioned 
 by her falling otft of her bed upon the floor, 
 in a winter's night ; and being too feeble to 
 rife or to call, was found in the morning fo 
 perimed with cold, that Hie died in a few 
 hours. , She was of very low feature, and ex- 
 tremely thin ; and had not the leaft trace in 
 her features of having ever been a beauty." 
 
 Xlir. PUFF DRESS. 
 
 An old general ufed to drefs in a fantaftic 
 manner, by way of puff. It is true people 
 would fay, " Who is that old fool ?" but it 
 is as true that the anfwer was, " That is the 
 famous general, * * *, who took fuch a 
 place." 
 
 xiv. trick 
 
WALPOLlAN A. 
 
 XIV. TRICK AGAINST LAW. 
 
 A Jew and a Chriftian, both Italians, 
 united their endeavours in a fnuff-lhop. On 
 Saturday, the fabbath, the Jew did not ap- 
 pear ; but on Sunday he fupplied the place 
 of the Chriftian. Some fcruples were fhrted 
 to the Jew, but he only anfwered, Tivuata la 
 legge, trovato linganno, " When laws were 
 invented, tricks were invented." 
 
 XV. VALUE OF JUSTICE. 
 
 An attorney in France having bought a 
 charge of bailiff for his fon, advifed him 
 never to work in vain, but to raife contribu- 
 tions on thofe who wanted his afliftance. 
 " What! father," faid the fon in furprife, 
 " would you have me fell juftice ?" — «« Why 
 not ?" anfwered the father : " Is fo fcarce an. 
 article to be given for nothing?" . » 
 
 XVI. HISTORY. 
 
 The example of Sully mews that the ftudy 
 of hiftory is pra£tically ufeful to a ftatefman, 
 for he tells us, in his Memoirs, that he was 
 
 much 
 
14 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 much given -to it; and he proved the firft of 
 all minifters. 
 
 XVII. ODD MEDAL. 
 
 Vertue, in his manufcripts, mentions a 
 fmall filver medal of Lucy, Duchefs of Portf- 
 mouth, reverfe Cupid on a woolpack. 1 
 have not feen it,. 
 
 XVIII. FURNITURE. 
 
 I like our old walnut-tree furniture as well 
 as mahogany. But ebony was a luxury of 
 our anceftors. My ebony chairs in the Hol- 
 bein room coft me a handfome fum, though 
 not the moll: elegant of the kind. 
 
 XIX. AUTHORS. 
 
 Fletcher, in his Locuftas, has an odd line 
 on authors : 
 
 The goofe lends them a fpear, and every rag a Ihield. 
 XX. PREMATURE. 
 
 A man married a girl who brought him a 
 child in fix weeks. His friends rallying him, 
 
 and 
 
WALPOLIANA. I£ 
 
 and faying the child had come too foon, 
 ■**. You are miftaken," anfwered he; " it 
 was the ceremony which was too late." 
 
 XXI. FEMALE QUARRELS. 
 
 The fpreta? injuria formes is the great-eft 
 with a woman. A man of rank, hearing 
 that two of his female relations had quar- 
 relled, afked, " Did they call each other 
 ugly?"— « No."— « Well, well; I fhall 
 loon reconcile them." 
 
 XXII. CLERICAL SARCASM. 
 
 In feme parifti-churches it was the cuftom 
 to feparate the men from the women. A 
 clergyman, being interrupted by loud talk- 
 ing, flopped fliort, when a woman, eager for 
 the honour of the fex, arofe and faid, " Your 
 reverence, it is not among us." — 44 So much 
 the better," anfwered the prieft; " it will 
 be over the fooner." 
 
 XXIII. MODEST DEATH. 
 
 I am fond of Fontenelle, and of every 
 anecdote relating to him. He was told that 
 
 an 
 
WALPOL I AN A. 
 
 an a&refs had died of the fmall-pox. " Very 
 modeft!" exclaimed he. 
 
 XXIV. SMART EPISTLE. 
 
 The French civil wars often difplay wit ; 
 ours are dull. The anfwer of the captain of 
 Hume Caftle to Colonel Fenwicke, who 
 fummoned it in the name of Cromwell, is, 
 however, whimfical. I think I can turn to 
 it. Here it is. 
 
 " RIGHT HO - OUR ABLE, 
 
 " I have received a trumpeter of yours, 
 as he tells me, without your pafs (he had for- 
 got it, it feems, and left it behind him upon the 
 tab/ej, to render Hume Caftle to the Lord 
 General Cromwell. Pleafe you, I nevei faw 
 your general, nor know your general. As for 
 Hume Caftle, it fbnds upon a rock. 
 
 ** Given at Hume Caftle, this day before 
 feven o'clock. So reftcth, without prejudice 
 of his native country, 
 
 Your raoft humble fervant, 
 
 John Cockburn." 
 
 XXV. MAXIM 
 
WALP0LI ANA. 
 
 XXV. MAXIM OF WRITING. 
 
 We muft fpeak to the eyes, if we wifh to 
 affect the mind. 
 
 XXVI. HIEROGLYPHIC. 
 
 A farmer of the gabclle on fait had built a 
 villa like a palace. Difplaying it to his 
 ^friends, it was obferved, that a flatue was 
 wanting for a large niche in the veltibule. 
 *' I mean to put there," faid the farmer, 
 Xi fome allegorical flatue relating to my bu- 
 *iinefs." — " You may then put Lot's wife, 
 who was changed to a ftatae cf fait," an- 
 fwered one of his friends. 
 
 XXVII. FOOLS BY PROFESSION. 
 
 Our court -fools ceafed with the reign of 
 Charles I. L'Angely was the lafl in France. 
 He was prefented by the Prince of Conti to 
 Louis XIV. Being afK.ed why he never at- 
 tended fermon., he anfwered, " Becaufe I 
 hate noife, and do not underfland reafou- 
 
 Vo:. II. 
 
 c 
 
 XXVIII. 
 
i8 
 
 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 XXVIII. ELEGANT COMPLIMENT. 
 
 A French officer being juft arrived at the 
 court of Vienna, and the emprefs hearing 
 that he had the day before been in company 
 with a great lady, afked him if it were true 
 that (lie was the moft handfome princefs of 
 her time? The officer anfwered, with great 
 gallantry, " Madam, I thought fo yefter- 
 day." 
 
 XXIX. ALGAROTTI. 
 
 Algarotti is a lively and pleafant writer, 
 and fometimes conveys his thoughts in ele- 
 gant metaphor; for example: '/ Lo ftile di 
 Bacone, uomo di aitiffima dottrina, abbonda 
 di viviffimi penfieri. Nella maggior profon- 
 dita d' acqua, fi trovano le perle piu groffe." 
 " The ftyle of Bacon, a man of the moft 
 profound learning, abounds in moft lively 
 thoughts. In the greater depth of water the 
 larger pearls are found." 
 
 XXX. ROMANCE TONGUE. 
 
 I find that it was about the ninth century 
 Ahat barbarous Latin began to give place to 
 
 ,the 
 
WALPOLI AN A. 10. 
 
 the modern languages of France, Spain, and 
 Italy. The council of Tours, in the year 
 813, ordered thepriefts to preach in romance, 
 that they might be underftood by the people. 
 We have an odd idea that the clergy did not 
 preach before the reformation. The Roman 
 Catholic clergy always preached, and do 
 preach, in the vulgar tongue. 
 
 XXXI. RIDDLE. 
 
 The French delight to try the efprit of 
 children by a kind of riddles. For example: 
 A man has a little boat, in which he mud; 
 carry, from one fide of a river to the other, a, 
 wolf, a goat, and a cabbage ; and muft not 
 carry more than one of thefe at once. Which 
 fhall he take firft, without the rifk that, dur- 
 ing one of his navigations, the wolf may de- 
 vour the goat, or the goat the cabbage ? Sup- 
 pofe he carry the wolf, the cabbage is loft — 
 if the cabbage, the goat is devoured — if the 
 , goat, the embarraffment is equal ; for he muft 
 rifle his goat, or his cabbage, on the other 
 fide of the river. 
 
 The anfvver is, he muft take the goat firft, 
 C \ the 
 
.$0 WALPOLIANA. ' 
 
 the wolf will not touch the cabbage ; in the 
 fecond paffage he carries the cabbage, and 
 brings back the goat; in the third he tranf- 
 ports the wolf, which may again be fafely 
 ■ left Avith the cabbage. He concludes with 
 returning for the goat. 
 
 XXXII. ORIGINAL LETTER. 
 
 On. 1784. 
 
 ******* 
 
 I AM much obliged to you for the many 
 ccivil and kind expreffions in your letter, 
 and for the Iriendly information you give 
 -me. Tartialitv, I fear, dictated the former ; 
 but the laft I can only afcribe to the goodnefs 
 >.of your heart. 
 
 I have publifhed nothing of any fize but 
 -the pieces you mention, and one or two 
 vfmall traces, now out of print and forgotten. 
 The reft have been prefaces to fome of my 
 :Strawberry editions, and to a few other pub- 
 lications, and fome fugitive pieces, which I 
 reprinted fome years ago in a fmall volume, 
 and which mall be at your fervice, with the 
 -Catalogue of Noble Authors, 
 
 With 
 
WALPOLIANA. 2T 
 
 With regard to the bookfeller who has 
 taken the pains of collecting my writings for 
 an edition (amongft which I do not doubt 
 but he will generoufly bellow on me many 
 that I did not write, according to the liberal 
 practice of fuch compilers), and who alfo in- 
 tends to write my life, to which (as I never 
 did any thing worthy of the notice of. the 
 public, he muft likewife be a volunteer con- 
 tributor) it would be vain for me to endea- 
 vour to prevent fuch a delign. Whofoever 
 has been fo unadvifed as to throw himfelf on? 
 the public, mult pay fuch.a tax in a pamphlet 
 or magazine when he dies ; but happily the 
 infects that prey on carrion 'are ftill more 
 fhort-lived than the carcaffes were from, 
 which they draw their nutriment. Thofe 
 momentary, abortions live but a day,, and are. 
 thruft afide by like embryos. Literary cha- 
 racters, when not illuftrious, are known only 
 to a few literary men ; and ainidft the world 
 of books, few readers can come to my fhare;. 
 Printing, that fecures exiftence (in libraries) 
 to indifferent authors of any bulk, is like 
 thofe cafes of. Egyptian mummies which, in- 
 C 3 catacombs^ 
 
,32 WALPOLTANA. 
 
 catacombs, preferve bodies of one knows not 
 whom, and which are fcribbled over with 
 characters that nobody attempts to read, til] 
 nobody underftands the language in which 
 they were written. 
 
 I believe, therefore, it will be moft wife 
 to fwim for a moment on the pairing cur- 
 rent, fecure that it will foon hurry me into 
 the ocean where all things are forgotten. To 
 appoint a biographer is to befpeak a panegy- 
 ric ; and I doubt whether they who collecl: 
 their works for the public, and, like me, are 
 confcious of no intrinfic worth, do but beg 
 mankind to accept of talents (whatever they 
 were) in lieu of virtues. To anticipate fpu~ 
 rious publications -by a comprehenfive and 
 authentic one, is almoft as great an evil ; it 
 is giving a body to fcattered atoms; and fuch 
 an a£f. in one's old age is declaring a fondnefs 
 for the indifcretions of youth, or for the trifles 
 of an age, which, though more mature, is 
 only the lefs excufeable. It is moft true, 
 Sir, that fo far from being prejudiced in fa- 
 vour of my own writings, I am perfuaded, 
 that had I thought early as I think now, I 
 
 fhould 
 
WALPOLIANA. 2^ 
 
 ihould never have appeared as an author. 
 Age, frequent illnefs, and pain, have given 
 me as many hours of reflection in the inter- 
 vals of the two latter, as the two latter have 
 drawn from reflection; and, befides their 
 mewing me the inutility of all our little 
 views, they have fuggefled an obfervation 
 that 1 love to encourage in myfelf from the 
 rationality of it. 1 have learnt, and have 
 pracYifed the humiliating talk of comparing 
 myfelf witli- great authors, and that com- 
 parifon has annihilated all the flattery that 
 felf-love could fuggeft. I know how trifling 
 my own writings are, and how far below the 
 ftandard that constitutes excellence ; for the 
 fhades that diftinguifh mediocrity, they are 
 not worth difcrimination ; and he muil be 
 very modeft, or eafily fatisfied, who can be 
 content to glimmer for an inftant a little 
 more than his brethren glow-worms. Mine 
 therefore, you find, Sir, is not humility, but 
 pride! When young I wiflied for fame, 
 not examining whether I was capable of at- 
 taining it, nor confldering in what lights 
 fame was deferable. There are two parts of 
 C 4 honeft 
 
24 W AL FO LIANA. 
 
 honeft; fame; that attendant on the truly 
 great ; and that better fort that is due to the 
 good. I fear I did not aim at the latter, nor 
 difcovered, till too late, that I could not com- 
 pafs the former. Having neglected the beuV 
 road, and having, infteadof the other, .{trolled 
 into a narrow path that led to no goal worth 
 ieeking, I fee the idlenefs of my journey, 
 and hold it more graceful to abandon my 
 wanderings to chance "or oblivion, than to 
 mark folicitude for trifles, which I think fa 
 myfelf. 
 
 I beg your pardon for talking fa much of 
 myfelf; but an anfwer was due to the 
 unmerited attention which you have paid' 
 to my writings. I turn with more plea- 
 fure to fpeak on yours. Forgive me if I 
 fhall blame you, whether you either abandon 
 your intention, or are too impatient to exe- 
 cute it. A mere recapitulation of authenti- 
 cated facls would be dry. A more enlarged 
 plan would demand much acquaintance with 
 the characters of the actors, and with the 
 probable fources of meafures. The prefent 
 time is accuftomed to details and anecdotes; 
 
 and 
 
WALPOLIANA-. 25- 
 
 nnd the age immediately preceding one's own 
 
 is lefs known to any man than the hiftory of 
 
 any other period. 
 
 # * * ****** 
 
 Your obliged and obedient 
 
 humble fervant, 
 Hor. Walpole. 
 
 xiii. de callieres*. 
 
 The book of De Callieres, De la fcience 
 du monde, is very well written. It was the 
 foundation, I believe, of the pamphlet called 
 The Polite Philofopher. 
 
 XXXIV. DANTE. 
 
 Dante is a difficult author. I wifh we 
 had a complete tranflation in profe, with the 
 original on the oppolite page, like the French 
 one of the Inferno, printed at Paris in 1776. 
 
 XOtXV. NEWS. 
 
 Renaudot, a phyfician, firft published at 
 Paris, in 163 1, a Gazette, fo called from Ga- 
 zetto, a coin of Venice paid for the reading 
 
 of 
 
26 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 of manufcript news. In more early times- 
 our chief nobility had correfpondents abroad 
 on purpofe to write what were called " Let- 
 ters of News." 
 
 XXXVI. ROTROIT: 
 
 Rottou's V enceflas is the bed of' the 
 French tragedies, anterior to Corneille. It 
 ought to be reprinted, as it is only to be 
 found in the fcarce ancient edkion, or irv- 
 large collections. 
 
 XXXVII. D l HANCARVILLE. 
 
 That book of D'Hancarville's is very foolifli. 
 He is puzzled why all barbarous nations have 
 fimilar idols and cuftoms; and yet is not- 
 puzzled at their all having: two eyes and a 
 nofe. The human mind and the human 
 form are every where fimilar. All nations 
 find milk very ufeful ; yet d'Hancarville is 
 deplorably wife on the univerfal veneration 
 paid to bulls and cows. A little good-fenfe 
 is worth all the erudition in the world, 
 
 And; though no fcience, fairly worth the feven. 
 
 XXXVIII. 
 
WALPOLIANA. 
 
 XXXVIII. FRENCH ROYAL AUTHORS. 
 
 Louis XIV. tranflated from Csefar, with 
 the affiitance of his governor, "■ La Guerre 
 ties Swiffes," Paris, 1651, folio, from the 
 royal prefs of the Louvre. 
 
 By his fucceffor we have, " Cours des 
 principaux Fleuves et Rivieres de l'Europe; 
 ouvrage compofe et imprime par S. M. tres 
 Cretienne Louis XV. Roi de France et de 
 Navarre. Parish de l'imprimerie du- Cabinet 
 de fa Majefte, 1718, 8vo."— « The Courfe 
 of the chief Rivers, in Europe, compofed and 
 printed by his mod Chriftian Majefty Louis 
 XV. &c. Paris, from the King's cabinet 
 Prefs." 
 
 Philip of France, only brother of Louis 
 XIV. tranflated Florus, Paris 1670, 12 mo. 
 It was publifhed by La Mothe le Vayer. 
 
 It is furprifmg that Louis XI. fhould ap- 
 pear among the royal authors of France. He 
 wrote for the induction of his fon, *« Le 
 Rofier des Guerres;" a work divided into 
 two parts, the firft moral, the laft hiftorical. 
 The firft is in the form of maxims; for 
 example : 
 
 "If 
 
28 WALPOLIANA, 
 
 • " If a king wifh to raife pure hands to 
 heaven, let him be contented with his own 
 domain, and the ancient fubfidies : the greateft 
 neceffity of the public weal can alone au- 
 thorife the impofition of new taxes." 
 
 " When men formed communities, and 
 built towns, and appointed mailers over them, 
 it was only in order to obtain juftice, and 
 help againft injuries : hence it is the prime 
 duty of a king to prevent oppreffion, and dis- 
 tribute juftice." 
 
 XXXIX.. ORIGINAL LETTER. 
 
 Strawbary-hlll, Oli. 1 8, 1786., 
 I am much obliged to you, dear Sir, for 
 the notice, and your kind intentions. I have 
 various copies of King Charles's collection 
 but the one you mention is probably more 
 curious, and what I mould be very glad to* 
 have; and if Lean afford it will give what- 
 ever (hall be thought reafonable ; for I would; 
 bv no means take advantage of the poor 
 man's ignorance or neceffity ; and therefore 
 fhould wilh to have it eftimated by fome con- 
 noiffeur: and though the notes may be 
 
 fooliflv 
 
WALPOLIANA. $9 
 
 foolifh, they would not prejudice the infor- 
 mation I mould like to get. I muft go to 
 town on Friday, and will call on you: and 
 if you cannot be at home, be fo good as to 
 leave the MS. and I will bring it back to you 
 ithe next day, or Sunday, as I return hither. 
 
 Yours fmcerely, 
 
 Hor. Walpole. 
 
 XL. PoiSSARDES. 
 
 The harangeres, or fifth-women at Paris, 
 form a fort of body-corporate. In the time 
 of Louis XIV. the Dauphin having reco- 
 covered from a long iHnefs, the fii'h-women 
 deputed four of their troop to' offer their con- 
 gratulations. After fome difficulties, the la- 
 dies were admitted by the King's fpecial 
 •command, and conducted to the Dauphin's 
 apartment. One of them began a fort of 
 harangue, " What would have become of 
 us if our dear Dauphin had died ? We mould 
 have loft our a ll-" The King meanwhile 
 had entered behind, and being extremely jea- 
 lous of his power and glory, frowned at this 
 
 ill-judged 
 
30 ' WALPOLIANA. 
 
 ill-judged compliment ; when another of the 
 deputation, with a ready wit, regained his 
 good graces, by adding, " True; we fliould 
 have loft our all — for our good King could 
 never have furvived his fon, and would doubt- 
 lefs have died of grief." The naif policy of 
 - this unexpe&ed turn was much admired. 
 
 XLI. HEN R Y VIII. 
 
 Your argument that Henry VIII. might 
 have retained the chmch-lands, and thus have 
 fecured a great revenue, is well enough in 
 theory. But, in fad, he could not have kept 
 them ; it was necefTary to diftribute them, in 
 order to intereft others in the fupport of his 
 innovations. I believe he forgot the northern 
 peers; and this led to rebellions in the north. 
 
 XLII. USELESS READING. 
 
 Dr Bentley's fon reading a novel, the 
 Do&or faid, " Why read a book which you 
 cannot quote?" 
 
 XLIII. CHARLES I. 
 
 The beft and moft undoubted fpecimen of 
 •2 the 
 
WALP0L1 ANA. 31 
 
 the mental powers of Charles I. is his con- 
 ference with Henderfon. 
 
 XLIV. HYPERCRITICISM. 
 
 Every thing has its place. Lord Hailes, 
 who is very accurate himfelf, obferved to me, 
 that the chronology of the Memoires de 
 Grammont is not exa£l. What has that 
 book to do with chronology ? 
 
 XLV., JOCKEYSHIP. 
 
 Louis XI. when he was a youth, ufed to 
 Vifit a peafant, whofe garden produced excel- 
 lent fruit. Soon after he afcended the throne, 
 this peafant waited on him, and brought his 
 little prefent, a turnip, from his garden, of 
 an extraordinary fize. The king fmiled, re- 
 membered his paft pleafures, and ordered a 
 thoufand crowns to the peafant. 
 
 The lord of his village hearing of this li- 
 berality, argued with himfelf thus : " If this 
 peafant have a thoufand crowns for a turnip, 
 I have only to prefent a fine horfe to this mu- 
 nificent monarch, and my fortune is made." 
 .As others might entertain the fame idea, he 
 
 lofcs 
 
32 WALPOLIAN A. 
 
 lofes no time, but mounts one horfe, anE 
 leads in his hand a beautiful Barb, the pride 
 of his ftable. He arrives at court, and re- 
 quefts the King's acceptance of his little pre- 
 fent. Louis highly praifed the fteed; and 
 the donor's expeditions were raifed to the 
 utmoft, when the King exclaimed, " Bring 
 me my turnip" — and added, in prefenting it 
 ^o the fcigneur, " Hold; this coft me a thou- 
 sand crowns, and I give it you for your 
 horfe.!' 
 
 XLVI. , ORIGINAL LETTER. 
 
 Strawberry-Hill, Sept. 30, 1 78 5. 
 As foon, Sir, as .1 can fee the lady my 
 friend, who is much acquainted with the 
 Archbifhop, I will try if {he will afk his 
 leave for you to fee the books you mention 
 in his library, of which I will give her the 
 lift. I did afk Mr. Cambridge where Dr. 
 Lort is ; he, told me, with the Bifhop of 
 Chefter, and on ah intended tour to the 
 Lakes. I do not poffefs, nor ever looked into, 
 <oneof the books you fpecifv ; nor Mabillon's 
 A6la Sanclorum, nor O'Flaherty's Ogygia. 
 
 8 My 
 
WALP0LI AN A. 33 
 
 My reading has been very idle, and trifling, 
 and defultory ; not that, perhaps, it has not 
 been employed on authors as refpeclable as 
 thole you want to confult, nor that I had' 
 not rather read the Deeds of Sinners than 
 A6la San&orum. I have no reverence but 
 for fenlible books, and confequently not for a 
 great number ; and had rather have read 
 fewer than I have, than more. The reft 
 may be ufeful on certain points, as they hap- 
 pen now to be to you, who I am fure would 
 not read them for general ufe and pleafure, 
 and are a very different kind of author. I 
 fhall like, 1 dare fay, any thing you do write; 
 but I am not overjoyed at your wading into 
 the hillory of dark ages, unlefsjou ufe it as 
 a canvas to be embroidered with your own 
 opinions, and epifodes, and comparifons with 
 more recent times. That is a moft entertain- 
 ing kind of writing. In general, I have fel- 
 dom wafted time on the origin of nations, 
 unlefs for an opportunity of fmiling at the 
 gravity of the author, or at the abfurdity of 
 the manners of thofe ages; for abfurdity and 
 bravery compofe almoft all the anecdotes we 
 Vol. N. D have 
 
34 WALPOLI ANA. 
 
 have of them ; except the accounts of what 
 they never did, nor thought of doing. 
 
 I have a real affe&ion for Bifhop Hoadley. 
 He itands with me in lieu of what are called 
 The Fathers ; and I am much obliged to you 
 for offering to lend me a book of his * ; but 
 as my faith in him and his doctrines has 
 long been fettled, I fhall not return to fuch 
 grave ftudies, when I have fo little time left, 
 and defire only to pafs it tranquilly, and with- 
 out thinking of what I can neither propagate 
 nor correct. When youth made mefanguine, 
 I hoped mankind might be fet right. Now 
 that I am very old, I fit down with this lazy- 
 maxim, that unlefs one could cure men of 
 being fools, it is to no purpofe to cure them 
 of any folly, as it is only making room for 
 fome other. Self-intereft is thought to go- 
 vern every man ; yet is it poffible to be lefs 
 governed by felf-interelt than men are in the 
 aggregate ? Do not thoufands facrifice even 
 their lives for fingle men ? Is not it an efta- 
 blifhed rule in France that every perfon 
 
 * Acolle£tion of his fmall tracts and fingle fheets, prc- 
 fentcd by himfelf to fpeaker Onflow. 
 
 fhould 
 
WALPOLrANA. 25 
 
 ihould love every king they have in his turn ? 
 What government is formed for general hap- 
 pinefs ? Where is not it thought herefy by 
 the majority to infinuate that the felicity of 
 one man ought not to be preferred to that of 
 millions? Had not I better at ftxty-eight 
 leave men to thefe prepofterous notions, than 
 return to Bifhop Hoadley, and fjgh? 
 
 Not but I have a heartfelt fatisfa£lion 
 when I hear that a mind as liberal as his, and 
 who has dared to utter facred truths, meets 
 with approbation and purehafers of his work. 
 You rauft not, however, flatter yourfelf, Sir, 
 that all your purehafers are admirers. Some 
 will buy your book, becaufe they have heard 
 of opinions in it that offend them, and be- 
 caufe they want to find matter in it for 
 abufing you. Let them ; the more it is dif- 
 cuffed, the more flrongly will your fame be 
 eftablifhed. I commend you for fcornin^ 
 any artifice to puff your book ; but you mufl 
 a41o\v me to hope it will be attacked. 
 
 I have another fatisfaftion in the fale of 
 your book; it will occafion a fecond edition. 
 What if, as you do not approve of confuting 
 D 2 mifquoten, 
 
36 WALPOLIAN A. 
 
 mifquoters, you {imply printed a lift of their 
 falfe quotations, referring to the identic fen- 
 fences, at the end of your fecond edition. 
 That will he preferving their infamy, which 
 elfe would perifti where it was born : and 
 perhaps would deter others from fimilar for- 
 geries. If any rational opponent ftaggers you 
 on any opinion of yours, I would retradl it ; 
 and that would be a fecond triumph, I am, 
 perhaps, too impertinent and forward with 
 advice : it is at leafl: a proof of zeal ; and you 
 are under no obligation to follow my coun- 
 fel. It is the weaknefs of old age to be apt to 
 give advice; but I will fairly arm you againft 
 myfelf, by conferring, that when I was young, 
 I was not apt to take any. 
 
 Yours raoft fincerely, 
 
 Hor. Walpole. 
 
 xlvii. beautiful proverb. 
 
 Proverbs not only prefent " le bon gros 
 fens qui court les rues," but fometimes are 
 expreffed in elegant metaphor. I was ftruck 
 with an oriental one of this fort, which I met 
 
 with 
 
WALPOLI ANA. 37 
 
 with in fome book of travels: " With time 
 and patience the leaf of the mulberry-tree be- 
 comes fatin." 
 
 XLVIII. ODD OBLIGATION. 
 
 The Duke of "Roquelaure was one of thofe 
 who, as Madame Sevigne fays, " abufe the 
 privilege that the men have to be ugly." 
 Accidentally finding at court a very ugly 
 country gentleman, who had a fuit to offer, 
 the Duke prefented him to the King, and 
 urged his requeft, faying he was under the 
 higheft obligations to the gentleman. The 
 King granted the requeft ; then afked Roque- 
 laure what were thofe great obligations. 
 " Ah ! Sir, if it were not for him, 1 fhould 
 be the very uglieft man in your dominions." 
 This fally excited the royal fmile, while the 
 gentleman, with plain good-rfenfe, afte&ed 
 not to hear it. 
 
 XLIX. PEARLS. 
 
 We read more of pearls than of diamonds, 
 in ancient authors. The ancients had not 
 {kill enough to make the mod of diamonds ; 
 
 P 3 and 
 
3^ WALPOLIANA. 
 
 and the art of engraving on them is not older 
 than the fixteenth century. The mod re- 
 markable of modern pearls is that in the Spa,- 
 nim treafury, called The Pilgrim. It was in 
 the pofleffion of a merchant, who had paid 
 for it 100,000 crowns. When he went to 
 offer it for fale to Philip IV. the king faid, 
 *' How could you venture to give fb much 
 for a pearl?" The merchant replied, " I 
 knew there was a king of Spain in the world." 
 Philip, pleafed with the flattery,, ordered him. 
 his own price. 
 
 L. SELFISHNESS. 
 
 The reafon why I admit no children with 
 the companies that come to fee my houfe, is, 
 that I have had fome trinkets damaged, nay, 
 loft. I thought of the Archbiftiop of Nar- 
 bonne, who opened his fine gardens to the 
 citizens, but ftuck up notice that no flowers 
 were to be pulled, as they were for the de- 
 light of all, and not of any individual. One 
 day, however, being at his window, he per- 
 ceived a lady, who was deftroying a whole 
 Parterre to, make her dear felf a nofegay. 
 
 Calling 
 
WALPOLIANA. 39 
 
 Calling a fervant, he ordered him to give the 
 lady a crown, to enable her to buy flowers. 
 The damfel threw down her theft, and 
 marched off in a rage, which was not alle- 
 viated by another meflage from the Archbi- 
 fhop, " That his garden was only open for 
 thofe qui favoient vivre." 
 
 LI. LEGACY FORESTALLED. 
 
 A French peer, a man of wit, was making 
 his teftament : he had remembered all his do- 
 meftics, except his fteward ; " I (hall leave 
 him nothing," faid he, " becaufe he has 
 ferved me thefe twenty years." 
 
 HI. MISTAKEN PIETY. 
 
 Some pafiengers were chatting idle non- 
 fenle to a parrot, hung out at a window, 
 when a devout old lady came up : "O wicked- 
 nefs!" exclaimed me: " why do you not 
 teach him his creed?" 
 
 LIII. NOVEL. 
 
 I have read fomewhere that La Comtefle de 
 Mortane, a novel in two volumes, by Madame 
 Durand, is worth the perufal. 
 
 D 4 liv. 
 
40 
 
 WALPOLIANA, 
 
 ilV. KNOWLES-. 
 
 Knowles's Hiftory of the Turks is full of 
 long orations, tranflated from the Latin of 
 Leunclavius, Confidered as a hiftory, it is a 
 mafs of fables ; in point of language, it is the 
 dulleft book in the world, with feeble periods 
 of a page long. 
 
 LV. AMOROUS SAINT. 
 
 1 am told that the life of St. Catherine of 
 Sienna contains much curious and equivocal 
 matter. 
 
 [The title is Legenda della feraphka Ca- 
 therinadi Sienna. Vinegie, 1556, 8vo.] 
 
 LVI. HARDOUIN. 
 
 Hardouin was a diverting madman. He 
 thought moft of the claffics were forged by 
 monks. So wrong-headed he was, that you 
 may be fure that what he averts is falfe, and 
 what he attacks is true. When he was in- 
 culcating his new dodrines of literary forgery 
 to a youth, his difciple, the latter aflced him 
 what was to be thought of the fcriptures, the 
 -anons, the fathers? After a long filence, 
 
 Hardouin 
 
WALPOLIANA. 4.1 
 
 Hardouin anfwered, "Only I and God know 
 the force of your objection-" 
 
 LVII. SUCKING FATHERS. 
 
 Bouhours has written a little work called 
 Ingenious Thoughts of the Fathers. There 
 is hardly one worth repeating. Thofe fa- 
 thers reafon like complete fools. I am con- 
 vinced that in their time the human mind 
 had become exhaufted and debafed. The 
 Platonic philofophers of that period are no 
 better reafoners. Chriftianity was certainly 
 of all the fyftems then offered the moft ra- 
 tional. Perhaps the philofophic idea of the 
 unity of God could never have met with ac- 
 ceptance among the people, except by the 
 mean of Chriftianity. 
 
 XVIII. ORIGINAL LETTER. 
 
 Strawberry-hill, June 29, 1787, 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 Some time ago you faid you would be fo 
 kind as to give me a lift of the writings of 
 Lord Elibank. I have a mind to complete 
 my account of royal and noble authors, for 
 7 which 
 
43 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 which I have amafTed a great number of ad- 
 ditions, both of works and omitted writers. I 
 fhall therefore be much obliged to you, if, 
 without interrupting your own much more 
 valuable writings, you can favour me with 
 that lift. 
 
 All I know of Lord Elibank's publications 
 are the following : 
 
 1. Inquiry into the Origin and Confe- 
 rence of the public Debts. 
 
 2. Thoughts on Money, Circulation, and 
 Paper Currency. Edinb. 1758. 
 
 3. A pamphlet on the Scottifh peerage, 
 1771. 1 do not know the title. 
 
 I have a very imperfecl memorandum, 
 made long ago, and which being only written 
 with a pencil is almoft effaced; fo that all 
 that remains legible are thefe words, " Lord 
 Lyttelton's correfpondents, Lord Elibank's 
 anfwer to" 
 
 I recollect that it alluded to fome remark- 
 able anecdote ; but my memory grows fuper- 
 annuated, and I cannot recover it. Have you 
 any idea? 
 
 I do 
 
VV ALPOLI AN A. 43 
 
 I do not even know Lord Elibank's Chris- 
 tian name ; was it Patrick ? 
 
 In 1778 I cut out of a newfpaper almoft a 
 whole column, containing an account of the 
 death and character of Patrick, Lord Eli- 
 bank ; and as he is there defcribed as a very- 
 aged man, I conclude it was the lord I re- 
 member, who married the widow of Lord 
 North and Grey, and was brother of Mr, 
 Alexander Murray, imprifoned by the Houfe 
 of Commons. 
 
 When I have the pleafure of feeing you 
 here (which 1 hope will be in about a fort- 
 night, when 1 fhall be free from all engage- 
 ments), I will, if you care to fee it, trouble 
 you with a fight of my intended fupplement, 
 to which, perhaps, you can contribute fome 
 additions, as I think you told me. I am in 
 no hafte, for 1 only intend to leave it behind 
 me, and have actually put all the materials 
 in order, except the article of Lord Elibank. 
 I do not pretend to fhew you any thing wor- 
 thy of your curiofity, for nothing is more 
 trifling than my writings ; but I am glad to. 
 
 lay you under a fort of debt of communica- 
 
 tion ? 
 
44 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 tion, in which I am fure of being greatly 
 overpaid. 
 
 I can tell you what is truly curious ; I 
 have a lift (oyer and above thofe whom I 
 fhall mention, being dead) of at leaft thirty 
 living authors and authoreffes. Would not 
 one think this a literary age? As perhaps 
 you was not aware of what a mafs of genius 
 the Houfe of Lords is poflefied — I ought ra- 
 ther to fay, the peerage of the three king- 
 doms, and of all, except of two of the ladies 
 (who are five), the works are in print, I will 
 fliew you the catalogue ; nay, you mail have 
 a copy, if you pleafe, left fo many illuftrious 
 names mould be loft, when I, their painful 
 chronicler, am not alive to record them. 
 Nor is there an atom of vanity in that ex- 
 preffion. Books of peerage are like the 
 precious fpices that embalm corpfes, and pre- 
 serve the dead for ages.— Adieu, dear Sir. 
 
 Yours moft fincerely, 
 
 Hor. Walpole. 
 
 i 
 
WALPOLIANA. 
 
 45 
 
 tlX. PREJUDICES. 
 
 Our paffions and prejudices ever miflead 
 us. There is a French ben trovato on this 
 topic. A curate and his wife had heard that 
 the moon was inhabited ; a telefcope was 
 borrowed, and the lady had the firft peep. 
 " I fee," faid Ihe, " I fee two fhades inclin- 
 ing towards each other ; they are, beyond 
 xloubt, happy lovers." — " Poh !" faid the cu- 
 rate, looking in his turn ; " thefe two fhades 
 are the two fteeples of a cathedral." 
 
 LX. EMPHATIC REPROOF. 
 
 I have heard of a general officer, who may 
 be claffed with the Archbifhop of Granada. 
 When he was about ninety years of age he 
 was difturbed with the noife of fome young 
 officers, diverting themfelves with fome girls. 
 " Is this, gentlemen, the example that I give 
 you ?" 
 
 LXI. A WELL-DOER. 
 
 A father wifhed to diffuade his daughter 
 from any thoughts of matrimony. " She 
 who marries does well," faid he ; " but fhe 
 
 who 
 
46 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 who does not marry does better." — *< My 
 father," flie anfwered meekly, " I am con- 
 tent with doing well ; let her do better who 
 can." 
 
 LXII. IGNORANT NAIVETE. 
 
 And old officer had loft an eye in the wars, 
 and fupplied it with a glafs one, which he al- 
 ways took out when he went to bed. Being 
 at an inn he took out this eye, and gave it to 
 the fimple wench who attended, defiring her 
 to lay it on the table. The maid afterwards 
 ftill waiting and flaring, ;< What doft wait 
 for ?" faid the officer. '* Only for the other 
 eye, Sir." 
 
 LXIII. AMUSEMENTS OT WAR. 
 
 When Louis XIV. befieged Lille, the 
 Count de Brouai, governor of the place, was 
 fo polite as to fend a fupply of ice every 
 morning for the King's deffert. Louis faid 
 one day to the gentleman who brought it, 
 '« I am much obliged to M. de Brouai for 
 his ice, but I wifli he would fend it in larger 
 portions." The Spaniard anfwered, without 
 hefitation, «f Sire, he thinks the fiege will be 
 
 long, 
 
WALPOLIANA. 47 
 
 long, and he is afraid the ice may be ex- 
 hausted." When the meflenger was going, 
 the Duke de Charroft, captain of the guards, 
 called out, " Tell Brouai not to follow the 
 example of the governor of Douai, who 
 yielded like a rafcal." The King turned 
 round laughing, and faid, " Charroll, are 
 you mad!" — ** How, Sir!" anfwered he, 
 " Brouai is my coufm." 
 
 In the Memoires de Grammont you will 
 find fimilar examples of the amufemcnts of 
 war. You remember that when Philip of 
 Macedon vanquished the Athenians, in a 
 pitched battle, they fent next morning to de- 
 mand their baggage ; the King laughed, and 
 ordered it to be returned, faying, " I do be- 
 lieve the Athenians think we did not fight in 
 earneft." 
 
 LX1V. UNEXCEPTIONABLE TESTAMENT. 
 
 Sainfrai, a notary of Paris, was fent for to 
 write the teftament of a rich man, who de- 
 fired him fo to word it that no room might 
 be left for conteftation among his heirs. 
 41 No room -for conteftation, impoffible !" 
 
 anfwered 
 
4$ WALPOLIANA. 
 
 anfvvered Sainfrai. " Jefus Chrift, the wifeii 
 of men, the fon of God, drew up a teftament, 
 which has been contested for thefe feventeen 
 hundred years, and will ever be contefted. 
 Can I hope to go beyond him ?" So faying, 
 he took his hat, and withdrew. 
 
 LXV. EQUITY. 
 
 I have read fomewhere, I believe in Thu- 
 anus, that the inhabitants of a city ftipulated 
 with their fovereign, that their judges fhould 
 not decide caufes by equity. They deemed 
 equity a mere pretext for abandoning the let- 
 ter of the law. 
 
 LXVI. A COMMANDMENT. 
 
 The evening before a battle, an officer 
 came to alk MarlTial Toiras for permiffion to 
 go and fee his father, who was at the point 
 of death. " Go," laid the general, who faw 
 through the pretext; " thou fhalt honour 
 thy father and thy mother, that thy days may- 
 be long upon the earth." 
 
 LXVII. 
 
WALPOLI A~NA. 
 
 49 
 
 LXVII. FASHIONS. 
 
 It was about the year 17 14 that two Eng- 
 -Jifli ladies, viiiting Versailles, fet an example 
 of low head-dreffes to the French ladies, who 
 at that time wore them fo high, arranged 
 like organ-pipes, that their heads feemed in 
 the middle of their bodies. The king loudly 
 ■expreffed his approbation of the fuperior taftc 
 and elegance of the Englim fafhion ; and the 
 ladies of the court were of courfe eager to 
 adopt the new form. 
 
 The fame ladies are faid to have introduced 
 the fafhion of large hoops in France ; an ab- 
 furd cuflom, which the delicate raillery of 
 Addifon could not extirpate. 
 
 LXVIIl. METONYMY. 
 
 Scarlet and purple are terms fometimes ap- 
 plied, by old French and Englifh poets, to 
 fine cloth of any colour, becaufe thofe fuperb 
 colours had been originally confined to that 
 fort of cloth. Thus we read of white fcarlet, 
 and of green purple. 
 
 Vol. II. E 
 
 LX1X, 
 
5° 
 
 W A L POL I ANA. 
 
 LXIX. DR. ROBERTSON 1, . 
 
 Dr. Robertfon's reading is not extenfive : 
 lie only reads what may conduce to the pur- 
 pofe in hand ; but he ufes admirably what he 
 does read. His Introduction to the Hiftory 
 of Charles V. abounds with grofs miftakes. 
 In mentioning the little intercourfe among 
 nations, in the middle ages, he fays a prior of 
 Cluny expreffes his apprehensions of a jour- 
 ney to St. Maur. He fuppofes the prior's 
 fimplicity a ftandard of the mode of thinking 
 at that time ! In many other inftances he 
 has miffcaken exceptions for rules. Excep- 
 tions are recorded, becaufe they are lingular; 
 what is generally done efcapes record. A re- 
 ceipt may be given for an extravagantly dear 
 book, even now ; but that does not imply that 
 books are now very uncommon. 
 
 LXX. VALUE OF AN OATH. 
 
 A Norman was telling another a great ab- 
 furdity as a matter of fact. " You are jell- 
 ing," faid the hearer. 4< Not I, on the faith 
 of a Chriftian."— " Will you wager?"— 
 
 " No, 
 
W A L PO LT A N A . ${ 
 
 ^' No, I won't wager; but I am ready to 
 fwear to it." 
 
 LXXr. STRANGE ERROR. 
 
 A tra£t of Father Paul has been recently 
 published (his Opinlone toccante 11 governa 
 dclla Rep. Veneziana, Londra, 1788, §vo.), 
 with a pompous preface, faying that this in- 
 valuable work is now printed from an un- 
 doubted MS. This thing was printed a cen- 
 tury and a half ago ! 
 
 LXXII. APT QUOTATION. 
 
 Here is an antiquarian book for you ! I 
 have been dipping into it to my forrow. 
 Moft of them are narcotic, but this is irri- 
 tating; for who can bear infolence, mixed 
 with falfe reafoning on falfe foundations? I 
 took down Lucretius to look at a quotation, 
 and an applicable palFage caught my eve. I 
 have marked it : 
 
 in fabrica fi falfa eft regula prima, 
 Normaque fi fallax notis regionibus exit, 
 Etlibella aliqua fi ex parte claiidx.it hilum, 
 Omnia mertdofe fieri, atqu« obftipa necefnim eft, 
 Prava, cubantia, prona, fupina, atque abfona tecla, 
 Jam mere ut qusedam videantur velle, ruantque 
 i'rod ta judiciis fallac'bus omnia primis. 
 
 E % LXXIII. 
 
WALPOLIANA. 
 
 LXXIII. ORIGINAL LETTER. 
 
 Strawberry 'hilly Auguji 14, 1788. 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 The new regulation of the poft proves 
 very inconvenient to this little diftricl:. It 
 arrives and departs again in half an hour ; fo 
 that having a vifit when I received your let- 
 ter yefterday, I could not poffibly anfwer it 
 then ; nor can I write now expeditioufly, as- 
 for thefe thirteen days I have had a third fit 
 of the gout in my left arm and hand, and can 
 barely hold the paper. 
 
 Your intelligence of the Jubilees to be ce- 
 lebrated in Scotland * in honour of the revo- 
 lution was welcome indeed. It is a favourable 
 fymptom of an age when its feftivals are 
 founded on good fenfe and liberality of fen- 
 timent, and not to perpetuate fuperftition 
 and fiavery. Your countrymen, Sir, have 
 proved their good-fenfe too in their choice 
 of a poet. Your writings breathe the noble, 
 generous fpirit congenial to the inftitution. 
 
 * At Glafgcw, it fliould have been. 
 
 Give 
 
W ALl'OLI ANA. , 53 
 
 Give me leafve to fay, that it is very flatter- 
 ing to me to have the Ode communicated to 
 me. — I will not fay, to be confulted, for of 
 that difti notion I am not worthy; I am not 
 a poet ; and am fure cannot improve your 
 ideas, which you have expreffed with pro- 
 priety and clearnefs, the neceffary ingredients 
 of an addrefs to a populous meeting, for I 
 doubt our numerous audiences are not ar- 
 rived at olympic talle enough to feize with 
 enthufiafm the eccentric flights of Pindar. 
 You have taken a more rational road to in- 
 fpiration by adhering to the genuine topics of 
 the occafion ; and you fpeak in fo manly a 
 ftyle, that I do not believe a more competent 
 judge could "amend your poetry. I approve 
 of it fo much, that if you commanded me to 
 alter it, I would alter but' one word, and 
 would infert but one more. In the.fecond 
 (tanza, for 
 
 Here ever gUam'J the patriot fword, 
 
 I would rather read, 
 
 Here ever f.aflid, 
 
 as 1 think gleam d not forcible enough for the 
 E 4 thought, 
 
54 W ALPOLI AN A. 
 
 thought, nor exprcflive enough of the vi- 
 gorous ardour of your heroes. In the third 
 ftanza, I think, there wants a fyllable, notli- 
 terallyj but to the ear ; 
 
 And JJavery, with arts unblcft. 
 
 Slavery, if pronounced as three fyllables, does- 
 not fatisfy the fulnels of harmony, and be- 
 fides obliges the tongue to dwell too ftrongly 
 on with, which ought not to occupy much 
 accent. An epithet to arts would make the 
 whole line fonorous.' 
 
 Thefe are trifling criticifms of a trifling, 
 critic, but they mark both my attention and 
 i'utisfadtion with your ode. I rauft add, how 
 beautifully is introduced, innocent of blood! 
 How ought that circumllanee to be dwelt 
 Upon at the Jubilee of the Revolution ! 
 
 I will tell you hd'w more than occalionally 
 the mention of Pindar flipped into my pen. 
 I have frequently, and even yefterday, wiihed 
 that fome attempt were made to ennoble our 
 horfe-races, particularly at Newmarket, by 
 afTociatiug better arts with the courfes, as by 
 contributions for odes, the bell: of which 
 
 / jQiould 
 
WALPOLIANA. 55 
 
 fhould be rewarded by medals. Our nobility 
 would find their vanity gratified, for as the 
 pedigrees of their fteeds would foon grow 
 tirefome, their own genealogies would re- 
 place them ; and in the mean time poetry 
 and medals would be improved. Their lord- 
 fhips would have judgment enough to know 
 if their horfe (which fliould be the imprefs 
 on one fide) were not well executed ; and as 
 I hold there is no being more difficult to 
 draw well than a horfe, no bad artift could 
 be employed. Such a beginning would lead 
 further, and the cups, or plate for the 
 prize might rife into beautiful verfes. But 
 this is a virion ; and I may as well go to bed 
 and dream of any tiling elfe. I do not return 
 the ode, which 1 flatter myfelf you meant I 
 ibould keep. 
 
 Your much obliged, humble fervant, 
 
 Hor. Walpole. 
 
 P. S. I muft not forget how difficult it 
 is to write to a given tune, efpecially with 
 fo much eafe as you have done ; and nothing 
 is more happy than making November Jmile as 
 May. 
 
 E ^ LXXIV. 
 
WALPOLIANA. 
 
 LXXIV. FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHIIfG. 
 
 A preacher in Italy was pronouncinT the 
 panegyric of his favourite faint, the founder 
 of his order. He compared him with all the 
 celeftial hierarchy, and could find.no place 
 honourable enough for him, while his long 
 paragraphs were ever clofed with the excla- 
 mation, " Where mall we place this great 
 patriarch ?" An auditor, whofe patience was 
 exhaufted, rofe up, and faid, " Since ynu are 
 fo puzzled, he may have my place, for I am 
 going." 
 
 I do not know if it were the fame preacher 
 who faid St. Francis Xavier converted, by one 
 fermon, ten thoufand perfons in a- Jefert 
 ifland. 
 
 Pere Seraphm, a noted capuchin of pious 
 fimplicity, was preaching before Louis XIV. 
 at Verfailles, when he perceived the AbbeFe- 
 nelon afieep. Stopping in the midft of his 
 difcourle, he faid, " Wake that abbe who is 
 afieep, and who perhaps only attends here to 
 pay his court to the King. >: Louis muled, 
 and pardoned the difrefpedt., in confideiation 
 of the father's fimplicity of character. 
 
 LXXV, 
 
WALPOLlANA. 
 
 LXXV. EMBASSADORS. 
 
 You remember Sir Henry Wotton's defr- 
 nition of an embaffador, " A man lent to 
 tell lies for the good of his country." He 
 fhould of courfe have, a firm countenance.. 
 Louis XIV. delighted in exciting awe and 
 confufion of face in thofe who approached 
 him, but could not fucceed with Baron Pen- 
 trider, envoy from the emperor. When he 
 was making his firft fpeech Louis was piqued; 
 at his coolnefs, and fought to embarrafs him. 
 by calling out, " Speak louder, Mr. .Embaffa- 
 dor." Pentrider only anfwered, " Louder r" 
 raifed his voice, and proceeded. 
 
 Lord Herbert of Cherbury, in the curious 
 account of his own life which I printed, tejls 
 a good ftory of a Spanifh embaffador, who 
 had abandoned a congrefs becaufe he could 
 not obtain precedence over the French de- 
 puty. On his return to court he waited on 
 the King, and explained the reafon of his 
 conduft. " What," faid the monarch, 
 " could you think of abandoning fucb an 
 important bufanefs for the fake of a cere- 
 mony V* 
 
5$ WALPOLIANA. 
 
 monyr" The embaffador, piqued at the 
 reflection, anfwered, with great fpirit, " A 
 ceremony! What is your raajefty yourfelf 
 but a ceremony?" 
 
 LXXVI. USE OF MONASTERIES. 
 
 An envoy from Cairo to Lorenzo de Me- 
 dici afked that wife prince how it came to 
 pafs that there were fo few mad -men at 
 Florence, while the capital of Egypt pre- 
 fented great numbers. Lorenzo, pointing to 
 a monaftery, faid, " We fhut them up in 
 thofe houfes." 
 
 LXXVII. REPROOF. 
 
 Cardinal Dubois offered an abbey to a bi- 
 fiiop, who refufed it, becaufe he faid he could 
 not reconcile to his confeience the poffeffibn 
 of two benefices. The Cardinal, in great 
 furprife, faid, " You mould be canonifed." 
 — " I wim, my lord," anfwered the Bi/hop, 
 " that I deferved it; and that you had the 
 power." A delicate reproach of his ambition. 
 
 LXXVIII. 
 
W ALP0LI AN A. 
 
 59 
 
 LXXVIII. FRIENDSHIP. 
 
 In our cold climate friendfhip feldom ripens 
 much. A friend is a name for a more con- 
 ftant acquaintance. Yet I have heard of a 
 gentleman who laid down his equipage, and 
 retrenched his expences, in order to lay hy a 
 fum to affift "two children of a deceafed friend, 
 who had left them in poverty. 
 
 LXXIX. GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE. 
 
 Mr. Gibbon mentions that the palace of 
 Theodofius, reprefented on one of his coins r 
 k the oldeft fpecimen of Gothic architec- 
 ture. I doubt the coin and the palace. 
 Perhaps the old fhrines for reliques were the 
 real prototypes of this fine fpecies of architec- 
 ture. Some, as old as Alfred's time, have- 
 pointed arches in miniature, it was a moft 
 natural tranfition for piety to render a whole 
 church, as it were, one Ihrine. The Gothic 
 ftyle feems to befpeak an amplification of the 
 minute, not a diminution of the gveat. War- 
 burton's groves are nonienie ; it was not a 
 pafTage from barbarifm to art, but from one 
 fpecies of art to another. The flyle was at full 
 peculiar to fhrines, and then became peculiar 
 to churches. i.xxx» 
 
6o 
 
 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 LXXX. CONCUBINAGE. 
 
 Concubinage was lawful, and allowed by 
 the canons of the church, till the 12th cen- 
 tury. Our extreme rigour has, as ufual, 
 propagated vice. Nothing can be more un- 
 juft than the want of any medium between 
 the appellation of wife, and the moft degrad- 
 ing contempt. Infamy and vice reciprocally 
 produce each other. 
 
 LXXXI. PRINCE EUGENE. 
 
 Prince Eugene was at one time fo great a 
 favouiite in England, that an old maid be- 
 queathed to him 2500/.; nay, a gardener 
 left him 100/. by his will. 
 
 LXXXII. RETORT. 
 
 The French like us better abroad than 
 here. A French ambafTador faid to Lord 
 * * *, " The EngliQi are excellent when 
 out of their i£and." The peer anfwered, 
 with great readinefs and fpirit, " They have 
 then at leaft the merit of being excellent" 
 fomevvhere." 
 
 J.XXXIII. 
 
WALPOLI ANA. 
 
 6i 
 
 LXXXIII. NEW PROOF OF FRIENDSHIP. 
 
 Sir *** *** was a great amateur, nay-, 
 pra&ifer, of boxing and wreftling ; and wil- 
 lingly imparted his knowledge to thofe who 
 confulted him. A lord in his neighbourhood 
 calling on him one day, they walked into the 
 garden, and the baronet ftarted his favourite 
 topic. The peer's politenefs leading him to 
 fay that he mould wifh to fee a fpecimen of 
 the baronet's boafted fkill, Sir *** fud- 
 denly feized him from behind, and threw him 
 over his head. Up ftarts my lord in a rage, 
 when the baronet addreffed him with great 
 gravity, " My lord," this is a proof of my great 
 friendmip for you. This matter- ftroke I have 
 fliewn to no other perfon living." 
 
 LXXXIV. INCREDIBLE FACT. 
 
 The Abbe Regnier, fecretary of the French 
 Academy, was collecting in his hat from 
 each member a contribution for a certain 
 purpofe. The prefident Rofes, one of the 
 forty, was a great mifer, but had paid his 
 quota J which the Abbe not perceiving, he 
 
 prefented 
 
6Z WALPOLIANA. 
 
 ^refented the hat a fecond time. Rofes, as 
 was to be expected, faid he had already paid. 
 " I believe it," anfwered Regnier, " though 
 I did not fee it."—" And J," added Fonte- 
 nelle, who was befide him, " I faw it; but 1 
 do not believe it." 
 
 I. X X X V . LEGAL PUZZLE. 
 
 A prefident of the parliament of Paris 
 afked Langlois, the advocate, why he fo often 
 burdened himfelf with bad caufes. " My 
 lord," anfwered the advocate, " I have loll 
 'fo many good ones, that I am puzzled which 
 to take." 
 
 LXXXVI. EASY WRITING. 
 
 Eafy writing is not eafy reading. An au- 
 thor was praifed, in the prefence of a good 
 judge, for the facility with which he cora- 
 pofed ; and it was added, that he was not the 
 lefs modeft on that account. " No," an- 
 fwered the critic, " that is not enough ; he 
 ihould be the more humble on that ac- 
 count." 
 
 8 
 
 LXXXVII. 
 
WALPOLIANA. 
 
 LXXXVII. BUSIES. 
 
 When Madame de Staal was writing her 
 Memoirs, a female friend afked her how fhe 
 would manage when me came to chara£terife 
 herfelf, her fenfibility, and gallantries. 
 " Oh!" anfvvered Madame, " I fliaH give 
 only a buft of myfelf." 
 
 In our novels, memoirs, &c. &c. we are 
 great dealers in bufts. The French, on the 
 contrary, delight perhaps too much in whole 
 lengths : but they have the merit of anato- 
 mifing the whole of human nature, while 
 our hypocrifies mutilate the figure, and de- 
 ftroy all its truth. 
 
 LXXXVIII. ENVY. 
 
 A French general, of a jealous and invi- 
 dious character, faid to the Duke D'Anguien, 
 who had juft gained the celebrated battle of 
 Rocroi in 1643, " What can thofe who envy 
 your glory fay now?"—" I do not know," 
 anfwered the prince ; " I wifh to afk you." 
 
 LXXXIX. FORGERIES. 
 
 Forged charters were common in the mid- 
 dle 
 
64 W ALP O LI AN A. 
 
 tile ages. , I remember to have read that a 
 monk of Soiffons, in the twelfth century, 
 being on his death-bed, confeffed that he 'had 
 forged many charters for different monas- 
 teries. 
 
 XC„ PAUW. 
 
 Pauw is an ingenious author, but trop 
 trancbant. There are good things in his Re- 
 cberckes fur les Grecs ; and his idea that Sparta 
 was a mere den of thieves, is certainly juft. 
 Their conduct to the Helots (hews that they 
 were not only thieves, but affaffins ; as their 
 defendants are to this day. 1 I cannot make 
 out what he means when he ipeaks of Varro's 
 -collection of portraits, as having been en- 
 graved "by that great man, and coloured by a 
 lady called Lala. He quotes Pliny as his 
 authority. 
 
 xci. TRUTH. 
 
 In all fciences the errors precede the 
 truths ; and it is better they mould go nrft 
 than laft. 
 
 xcn. de coucy. 
 
 It was Raoul Chatelain de Coucy, and not 
 •a lord of Coucy, who wis the famous lover 
 
 and 
 
WALPOLIANA. 65 
 
 and poet. The lady was Gabrielle de Le- 
 vergies ; the hufband Albert, Lord of Fai'el. 
 See the Poems of de Coucy, with the old mu- 
 fic, printed at Paris, 1781. The truth of 
 this horrible tale feems certain : the date A. D. 
 1 191. The poetry is very good for that 
 period. 
 
 XCIII. FARCES. 
 
 About the middle of the laft century a 
 hundred crowns was paid in Paris to the au- 
 thor of a fuccefsful play. Till the year 172a 
 farces were not given after plays in France, 
 till the eighth or ninth reprefentation. This 
 leading to the opinion, that a farce was a 
 fymptom that the main piece was on the de- 
 cline, La Mothe defired a farce might be 
 given after the firft reprefentation of his Ro- 
 mulus. The example became univerfal. 
 
 XCIV. SEMIRAMIS. 
 
 The Semiramis of Voltaire is a grand tra- 
 gedy,- and the ghoft is a bold effort for the 
 French ftage. At firft it was coldly received; 
 and Voltaire, feeing Piron in the tiring room, 
 afked him what he thought of it. " I think," 
 
 Vol. II. F faid 
 
66 
 
 WALPOLIANA* 
 
 faidPiron, " that you wifh it were mine." — 
 " I love you juft enough to wifh fo," replied 
 Voltaire. 
 
 XCV. ARTFUL QUESTION. 
 
 Dominico, the harlequin, going to fee 
 Louis XIV. at fupper, fixed his eye on a difh 
 of partridges. The King, who was fond of his 
 a£ting, faid, " Give that difh to Dominico." 
 — " And the partridges too, Sire r" Louis, 
 penetrating his art, replied, " And the par- 
 tridges too." The difh was gold. 
 
 XCVI. RHTME. 
 
 I believe rhime was not known in Europe 
 till about the year 800. We feem to have 
 had it from the Saracens, who were then pof- 
 feffed of Spain ; and of Sicily then or foon 
 after. , 
 
 XCVII. NAIVETE. 
 
 The Roman de la Rofe has fome naif paf- 
 fages. Look at this : 
 
 Et encore ne fais jc peche, 
 
 Si je norarae les nobles chofes, 
 
 Par plein texte Tans mettre glotes, 
 
 Que mon Pere de Paradis 
 
 Fit de fes propres mains jadis. . . 
 
 xcvin. 
 
WAI.POLIANA. 
 
 67 
 
 XCVIII. FROISSART. 
 
 I wifh Froiflart's poems were printed. He 
 is the only French poet of that century (the 
 fourteenth). I find Chriftine de Pife, my 
 acquaintance, had a fon a chronicler and poet. 
 He was called Caftel. 
 
 XCIX. ORIGINAL LETTER. 
 
 Strawberry-hill, Off. 15, 1788. 
 
 DEAR SfR, 
 
 I am rather forry to hear that you are go- 
 ing to be the editor of another's work, who 
 are fo infinitely better employed when com- 
 pofing yourfelf. However, as it will be on a 
 branch of virtu that I love, I comfort myfelf, 
 from your tafte and accuracy, that it will be 
 better executed than by any one elfe. 
 
 I will execute your commiffions, but you 
 muft give me a little time. The gout has 
 lamed my fingers, and I cannot ufe them 
 much at a time ; and I doubt it has made me 
 a little indolent too. Age, you may be fure, 
 has not improved my fight ; and Vertue's 
 MSS. are not only a heap of immethodic 
 F 2 confufion, 
 
68 
 
 WALPOLI ANA. 
 
 confufion, but are written in fo very diminu- 
 tive a hand, that many years ago, when I 
 collected my Anecdotes from them, and 
 had very ftrong eyes, 1 was often forced to 
 life a magnifying glafs. Should you be im- 
 patient, will you come and fearch thofeMSS. 
 yourfelf ? next, will you come next Sunday 
 hither, and pafs the whole day, if you pleafe, 
 in the examination ? I do not recollect three 
 medals of my father. One 1 think was 
 {truck by Natter, who was much patronifed 
 by my brother Sir Edward, and who alfo en- 
 graved two or three feals of Sir Robert's 
 head. The confular figure on the reverfe of 
 the medal I mean, was intended for Cicero, 
 but I believe was copied from a ftatue be- 
 longing to the late Earl of Leicefler at Holk- 
 ham ; and which, if I do not miftake at this 
 diftance of time, is called Lucius Antonius. 
 I do not know that any medal of my father 
 was ftruck on any particular occafion. That 
 I mention, and Daflier's, were honorary, as 
 of a confiderable perfon ; and his being prime 
 minifter might have a little fhare in the com- 
 pliment. Of Daffierl know no more than 
 
 I have 
 
WALPOLIANA. 6q 
 
 I have faid in the Anecdotes of Painting. I 
 am ignorant who has the medal of the Du- 
 chefs of Portfmouth ; perhaps you might 
 learn of Mr. *'**, who lives in Soraerfet- 
 houfe. He had a great collection of modern 
 medals, but fold them. Perhaps the Duke 
 of Devonfhire has the medal in queftion ; you 
 might learn of Dr. Lort, or I can alk him. 
 Are there no modern medals in Dr. Hunter's 
 collection ? Thefe are all the anfwers I am 
 ready to give to your queries at prefent. 
 
 Yours moft fincerely, 
 
 Hor. Walpole, 
 
 c. the devil. 
 
 In the time of Louis XIV. feveral ladies 
 of rank were accufed of magical practices. A 
 duchefs among them was examined by a ma- 
 giftrate of celebrated uglinefs. She confeffed 
 that (he had converfed with the devil. " Un- 
 der what refemblance was he ?" faid the ma- 
 giftrate gravely. " In his own perfon — and 
 he refembled you as much as one drop of 
 water does another.'* Then turning to the 
 F 3 clerk 
 
JO WALPOLI ANA. 
 
 clerk ihe deGred him to write down her an- 
 fwer. The magiftrate, apprehenilve of the 
 ridicule, took care to flop and fupprefs the 
 examination. 
 
 CI. DIVINE FAVOUR. 
 
 In Italy, when they make proceffions to 
 procure rain, and a tempeft and deluge fol-- 
 low, they fay that when Dominidio is good 
 he is too good. A Venetian, trying to mount 
 a horfe,-prayed to our Lady to affift him. He 
 then made a vigorous fpring, and fell on 
 t'other fide. Getting up and wiping his 
 clothes, he faid, " Our Lady has affifted me 
 too much." 
 
 CH. OLD FARCE. 
 
 The moft ancient of the French farces, 
 Peter Patelin, written about 1450, is full of 
 naivete and laughter. 
 
 CIII. FOLLY OF ERUDITION. 
 
 A German has written an elaborate difler- 
 tarion to prove that Caefar never was in Gaul ! 
 Was it he, or his brother, who attempted to 
 prove that Tacitus did not underftand Latin? 
 
 7 civ, 
 
WALPOLIANA. 
 
 71 
 
 CIV. CORNARO. 
 
 Cornaro on health was once a popular 
 book. The original edition was printed at 
 Venice 1561, 8vo. 
 
 CV. RICHLIEU. 
 
 The Hiftory of the Mother and the Son is 
 certainly written by Cardinal Richlieu, 
 though erroneoufly affigned to Mezeray. In 
 fpite of all Voltaire has written to the con- 
 trary, good judges in France itill think the 
 Teftament Politique of Richlieu genuine. 
 
 CVI. BRUTAL AFFECTIONS. 
 
 The attachment of fome French ladies to 
 their lap-dogs amounts, in fome inftances, to 
 infatuation. 1 have heard of a lap-dog biting 
 a piece out of a male vifitor's leg : his mif- 
 trefs thus expreffed her companion: " Poor 
 little dear creature ! I hope it will not make 
 himfick!" 
 
 Another lady kept a malicious ape, which 
 bit one of her women fo cruelly in the arm, 
 that her life was in danger. The lady chid 
 F 4 her 
 
72 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 her ape, and told him not to bite fo deep in 
 future. The maid loft her arm ; and the 
 marchionefs difmiffed her with a vague pro- 
 mife of a provificn. The marquis blaming 
 this inhumanity, the lady anfwered with great 
 coolnefs, " What would you have me do with 
 the girl ? She has loft an arm." 
 
 i 
 
 CVII. NAIVETE. 
 
 Children fometimes light on odd turns of 
 expreffion. One hearing that his mother, 
 had loft a long law-fuit, ran home and faid, 
 " Dear mamma, I am fo glad you have loft 
 that nafty procefs that ufed to plague you 
 fo." 
 
 CVIII. ANCIENT DIARY. 
 
 The diary of Philip IV. of France was 
 printed at Florence in 1746. It contains 
 little but his expences on a journey to Flan- 
 ders in 130 1 ; but is printed from his own" 
 hand-writing in tablets of beech-wood, done 
 over with wax. 
 
 1 CIX. CjESARION. 
 
 The Gaefarion of St. Real is worth reading. 
 
 ex. 
 
WALPOLIANA. 
 
 73 
 
 CX. DE SERRES. 
 
 John de Serres, the hiftorian of France, 
 was the fame Serranus who publifhed Plato. 
 
 CXI. ANCIENT FRENCH POETRY. 
 
 When I mentioned lately that Froiffart 
 was the only French poet of the fourteenth 
 century, I was miftaken. Philip de Vitry, 
 Bifhop of Meaux, about 1350, wrote the 
 poem on the advantages of a country life : 
 the anfwer is by Pierre D'Ailly, Bifhop of 
 Cambray. Vitry died in 1361, D'Ailly in 
 1425. 
 
 [Thefe poems having great merit, and be- 
 ing very difficult to find, are reprinted in the 
 appendix.] 
 
 CXII. MILLS. 
 
 Windmills were introduced here after the 
 crufades. Before that time hand-mills were 
 ufeti. 
 
 CXIII. VEGETABLE ORIGINS. 
 
 Turnips and carrots are thought indigenal 
 roots of France. Our cauliflowers came from 
 Cyprus ; our artichokes from Sicily ; lettice 
 
 from 
 
74 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 from Cos, a name corrupted into gaufe. Shal- 
 lots, or efchallots, from Afcalon. 
 
 I have been reading on the fubjecT:, and 
 was ilruck with the numerous ideas on com- 
 merce and civilifation, which may arife from 
 a dinner. Will you have a deflert from me- 
 mory ? The cherry and filbert are from Pon- 
 tus, the citron from Media, the chefnut from 
 Caftana in Afia Minor, the peach and the 
 walnut from Perfia, the plum from Syria, 
 the pomegranate from Cyprus, the quince 
 from Cydon, the olive and fig from Greece, 
 as are the beft apples and pears, though alfo 
 found wild in France, and even here. The 
 apricot is from Armenia. 
 
 CXIV. FRUIT WALLS. 
 
 M. D'Andilly, of Port-Royal, in 1652, 
 publimed, under the name of Le Gendre, La 
 Maniere de Men cult'iver les arbres fruitieres, 
 In this book he firfl propofed the ufe of hot 
 walls, as now pracYifed. 
 
 The Eleclor Palatine, about the middle of 
 the ftxtecnth century, was the firfl who con- 
 ftru&ed green -houfes. 
 
 cxv. 
 
WALPOLIANA. 
 
 n 
 
 CXV. ANOTHER FRENCH ROYAL ' AU- 
 THOR. 
 
 That affaffm Charles IX. of France wrote 
 a treatife on hunting, in which he gives di- 
 rections for curing the mange, and other dif- 
 eafes of dogs. Better to be his dog than his 
 fubjea ! 
 
 CXVI. FONTENELLE. 
 
 Wit, or even what the French term efprit, 
 feems little compatible with feeling. Fon- 
 tenelle was a great egotift, and thought of 
 nothing but himfelf. One of his old ac- 
 quaintances went one day to fee him at his 
 country houfe, and faid he had come to eat a 
 bit of dinner. " What fhall we have? Do 
 you like 'fparagus?" faid Fontenelle, "If 
 you pleafe ; but with oil." — " Oil ! I prefer 
 thern with fauce."— " But fauce difagrees 
 witli me," replied the gueft. " Well, well, 
 we Khali have them with oil." Fontenelle 
 then went out to give his orders ; but on his 
 return found his poor acquaintance dead of 
 an apoplexy. Running to the head of the 
 flairs he called out, " Cook ! drefs the 'fpa- 
 ragus with fauce." 
 
 CXVII. 
 
76 
 
 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 CXVII. CARPETS. 
 
 Carpets are mentioned in the twelfth cen- 
 tury ; but they would not do for our old vaft 
 apartments, and ftraw was neceffary for 
 warmth. 
 
 CXVIII. BRANTOME. 
 
 Brantome is a fingular and amufing writer. 
 What a compofition the firft volume of his 
 Dames Galantes I 
 
 In his account of the Vidame of Chartres 
 he fays, that when that lord pafled to Lon- 
 don, as one of the hoftages for the perform- 
 ance of the treaty between England and 
 France, he rendered himfelf fo agreeable to 
 King Edward (III?), that he took him with 
 him " jufqu' au fin fonds des fauvages 
 d'Efcoffe" (to the furthe'ft part of the high- 
 lands of Scotland). There was held a grand 
 hunt of deer; after which the Scots preifing 
 with clubs the game killed, in order to fqueeze 
 out the blood, ate the raw flefh with bread, 
 and thought it delicious. 
 
 I wonder this ftory has efcaped Mr. Pen- 
 nant. 
 
 cxix. 
 
WALPOLIANA. 
 
 77 
 
 CXIX. SYLPHS. 
 
 From Sonnerat's Voyages it appears that 
 the grandouers of the Eaft Indian mythology- 
 are aerial beings of great beauty, correfpond- 
 ing with Pope's fylphs. There is nothing 
 new under the fun. 
 
 CXX. KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD, 
 
 We never think, nor fay, that knowledge 
 of the world makes a man more virtuous ; it 
 renders him more prudent, but generally at 
 the expence of his virtue. Knowledge of 
 the world implies fkill in difcerning charac- 
 ters, with the arts of intrigue, low cunning, 
 felf-intereft, and other mean motives that in- 
 fluence what are called men of the world. 
 Men of genius are commonly of a fimple 
 character: their thoughts are occupied in 
 objects very remote from the little arts of men 
 of the world. 
 
 CXXI. POOR HUMAN NATURE ! 
 
 In the year 1212, as we Jearn from an 
 Italian antiquary, a general belief prevailed 
 in Germany that the Mediterranean fea was 
 
 to 
 
7& walpoliana. 
 
 to be dried up, that believers might pafs to 
 Jerufalem on foot. Italy was crowded with 
 thoufands of German pilgrims. 
 
 cxxii. rousseau's absurdities. 
 
 Rouffeau's ideas of favage life are puerile. 
 He is equally abfurd in fuppofing that no 
 people can be free, if they entruft their free- 
 dom to reprefentatives. What is every body's 
 bufinefs is nobody's bufinefs. The people 
 would foon be fick of fuch. freedom ; they 
 muft attend to their own private bufinefs, 
 elfe they could not live. The people of 
 France are eafily electrified. We are too fo- 
 lid for fuch dreams. Amber may draw ftraws : 
 we do not gravitate fo eafily. 
 
 CXXIII. ILLUMINATIONS. 
 
 Heretics were firft burned in England in 
 the reign of Henry IV. the ufurper, in order 
 to pleafe the bifliops, who affifted him in de- 
 pofing Richard II. 
 
 CXXIV. BRITISH CATTLE AND BLOOD- 
 HOUNDS. 
 
 At Earl Ferrers's, Chartley, Staffordshire, 
 
 the 
 
WALPOLIANA. 79 
 
 the indigenal Britiih cattle are {till extant. 
 In form they refemble a deer ; and are white, 
 except the ears and tail, which are black; a 
 black lift alfo runs along the back. 
 
 In Neidwood foreft, in the fame county, 
 blood-hounds are ftill reared ; about the fize 
 of a maftiff, blackiih. back, belly reddifti 
 brown. 
 
 CXXV. ORIGINAL LETTER. 
 
 Strawberry-hill, Aug. 14., 1789. 
 I muft certainly have exprefled myfelf 
 very awkwardly, dear Sir, if you conceived 
 that 1 meant the flighted cenfure on your 
 book ; much lefs on your manner of treating 
 it, which is able, and clear, and demonftra- 
 tive as poflible. No : it was myfelf, my age, 
 my want of apprehenfion and memory, and 
 my total ignorance of the fubjecT:, which I 
 intended to blame. I never did tafte or ftudy 
 the very ancient hiftories of nations. I never 
 had a good memory for names of perfons, re- 
 gions, places, which no fpecific circumftances 
 concurred to make me remember : and now 
 at feventy-two, when, as is common, I forget 
 
 numbers 
 
8o 
 
 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 numbers of names moft familiar to me, is it 
 poffible I mould read with pleafure any work 
 that confifts of a vocabulary totally new to 
 me? Many years ago, when my faculties 
 were much lefs impaired, I was forced to 
 quit Dow's Hiftory of Indoftan, becaufe the 
 Indian names made fo little impreflion on 
 me, that I went backward inftead of forward ; 
 and was every minute reverting to the for- 
 mer page, to find about whom I was reading. 
 
 Your book was a {till more laborious 
 tafk to me, for it contains fuch a feries of ar- 
 gumentation, that it demanded a double ef- 
 fort from a weak, old head ; and when I had 
 made myfelf mafter of a deduction, I forgot 
 it the next day, and had my pains to renew. 
 
 Thefc defects have for fome time been fo 
 obvious to me, that I never read now but the 
 mod trifling books, having often faid that, at 
 the very end of life, it is very ufelefs to be 
 improving one's flock of knowledge, great or 
 fmall, for the next world. 
 
 Thus, Sir, all I have faid in my lafl letter, 
 or in this, is an encomium on your work, not 
 a cenfure or criticifm. It would be hard on 
 
 you 
 
WALPOLIAUA. 8i 
 
 you indeed, if my incapacity detracted from 
 your merit. 
 
 Your arguments in defence of works of 
 fcience, and deep difquifition, are mofl juft ; 
 and I am fure I have neither power nor dif- 
 pofition to anfwer them. You have treated 
 your matter as it ought to be treated. Pro- 
 found men, or converfant in the fubje£t, 
 like Mr. ***, will be pleafed with it, for 
 the very reafons that made it difficult to me. 
 If Sir Ifaac Newton had written a fairy tale, 
 I mould have fwallowed it eagerly ; but do 
 you imagine, Sir, that, idle as I am, I am 
 idiot enough to think that Sir Ifaac had bet- 
 ter have amufed me, for half an hour, than 
 enlightened mankind, and all ages? 
 
 I was fo fair as to confefs to you, that your 
 work was above me, and did not divert me. 
 You was too candid to take that ill; and 
 muft have been content with filently think- 
 ing me very filly ; and I am too candid to 
 condemn any man for thinking of me as I 
 deferve. I am only forry when I do deferve 
 a difadvantageous character. 
 
 Vol. IL G Nay, 
 
82 W ALP0LI ANA. 
 
 Nay, Sir, you condefcend, after all, to alk 
 my opinion of the belt way of treating anti- 
 quities; and by the context I fuppofe you 
 mean how to make them entertaining. I 
 cannot anfwer you in one word, becaufe 
 there are two ways, as there are two forts cf 
 readers. I mould therefore fay; to pleafe 
 antiquaries of judgment, as you have treated 
 them, with arguments and proofs : but if you 
 would adapt antiquities to the tafte of thofe 
 who read only to be diverted, not to be in? 
 ftru£ted, the noftrum is very eafy and fhort. 
 You muft divert them, in the true fenfe of 
 the word diverto ; you muft turn them out 
 of the way ; you muft treat them with di- 
 greffions, nothing, or very little, to the pur- 
 pofe. Yet, eafy as I call this recipe, you, I 
 believe, would find it more difficult to exe- 
 cute than the indefatigable induftry you have 
 employed to penetrate chaos and extract 
 truth. There have been profefibrs who 
 have engaged to adapt all kinds of know- 
 ledge to the meaneft capacities. I doubt 
 
 their fuccefs; at leaft on me. However, 
 3 J 0 * 
 
WALPOLIANA. 83' 
 
 you need not defpair; all readers arc not fo 
 <lull and fuperannuated as, dear Sir, 
 
 Your very humble fervant, 
 
 and fincere admirer, 
 
 Hor. Walpole, 
 
 cxxvi. armour. 
 
 My fuit of armour, that belonged to Fran>- 
 cis I. muft have been only ufed in tilting; it 
 is not ftrong enough for battle. You fee 
 that little men may be great men: [fmiling, 
 as he was himfelf fhort in ftature.] 
 
 Grofe I have read (on ancient armour). 
 I fee from it that our modern painters knovr 
 nothing of coftume. The chain, or ring, 
 armour was that ufed in the middle ages.. 
 Our artifts always clap on plate-armour long 
 before it was invented. 
 
 CXXVII. WINES. 
 
 Our mountain-wine comes from the moun- 
 tains around Malaga. Tent is Tinto, tinged 
 or red wine. Sherry from Xeres (the Spa- 
 nilh X is pronounced Sh or Cb), in the fouth 
 G z of 
 
84 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 of Spain, where the great battle was fought 
 between the Chriftians and Saracens, that 
 ended in the conqueft of Spain by the latter. 
 
 Malmfey was from Malvafia in Pelopon- 
 nefus. This rich wine was afterwards pro- 
 pagated at Alicant, the Canaries, and Ma- 
 deira. 
 
 CXXVIII. ENGRAVING. 
 
 What is called chalk- engraving is done in 
 little holes, with a needle — pecking, the chief 
 manner of Nanteuil, is a fliort ftroke with 
 the graver, digging up a little bit of the cop- 
 per, which is rubbed off. 
 
 CXXIX. LATTfN. 
 
 In our bid writers Lattm 'is tin : fit is a mere 
 Italian word latta. 
 
 CXXX. PAINTING. 
 
 Mr. Gibbon has given us fome curious 
 anecdotes of painting, in the middle ages. 
 He mentions that Coraftantine VIII. Em- 
 peror of Conftantinople (A^D. 919), was an 
 artiir.; and, what is ilill more extraordinary, 
 1 that 
 
WALP0LI ANA. 85 
 
 that a cattle in Germany was adorned with 
 hiflorical paintings of a victory. 
 
 [See Vol. X. p. 216, 8vo. The cattle of 
 Merfeburg, about the year 950 ; and the 
 note, whence it appears that painting was 
 never loft in Italy.] 
 
 t 
 
 CXXXI. NAIVETE. 
 
 I heard, while in France, a rifible inttance 
 of naivete and ignorance. Three young la- 
 dies, much of an age, were boarded in a con- 
 vent, where they contracted a moffc fond 
 f riendihip for each other, and made up their 
 little refolutions never to part as long as they 
 lived. But how contrive this, when in a few- 
 years their parents would take them out of 
 the nunnery, to marry them to different huf- 
 bands ? After repeated deliberations, it was 
 difcovered that the only way of remaining in 
 conftant union was, that all the three mould 
 wed one and the fame hufband. Upon fur- 
 ther inquiry and difcuffion this was obferved 
 to be contrary to lav/; and at length the 
 wifeft head of the three obferved that they 
 might all marry the Great Turk. A letter 
 G 3 was 
 
86 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 was compofed in great form, the refult of the 
 choiceft eloquence of a)l the three, explain- 
 ing the tender friendmip which united them, 
 and the choice they had made of him for 
 their hufband. They added, that as foon as 
 they had received their firft communion, 
 they would fet out for Conftantinople ; and 
 begged that all might be prepared for their 
 reception. 
 
 Delighted with this expedient, the three 
 friends fent off their letter to the poft-office, 
 with this direction, To Mr. Great Turk, at 
 his Seraglio, Conjlantinople. By Lyons. The 
 oddity of the direction was the occafion of 
 the letter being opened, and of the difcovery 
 of this great plot. 
 
 CXXXII. SIZE OF BOOKS. 
 
 I prefer the quarto fize to the octavo : a 
 quarto lies free and open before one. It is 
 furprifing how long the world was peftered 
 with unwieldy folios. A Frenchman was- 
 afked if he liked books in folio* . " No," 
 fays he, " I like books in fruftu f. 
 
 * In the leaf. \ In the fruit. 
 
 CXXXI1K 
 
WALPOLIANAi 
 
 CXXXIII. THAMES AND ISIS. 
 
 We talk of the Thames and the Ifis. 
 There is no fuch river as the Ifis, either in 
 our old geography, or in modern tradition, 
 I mean, uneducated tradition. This Ifis is a 
 mere invention of pedantry, from the name of 
 the Oufe, a ftream that runs into the Thames. 
 
 CXXXIV. SINGULAR TITLE. 
 
 One of the moil angular titles I know is 
 the French houfe D'O. This family has 
 produced feveral great characters, and I be- 
 lieve ftill exifts. In the time of Henry IV. 
 a M. D'O diftinguifhed himfelf. 
 
 CXXXV. QUEEN CHRISTINA. 
 
 That drawing is of Chriftina, Queen of 
 Sweden, in her travelling drefs. You know 
 it a good deal refembled that of a man, which 
 made her fay, when the court ladies of France 
 crowded to kifs her on her arrival, «* I do be- 
 lieve they take me for a gentleman." 
 
 What an infamous murder was that com- 
 mitted by her orders in the gallery of Fon- 
 G 4 tainbleauJ 
 
8& WALPOLFAfrAi 
 
 tainbleau ! Had I been Louis XIV, I mould 
 have ordered her to be feized, tried, brought 
 to the block—then pardoned, and difmiffed 
 from the kingdom. 
 
 cxxxvi. voltaire's letters. 
 
 The letters between the Emprefs of Ruffia 
 and Voltaire are the befr. in the large collec- 
 tion of his correfpondence. I prefer thofe of 
 the Emprefs to thofe of Voltaire. 
 
 Ecraze% rinfamewzs a kind of partv watch- 
 word among the encyclopedifts. It means 
 ecmzcz Pvifame fuperftition ; that is, what the 
 Roman Catholics call Chriftianity, and we 
 fenfelefs mummery. It might have been- 
 ufed by Luther. I fee no harm in it. Cor- 
 ruptio optimi pcffima *. 
 
 CXXXVII. ORIGINAL LETTER. 
 
 Bcrkeley-fquare, Dec. 15, 1789. 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 You will probably have been furprifed at 
 not hearing from me fo long. Indeed, I 
 
 * Tht corruption of the befl things is always the worfl. • 
 
 hope 
 
WALPOLIANAi. 
 
 hope you will have been fo, for as it has been 
 occafioned by no voluntary neglect, I had 
 rather you fhould have reproached me in 
 your own mind, than have been thoughtlefe 
 of me and indifferent. 
 
 The truth is, that between great misfor- 
 tunes, accidents, and illnefs, I have paffed fix 
 melancholy months. I have loft two of my 
 neareft and mod beloved relations, Lady Dy- 
 fart and Lord Waldegrave. Her illnefs ter- 
 minated but in September; his, betides the 
 grievous lofs of him, left me in the greateil 
 anxiety for his widow, who thought herfelf 
 at the end of her pregnancy, but was not de- 
 livered till above two months after his death, 
 a fortnight ago. 
 
 In the midil: of thefe dillrefles I had two 
 very bad falls in June and September, by 
 which I bruifed niyfelf exceedingly, and the 
 laft of which brought on a fit of the gout. 
 In fuch fituations I was very incapable of 
 entertaining any body, or even of being en- 
 tertained, and faw few but of my own un- 
 happy family; or I mould have alked the 
 favour of your company at Strawberry-hill. « 
 
 I am 
 
90 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 I am now pretty well, and came to town 
 but to-day, when 1 take the ririt. moment of 
 telling you fo, that, whenever you come to 
 London, I may have a chance of having the 
 pleafure of feeing you. I am, with lincere 
 regard and efteem, dear Sir, 
 
 Your moft obedient, humble fervant, 
 
 Hor. Walpole. 
 
 cxxxviii. fish in fashion. 
 
 When falhions are worn out at Paris, the 
 milliners fend the antiquated articles to the 
 north, tbat is, to Sweden or RufTia. A 
 veffel deeply laden with fuch mercbandife 
 was run down in the channel of St. Peterf- 
 burgh. Next day a falmon was caught in 
 the Neva, dreffed in a white fatin petticoat ; 
 and in the fame net were found two large 
 cod, with muflin handkerchiefs around their 
 necks. The fharks and porpoifes were ob- 
 fervedin gowns of the lateft tafte ; and hardly 
 was there a fifh that did not difplay fome of 
 the frefheft Parilian falhions that had ever 
 vifited the North. 
 
 cxxxix. 
 
WALPOLIANA. 
 
 9 I 
 
 CXXXIX. CHURCH PATRONAGE. 
 
 Every literary office, or fituation, in Eng- 
 land is in the hands of the church. The 
 clergy even contrive to get into offices origi- 
 nally defigned for laymen. This vail pa- 
 tronage is the real rock againft which neither 
 ftorms nor tempefts fhall prevail. Our 
 clergy are by far the raoft learned in Eu- 
 rope ; and many of them of the raoft refpecV 
 able charader. That they would rather 
 make martyrs, than be martyrs, is what muft 
 be expected from human nature. 
 
 CXL. PUBLIC VIRTUE. 
 
 The hiftory of public virtue in this coun- 
 try is to be found in pratejh. 
 
 CXLI. REVENGE. 
 
 B. the painter, has attempted to ridicule 
 my tafte in his book. I will tell you why. 
 He, fome years ago, exhibited at the Aca- 
 demy a Venus, with hair about as long as 
 from here to Windfor. I went to fee the 
 pictures before the exhibition was opened ; 
 
9 2 ' WALPOLIANA. 
 
 and by fome previous information B. was in 
 the room, following my fteps, and eager, as I 
 afterwards learned, to hear my expreflions of 
 admiration at his wonderful performance. 
 Unluckily, when I came up to this miracle 
 of genius, I cried out, " Good God ! what 
 have we got here !" then burft out into a 
 loud laugh, and paffed on to the next. This, 
 you know, was unpardonable. But Mr. B. 
 ihould have told me that he was the man, . 
 and then I mould have faid nothing, and have 
 endeavoured to look as fad as he could wifh. 
 
 CXLII. LATE QUEEN OF DENMARK. 
 
 The poor Queen of Denmark was cer- 
 tainly very imprudent. I learn that fhe 
 would even appear in full court in breeches ; 
 and thofe northern countries are rigid in the 
 
 bienfeance. 
 
 CXLIII. LOUNGING EOOKS. 
 
 I fometimes wifh for a catalogue of loung- 
 ing books— books that one takes up in the 
 gout, low fpirits, ennui, or when one is wait- 
 ing for company. Some novels, gay poetry, 
 
 odd 
 
WALPOLI ANA. 9$ 
 
 odd whimfical authors, as Rabelais, &c. &c. 
 A catalogue raifennee of fuch might be itfelf 
 a good lounging book. I cannot read mere 
 catalogues of books ; they give me no ideas. 
 
 CXLIV. COLTRT PROMISE?. 
 
 I -have fent the Strawberry--hill books to 
 the Prince of Denmark, as I was requefted, 
 except the Anecdotes of Painting; which- 1 
 was forced to buy at a high price, to prefent 
 to the King of Poland. 1 have no anfwer 
 from Denmark, which I much wonder at. 
 
 CXLV. LOW CUNNING. 
 
 It is a fpecial trick of low cunning to 
 fqueeze out knowledge from a modeft man, 
 who is eminent in any fcience; and then to 
 • ufe it as legally acquired, and pafs the fource 
 in total lilence. 
 
 CXLVI. ORIGINAL LETTER. 
 
 Berkeley -fquare, May 15, 1794. 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 My houfe isfo full of pictures, that I could 
 not place a new one without difplacing fome 
 
 other ; 
 
94 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 other; nor is that my chief objection ; I am 
 really much too old now to be hunting for 
 what I may have few moments to poflefs; 
 and as the pofleflbr of the picture you men- 
 tion values it highly, I am not tempted to 
 vifit what would probably be very dear. The 
 lady reprefented does not ftrike my memory 
 as a perfon about whom I have any know- 
 ledge, or curiofity ; and I own I have been fo 
 often drawn to go after pictures that were 
 merely ancient, that now, when I am fo old, 
 and very infirm, and go out very little, you 
 will excufe me if I do not wait on you, 
 though much obliged to you for your pro- 
 po'fal. I cannot go up and down flairs with- 
 out being led by a fervant. It is tcmpus abln 
 for me : luji fat Is. 
 
 Yours moil fincerely, 
 
 Orford. 
 
 CXLVII. CHOISEUL. 
 
 The Duke de Choifeul was difmifled from 
 the miniftry by the intrigues of Madame 
 Barry, who accufed him of an improper cor- 
 refpondence with Spain. 
 
 cxlvj.il 
 
WALPOLI ANA. 
 
 9.5 
 
 CXLV1IT. SYMBOLIC FESTIVAL. 
 
 An old Dutch merchant retiring from bu- 
 finefs, with an opulent fortune, invited his 
 city friends to dinner. They were ihewn 
 into a fplendid room, and expected a cor- 
 refponding banquet, when a couple of old 
 feamen brought in the firft courfe, confining 
 of herrings, frefh, pickled, and dried, ferved 
 up on wooden plates, put on a blue canvas 
 cloth. The guelts flared, and did little ho- 
 nour to the repaft; when a fecond courfe 
 -came in of fait beef and greens. This being 
 taken awav, a fplendid feftival appeared, 
 brought in by powdered lacquies, ferved on 
 damafk table-cloths, and a fideboard of ge- 
 nerous wines. The old merchant then faid, 
 " Such, gentlemen, has been the progrefs of 
 our republic. We began with ftricT: fru- 
 gality, which begot wealth ; and we end with 
 luxury and profufion, which will beget po- 
 verty. It is better to be contented with the 
 beef, that we may not be forced to return to 
 our herrings." The guefts fwallowed the 
 maxim with the banquet ; but it is not faid 
 that they profited by it. 
 
 cxlix. 
 
96 
 
 WALPOLTANA. 
 
 CXLIX. MODERN MANNERS. 
 
 Mr Creech has fent me his account of the 
 changes that have taken place in Edinburgh 
 within thefe twenty years. It is an amufmg 
 and inftru&ive pidure of the progrefs of 
 fociety. 
 
 CL. MURDER OF MOUNTFORT. 
 
 Mr. Shorter, my mother's father, was 
 walking down Norfolk-ftreet in the Strand, 
 to his houfe there, juft before poor Mount- 
 fort the player was killed in that ftreet, by 
 affaflins hired by Lord Mohun. This noble- 
 man, lying in wait for his prey, came up 
 and embraced Mr. Shorter by miftake, fay- 
 ing, " Dear Mountfort !" It was fortunate 
 that he was inftantly undeceived, for Mr. 
 Shorter had hardly reached his houfe before 
 the murder took place. 
 
 CLI. HISTORY. 
 
 There are three kinds of hiftory all good : 
 the original writers ; full and ample memoirs, 
 . compiled from, them, aid from manufcripts, 
 
 with 
 
WALPOLIANA, 97 
 
 with great exadtnefs ; and hifbries elegantly 
 written and arranged. The fecond ftep is 
 indifpenfably neceffary for the third ; and I 
 am more pleafed with it than with the third. 
 It has more of truth, which is the effence of 
 hiftory. 
 
 CL1I. DAUGHTERS OF ORLEANS. 
 
 The Duke of Orleans, regent of France, 
 was too familiar with both his daughters, af r 
 terwards duchefies of Modena and Berry. In 
 confenting to the marriage of the latter, he 
 is faid to have bargained for a day or two of 
 her company every week. When I was in 
 Italy, in my youth, I went to a ball at Reg- 
 gio, and was placed next the Duchefs of Mo- 
 dena. This circumltance, and my being 
 known as the fon of the Engliili minifter, 
 engaged me to fay fomething polite, as I 
 thought, to the Duchefs. I aiked her the 
 reafon why fhe did not dance. She anfwered, 
 that her mother always faid (he danced ill, 
 and would not allow her to join in that di- 
 verfion. " I fuppofe," replied I in com- 
 plete innocence, " that your mother was 
 vol, II. II jealous 
 
9S WALPOLTANA. 
 
 jealods of you." Her face was all fcarlet in 
 an inftant, and flie feemed ready to fink into 
 the ground. I very haftily withdrew, and 
 took my politenefs along with me. 
 
 CLITI. NEW MODE OF DROWNING. 
 
 Talking of an acquaintance, who was go- 
 ing to Ireland in very rainy weather, Mr. 
 Walpole ohferved, that he ran . a rifk of being 
 drowned from above. 
 
 CLIV. WHEELER INSECT. 
 
 The wheeler infect is a curious micro- 
 fcopical object. Take a little duft of rotten 
 timber, and a drop of water; by and by the 
 infe£l appears, two horns arife on its head, 
 and then a wheel, the velocity of which is 
 furprifmg. It fails among the duft, as if 
 amidft iflands. The wheel feems intended 
 by fudtion to draw in numbers of fmaller in- 
 fecls, its food. 
 
 CLV. TYGRE NATIONAL. 
 
 After the French revolution Lord Orford 
 was particularly delighted with the ftory of 
 
 the 
 
WALP0LI AN A. 99 
 
 the Tygre National. A man who fhewed 
 wild beafts at Paris had a tyger from Bengal, 
 of the largelt fpecies, commonly called The 
 Royal Tyger. But when royalty, and every- 
 thing royal, was abolifhed, he was afraid of a 
 charge of incivihn ; and, inftead of Tygre 
 Royal, put on his fign-board Tygre National. 
 
 The fyrnbol was excellent as depicting 
 thofe atrocities which have difgraced the 
 caufe of freedom, as much as the maflacre 
 of St. Bartholomew did that of religion. 
 Mob of Paris, what a debt thou oweft to 
 humanity ! 
 
 CLVI. MADAME ELIZABETH. 
 
 Madame Elizabeth, fitter of Louis XVI. 
 is almoft a faint. On the 20th June, 1792, 
 when the mob burft into the palace, fhe ran 
 into the King's apartment; and when they 
 called for the Queen, by the name of the 
 Auftrian* {trumpet, and were about to feize 
 Elizabeth by miftak'e, an attendant exclaim- 
 ing, "This is not the Queen," fhe turned 
 round, and faid, " For the love of God do 
 not undeceive them." - 
 
 .Ha The 
 
WALPOLI ANA. 
 
 The fame lady, when it was faid that the 
 royal family {hould be recommended to a 
 Dicu Fengeur, anfwered, " No; but to a 
 Dieu ProtecJeur." 
 
 CLVII. AN EQUAL MARRIAGE. 
 
 The marriage of a lady of my acquaintance 
 was fettled by two noble lords ; one for her, 
 one for her hulband. When the fortune, 
 jointure, &c. was adjufted, one peer inge- 
 nuoufly faid, " It ought to be mentioned 
 that there is a little fpice of madnefs upon 
 our fide." — " There is alfo fome on ours, an- 
 fwered the other." Both families had pro- 
 duced inftances of infanity. 
 
 CLVIII. ORIGINAL LETTER. 
 
 Berkeley -fquare, April II, 1 7 94. 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 I have carefully gone through yourMSS. 
 with great delight : and, with the few trifling 
 corrections that 1 have found occafion to 
 make, I fliall be ready to reftore them to you 
 whenever it fhall be convenient to you to 
 
 call 
 
WALPOLIANA. 1 01 
 
 / 
 
 call for them ; for I own I find them too va- 
 luable to be trufted to any other hand. 
 
 As I hope I am now able to begin to take 
 the air, 1 beg you not to call between eleven 
 and two, when you would not be likely to 
 find me at home. 
 
 Your much obliged, humble fervant, 
 
 Orford„ 
 
 clix. extracts from an uncommon , 
 
 BOOK. 
 
 I return you your book with thanks.' 
 I did not before know of its exiftence. The 
 Princefs of Conti, by whom it was written, 
 muft, I fuppofe, beLouifa of Lorrain, daugh- 
 ter of Henri le Balafre, Duke of Guife, mar- 
 ried to the Prince of Conti in 1 605. She 
 died in 1631. Some few interefting paffages 
 I have marked. 
 
 [The paffages that interefted Mr.Walpole 
 may alfo pleafe the reader, and tranflations of 
 them follow. The title of the fcarce little 
 book alluded to, is, Hiftoire des Amours de 
 Henry IF. avec diver fes Lett res e fc rites a fes 
 H 3 MaiJlreJJes* 
 
102 
 
 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 MaiflrcJJes, et autres Pieces cw'ieufcs. Leyde, 
 1663, i2mo. Du Frefnoy, De PUfage des 
 Romans, afcribes it to Louifa of Lorraine, 
 Princefs of Conti. If fo, fhepraifes herfelf, 
 p. 30, as " beautiful, and one of the molt 
 amiable young ladies of that time." She was 
 left a widow in 161 4 ; and may have written 
 thus of her youthful years. 
 
 Speaking of Henry's amour with Made- 
 moifelled'Eflree, the fair Gabrielle, the prin- 
 cefs mentions that the lady preferred the 
 Duke of Bellegarde, who would have mar- 
 ried her ; and could not at firft endure the 
 king. To avoid him fhe withdrew from 
 Mantes, and retired to the houfe of her 
 father. 
 
 " The king, whom his foes had never 
 daunted, was fo aftoniihed at the anger of his 
 miftrefs, that be did not know what ccurfe 
 to follow. He thought that in waiting on 
 her next day, he might at lead mitigate her 
 refentment; but company would not have 
 been proper on fuch a journey ; and if per- 
 formed alone, it was highly dangerous, as the 
 war raged through the province, and two 
 
 garrifons 
 
WALFOLTANA. 103 
 
 garrifons of enemies lay on each fide of the 
 road, which was through a foreft. Hispaffion 
 furmounted all thefe difficulties : the diftance 
 being feven leagues, he performed the firft 
 four on horfeback, accompanied by five of 
 his mod confidential fervants. He then dif- 
 guifed himfelf as a peafant, carrying a fack of 
 ftraw, and walked three leagues to her re- 
 fidence. 
 
 " He had found means to fend her pre- 
 vious notice of his coming, and he found her 
 in a gallery with her fifter, who was married' 
 to the Marquis de Villars. But fee was fo 
 much furprifed at feeing this great monarch 
 in fuch an equipage, and fo diffatisHed with 
 hisdifguife, which feemed to her ridiculous,, 
 that {he received him very ill, and rather ac- 
 cording to his prefent drefs than his real cha- 
 racter. She would not day but a moment, 
 and even this was only to tell him that his 
 drefs was fo naufeous that flic could not bear 
 to look at him. Her fifter, more civil, made 
 excufes for her coldnefs ; and wanted to per- 
 fuade him that fear of her father had alone 
 forced Gabrieiie to this abruptnefs." 
 
 H 4 " Gabrieik 
 
104 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 * * * # # * ■ 
 
 " Gabrielle continued to love Bellegarde, 
 and the' king had fome fufpicions of it; but 
 the fmalleft carefs made him condemn his 
 thoughts as criminal. A little accident had 
 nearly taught him more. Being at one of 
 his houfes, on account of fome warlike en- 
 terprife ifi that quarter, which engaged him 
 to travel three or four leagues one morning, 
 Gabrielle remained in bed, faving fhe was, 
 ill, while Bellegarde had pretended to go to 
 Mantes, which was not far diftant. As foon 
 as the king was gone, Arphure, the moft 
 confidential of Gabrielle's women, intro- 
 duced Bellegarde to a fmall cabinet, of which 
 fhe alone had a key; and after her miftrefs 
 had difmifled every creature from her cham- 
 ber, the lover was received. Prefentlv the 
 king, difappointed in fome refearch, returned 
 much fooner than he was expected, and was 
 very near finding what he did .not feek. All 
 that could be done was to hurry Bellegarde 
 into Arphure's cabinet, which opened at the 
 fide of Gabrielle's bed, and which had a 
 window looking into the. garden. 
 
 As 
 
WALPOLIAN A. IO5 
 
 *« As foon as the king came in, he called for 
 Arphure to bring him tome comfits, which 
 were kept in that very cabinet. Gabrielle 
 laid flie was not at home, having alked leave 
 to go and fee fome relations. " That may- 
 be," laid Henry, " but I am not to want my 
 comfits on that account. If Arphure be 
 gone, the lock may be picked, or the door 
 burll open." With this he began tp kick at 
 the door, to the infinite alarm of the lovers. 
 Gabrielle complained of a violent head-ache, 
 and faid the noife killed her ; but the king 
 was deaf to her complaints, and continued his 
 attempts to burft open the door. 
 
 " Bellcgarde, feeing there was no other 
 remedy, threw himfelf from thevwindow, and 
 was fortunate enough to efcape with little 
 hurt, though it was at a great diftance from 
 the ground. Inftantly after Arphure, who 
 had only hid herfelf to avoid opening the door, 
 entered, all in a heat, excufing herfelf that fhe 
 did not know fhe- would be wanted." 
 
 The death of the fair Gabrielle, created 
 by her royal lover Duchefs of Beaufort, and 
 
 dellined 
 
106 W A L P O L I A~N A. 
 
 deflined for his wife, is thus related by ;the 
 Princefs of Conti. 
 
 " She came to Paris to perform the de- 
 vout exercifes of Eafter in public, in order to 
 evince herfelf a found Catholic to the people, 
 who did not believe her earneft in that faith. 
 For this purpofe fhe lodged in the cloifler of 
 St. Germain 1'Auterrois, and went to a 
 church to hear vefpers, which were there per- 
 formed with grand mufic. She was carried 
 in a litter, while all the princefTes were in 
 coaches; and a captain of the guards rode by 
 the fide of the litter. A chapel had been re- 
 ferved for her, that fhe might not be too 
 much expofed to the preffure or eyes of the 
 crowd. Mademoifelle de Guife* was with 
 her; and during the whole fervice the Du- 
 chefs of Beaufort did nothing but fhew her 
 letters from Rome, which allured her that 
 what (lie defired would be foon accomplish- 
 ed f. She alfo fhewed two letters, which 
 
 * Afterwards Prineefs of Conti, the authorefs. The 
 ■book abounds with pafLges concerning herfelf. 
 
 f Henry's divorce from Margaret de Valois, and mar- 
 riage with her. 
 
 8 fl lc 
 
WALPOLIAN.A. 10J 
 
 me had that very day received from the king, 
 fo affe&ionate, and fo full of impatience to 
 fee her his queen, that he told her he would 
 difpatch Du Frefne, one of his fecretaries of 
 Rate, and wholly devoted to her, as having 
 married one of her relations, to prefs his Ho- 
 linefs to permit him to perform what he was, 
 in all events, determined to do. 
 
 " In fuch prayers paffed all the time of 
 devotion. When fervice was finifhed, fhe 
 told Mademoifelle d& Guife that (lie was go- 
 ing to bed, and begged her to come and chat 
 with her. Thereupon me mounted her lit- 
 ter, and Mademoifelle de Guife her coach, 
 which flopped at the duchefs's lodgings. She 
 was undrefling, and complaining of a violent 
 head-ache ; and was foon feizedwith convul- 
 fions, from which fhe was delivered by the 
 force of medicine. She wanted to write to 
 the kinp;, but the convulfions returned ; and 
 a letter arriving from him fhe tried to read it, 
 but was prevented by her diforder, which con- 
 tinued augmenting till her death." 
 
 The love-letters of Henry IV. are doubt- 
 lefs genuine : they were found in the cafket 
 
 .of 
 
I08 WALPOLIAN A. 
 
 ©f Mademoifelle Defloges after her death. 
 They are numerous, but only two fliort ones 
 fhall be tranflated as a fpecimen. 
 
 " The Ducbefs of Bkavfort to Henry IV. 
 
 " I am dying with fear: confole me by 
 letting me know how the braveft of men is: 
 I fear he is very ill, for nothing elfe could 
 deprive me of his, prefence. Write to me, 
 my knight, for you know that the fmalleft 
 of your mifchances is death to me. Though 
 I have twice heard tidings of you to-dav, I 
 cannot fleep without fending you a thoufand 
 good nights; for I am not endued with an 
 unfeeling conftancy : I am a feeling and con- 
 ftant princefs for all that concerns you, and 
 infenlible to every thing elfe in the world, 
 good or ill." 
 
 Anfwer of the King to the Duchefs of 
 Beaufort. 
 
 " My heart, I this morning, on my wak- 
 ing, had tidings of you, which will render 
 this a happy day. I have heard nothing from 
 
 another 
 
WALPOLIANA. IO9 
 
 another quarter fince I left you. I will not 
 fail twice a day to remember the good graces 
 of my dear love, for the love of whom I take 
 more care of myfelf than I was accuftomed 
 to do. To-morrow you will fee Caefar (their 
 fon), a pleafure which I envy you. Love 
 always your dear fubje£t, who will be yours 
 till death. With this truth I end, kiffincr 
 you, as tenderly as yefterday morning, a mil- 
 lion of times. Perone, 26 May." 
 
 At the end are fome anecdotes of Hen- 
 ry IV. 
 
 " He was of fo generous a nature, that he 
 ordered Vitry, captain of his body-guards, to 
 receive into his company the man who 
 wounded him at the battle of Aumale. The 
 Marifchal d'Eftrees being one day in the 
 king's coach, while the foldier, was riding by 
 the fide of it, he pointed to him, and faid, 
 *' There is the foldier who wounded me at 
 the battle of Aumale." 
 
 ****** 
 
 " The Duke of Savoy vifiting his court, 
 he was advifed to detain him, till he had re- 
 ftored the marquifate of Saluces, which the 
 
 duke 
 
1IO WALPOLI ANA. 
 
 duke had perfidioufly feized. But he an- 
 fwered, " The duke, indeed, violated his 
 word, but his example (hall never induce me 
 to an act of perfidy. On the contrary, his 
 perfidy fhall render my good faith the more 
 confpicuous." 
 
 # * * * * * . 
 
 " Some troops, which he fent to Ger- 
 many, having committed diforders in Cham- 
 pagne, and pillaged fome houfes of - the pea- 
 fants, he faid to fome of their officers ftill in 
 Paris, " Depart with ail diligence, and fet 
 things to rights, elfe you lhall anfvver to me. 
 What! if my- people be ruined, who is to 
 nourifh me, who is to pay the expences of 
 theftate ; who, pray, gentlemen, is to pay you 
 your arrears? To injure my people is to in- 
 jure rhvfelf." 
 
 ".A nobleman, who had long hefitated 
 in the time of the league which party to 
 adopt, coming in as Henry was playing at 
 Primero, he called out, " Come along, my 
 lord. If we win you will be on our fide."] 
 
WALPOLIANA. 
 
 Ill 
 
 CLX. MEAGRE STYLE. 
 
 The imitation of Tacitus, or even of Mon- 
 tefquieu, the attempt, in fhort, to exprefs 
 ■ every thing in as few words as poflible, may 
 lead a young writer to a great fault, namely, 
 the meagre and bald ftyle, which is not, in- 
 deed, fo bad as the feeble and prolix, but is 
 neverthelefs an unpleafing mode of compofi- 
 tion. To borrow a metaphor from painting, 
 fuch a ftyle may have a correct outline, but 
 it wants that variety and juft harmony of co- 
 louring, which delight in a compofition truly 
 valuable. Some words may be fuperfluous, 
 may be introduced merely to pleafe the ear ; 
 as in painting fome tints are of no ufe except 
 to fet off others. 
 
 CLXI. CASTLE OF OTRANTO. 
 
 Lady Craven has juft brought me from 
 Italy a moft acceptable prefent, a drawing of 
 the caftle of Oti anto. Here it is. It is odd 
 that that back-window correfponds with the 
 defcription in my romance. When I wrote 
 it, I did not even know that there was a caftle 
 
 at 
 
112 
 
 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 at Otranto. I wanted a name of fome place 
 in the fouth of Italy, and Otranto ftruck me 
 in the map. 
 
 CLXII. VERBAL CRITICS. 
 
 The corrections, or rather depravations, of 
 the daffies by the rafh Lipfii, Scaligeri, &c. 
 &c. cannot be too feverely reprobated. We 
 now highly value the firft editions, becaufe 
 they are lefs polluted by wanton conjectures. 
 I hope there are but few of them in the 
 Strawberry-hill Lucan. 
 
 1 was told an odd inftance of fuch correc- 
 tions the other day. Caefar, as published by 
 Scaliger, fays the druids of Gaul ufed Greek 
 ■characters : the fame great writer in another 
 place fays he wrote to one of his officers in 
 Greek characters, that v if his letter fell into 
 the enemy's hands, they might not be able 
 to avail themfelves of the intelligence. All 
 this arifes from one correction of Scaliger, 
 who for Uteris crajfis, ufed by the druids in 
 the hrfl editions, put Uteris Gra'cis. 
 
V/ALPOLIANA. 
 
 CLXIII. MR. THYNNE. 
 
 Here lies Tom Thynnc of Longleat hall, 
 
 Who never would have mifcarried, 
 Had he married the woman he lay withall, 
 
 Or lain with the woman he married. 
 
 Two anecdotes are attached to thefe lines. 
 
 Mifs Trevor, one of the maids of honour 
 to Catherine of Portugal, wife of Charles II 
 having difcovered the Duke of Monmouth in 
 bed with a lady, the duke excited Mr.Thynne 
 to feduce Mifs Trevor. She was the woman 
 he lay withall. 
 
 The woman he married was a great heirefs, 
 to whom he was affianced, when he was killed 
 by Count Koningfberg in Pall-mall. 
 
 CLXIV. EOSSUET. 
 
 The eloquence of Boffuet's Difcourfe on 
 Univerfal Hiftory, fo highly vaunted in 
 France, I never could tafte. The work, by 
 the bye, is fo wholly occupied with Jewifli 
 and ecclefiaftical affairs, that it mould have 
 been entitled, A Difcourfe on Ecclefiaftic 
 Hiftory. It is not, indeed, like Montaigne's 
 
 Vol. II. I chapter 
 
114 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 chapter on boots, in which there is not a word 
 about boots, but fecular matters are fo briefly- 
 handled, that the title is completely erro- 
 neous. 
 
 At the fame time I confefs that Boffuet's 
 conduct to the meek and inoffeniive Fenelon 
 was fo infamous, that I do not wifh to be 
 pleafed with his writings. 
 
 CLXV. MASSILLON*. 
 
 I am more (truck with the eloquence of 
 Maffillon than of Boffuet, or Bourdaloue. 
 Read this fpecimen from a fermon which 
 Maffillon preached before Louis XV. in his 
 youth. What a fatire on the ambition of 
 Louis XIV. ! 
 
 " Sire, if the poifon of ambition reach and 
 infect the heart of the prince; if the fove- 
 reign, forgetting that he is the protector of 
 the public tranquillity, prefer his own glory 
 to the love and to the fafety of his people; 
 if he would rather fubdue provinces, than 
 reign in their hearts ; if it appear to him 
 more glorious to be the deftroyer of his 
 .neighbours, than the father of his people; 
 
 I if 
 
WALPOLI ANA. 11$ 
 
 If the voice of grief and defolation be the only- 
 found that attends his victories ; if he ufe 
 that power which is only given him for the 
 happinefs of thofe he governs, to promote 
 his own paffions and intereft; in a word, if 
 he he a king folely to fpread mifery, and, 
 like the monarch of Babylon, erec~l the idol 
 of his greatnefs on the wreck of nations ; 
 great God ! what a fcourge for the earth \ 
 what a prefent doll thou fend to men, in 
 thy wrath, by giving them fuch a matter ! 
 His glory, Sire, will ever be lieeped in blood* 
 Some infane panegyrifts may chaunt his vic- 
 tories, but the provinces, the towns, the vil- 
 lages, will weep. Superb monuments may 
 be erected to eternife his conquefts : but the 
 allies yet fmoking of fo many cities formerly 
 flourilhing; but the defolation of countries 
 <lefpoiled of their beauty ; but the ruins of fo 
 many edifices, under which peaceable citizens 
 have perifhed; but the lafting calamities 
 that will furvive him ; will be mournful 
 monuments that will immortalife his folly 
 and his vanity: he will have paffed like a 
 torrent that deftroys, not like a majeflic river, 
 I 2 fpreading 
 
u6 
 
 WALPOLI ANA. 
 
 fpreading joy and abundance: his name will 
 be infcribed in the annals of pofterity among 
 conquerors, but never among good kings : 
 the hiftory of his reign will be recollected, 
 only to revive the memory of the evil he. has 
 done to mankind." 
 
 t 
 
 CLXVI. OPPOSITIONS. 
 
 Our oppofition-parties feldom form a re- 
 gular battalion. Even the leaders have often 
 detached views. To form a firm array, even 
 the common foldiers fhould be valued bv the 
 chiefs, and have their encouragements and 
 rewards. The fcaffblding is negle&ed after 
 the houfe is built ; but the necks of the 
 builders may be hazarded by negleding it 
 before. 
 
 CLXVII. BOOKSELLERS. 
 
 The manoeuvres of bookfelling are now 
 equal in number to the ilratagems of war. 
 Publiihers open and ihut the fluices,of repu- 
 tation as their various interells lead them ; and 
 it is become more and more difficult to judge 
 cf the. merit or fame of recent publications. 
 
 CLXVIII. 
 
WALPOLIANA. 
 
 CLXV1II. POLITICS. 
 
 In England political faction taints every- 
 thing; it even extends to literature, and the 
 arts. We do not inquire if the production 
 have merit, but whether the author be whig 
 or tory. Height of ■ abfurdit'y ! If a work 
 intereft me I care not for' the author's poli- 
 tics, any more than I care about the colour 
 of his clothes. 
 
 We have alfo a kind of court fafhion, even 
 in literature : and this was never carried to 
 fuch a height as now. The moft poifonous 
 {landers are propagated, the raoft crooked arts 
 employed, to injure the credit of thofe who 
 follow the obnoxious tenets of our Miltons^ 
 Lockes, and Addiforis ! : 
 
 CLXIX. PALATINATE. 
 
 Louis XLV. after the death of Colbert, 
 could not endure that his minifters fhould 
 be men of talents. He wifhed to have all 
 the fame of his government. 
 
 The affair of the deftru&ion of the Pala- 
 tinate originated with Louvois. When the 
 I 3 king 
 
1 18 WALPOLIANA, 
 
 king received the firft intelligence, that hh 
 orders had been executed, he was with Ma- 
 dame Maintenon. He fent for Louvois, ?nd 
 was fo enraged at his preemption in fending 
 orders fo ruinous to his royal character, that 
 he feized the poker, and was only prevented 
 by Madame Maintenon from proceeding to 
 the utmoft violence. 
 
 CI.XX. SrNGULAR CHARACTER. 
 
 That curious whole-length of Frances,. 
 Duchefs of Richmond and Lennox, came 
 from Eafton-Nefton, the feat of the Earl of 
 Pomfret. We fhall fit down here before her, 
 and read the equally curious portrait of her 
 by Wilfon, in his reign of James I. One 
 feature he does not mention — that her eves,, 
 as you fee, bear fame refemblance to thofe of 
 a cat. 
 
 " That morning the . parliament was to 
 begin [ 12 Feb. 1623], the king miffed the 
 Duke of Richmond's attendance, who beino- 
 a con-ftant obferver of him at all times, the 
 king, as it were, wanted one of his limbs, to 
 fupport the grandeur of majefty at the firlt 
 
 folemn 
 
WALPOLIANA. II9 
 
 felemn meeting of a parliament; and calling 
 for him with earneftnefs, a meffenger was dif- 
 patched to his lodgings in hade, when the 
 king's commands, and the meffenger's impor- 
 tunity, made the duchels his wife, fomewhat 
 unwillingly, go to 'the. duke's bed-fide to 
 awake him ; whdxlrawing the curtains found 
 him dead in his bed. The fuddennefs of the 
 affricht ftruck her with fo much confterna- 
 
 fa ' 
 
 tion, that {he was fcarce fenfible of the hor- 
 ror of it : and it was carried with that violence 
 to the king, that he would not adorn himfelf 
 that clay to ride in his glories to the parlia- 
 ment, but put it off to the nineteenth of Fe- 
 bruary following; dedicating fome part of 
 that time to the memory of his dead fervant, 
 who might ferve as a forerunner to the king, 
 and an emblem to all his people, that in the 
 dark caverns of man's body death often lurks, 
 which no human prudence or providence is 
 able to dilcover : for the duchefs, to fome of 
 her intimates, confeffed afterwards, that fhe 
 found the effeds of his full veins that night, 
 that he was found dead the next morning. 
 " This lady was one of the greateft, both: 
 1 4 for 
 
J 20 WALPOLI AN A . 
 
 for birth and beauty, in her time : but at firiE 
 Ihe went a ftep backwards, as it were, to fetch 
 a career, to make her mount the higher. She 
 was daughter to Thomas, Vifcount Bindon, 
 fecond fon to Thomas, Duke of Norfolk ; 
 and her mother was eldeft daughter to Ed- 
 wartf, Duke of Buckingham; both which 
 dukes, ftriving to become kings, loft their 
 heads. Her ^xtradion. was high, fit for her 
 great mind ; yet fhe defcended fo low as to 
 marry one Prannel, a vintner's fon in Lon- 
 don, having a good efcate ; who dying left 
 her childlefs, a young and beautiful widow. 
 Upon whom Sir George Rodney, a gentle- 
 man in the weft (fuitable to her for perfon 
 and fortune), fixing his love, had good hopes 
 from her to reap the fruits of it. But Edward,, 
 Earl of Hertford, being entangled with her 
 fair ey^s, and me having a tang of her grand- 
 father's ambition, left Rodney, and married 
 the Earl. 
 
 " Rodney having drunk in too much af- 
 fection, and not being able with his reafon to 
 digeft it, fummoned up his fcattered fpirits to 
 a molt dcfperate attempt: and coming to 
 
 Amefbury 
 
WALPOLIANA, 121 
 
 Amefbury in WilthYire (where the earl ant! 
 his lady were thenrefident), to a£t it, he re- 
 tired to an inn in the town, mut himfelf up* 
 in a chamber, and wrote a large paper, of 
 well-compofed verfes, to the countefs, in his 
 own blood (ftrange kind of compofednefs' 1 , 
 wherein he bewails and laments his own un- 
 happinefs. And when he had fent them to 
 her, as a fad cataftrophe to all his miferies, he 
 ran himfelf upon his fword, and fo ended that 
 life which he thought death to enjoy, leaving 
 the countefs to a ftri<St remembrance of her 
 inconilancy, and himfelf a defperate and fad 
 fpe&acle of frailty. But {he eafily paft this, 
 over; and fo wrought upon the good-nature 
 of the earl her hufband, that he fettled above 
 five thoufand pounds a year jointure upon her 
 for life. 
 
 " In his time (lie was often courted by the 
 Duke of Lennox, who prefented many a fair 
 offering to her, as an humble fuppliant, fome- 
 times in a blue coat with a balket-hilt fword, 
 making his addreffes in fuch odd dilguifes : 
 vet fhe carried a fair fame during the earl's 
 time. After his deceafe,. Lennox and Rich- 
 mond, 
 
122, WALPOLIANA. 
 
 raond, vvitli the great title of ducbefs, gave 
 period to her honour, which could not arrive 
 at her mind, fhe having the moil glorious 
 and tranfcendent heights in fpeculation: for 
 finding the king a widower, {he vowed, after, 
 fo great a prince as Richmond, " never to be 
 blown with the kiffes, nor eat at the table, of 
 a fubjccl::" and this vow muft be fpread 
 abroad, that the king may take notice of the 
 bravery of her fpirit. But this bait would not 
 catch the old king, fo that fhe miffed her 
 aim : and, to make good her refolution, fhe 
 fpecioufly obferved her vow to the laft. 
 
 *' When fhe was Countefs of Hertford, 
 and found admirers about her, fhe would 
 often difcourfe of her two grandfathers, the 
 Dukes of Norfolk and Buckingham ; re- 
 counting the time fince one of her grand- 
 fathers did this, the other did that. But if 
 the earl her hufband came in prefence, fhe 
 would quickly defift ; for when he found her 
 in thofe exaltations, to take her down, he 
 would fay, " Frank, Frank, how long is it 
 fince thou wert married to Prannel ?" which 
 would, damp the wings of her fpirit, and 
 
 make 
 
WALPOLIANA. 1^3 
 
 make her look after her feer as well as gaudy- 
 plumes. 
 
 " One little vanity of this great duchefs 
 (with your patience) may yet crowd in this 
 little {lory. She was a woman greedy of 
 fame, and loved to keep great ftate with little 
 coft. For being much vifited by all the great 
 ones, {lie had her formality of officers and 
 gentlemen, that gave attendance, and the ad- 
 vantage that none ever ate with her. Yet all 
 the tables in the hall were fpread, a3 if there 
 had been meat and men to furnifh them ; but 
 before eating-time (the houfe being voided), 
 the linnen returned into their folds again, and 
 all her people grazed on fome few dimes. Yet, 
 whether her aclions came into fame's finger- 
 ing, her gifts were fui table to the greatnefs of 
 her mind. For the Queen of Bohemia (to- 
 the cbriftening of whofe child {he was a wit- 
 nefs) had fome tafte of them. And being 
 blown up by admiration for this bounty, 
 either by her own defign to magnify her me- 
 rit, or by others in mockery to magnify her 
 vanity, huge inventories of maffy plate went: 
 up and down, from hand to hand, that {be 
 
 had 
 
124 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 had given that queen ; and mod believed it. 
 Yet they were but paper prefents ; thofe in<- 
 ventories had a non eji inventus at the Hague : 
 they faw the fhell, the inventory ; but never 
 found the kernel, the plate. Such difference 
 there is between folid worth, and airy paper 
 greatnefs. And it is hoped -thefe flight inter- 
 mixtures will be no great tranfgreffion, be<- 
 cabfe long fcrious things do dull the fancy." - ' 
 
 CLXXI. 'DUKE OF ORLEANS. . 
 
 Orleans, the regent, was a man of profit 
 gate character, and moft unprincipled ambi- 
 tion. He had, before the death of Louis XIV. 
 entered fo far into a plot, I believe to place 
 the Spanifli crown on his own head, that his 
 life was endangered, and was only faved by 
 hisduchefs, daughter of the king, who exerted 
 all her influence with her father, and with 
 Madame de Maintenon, to procure his par- 
 don. 
 
 CLXXII. PROVINCIAL PROVERB. 
 
 Henry, the fecond Prince of Conde of that 
 name, and father of the great Conde, wifrV 
 
 inrr 
 
WALPOLIANA. 1 23 
 
 ing privately to mortgage his eftate of Muret, 
 went incognito to an adjacent village, where 
 lived one Arnoul, a notary. The notary was 
 at dinner, and his wife waited without in the 
 hall till he had dined. The prince inquired 
 for Arnoul. The woman anfvvered in her 
 patois, " Arnoul is at dinner; fit you down 
 on the bench there : when Arnoul is at din- 
 ner, not a foul can fpeak with him i'faith." 
 The prince . patiently fat down, waiting the 
 event of Arnoul's dinner. When it was 
 ended, he was introduced; the notary drew 
 out the writing, leaving the names blank; 
 and having read it aloud, afked the prince, 
 whom he did not know either in perfon or 
 as proprietor of the eftate, his name and de- 
 fignation. " They are fhort," anfvvered the 
 client. " Put Henry of Bourbon, Prince of 
 Conde, firft prince of the blood, lord of Mu- 
 ret." Guefs the poor notary's amazement. 
 Throwing himfelf on his knees, he begged 
 pardon for his ignorance. The prince raifed 
 him, faying, " Fear nothing, my worthy 
 friend. Arnoul was at dinner, you know." 
 The ftory fpread, and became a provincial 
 
 proverb ; 
 
126 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 proverb; when one did not choofe to be dif- 
 turbed by an intrufion, " Arnoul is at din- 
 ner. 
 
 CLXXIII. TWO PERSONS IN ONE. 
 
 I know not how three perfons may be one, 
 but I know that one perfon may be two. 
 Some there are who are quite different perfons 
 with their fuperiors, and with their equals 
 and inferiors— with the former juft and ge- 
 nerous; with the latter infolent, and full of 
 extortion and impoiition. 
 
 CLXXIV. WEATHER. 
 
 To talk of the weather was once a matter 
 of ridicule. But that foon went out ; for the 
 weather is, in fa£t, fo important in this 
 changeable climate, that our health and bread 
 depend on it. There are alfo numerous 
 claffes in this ifland, farmers, feamen, &c. &c. 
 whofe very exiftence depends on the weather. 
 It is idle to deny that the (late of our fpirits 
 depends on the weather : the ftouteft man 
 cannot take exercife on a rainy day, and mult 
 feel ennui, becaufe he cannot divide his time 
 
 as 
 
WALPOLI AN A. 127 
 
 as ufual. For my part, I care as little for the 
 weather as any ; and I fometimes fay, that all 
 I want is cold winters, and hot fummers. 
 
 CLXXV. DEMOCRATS. 
 
 A fig for our democrats ! [1792]. Barking 
 dogs never bite. The danger in France arofe 
 from filent and inftantaneous action. They 
 faid nothing, and did every thing— ours fay 
 every thing, and will do nothing. 
 
 CLXXVI. REAL VALUE OF MEN. 
 
 A bifhop of Soiffons, in the twelfth cen- 
 tury, gave for a fine horfe, deftined for his 
 public entrance into the city, five villani, or 
 flaves attached to his lands, three men, and 
 two women. Thus a horfe is a more valu- 
 able animal than a man. And fo now. 
 How many black flaves would be the price 
 of a capital race-horfe, if races were fafh ion- 
 able in the Welt- Indies? 
 
 CLXXVII. BEARDS. 
 
 Francis I. of France, amufing himfelf with 
 his courtiers one winter day, was ftruck on 
 
 the 
 
13:8 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 the chin with a piece of a tile, which chanced 
 to be taken up in a fhow-ball. As the 
 wounded part could not be fhaved, he let his 
 beard grow ; and the fafliion was revived, after 
 it had been dropped for a century. 
 
 It is faid, I know not with what truth, that 
 the fame prince, having loft his hair and an. 
 eye by the venereal difeafe, introduced the 
 wig and the hat. The latter had before been 
 ufed in riding, to cover the face from the 
 fun : but {he bonnet continued to be the ce- 
 remonial covering. 
 
 CLXXVIII. TALE. 
 
 I have been amufmg myfelf with a hiftory 
 « of Picardy, and fhall read 'you off a fhort tale 
 that ftruck me. 
 
 Thomas de Saint Valery was travelling 
 with his wife, Adela, daughter of a Count 
 de Ponthieu. They were attacked near a 
 foreft by eight armed men. St. Valery, after 
 a fevere druggie, was feized, bound, and 
 thrown into a thicket. His wife was car- 
 ried off, expofed to the brutality of the ban- 
 ditti, and afterwards difmiffed in a flate of 
 
 nudity. 
 
WALPOLIANA. 120, 
 
 nudity. She, however, fought for and found 
 her hufband, and they returned together. 
 
 They were foon after met by their fer- 
 vants, whom they had left at an inn, and re- 
 turned to their father's caftle at Abbeville. 
 The barbarous count, full of falfe ideas of 
 honour, propofed, fome days after, to his 
 daughter, a ride to his town of Rue on the 
 fea fhore. There they entered a bark, as if 
 to fail about for pleafure ; and they had ftood 
 out three leagues from the more, when the 
 Count de Ponthieu. ftarting up, faid with a 
 terrible voice, " Lady, death mud now efface 
 the (name which your misfortune has brought 
 on all your family." 
 
 The failors, previoufly inftru&ed, inftantly 
 feized her, fhut her up in a hoglhead, and 
 threw her into the fea, while the bark re- 
 gained the coaft. 
 
 Happily a Flemifh veffel paffing near the 
 coaft, the crew obferved the floating hogfliead, 
 and expecting a prize of good wine, took it 
 up, opened it, and with great furprife found a 
 beautiful woman. She was, however, almoft 
 dead, from terror and want of air; and at her 
 
 Vol. II. K earned 
 
^30 WALPOLIANA, 
 
 ■earneft entreaty the honeft Flemings fent a 
 boat afhore with her. She gained her huf- 
 band's houfe, who was in tears for her fup- 
 pofed death: The (bene was extremely affedr.- 
 ing — but Adela only furvived it a few hours. 
 
 John, Count of Ponthieu, repenting of his 
 crime, gave to the monks of St.Valery the 
 right of fifhing three days in the year, in and 
 about the fpot where his daughter had been 
 thrown overboard. 
 
 CLXXIX. AMERICANS. 
 
 The Americans are moftly engaged in 
 trade and plantations. Their chief objedt is 
 to make money. And, in truth, money is 
 freedom. 
 
 CLXXX. THE NEW ROBINSON CRUSOE. 
 
 Sir T. Robinfon was a tall, uncouth man, 
 and bis ftature was often rendered ftill more 
 remarkable by his hunting drefs, a poftilion's 
 cap, a tight green jacket, and buckfkin 
 breeches. He was liable to fudden whims ; 
 and once fet off on a fudden, in his hunting 
 
WALPOLIAN A. 1*1 
 
 ' fuit, to vifit his fitter, who was married and 
 fettled at Paris. 
 
 He arrived while there was a large com- 
 pany at dinner. The fervant announced 
 M. Robin/on, and lie came in, to the great 
 amazement of the guefts. Among others, a 
 French abbe thrice lifted his fork to his 
 fliouth, and thrice laid it down, with an ea<rer 
 dtare of furprife. Unable to reftrain his eu- 
 riofky any longer, he burft out with, " Ex- 
 cufe me, Sir. Are you the famous Robinfon 
 Crufoe fo remarkable in hiftory?" 
 
 CLXXXI. LE VAYER. 
 
 La'Mothe le Vayer was called the French 
 Plutarch. His effays are very unlike thofe 
 of Montaigne. They are regular, and abound 
 with an uncommon mixture of learning and 
 good fenfe. 
 
 CLXXXII. REAL APPARITION. 
 
 The caftle of Ardivillers, near Breteuil, 
 was reported to be haunted by evil fpirits. 
 Dreadful noifes were heard, and flames were 
 ■ feen by night to iffue from various apertures. 
 
 K 2 The 
 
I32 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 The farmer who was entrufted with the care 
 of the houfe, in the abfence of its owner the 
 Prefidentd'Ardivillers, could alone live there. 
 The fpirit feemed to refpecvt him ; but any ' 
 perfon who ventured to take up a night's 
 lodging in the cattle, was fure to bear the 
 marks of his audacity. 
 
 Su perflation, you know, is catching. By 
 and by the peafants in the neighbourhood be- 
 gan to fee ft range fights. Sometimes a dozen 
 of ghofts would appear in the air above the 
 caftle, dancing a brawl. Atothertiines a num- 
 ber of prefidents, and counfellors in red robes, 
 appeared in the adjacent meadow. There 
 they fat in judgment on a g;entleman of the 
 country, who had been beheaded for fome 
 crime a hundred years before. Another pea- 
 fant met in the night a gentleman related to 
 the prelklent, walking with the wife of a 
 gentleman in the neighbourhood, who were 
 , feen to carefs each other, and then vanilhed. 
 As they were both alive, perhaps they were 
 obliged to the devil '.for preventing fcandal. 
 In fhort, many had feen, and all had heard, 
 the wonders of the caftle of Ardivillers. 
 
 q This 
 
WALPOLI ANA. 133 
 
 This affair had continued four or five years, 
 to the great lofs'of the prefident, who had 
 heen obliged to let the eftate to the farmer at 
 a very low rent. At length, fufpecling fome 
 artifice, he relblved to vifit and infpe£l the 
 cattle 
 
 Taking with him two gentlemen, his 
 friends, they determined to pafs the night in 
 the fame apartment ; and if any noife or ap- 
 parition difturbed them, to difcharge their pif- 
 tols at either ghoft or found. As fpirits know 
 all things, they were probably aware of thefe 
 preparations, and not one appeared. -But in 
 the chamber juft above a dreadful rattling of 
 chains was heard ; and the wife and children 
 of the farmer ran to afllft their lord. They 
 threw themfelves on their knees, begging 
 that he would not vifit that terrible room. 
 " My lord," faid they, " what can human 
 force effect againft people of t'other world ? 
 M. de Fecancour attempted the fame enter- 
 prife, years ago, and he returned with a difto- 
 cated arm. M. D'Urfelles tried too; he 
 was overwhelmed with bundles of hay, 
 and was ill for; a long time after." In Ihort, 
 K 3 fo 
 
134 WALP'OLIANA. 
 
 fo many attempts were mentioned, that the 
 prefident's friends advifed him to abandon the 
 defign. 
 
 But they determined to encounter the dan- 
 ger themfelves. Proceeding up flairs to an 
 extenfive'room, each having a candle in one 
 hand, and a piftol in the other, they found it 
 full of thick fmoke, which increafed more 
 and more from fome flames that were vifible. 
 Soon after the ghoft, or fpirit, faintly appeared 
 in the middle : he feemed quite black, and 
 was amufing himfelf with cutting capers : but 
 another eruption of flame and fmoke hid him 
 from their view. He had horns and a long, 
 tail ; and was, in truth, a dreadful object. 
 
 One of the gentlemen found his courage 
 rather fail. " This is certainly fupernatu- 
 ral," faid he ; " let 'us retire." The other, 
 endued with more boldnefs, afTerted that the 
 fmoke was that of gunpowder, which is no 
 fupernatural compofitioii ; " and if this fame 
 fpirit," added he, " knew his own nature 
 and trade, he fliould have extingui.fhed our 
 candles." 
 
 With thefe words he jumps aivudffc the 
 
 Jmoke 
 
WALPOLI ANA. 135" 
 
 fmoke and flames, and purfues the fpe&re. 
 He foon difcharged his piftol at his back, and 
 hit him exactly in the middle, but was him- 
 felf feized with fear, when the fpirit, far from 
 falling, turned round and ruflied upon him. 
 Soon recovering himfelf, he refolved to grafp 
 the ghoft, to difcover if it were indeed aerial 
 and impaffible. Mr. Spectre, difordered by 
 this new manoeuvre, rufhed to a tower, and 
 defcendcd a fmall ftaircafe. 
 
 The gentleman ran after; and, never 
 lofing fight of him, pafTed feveral courts and 
 gardens, ftill turning as the fpirit winded, till 
 at length they entered an open barn. Here 
 the purfuer, certain, as he thought, of his 
 prey, {hut the door; but when he turned 
 round, what was his amazement to fee the. 
 fpedre totally difappear ! 
 
 In great confufion he called to the fervants 
 for more lights. On examining the fpot of 
 the fpirit's difappearance, he found a trap- 
 door, upon railing which Teveral mattreffes 
 appeared, to break the fall of any headlong 
 adventurer. Defcending he found the fpirit 
 himfelf —the farmer himfelf. 
 
 K 4 His 
 
WALPOLIANA. 
 
 His drefs, of a complete bull's hide, had 
 fecuredhim from piftol fhot; and the horns 
 and tail were not diabolic, but mere natural 
 appendages of the original. The rogue con- 
 ferred all his tricks; and was pardoned, on 
 paying the arrears due for five years, at the 
 old rent of the land. 
 
 CLXXXIII. KING AND REPUBLIC. 
 
 I have fometimes thought that a 'fquire and 
 a veftry were a king and republic in minia- 
 ture. The veflry is as tyrannic, in its way, 
 as the 'fquire in his. Any power neceffarily 
 leads to abufes of that power. It is difficult 
 to Hop any impetus of nature. 
 
 CLXXXIV. LEARNING ENCOURAGED. 
 
 I was told a droll ftory concerning Mr. 
 Gibbon, t'other day. One of thofe book- 
 fellers in Paternofter-row, who publifh things 
 in numbers, went to Gibbon's lodgings in St. 
 James's- ftreet, fent up his name, and was ad- 
 mitted. " Sir," faid he, " I am now pub^ 
 , lifting a hiftory of England, done by feveral 
 good hands. I underftand you ha,ve a knack 
 lii ' 'at 
 
WAI.POLIANA. I37 
 
 \ 
 
 at them there things, and fhould be glad to 
 give you every reafonable encouragement." 
 
 As foon as Gibbon recovered the ufe of 
 his legs and tongue, which were petrified 
 with furprife, he ran to the bell, and defired 
 his fervant to (hew this encourager of learn- 
 ing down flairs. 
 
 CLXXXV. A DAY OF HENRY IV. 
 
 Equally with painted portraits of memor- 
 able perfons, I admire written portraits, in 
 which the character is traced with thofe mi- 
 nute touches, which conftitute life itfelf. Of 
 this fort is the domeftic portrait of Henry IV. 
 of France, delineated in a page or two of, the 
 original memoirs of Sully. 
 
 [The moft ftriking paffages follow ; but 
 it is impoffible for a tranflation to reprefent 
 the old emphatic fimplicity of the original.] 
 
 " You muft know that one day his ma- 
 jefty being healthy, light-hearted, a&ive, and 
 in good humour, on account of diverfe for- 
 tunate incidents in his domeilic affairs, and 
 of agreeable news received from foreign na- 
 tions, and from the provinces of his kingdom ; 
 
 and 
 
138 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 and perceiving the morning fine, and every 
 appearance of a ferene day, he arofe early, to 
 kill partridges with his hawks and falcons, 
 with the defign of returning fo foon as to 
 have t them drefTcd for his dinner ; for he faid 
 he never found th'em fo nice and tender, as 
 when they were thus taken, efpecially when 
 he himfelf fnatched them from the birds of 
 prey. In which all things having fucceeded 
 to his wifh, he returned when the heat of 
 the day became troublefome ; fo that being 
 come to the Louvre, with the partridges in 
 his hand, and having afcended to the great 
 hall, he perceived at the further end Varenne 
 and Coquet, who were chatting together in 
 expectation of his return, to whom he called 
 alotid, " Coquet, Coquet, you {hall have no 
 occafion to pity our dinner; for Roquelaure, 
 Termes, Frontenac, Harambure, and I, bring 
 wherewith to treat ourfelves : quick, quick, 
 order the cook to fpit them ; and, after giv- 
 ing them their .fhares, fee that there be eight 
 for my wife and me. Bonneuil here fliall 
 carry her her (hare ; and tell her I am going 
 to drink to her heahh. See that you take for 
 
 .-me 
 
walpoliana. 139 
 
 me thofc that 'have been a little nipped by 
 the hawks ; for there are three large ones, 
 which I myfelf took from them, and which 
 are not touched at alj." 
 
 As the king was talking thus, and' feeing 
 the game fliared, he faw Clielle come, with 
 his great ftafF, and by his fide Parfait, who- 
 bore a large gilt bafon, covered with a fair 
 napkin, and who from a diitance began to 
 call, " Sire, embrace my thigh; Sire, em- 
 brace my thigh ; for "I have got -plenty, and 
 nice ones they are." Which the king hear- 
 ing, he faid to thofe around him, " Here 
 comes Parfait in high glee : this, I warrant 
 you, will add another inch of fat to his ribs. 
 I fee he brings me excellent melons, and am 
 glad of it, for I mail eat a bellyful ; as they 
 do not hurt me when they are very good, 
 when I eat them while I am very hungry, 
 and before meat, as my phyiicians prefcribe. 
 But you four mall have your mares. So 
 don't run after your partridges, till you have 
 had your melons; which I lhall give you, 
 after 1 have chofen my wife's mare and mine, 
 and two which I have promifed." 
 
 £> When 
 
^4° WALPOLIANA. 
 
 When the king had divided the partridges 
 and melons, he went to his chamber, where' 
 he gave two melons to two lads at the door, 
 and whifpered fome words in their ear. 
 Then paffing on, as he was in the midft of 
 his great chamber, he faw come out of the 
 falcon-clofet, Fourcy, Beringuen, and La 
 Fonts, the laft carrying a large parcel wrapped 
 up, to whom he called, " La Fonts, do you 
 
 too hring me fomething for my dinner ?" 
 
 44 Yes, Sire," anfwered Beringuen ; " but 
 
 it. is cold food, and only fit for the eye." 
 
 " I want none fuch," replied the king; 
 44 for I am dying with hunger, and mull 
 dine before I do any thing. Meanwhile I 
 lhall fit down to table, and eat my melons, 
 and take a glafs of mufcat. But, La Fonts, 
 what the deuce have you there, fo well 
 wrapped up?"—" Sire," faid Fourcy, 44 they, 
 are defigns for patterns of diverfe forts of 
 fluffs, carpets, and tapeflry, in which your 
 beft manufacturers mean to rival each other." 
 44 Very good," faid the king; 44 that will 
 do to fhew my wife after dinner. And, faith, 
 now I think of a man (Sully) with whom I 
 
 don't 
 
WALPOLI ANA. 141 
 
 don't always agree, efpecially wlien what he 
 calls baubles and trifles are in queftion .... 
 and who Cays often that nothing is elegant 
 that cofts double its real value .... Go you, 
 Fourcy, fend for him now : let one of my 
 coaches go, or yours." 
 
 * * * * * . * 
 
 Sire," faid Sully to the king, " your 
 majefty fpeaks to me fo kindly, that I fee 
 you are In good humour, and better pleafed 
 with me than you were a fortnight ago." — 
 " What," anfwered Henry, " do you ftill 
 remember that ? That is not mv way. Don't 
 you know that our tiffs fhould never la ft more 
 than twenty-four hour- ? And I know that 
 the laft 'did not prevent vou from fetting 
 about a good affair for my finances, the very 
 next morning ; which joined with other 
 things, great and fmall, which I fliall tell you, 
 have put me in this joyous humour. The 
 chief is that, for thefe three months, I have 
 not found myfelf fo light and active as to- 
 day; having mounted my horfe without fteps 
 or affiflance. I have had a fine hunt; my 
 falcons have flown well , and my greyhounds 
 
J42 ' WALPOLIANA. 
 
 have run fo that they have taken three large 
 hares., I thought I had loft my beft gofs- 
 hawk ; it was brought back. I have a good 
 appetite ; I have eaten excellent melons ; and 
 half-a-dozen quails have been ferved up at 
 my table, the fatteft and moft tender that I 
 ever faw. I have intelligence from Provence 
 that the troubles of Marfeilles are quite ap- 
 peafed ; and like news from other provinces. 
 And, befides, that never was year fo fertile ; 
 and that my people will be greatly enriched, 
 if I open the exportation. St. Anthoine 
 writes to me that the Prince of Wales (Henry, 
 fon of James I.) is always talking to him of 
 me, and promifes you his friendmip cn my 
 account. From Italy I learn that I Shall 
 have the fatisfa6tion, the honour, and glory, 
 of reconciling the Venetians with the Pope. 
 Bongars writes to me from Germany, that 
 the new King of Sweden is more and more 
 efteemed by his new fubje£ts ; and that the 
 Landgrave of HefTe gains me every day new 
 friends, allies, and allured fervants Buzenval 
 writes to Villeroy that the event of the fieges 
 of .Oftend and Sluys having proved good and 
 
 evil 
 
WALPOLI ANA. 143 
 
 evil to both parties, the exceffive expenditure 
 of money, the great iofs of men, and vafr. 
 confumpt of ammunition, on both fides, have 
 reduced them to fuch weaknefs and want, 
 that they-will be equally conftrained to liften 
 to a peace, or truce ; of which I muft necef- 
 farily be the mediator and guardian : a fair 
 opening to my wifhes of compofing all dif- 
 ferences between Chriftian princes.". 
 
 " Befides," continued the king, " to in- 
 creafe my content in all thefe good news, be- 
 hold me at table, furrounded by worthy men, 
 of whofe affection I am fecure; and bom 
 you judge capable, I know, of entertaining 
 me with ufeful and pleafing converfation, 
 which will fave me from thoughts of bufinefs, 
 till 1 have iinimed my dinner; for then will 
 I hear every body, and content them, if rea- 
 fon and juitice can." 
 
 * * * , * * # _ i - 
 
 After this, the king rifing from table, went 
 to meet the queen, who was leaving her 
 chamber to go to her cabinet. As foon as he 
 faw her at a diltance he called out, " Well, 
 m'amie, did not I fend ypu excellent melons, 
 
 excellent 
 
144 WALPOLI ANA. 
 
 excellent partridges, excellent quails ? If you 
 had as good an appetite as I, you muft have 
 done them juftice, for I never ate fo much; 
 nor for a long time have I been in fuch good 
 humour as to-day. Afk Sully, he will tell 
 ^you the reafon; and will repeat to you all 
 the news I have received, and the converfa- 
 tion that paffed between him and me, and 
 three or four others." 
 
 " Indeed, Sire," anfvvered the queen, 
 " then we are well met to-day, for I never 
 was mere gay, nor in better health, nor dined 
 with better appetite. And to prolong your 
 joy and gladnefs, and mine too, I have pre- 
 pared for you a ballet and comedy of my in- 
 vention ; but I will not deny that I have 
 been affifted, for Duret and La Clarelle have 
 not ftirred from my, iide all this morning, 
 while you were at the chace. The bal- 
 let will reprefent, as they have told me, the 
 happinefs of the golden age ; and the comedy, 
 the moft amufing paftimes of the four feafons 
 of the year." 
 
 " M'amie" replied the king, " I am de- 
 lighted to fee you in fuch good humour, pray 
 
 , let 
 
W AL P 0 LI ANA. I45 
 
 1 
 
 let us always live thus. But that your hallet 
 and comedy may be well danced, and well 
 feen, they muft be performed at Sully's, in 
 the great hall, which I defired him to build 
 exprefsly for fuch purpofes; and he fhall fee 
 that none are admitted, except thofe who 
 bring orders to that effect. At prefent I wifh 
 to lliew you the patterns of tapeftry that 
 Fourcy has brought, that you may tell me 
 your opinion." 
 
 CLXXXVI. HISTORICAL CHAPTERS. 
 
 I believe it was Hume who introduced, or 
 revived, thofe long heterogeneous . things, 
 called chapters, in modern hiftory. Do you 
 remember any ancient hiitory in chapters ? 
 
 A. Yes, Sir ; Florus for one. 
 
 True : but they were real chapters, heads, 
 capita, very fliort. Livy and Dio, you know, 
 have about fifty books each *. Guicciardini 
 is in books : all claffical hiftories are in books. 
 Gibbon fays, that if he came to give a com- 
 plete revifion, and new edition, of his work, 
 
 * Dio has eighty. 
 
 Vol. II. L 
 
 lie 
 
1^6 WAXPOLIANA, 
 
 he-would call his chapters books. How would 
 you like Milton's Paradife Loft in chapters? 
 The very idea is a folecifm, whether in verfe 
 or profe. 
 
 CLXXXVII. ATHEISM THE OFFSPRING 
 OF FANATICISM. 
 
 Thefe horrible affairs in France are the 
 offspring ©f fanaticifm. Yes, Sir ; if the re- 
 formation had taken place there, as well as 
 here, religion and the clergy would have been 
 refpe&ed, as they are here. Fanatics make 
 atheifts. If I cannot believe in God, without 
 believing that a wafer is God, my reafon ab- 
 jures the deity. I wilh religion to exifl : it 
 is of infinite ufe to fociety, and I therefore 
 vvifh it to be as rational as poffible. A fynod 
 of the Englifh church might order feveral 
 objectionable tenets, and expreffions, of our 
 worfhip to be altered. I love thofe re- 
 formations that prevent revolutions, by keep- 
 ing pace with the gradual progrefs of reafon 
 and knowledge. 
 
 eLxxxvin 
 
WALPOLIANA. I47 
 
 CLXXXVIH. ABDICATION OF PHILIP OF 
 SPAIN. 
 
 The abdication of Philip V. of Spain is 
 one of the oddeft events of this century. Yet 
 he, or rather his queen, flill directed public 
 affairs after their retreat to St. Ildefonfo. 
 
 She was an artful woman; and it is fup- 
 pofed that the abdication was but a ftep to 
 the fucceffion to the French throne, expected 
 on the death of Louis XV. who, when a 
 boy, was very weakly, and not expected to 
 live. 
 
 [This was in 1724. But the king, his 
 fon, dying of the fmall-pox, in fix or feven 
 months after his coronation, Philip V. re- 
 fumed the fceptre, which he held till 
 1746".] 
 
 CLXXXIX. A COMPLIMENT OF STATE. 
 
 The Duke of Bourbon demanded one of 
 the grand-daughters of George I. as a wife, 
 for Louis XV. The old king was pleafed 
 with the propofal ; but anfwered, as was ex- 
 L 2 pected, 
 
14$ WALPOUANA. 
 
 pe£ted, that the laws of the country prevented 
 fuch an alliance. 
 
 The French court knew this : but the offer 
 was highly flattering; and this was its Cole 
 intention. 
 
 CXC. PORTRAIT OF NINON. 
 
 I was defirous to have a portrait of Ninon 
 de l'Enclos ; and now that I have it I don't 
 like it. She tries to look charming, you fee, 
 and fhe looks tipfy. 
 
 cxct. lachryjmatori.es. 
 
 The idea that lachrymatories, fo called, 
 were ufed for collecting tears at Roman fu- 
 nerals, feems to pafs away. Some have been 
 found with floppers, and retaining a faint 
 fmell of the perfumes lodged in them — their 
 areal deftination. 
 
 cxcn. bourbon. 
 
 The Duke of Bourbon, who fucceeded 
 Orleans the regent, in the management of 
 French affairs, during the minority of Louis 
 XV. was but a weak man j and was ruled by 
 
 his 
 
WALPOLIANA. I49 
 
 his miftrefs Madame de Prye, herfelf a weak 
 woman. Her portrait, which 1 have in 
 crayons, feems to confirm the iniipidity of her 
 character, but mews that me was beautiful. 
 
 The duke had another miftrefe, a Madame 
 Teffier, a woman of the moft infamous cha- 
 racter. 
 
 I fuppofe the marriage of Louis XV. to 
 the daughter of Staniflaus, the dethroned 
 king of Poland, to have proceeded from fe- 
 male intrigues. The princefs was fo much 
 unprepared for this high honour, that Ma- 
 dame de Prye was obliged to fend her fhifts 
 and gowns. 
 
 CXCIII. DEVOTION OF LOUIS XIV. 
 
 In his old age Louis XIV. was either led 
 by his own fuperftition, or bv the artifices of 
 his wife Maintenon, to an excefs of devotion. 
 His courtiers, as ufual, rivalled him in vveak- 
 nefs ; and forne of them, it is faid, would take 
 the facrament twice. in a day. 
 
 CXCIV. DUBOIS. 
 
 The infamous Abbe, afterwards Cardinal, 
 L 3 Dubaia 
 
I^O WALPOLI ANA. 
 
 Dubois was a proper coadjutor for theRegent 
 Orleans. When the latter was young, Du- 
 bois was introduced by St. Laurent to teach 
 him Latin ; and the abbe availed himfelf of 
 this opportunity to flatter his pupil's paffions, 
 and give him leffons of early depravity. 
 
 Soon as D'Eftrees, Archbifhop of Cambrai, 
 died, Dubois ran to the regent, whom he 
 found in bed with Emily, an opera gii!. 
 The duke immediately confented to appoint 
 this worthy ecclefiaftic to the vacant arch- 
 "hiihopric; and a folemn oath by all the 
 charms of Emily fandtioned the claim of 
 Dubois. 
 
 CXCV. SPLENDID MISER. 
 
 Rom's Pinacotheca is a curious collection 
 of biographic portraits in miniature. One 
 of them, a Greek, and a fplendid mifer, would 
 form a dramatic character. 
 
 [Alluding to Dichseus Dichseanus. As 
 the book is little known, fome extracts from 
 that fjngular piece of biography may ferve to 
 diverfify this lounging farrago. 
 
 Diehasus Dichaeanus was brought to Rome 
 from Greece, when a boy, by his father, a 
 I filveifinith. 
 
■WALPOLIANA. 1$I 
 
 filverfrnith. As he grew to manhood, he be- 
 came remarkable for the folemnity of his de- 
 meanour, and the fordidnefs of his difpofition ; 
 which', however, did not prevent his being 
 chofen, or appointed, one of the municipal 
 judges of that city. 
 
 In this public character his Angularities 
 became the more noted ; and his violence of 
 temper was no valuable chara&eriftic of the 
 magiftrate. 
 
 One day an advocate came to him to ex- 
 plain the fuit of a client, and to requefl. a 
 fpeedy decifion. In the courfe of the con<- 
 veifation the advocate ihewed fuch fuperior 
 Ikill in the law, and fuch pre-eminence in ar- 
 gument, that Dichaeus became very angry, 
 and evinced that he at leaft excelled in bodily 
 ftrength, by knocking down the advocate. 
 Scarcely had Dichseus retired into another 
 room, when one of his fellow-judges, arrayed 
 in fimilar garments, entered: and the advo- 
 cate, bf an unfortunate miftake, avenged upon 
 his carcafe the drubbing he'had received from 
 our judge. 
 
 But his raoft fingular oddity was an attempt 
 L4 to 
 
IS* WALPOLIANA. 
 
 to unite the oppofite characters of great par- 
 fimony, and magnificent appearance, which 
 laft he thought himfelf obliged to maintain, 
 as he claimed a defcent from the Byzantine 
 emperors. 
 
 From his father he inherited many elegant 
 articles of furniture, and particularly an ex- 
 pen five fideboard of plate. The table was 
 fpread twice a day, as if for grand entertain- 
 ments; and the fervants were jfent out with 
 filver dimes and covers, which, after paffing a 
 lew ftreets, they brought back empty as they 
 went out; while their matter, amidft all this 
 {hew, was dining on cheap vegetables, or 
 fometimes a morfel of pork or mutton. His 
 fupper, thus fplendidly arrayed, was an egg, 
 or a few olives, with a gill of four wine. 
 
 After his miferable meals, every particle of 
 bread that fell was carefully gathered, and 
 preferved to enrich the foup of a future day. 
 
 To his cook wood was given out by mea- 
 fure, and he was charged to' lend nothing to 
 any neighbour, upon pain of forfeiting a day's 
 wages. 
 
 In the evening fix grand filver candlefticks 
 
 were 
 
WALPOLTANA. I$3; 
 
 were brought into his apartment. If any vi- 
 fitor came in, Dichaeus lighted one of the 
 candles 3 then walking about the room he 
 lighted another, and extinguifhed the firft ; 
 and fo on, till the fixth candle had its turn. 
 Beyond this he permitted no vifit to lair, but 
 difmiffed his company, and withdrew to his 
 bedroom, where a little lamp alone enlight- 
 ened the darknefs. 
 
 When he went out his fervants attended 
 him in rich liveries ; but on their return they 
 were ordered to refume their own clothes,, 
 that they might not wear out the fplendour 
 of their matter. His coachman once doubling 
 his cloke under him, Dichaeus flopped his 
 chariot in the midft of Rome, and alarmed 
 the city by his threats and imprecations. 
 
 Sometimes, for the greater, ftate, two fel- 
 lows were hired to attend him, whom he 
 dreffed out in filken robes, and on his return 
 {tripped and difmifled. 
 
 In the winter no fire was permitted, ex- 
 cept in the kitchen. His fervants were or r 
 dered to walk in the fun, or if the Iky were 
 cloudy, to run races, or draw water, from a 
 
 deep^ 
 
1^4 WALPOL1 ANA. 
 
 deep weM, that they might be warmed with- 
 out the expence of fire. He himfelf was (hut 
 up in his bedroom, over a miferable fpark, 
 fuftained by all the dirty and wafte paper, 
 which he had carefully collected during the 
 other feafons of the year. 
 
 During his lafViickncfs, when he was puz 1 - 
 zled to whom he mould bequeath his pro- 
 perty, a letter came from a relation, written 
 on an inch of paper. Inftead of being en- 
 raged at fuch difrefpedt, his avarice got the 
 better of his pride, and he declared the writer 
 his heir, efteeming him worthy to be his fuc~ 
 ceflbr in parfimony.] 
 
 CXCVI. ACT OF FRIENDSHIP. 
 
 A Cambridge gentleman, of undoubted 
 veracity, told me a ftory, which he had from 
 a young man, whofe father, a miller in that 
 neighbourhood, was the perfon concerned. 
 This miller, about three o'clock in a fummer 
 morning, was driving his cart along an old 
 track, rather than road, near Cambridge, and 
 the young man, then a boy, with him; The 
 wheel fuddenly finking in, they freed the 
 
 cart, 
 
WALPOLIANA. 155 
 
 cart, and perceived that the wheel had broken 
 the top of a little kind of brick -vault. This 
 exciting their curiofity, they opened more of 
 the vault, and found large pieces of iron, and 
 fome fmaller under them of a yellow metal. 
 Sufpedting it to be gold, they picked it up 
 carefully. 
 
 Soon after a friend of theirs going to Lon- 
 don, they defired him to fell thofe bits of yel- 
 low metal ; and he brought them thirty 
 pounds as their mare, after deducing ex- 
 pences. However, this falfe friend, foon after 
 kept race-horfes, and went into different 
 kinds of extravagance, living at a great rate 
 for a fliort time. But not being fuccefsful, 
 he died of what is called a broken heart, and 
 confeffed on his death-bed, that he had 1Q- 
 ceived nine hundred pounds for the gold. 
 
 CXCVII. IMPIOUS PIETY. 
 
 The name of God has often been oddly 
 mifapplied. I have got a warming-pan that 
 belonged to Charles II. and was probably ufed 
 for the beds of his miftrefTes. It is infcribed, 
 Serve God, and live far ever. 
 
 N CXCVI1I. 
 
155 
 
 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 CXCVTII. PAINTING ON VELVET. 
 
 That is a fpecimen of a newly-invented 
 art of painting on velvet. You may fit on 
 it, rub it, bru/h it, and it is never the 
 worfe. 
 
 CXCIX. QUEEN OF JAMES II. 
 
 Lord Hailes is very rich in anecdotes. He 
 is now in town, but L was (hocked to fee him ; 
 he is fo ill with a paralytic complaint that he 
 can hardly fpeak. He told me that the Earl 
 of Stair, when embaffador in Fi ance, fhewed 
 marks of refped to the exiled queen of 
 James II. She fent to thank him, and to 
 fay, that fhe had received lefs attention, where 
 Ihe had reafon to expe£t more. 
 
 Stair faid that the queen bitterly lamented 
 the mifconducl: of her hufband, and imputed 
 the whole blame to Father Petre. 
 
 CC. MINIATURES. 
 
 The chief boaft of my collection is the 
 portraits of eminent and remarkable perfons, 
 particularly the miniatures, and enamels; 
 
 which* 
 
WALPOLIAN A« I57 
 
 which, fo far as I can difcover, are fuperior 
 to any other collection whatever The works 
 I poffefs of Ifaac and Peter Oliver are the beft 
 extant ; and thofe I bought in Wales for 
 300 guineas are as well preferved as when 
 they came from the pencil. 
 
 CCI. STRAWBERRY-HILL. 
 
 The name Strawberry-hill was not, as 
 fome fuppofe, a modern appellation. In the 
 old leafes it is named Strawberry-hill Shot. 
 The houfe was built by a nobleman's coach- 
 man for a lodging-houfe; and fome people of 
 Tank lived in it before it came to me. 
 
 CCII. REYNOLDS. 
 
 Sir Jofhua Reynolds gets avaricious in his 
 old age. My picture of the young ladies 
 Waldegrave is doubtlefs very fine and grace- 
 ful ; but it coft me 800 guineas. 
 
 CCIII. ANANAS. 
 
 The culture of pine-apples was certainly 
 known in England in the time of Charles II. 
 as that picture on my right hand mews. It 
 
 reprefents 
 
158 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 reprefents Rofe the gardener preferring a 
 pine-apple to Charles ; and the likenefs of 
 the king is too marked, and his features too 
 well known, to leave any room for doubt. 
 
 CCIV. ORIGINAL LETTER. 
 
 Stra-ivberry-hill? Aug. 19, 1 7 89. 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 I will not ufe many words, but enough I 
 hope to convince you that I meant no irony 
 in my laft. All I faid of you, and of myfelf, 
 was very fmcere. It is my true opinion that 
 your underftanding is one of the ftrongeft, 
 moit manly, and cleareft, I ever knew ; and 
 as I hold my own to be of a very inferior 
 kind, and know it to be incapable of all found 
 deep application, to all abftra£t fcienceandab- 
 ftract fpeculation, I fhould have been foolilh 
 and very partial, if I had attempted to fneer at 
 you or your purfuits. Mine have always 
 been light, trifling, and tended to nothing but 
 my cafual amufement — I will not fay, with- 
 out a little vain ambition of fhewing fome 
 parts, but never with induftry fufBcient to 
 
 make 
 
WALP0LI AN T A. 1^9 
 
 make me apply them to any thing falid. My 
 ftudies, if they eould be called fo, and my 
 productions, were alike defultory. In my 
 latter age I difcovered the futility both of my 
 objects and writings — I felt how infignificant 
 is the reputation of an author of mediocrity ; 
 and that, being no genius *, 1 only added one 
 name more to a lift of writers ; but had told 
 the world nothing but what it could as well 
 be without. Thefe reflections, were the beft 
 proofs of my fenfe;.and when I could fee 
 through my own vanity, there is lefs wonder 
 .at my difcovering that fuch talents, as I might 
 have had, are impaired at feventy-two. Be- 
 ing juft to myfelf, I am not fuch a coxcomb 
 as to be unjuft to you. Nor did I cover any 
 irony towards you in the opinion I gave you 
 of making deep writings palatable to the mafs 
 of readers. Examine my words, and I am 
 fure you will find that if there was any thing 
 ironic in my meaning, it was levelled at your 
 readers, not at you. It is my opinion thatwho- 
 
 * Too rnodcft. The author of the Myfterious Mother 
 - -was undoubtedly a man of genius— as well as of wit and ge- 
 4iu!ac tafte. 
 
 ever 
 
i6o 
 
 WALPOLI ANA. 
 
 ever wifhes to be read by many, if his fubje£r. is 
 weighty and folid, he muft treat the majority 
 with more than is to his purpofe. Do not 
 you believe that twenty name Lucretius, be- 
 caufe of the poetic commencements of his 
 books, for five that wade through his philofo- 
 phy? 
 
 I promifed to fay but little — and if I have 
 explained myfelf clearly, I have faid enough. 
 It is not my character "to be a flatterer. I do 
 molt fincerely think you capable of great 
 things ; and I mould be a pitiful knave if I 
 told you fo, unlefs it was my opinion. And 
 what end could it anfwer to me ? Your 
 courfe is but beginning — mine is almoft ter- 
 minated. I do not want you to throw a few 
 dairies on my grave * ; and if you make the 
 figure I augur you will, I fhall not be a wit- 
 
 * fine ponderc terram, 
 
 Spirantefque crocos, et in urna perpetuum ve-r. 
 
 Gentle fpirit, the interefted arts and insinuations that mifled 
 thy two laft years of extreme old age, when even talents 
 glimmer ere they die, fhall never injure the impreffions of 
 gratitude ! 
 
 nefs 
 
WALPOLIANA. l6l 
 
 nefs to it. Adieu ! Dear Sir, pray believe 
 me, what I am, 
 
 Yours mod: fincerely, 
 
 Hor. Walpole. 
 
 Vol. II. 
 
 M APPENDIX 
 
{ J«3 ) 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 ART. I. 
 
 LIST OF BOOKS PRINTED AT STRAW- 
 
 p V_/des by Mr. Gray, 1757. noo, 4to. 
 C-Part of Hentzner, i2mo. 1757. 220. 
 % Royal and Noble Authors, iamo. 1758. 300. 
 
 ^Whitworth's Ruffia, ditto. 700. 
 K Spence's Parallel, ditto. 700. 
 (Berkley's Lucan, 4to. 1759. 500. 
 ^Anecdotes of Painting, 1761. 600. 
 \ Second Edition, ditto. 
 » Herbert's Life, 4to. 1764. 200. 
 » Lady Temple's Poems, 1764. 100. 
 I Cornelie Tragedie, iarao. 1768. 200, 150 
 went to Paris. 
 
 EERRY^HILL. 
 
 M2 
 
 Myfterious 
 
164 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 Myfterious Mother, i2mo. 1768. 50 copies. 
 Hoy land's Poems, i2mo. 1769. 300. 
 ^/ Memoires de Grammont, 410. 1771. 100. 
 
 30 to Paris. 
 \>( Letters of Edward VI. 4to. 1 771. 200. 
 A Mifcellaneous Antiquities, 4to. 1772. 500. 
 Mr. Fitzpatrick's Dorinda ; and Fox's verfes 
 
 to Mrs. Crew, 1775. 300. 
 The Sleepwalker Com. 1778. 75 copies. 
 \)f Letter to Editor of Chatterton, 1779. 200, 
 Mr. Miller's Verfes to Lady Hor. Walde- 
 grave, 1780. 150. 
 y Fourth Vol. Anecdotes of Painting. 600, 1. 
 Printed in 1770, not published till 1780. 
 •s^jf Mr. Jones's Ode on Lord Althorp's Marriage, 
 1781. 250. 
 Letter from Thomas Walpole, 410. 1781. 
 120. 
 
 J Tranflation by the Duke ofNivernois, 1785. 
 400. 200 went to Paris.' 
 
 This lift of the Strawberry-hill books was 
 copied in Mr. Walpole's prefence. 
 
 8 
 
 ART. 
 
APPENDIX, 
 
 ART. IL 
 
 THE OLD FRENCH POEMS REFERRED 
 TO, VOL. II. p. 73* 
 
 Comb ten cji hcurcufe la vie de Celuy qui fait fa 
 demeure aux champs, par Philippe de Vitrac y 
 Evcfque de Mcaux. 
 
 Sous feuille verde, fur herbe dele&able, 
 Sur ruy bruyant, et fur claire fontaine, 
 Trouvay lichee une borde portable, 
 La mangeoit Gontier avec dame Helene. 
 
 Frais fromage, laic!, beurre fromagee, 
 
 C re fine, maton, prune, norx, pomme, poire,. 
 
 Cibot, oignon, efcalogne froyee, 
 
 Sur croufte bifc,au gros fel, pour mieuxboire. 
 
 Au goumer beurent, et oifillons harpoyent, 
 Pour rebaudir et Ie dru et Ja drue ; 
 Qui par amours depuis s'entrebaifoyent, 
 Et bouche et ne'e, et polie et barbue. 
 
 Quand eurent prins des doux mcts de nature, 
 Tantoft Gontier, hacbe au eo!, au bois entre: 
 Et dame Helene fi mit toute fa cure 
 A ce buer * qui coeuurs dos et ventre. 
 
 * To wafh linnen. 
 
 M 3 JWj 
 
l66 WALFOLI AN A» 
 
 J'oui Gontier, en abbattant fon arbre, 
 Dieu mercier de fa vie tres feure : 
 ♦* Ne fcay, dit il, que foint piliers de marbre, 
 * Pommeaux luifans, mure veftue de pern-" 
 6lure. 
 
 ** Je n'ay paour de trahifon, tifTue 
 " Sous bien femblant; ne qu'empoifonne (bye 
 " En vaiffeau tl'or. Je n'ay la tefte nue 
 *« Devant tyran, ny genouil qui fe ploye. 
 
 " Verge d r huiffier jamais ne me deboute, 
 " Carjufques la ne me prend convoitife. 
 *' Ambition ne lefcherie grloute: 
 ** Labour me paift en joyeufe franchife. 
 
 " J'aym dameHeleine., et elle moy fans faille, 
 *' Et c'efl a(Tez : de tombel n'avons cure." 
 Lors dis, Helas ! Serf de cour ne vaut maille ! - 
 Mais franc Gontier vaut en or gemme pure ' 
 
 Comb ten 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 167 
 
 Combien eft miferable la- vie du Tyran : par 
 Pierre d'JlUac, Eve [que de Cambray. 
 
 X3ti chafteau (cay fur roche efpouventable, 
 En lieu venteux, la rive perilleufe: 
 La vy tyran, feant a haute table, 
 En grand palais, en fale plantareufe; 
 
 Environne de famille pompeufe, 
 Heine de fraude, d'envie, et de murmure j 
 Vuide de foy, d'amour, de paix joyeufe> 
 Serve fubje£te par convoiteufe ardure. 
 
 Vins et viandes avoit il fans mefure, 
 Chairs et poiflbns occis en mainte guife ; 
 Frou&s, et fauffes de diverfe teinclure, 
 Et entremets faicts par art a devife. 
 
 Le trial glouton par tous guerte et advife : , 
 Pour appetit trouver, et quiert maniere 
 Comment fa-bouche, de lefcherie efprife, 
 Son ventre emplifie comm' bourfe pantonnierc 
 
 Mais faca fiene, pulente cimetiere, 
 Sepulcre a vin, corps bouffi, crafie panfey 
 Pour tous fes biens'en foy n' alie chiere, 
 Car ventre faoul n'a en faveur plaifance. 1 
 M4 Ne 
 
1 68 WALPOLI ANA. 
 
 Ne le delite, jcu, ris, bal, ne danfe, 
 Car tant convoite, tant quiert, et tant defire,, 
 Qu'en rien qu'il ayt n'a vraye fuffifance ; 
 Acquerir veut ou Royaume ou Empire. 
 
 Pour avarice fent douloureux martire ; 
 Trahifon doute, en nully ne fe fie : 
 Coeur a felon, enfls d'orgueil et d'ire, 
 Trijfte, penlif, plein de melancolie. 
 
 Las, trop mieux vaut de fraiic Gontier la vie, 
 Sobre lieffe, et nette pourete, 
 Que pourfuyvir, par orde gloutonnie, 
 Cour de tyran, riche malheurete ! 
 
 ART. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 ART. Hf. 
 
 TWO LETTERS FROM HORACE W A LP OLE. 
 TO THE EARL OF BUCHAN. 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 Berkeley-fquare, Dec.lft, 1781. 
 I AM truly fenfible of, and grateful for r 
 your lordfhip's benevolent remembrance of 
 me, and fhall receive with great refpecT: and 
 pleafure, the collection your lordfhip has 
 been pleafed to order to be fent to me. I mult 
 admire too, my lord, the generous affiftance 
 that you have lent to your adopted children ; 
 but more forcibly than all I feel your pathetic 
 expreffions on the diftrefs of the public, which 
 is vifible even in this extravagant and thought- 
 lefs city. The number of houfes to be let 
 in every ftreet, whoever runs may read. At 
 the time of your writing your letter, your 
 lordfhip did not know the accumulation of 
 misfortune and difgrace that has fallen on us ; 
 nor mould I wifh to be the trumpeter of my 
 country's calamities. Yet as they mult float 
 
 on 
 
37O WALPOLIANA. 
 
 on the furface'of the mind, and blend their 
 hue with all its emanations, they fuggeft this 
 reflection, that there can be no. time fo proper 
 for the inftitution of inquiries into paft ftory 
 as the moment of the fall of an empire — a 
 nation becomes a theme for antiquaries, when 
 it ceafes to be one for an hiftorian ! — and 
 while its ruins are frefh and in legible pre- 
 fervation. 
 
 I congratulate your lordfhip on the djfco- 
 very of the Scottifh monarch's portrait in 
 Suabia, and am forry you did not happen to 
 fpecify of which; but I cannot think of 
 troubling your lordfhip to write again on 
 purpofe ; I may probably find it mentioned 
 in fome of the papers I fhall receive. 
 
 There is one paffage in your lordfhip's let- 
 ter, in which I cannot prefume to think my- 
 felf included , and yet if I could fuppofe I 
 was, it would look like moft impertinent 
 negle6t and unworthinefs of the honour that 
 your lordfhip and the fociety has clone me, 
 if I did not at lead offer very humbly to obey 
 it. You are pleafed to fay, my lord, that 
 the members, when authors, have agreed to 
 
 give 
 
APPENDIX. 171 
 
 give copies of fuch of their works as any way- 
 relate to the objects of the inftitution. 
 Amongft my very trifling publications, I 
 think there are none that can pretend evert 
 remotely to that diftincYion, but the Cata- 
 logue of Royal and Noble Authors, and the 
 Anecdotes of Painting, in each of which are 
 Scottifh authors or artifts. If thefe mould 
 be thought worthy of a coi ner on any llielf 
 of the fociety's library, I mould be proud of 
 lending, at your lordfhip's command, the 
 original edition of the'firft. Of the latter I 
 have not a fmgle fet left but my own. But 
 I am printing a new edition in oclavo, with 
 many additions and corrections, though with- 
 out cuts, as the former edition was too dear 
 for many artifts to purchafe. The new I 
 will fend when finifhed, if I could hope it 
 would be acceptable, and your lordfhip would 
 pleafe to tell me by what channel. 
 
 I am amamed, my lord, to have faid fa 
 much, or any thing, relating to myfelf. I alk 
 your pardon too for the flovenly writing of 
 my letter, but my hand is both lame and 
 making, and I lhould but write worfe if I 
 
 attempted 
 
l>]2, WALPOLI ANA. 
 
 attempted tranfcribing. 1 have the honour 
 to be, with great refpeft, 
 
 My lord, 
 
 Your lordfhip's mofl obedient 
 
 and obliged humble fervant, 
 
 Hor. Walpole. 
 
 P. S. It has this moment ftarted into my 
 mind, my lord, that I have heard that at the 
 old caftle at Aubigny, belonging and adjoin- 
 ing to the Duke of Richmond's houfe, there 
 are hiftoric paintings or portraits of the an- 
 cient houfe of Lenox. I recollect too that 
 Father Gordon, fuperior of the Scots college 
 at Paris, (hewed me a whole length of Queen 
 Mary, young, and which he believed was 
 painted while (lie was Queen of France. He 
 fhewed me too the original letter flie wrote 
 the night before her execution, fome deeds of 
 Scottifh kings, and one of King (I think Ro- 
 bert) Bruce, remarkable for having no, feal 
 appendent, which, Father Gordon faid, was 
 
 executed 
 
APPENDIX. . I73 
 
 executed in the time of his fo great diftrefs 
 that he was not pofleffed of a feal. I fhall be 
 happy if thefe hints lead to any inveftigation 
 of ufe. 
 
 LETTER II. 
 Strawberry-hill, May 12, 1783. 
 
 MY LORD, 
 
 I did not know, till I received the honour 
 of your lordmip's letter, that any obftruction 
 had been given to your charter. I congra- 
 tulate your lordfliip and the fociety on the 
 defeat of that oppofition, which does not feem 
 to have been a liberal one. The purfuit of 
 national antiquities has rarely been an objedt, 
 I believe, with any univerfity : why mould 
 they obftruct others from marching in that 
 track ? I have often thought the Englifh So- 
 ciety of Antiquaries have gone out of their 
 way when they meddled with Roman re- 
 mains, efpecially if not difcovered within our 
 bland. Were I to fpeak out, I mould own 
 that I hoW moft reliques of the Romans, that 
 
 have 
 
174 WALPOLIANA. 
 
 have been found in Britain, of little confe- 
 quence, unlefs relating to fuch emperors as 
 vifited us. Provincial armies ftationed in lb 
 remote and barbarous a quarter as we were 
 then, acted little, produced little worth being 
 remembered. Tombftones ere£ted to legion- 
 ary officers and their families, now dignified 
 by the title of Infcriptions ; and banks and 
 ditches that furrounded camps, which we un- 
 derftand much better by books and plans, than 
 by fuch faint fragments, are given with much 
 pomp, and tell us nothing new. Your lord- 
 lliip's new foundation feems to proceed on a 
 much more rational and more ufeful plan. 
 The biography of the illuftrious of your 
 country will be an honour to Scotland, to 
 thofe illuftrious, and to the authors ; and 
 may contribute confiderably to the general 
 hiftory ; for the invefUgation of particular 
 lives may bring out many anecdotes that mav 
 unfold fecrets of ftate, or explain paffages in 
 fuch hiftories as have been already written ; 
 efpecially as the manners of the times may 
 -enter into private biography, though before 
 
 Voltaire 
 
'APPENDIX. 175 
 
 Voltaire manners were rarely weighed in ge- 
 neral history, though very often the fourees 
 of confiderable events. I {hall be very happy 
 to fee fuch lives as {hall be publifhed, while 
 I remain alive. 
 
 I cannot contribute any thing of confe- 
 quence to your lordthip's meditated account 
 of John Law. I have heard many anecdotes 
 of him, though none that I can warrant, par- 
 ticularly that of the duel for which he fled 
 early. I met the other day with> an account 
 in fome French literary gazette, I forget 
 which, of his having carried off the wife of 
 another man. Lady Catherine Law his wife 
 lived, during his power in France, in the moll: 
 {lately manner. Your lordfhip knows to be 
 lure that he died and is buried at Venice. I 
 have two or three different prints of him,' and 
 an excellent head of him in crayons by Rof- 
 alba, the befl: of her portraits. It is certainly 
 very like, for were the flowing wig converted 
 into a.female head-drefs, it would be the exact 
 refemblance of Lady Wallingford, hisdaugh- 
 ter, whom I fee frequently at the Duchefs of 
 Montrofe's, and who has by no means a look 
 
 of 
 
f]b WALPOLIANA. 
 
 of the age to which fhe is arrived. Law was 
 a very extraordinary man, but not at all an 
 eftimable one. 
 
 Dr. Hunter's magnificent future donation 
 will be a great addition to the collection of 
 curiofities in Scotland, though, 1 fuppofe, 
 not much connected with the purfuits of 
 your fociety : but it will gratify the thirft of 
 knowledge which does your country, my lord, 
 fo much honour. 
 
 I mall wifh much to fee Lord Hailes's 
 life of Barclay, and the other of James Id. 
 when finifhed, and that of the regent Murray. 
 May I alk your lordmip if there is any por- 
 trait known of the lalt ? 
 
 I don't remember whether I ever told 
 your lordmip that there are many charters of 
 your ancient kings preferved in the Scots 
 college at Paris, and probably many other 
 curiofities. I think I did mention many 
 paintings of the old houfe of Lenox in the 
 ancient caftle at Aubigny. Was not one of 
 your countrymen, my lord, conftable of 
 France ? I fufpect my memory is worfe than 
 it was, and therefore you will excufe me 
 
 both 
 
APPENDIX. I77 
 
 both if I make miftakes, forget names, or re- 
 peat what I have faid before, when zeal to 
 obey your commands draws me into blunders 
 or tautology. I have the honour to be 
 
 Your lordfhip's 
 JVToft obedient, humble fervant, 
 
 Hor. Walpole. 
 
 Vol. II. 
 
 N ART. 
 
178 
 
 WALPOLI AN A. 
 
 ART. IV. 
 
 To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine* 
 
 SIR, 
 
 Your anecdote concerning Lady Wort- 
 ley Montague, containing the affertion — 
 4< When the publication was about to take 
 place, Lord Bute, who had married her 
 daughter, fent for the editor, and offered one 
 hundred pounds to fupprefs them. The man 
 took the money, promifed— and publifhed" — 
 is a grofs miftake. My worthy and intimate 
 friend, the Rev. Benjamin Sowden, of Rot- 
 terdam, who died during the American con- 
 teft, informed rue, in fome of thofe annual 
 vifits he paid to Ipfwich (where 1 was once 
 fettled), and to London, to the following 
 purpofe : When Lady Mary Wortley Mon- 
 tague was returning from the continent to 
 England, fhe refided for a while at Rotter- 
 dam, waiting for a twenty-gun frigate to bring 
 her fafely over, as it was a time of war. Dur- 
 ing her ftay Mr. Sowden waited upon her. 
 His good-fenfe, agreeable converfation, and 
 
 fuitable 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 fuitable conduct, were To pleafing to her lady- 
 fhip, that fhe made him a prefent of her 
 manufcript letters • and, in her own hand- 
 writing, attefted her having given them to 
 Mr. Sowden. Lady Bute having been in- 
 formed (probably by Lady Montague's chap- 
 lain), that the manufcripts of her ladyfhip 
 were in the poffeffion of Mr. Sowden, claimed 
 them of him. He confulted, if I miftake 
 not, among others, Meflrs. Cliffords, the 
 bankers. Lord Bute was acquainted with 
 the particular donation of them to Mr. Sow- 
 den. The giving them up was ftill urged. 
 At length Meflrs. Cliffords and Mr. Sowden 
 concluding, that a proper acknowledgment 
 for fo valuable a manufcript treafure would 
 undoubtedly be made, the letters were fafely 
 conveyed to Lady Bute. No acknowledg- 
 ment was made. The letters were fhortly 
 after publifhed, and had an amazing fale. 
 This raifed the fpirits of Meflrs. Cliffords an<l 
 Sowden, and fuch meafures were taken, that 
 the latter was prefented with three hundred 
 pounds. It was at length difcovered, that a 
 Scotchman, who was to enjoy the whole pro- 
 N 2 fits 
 
l8o WALPOLIANA. 
 
 fits of the impreflion, paid the three hundred 
 pounds. I remember, that meeting Mr. Sow- 
 den afterwards at Mr. Field's, the bookfeller, 
 the latter faid to the former, if we had pof- 
 fefled the publiming and fale of them jointly, 
 we lhould each have gotten three hundred 
 pounds. 
 
 Your humble fervant, • 
 5/. Neofs, William Gordon. 
 
 April 9, 1798. 
 
 * * This tale is far from being clearly told. 
 Perhaps for editor, in Mr. Walpole's ac- 
 count of the tranfa&ion, we fhould read 
 bookfeller. The matter is, indeed, of little 
 moment, the chief object being the authen- 
 ticity of Lady M. W. Montague's letters, 
 which Mr. Gordon's (lory confirms. 
 
 Several other epiftles concerning the Wal- 
 poliana are omitted, as proceeding on mere 
 mifapprehenfion, or difference of opinion. 
 
 INDEX. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 
 
 Vol. Page 
 
 Abdication of Philip V. 
 
 
 II. 
 
 147 
 
 Addifon's ftyle of writing, remarks on 
 
 
 I. 
 
 to 
 
 Affections, brutal, inftances of 
 
 
 n. 
 
 7» 
 
 Agrippina, commentaries of - 
 
 
 i. 
 
 98 
 
 Akenfide's Pleafures of Imagination, criticifed 
 
 i. 
 
 134 
 
 Algarotti, remarks on his writings 
 
 
 ii. 
 
 18 
 
 Americans, their chief object, what 
 
 
 ii. 
 
 130 
 
 Ananas, when cultivated in England 
 
 
 ii. 
 
 i57 
 
 Antiquities, mifcellaneous 
 
 
 i. 
 
 65 
 
 Applaufe, the nurfe of genius 
 
 
 i. 
 
 45 
 
 Apparition, a real one 
 
 
 ii. 
 
 131 
 
 Appendix - 
 
 
 ii. 
 
 163 
 
 Arillophanes, compared with modern wits 
 
 
 i. 
 
 53 
 
 Armftrong's works, criticifed 
 
 
 i. 
 
 77 
 
 Architectural folecifm, inflanccd in Kew gardens 
 
 i. 
 
 115 
 
 Architecture, Gothic, thoughts on the origin 
 
 of 
 
 i. 
 
 5/ 
 
 Armour, ancient, remarks on _ - 
 
 
 i. 
 
 S3 
 
 Atterbury, Bilhop, his character 
 
 
 i. 
 
 127 
 
 Atheifm, the offspring of fanaticifm 
 
 
 ii. 
 
 146 
 
 Authors and artifts, Mr. VValpole's opinion 
 
 of 
 
 i. 
 
 23 
 
 N 3 
 
 
 " Authors, 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Vol. Page 
 
 Authors, young, a caution to - - I. 23 
 
 — in flower, the idea of, exemplified - 1-27 
 
 . — remarks on - - - II. 14 
 
 B. 
 
 Bath, Lord, an anecdote of - - I. 64, 
 
 Beards, revived by Francis I. - II. ia8 
 
 Bellamy, Mrs. her Apology decried - I. 67 
 
 Bernis and Flcury, anecdote of - -v I. I 
 
 Berry, the Duchcfs of, an anecdote of - - II. 97 
 
 Biographia Britannica, character of - - I. 73 
 Bloodhounds and cattle, Britilh, remaining ipecU 
 
 mens of - . II. 7& 
 
 Boileau, the merits of - - - 1. 5Z 
 
 his Lutrin a ftandard of grace and elegance I. 53 
 
 Botingbroke, Lord, gratitude of - - I. 125 
 
 Bolton, the Duchefs of, and George I. anecdotes of I. 15 
 
 Bons-Mots, of Charles II. and. others - I. 57 
 
 Book-hunting, the amuTement of Lord *** - I. 6 
 
 Book-making, the prelent ftate of - - I. 108 
 
 Books, the fize of, a remark on - - II. 86 
 
 lounging ones, a catalogue of, deferable - II. 02 
 
 printed at Strawberry-hill, a liit of - II. 1.6 3 
 
 Bookfellers, their flratagems ->. - II. 116 
 
 8 >tTuet's Univerfal Hiftory, flrictures on - II. 113 
 
 Bourbon, Duke of, his character, &c. - II. 148 
 
 Brantome, an opinion of his writings - II. 76 
 
 Britilh empire, Mr.Walpole's idea of the title of I. 49 
 
 Brunfwick, the houfe of, charadlerifed - I. 89. 
 
 Bruce and his Travels, remarks on - H. 2 
 
 Bull, a French one - - - I. 14 
 
 Bulls, 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Vol. Pjgc 
 
 Bulls, the king of - 
 
 {. 
 
 15 
 
 Burnet, Bilhop, Mr. Walpole's opinion of 
 
 L 
 
 22 
 
 — — — his abfence of mind exemplified 
 
 1. 
 
 130 
 
 Burney, Mifs, remarks on her Cecilia - 
 
 I. 
 
 39 
 
 Bufts, a critique on - 
 
 11. 
 
 63 
 
 Bute, Lord, anecdotes of 
 
 I. 
 
 1, 64 
 
 , his miniftry defended - - 
 
 ib. 
 
 c 
 
 Caefarion, of St. Real, praifed 
 
 11. 
 
 7* 
 
 Canada, a curious cuftom there 
 
 I. 
 
 116 
 
 Caroline, Queen, her attention to George II. 
 
 I. 
 
 126 
 
 Carpets, when in ufe - 
 
 11. 
 
 
 Caftle of Otranto, odd coincidenee refpect'uig 
 
 II. 
 
 1 1 1 
 
 Ccllina's bell, to curfe caterpillars 
 
 I. 
 
 116 
 
 Chalk -engraving, defcribed 
 
 II. 
 
 H 
 
 Chambers, the epiftle to, by whom written 
 
 I. 
 
 102 
 
 Chapters, in books of hiftory, improper : 
 
 II. 
 
 H5 
 
 Character of Frances, Duchefs of Richmond 
 
 II. 
 
 Il8 
 
 Charles I. the beft fpecimen of his mental powers 
 
 11. 
 
 3> 
 
 Chefterfield, Lord, anecdote of 
 
 I. 
 
 83 
 
 Ghoifeul, Duke de, his d ; fmiffion 
 
 I. 
 
 3i 
 
 Chriftianity and atheifm, opinion of 
 
 • I. 
 
 74 
 
 Chriftiana, Queen of Sweden, anecdote of 
 
 II. 
 
 87 
 
 Church patronage, how extenfive 
 
 II. 
 
 S' 
 
 Clerical gown, anecdote of a 
 
 I. 
 
 1 
 
 Clerical farcafm - 
 
 11. 
 
 
 Coventry, the Countefs of, her abfence of mind 
 
 I. 
 
 
 Conjugal affection, proofs of - 
 
 I. 
 
 4 
 
 . wit, exemplified 
 
 ib. 
 
 Conftitution of England, what 
 
 I. 
 
 6 
 
 N 4 
 
 Convert 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Vol. Page 
 
 Convert to Methodifm, anecdote of a - I. 13 
 
 Communicant, an ignorant one, ftory of - ib. 
 
 Court politefle, difplayed - - I. 14 
 
 Convenient courage, an example of - - I. 16 
 
 Coals to Newcastle - - - I. 3.1 
 
 Compofnion, dramatic, rrriftures on - I. 41 
 
 Comedy and tragedy, compared - I. 43 
 
 Congreve, his abilities for comic writing considered ib. 
 Cowley, Mr. Walpole's remarks on his ftyle and 
 
 manner - - - - I. 51 
 Connoifleurs - - - I. 73 
 Compton, Sir Spencer, anecdote of - - I. 86 
 Corruption - - - - I. 88 
 Contradiction - - - I. 95 
 Cowley's Miftreffes • - - I. 99 
 Contemporary judgments, thoughts on -'I. 100 
 Courtenay, Lord, his epitaph - I. lot 
 Coventry, Lady, anecdote of - - I. 1 10 
 Colifeum, at Rome, its Stupendous fize - II. 3 
 Compliment elegant, to the Emprefs of Germany II. 18 
 Commandment, enforced, by Marflial Toiras II. 48 
 Concubinage, thoughts on - - II. 60 
 Coucy, Raoul de, his poems and gallantry - II. 64 
 Cornaro on health, once popular - - II. 71 
 Court promifes, unproductive - - II. 93 
 Credit, the want of, how caufed - - I. 99 
 Criticifm, thoughts on - I. 42 
 Critics, verbal, a Itridure on - - II. 112 
 Curiofity and fcepticifm, the chief fprings of know- 
 ledge - - - I. 119 
 
 Cumberland, 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Vol. Page 
 
 Cumberland, William Duke of, an early inftancc 
 
 of his talents - - - I. 127 
 
 Cunning, low, how applied - - - II. 9J 
 
 D. 
 
 Dante, a tranflation of, defirable - _ II. 25 
 Darlington, Countefs of, a miftrefs of George I. L 59 
 Death, modeft, of an aftrefs - _ II. 15 
 De Calliere's book (De la Science du Monde ), re- 
 marks on II. 2 £ 
 Devil, the, a Hkenefs of - - II. 69 
 Democrats, not to be feared - - II. 127 
 Denmark, the late Queen of, remarks on her conduct II. 9a 
 D'Hancarville's book, a criticifm on II. 26 
 Diary of Philip IV. of France - - II. j z 
 Diffenters, portraits of, reprobated - - I. 99 
 Don Quixote, Mr. Wa! pole's judgment of - I. 30 
 Drama, the, defcribed - - - I. 46 
 Dramas, remarks on thofe of Corneille and Racine ib. 
 Dramatic characters, a critique on - I. 39 
 
 compofition, ftrichires on - I. q 0 
 
 Drowning, a new mode of, defcribed - - II. 9$ 
 
 Dryden's ftyle of writing fuperior to Addifon's I. 60 
 
 Du Barry, Madame, an anecdote of . 1-7 
 
 Dubois, Cardinal - - - II. 149 
 Ducarel, Dr. - _ "1-73 
 
 Dunciad, the beauties and defects of - I. 54 
 
 E. 
 
 Egmont, Lord, an anecdote of - • % 64 
 
 Embaffadors, definitions and anecdotes of - II. 57 
 
 Engraving, 
 
INDEX. 
 
 
 Vol. Page 
 
 Engraving, particular modes of, defcribed 
 
 II. 
 
 8 + 
 
 Envy, natural to the human breaft 
 
 I. 
 
 117 
 
 delicately reproved by the Duke D'Anguien 
 
 I. 
 
 63 
 
 Epiftle, fmart, of an officer 
 
 11. 
 
 16 
 
 Equity, in law caufes, rejected 
 
 II. 
 
 4S 
 
 Erudition, remarks on 
 
 II. 
 
 6 
 
 the folly of, exemplified 
 
 u. 
 
 70 
 
 Error, a ftrange one, detected - . 
 
 II. 
 
 5t 
 
 Etrurian earthen ware, Plitaich's account of . 
 
 II. 
 
 6 
 
 Eugene, Prince, a favourite of the Engiifh 
 
 11. 
 
 60 
 
 Extracts, from an uncommon book 
 
 11. 
 
 101 
 
 F. 
 
 F«ce painting, its ill effects - - I. 1 to 
 
 Fact, incredible, recorded of the French Prefident 
 
 Rofes 
 
 11. 
 
 61 
 
 Faction, confuted by facts 
 
 h 
 
 64 
 
 Fame, the chief caufe of - 
 
 I. 
 
 61 
 
 Farces, a critique on O'Keeffe's 
 
 h 
 
 38 
 
 > fome incidental circumstances of 
 
 it. 
 
 65 
 
 . the oldeit, French, when written 
 
 u. 
 
 70 
 
 Fafhions, Engiifh, introduced at Verfailles 
 
 it. 
 
 49 
 
 Fathers, the, Mr. Walpole's opinion of 
 
 11. 
 
 4i 
 
 Favour, divine,, inftances of excefs of 
 
 11. 
 
 70 
 
 Female quarrels, opinion of - 
 
 ii. 
 
 15 
 
 Feftival, fymbolic, of a Dutch merchant 
 
 11. 
 
 95 
 
 Fifh in fafhion, a humorous anecdote 
 
 11. 
 
 90 
 
 Fleury, Cardinal, and de Bernis 
 
 L 
 
 1 
 
 ■ ■ accufed of having accepted bribes 
 
 1. 
 
 37 
 
 Fontenelle, anecdotes of - I. 74. 
 
 II. 62 
 
 • 75 
 
 
 
 Fox, 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Vol. Page 
 
 Fox, Mr. remarks on his India bill 
 
 I. 
 
 93 
 
 ■ his talents - - - 
 
 I. 
 
 10S 
 
 Fools, by profeflion, none now 
 
 II. 
 
 17 
 
 Forgery, of charters, common in the middle ages 
 
 11. 
 
 63 
 
 Frances, Ouchefs of Richmond, the character of 
 
 II. 
 
 11S 
 
 Friars and Monks, diftinguifhed 
 
 II. 
 
 4 
 
 French tragedy, thoughts on, - 
 
 I. 
 
 46 
 
 ■ their views on India, and our navy 
 
 I. 
 
 94 
 
 i ■■■ philofophers, their characters 
 
 I. 
 
 109 
 
 character, a defcription of 
 
 I. 
 
 "5 
 
 nationality, exemplified 
 
 II. 
 
 1 
 
 — -i — royal authors, fome account of - II. 27. 75 
 
 — revolution, reflections on 
 
 II. 
 
 99 
 
 Frederick, Pi inee of Wales 
 
 I. 
 
 89 
 
 Friendlhip, defined - - - 
 
 II. 
 
 59 
 
 a new proof of 
 
 II. 
 
 61 
 
 ■ an act of 
 
 II. 
 
 154 
 
 Froifiart, a French poet, of the 14th century 
 
 II. 
 
 6 7 
 
 Fruit-trees, whence firft imported 
 
 II. 
 
 74 
 
 — — walls, when firft ufed 
 
 ib. 
 
 Furniture, walnut-tree and ebony, formerly fa- 
 
 
 
 fhionable - 
 
 11. 
 
 14 
 
 G. 
 
 
 
 Gabrielle, the Fair (Duchefs of Beaufort) , her amour 
 
 
 
 with Henry IV. of France 
 
 11. 
 
 
 ■„ the manner of her death 
 
 II. 
 
 105. 
 
 m 1 her letter to Henry IV. 
 
 II. 
 
 308 
 
 Garth's Difpenfary, a ftandard of grace and elegance 
 
 I. 
 
 53 
 
 Ganick and Junius, anecdote of 
 
 I. 
 
 69 
 
 George 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Vol. Page 
 
 George I. remembered by Mr. Walpole - 1-2 5 
 
 — — anecdote of - - - I. 127 
 
 George 1. and II. anecdotes of - - I. 58 
 
 George II. and Countefs of Coventry, anecdote of I. 1 
 
 Genealogy, proofs of - ■ - I. 8 
 
 Germain, Sir John, anecdotes of - - I. 119 
 
 Gibbon, Mr. his account of the Courtenay family I. 101 
 
 ■ hiftory, a critique on 1. 106 
 
 ■ — a ridiculous propofal of a bookfeller to II. 136 
 Gray, Mr. when in flower - I. 27 
 
 ■ the politics of - - I. 29 
 the two beautiful odes of - I. 46 
 
 compared with Hume - - I. 8 1 
 
 his perfon, religious principles, quarrel 
 
 with Mr. Walpole, tafte for antiquities, &c. I. 55 
 
 a criticifm on his works - 1 1. 2 
 
 Grace, in compofition, defined - - 1. 47 
 
 peculiar to Virgil, Addifon, 
 
 Shakefpeare, Horace, Tibullus, Propertius, Wal- 
 ler, Milton, Racine, and Petrarch - I. 48 
 
 of the Grecians, in the arts and fciences I. 50 
 
 Grammont, Memoires de, miftakes therein rectified II. 7 
 
 Greek writers, their idea of wit and humour I. 53 
 
 Government, maxim of, Sir Robert Walpole's I. $8 
 
 H. 
 
 Hamilton, Single-fpeech, fufpefted to be Junius I. 69 
 
 Hanmcr's Shakefpeare - - I. 63 
 
 H^rJouin, a madman, his literary opinions - II. 40 
 
 Henley, Anthony, an anecdote of - - I. j6 
 
 Henault, remarks on his tragedy of Cornelie Vcftale I. 46 
 
 Henry 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Vol. Page 
 
 Henry VIII. his policy refpecting the church lands I. 30 
 Henry IV. of France, anecdotes of I. 86. II. 102 to 110 
 
 ' his amour with the fair Ga- 
 
 brielle - - - - II. 10Z 
 
 ' ■ ' domeftic portrait of - II. 137 
 
 Heroilm of a peafant, inftance of - - I. 13a 
 
 Heretics, when firft burnt in England - II. 78 
 
 Hieroglyphical flatue - - - II. 17 
 
 Hiftory of England, Smollet's - - I. 60 
 
 how uncertain - - - I. 117 
 
 the ftudy of, ufeful to a ftatefman - II. 1 3 
 
 ■ the beft kinds of - II. 96 
 
 • H'adley, Bifhop, anecdotes of . I. 6z 
 
 Hob and Nob, a humorous perverfion of the phrafe I. 14. 
 
 Hollis, Mr. his publications - - I. 5 
 
 Holland, Lord, anecdotes of - - I. 6j 
 Howard, Mr. and the Countefs of Suffolk, anecdotes 
 
 of - - - - I. 84 
 
 Hudibras, Dr. Greg's - - - I. 63 
 
 — — — — Townley's - - - I. 71 
 
 Human nature, the credulity peculiar to - II. 77 
 
 Hume, Mr. Walpole's opinion of - - I. zz. 81 
 
 Hurd's, Bifhop, a critique on his works - I. 137 
 
 Hypercriticifm of Lord Hailes - - II. 31 
 
 ll J- 
 
 James If. character of - - - I. 97 
 
 ' obfervation of his Queen to Lord Stair II. 156 
 
 James I. and the Duke of Richmond, anecdote of II. ii3 
 
 Jenkins, a tool of the oppofition. - I. 135 
 
 Ignorant naivete, exemplified - - II. 46 
 
 Illuminations, 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Vol. P.ige 
 
 I J lu mi tin tions, the firH, when — 
 
 II. 
 
 7 8 
 
 Impofitions - - * 
 
 I. 
 
 45 
 
 Infanity, fymptoms of - ™ 
 
 I. 
 
 6 
 
 tnUOlCIlLLj OI lliC L/UK.C OI i.>ICVVt»dlUt, oil iiiiLauv-t 
 
 I, 
 
 
 Infidelity - - - . . 
 
 I. 
 
 74 
 
 Johnfon, Dr. remarks on his Dictionary and Effays 
 
 I. 
 
 5 A' 
 
 moral character 
 
 I. 
 
 35 
 
 Jockcyfliip, or an anecdote of Louis XI. - 
 
 Hi 
 
 5 1 
 
 Junius. conie6lurcs as to his identity 
 
 I. 
 
 68 
 
 Jufticc, the value of, reco^nited 
 K. 
 
 ECendall, Duchefs ofj a mi^trets of George I« • 
 
 II. 
 
 i 3 
 
 1, 
 
 59 
 
 JC ingj the, an anecdote of — * 
 
 |j 
 
 64 
 u( r 
 
 King, a, and a republic, compared to a "'iquire and 
 
 
 
 veft ry ~ - • 
 
 j j 
 
 , , ft 
 
 Kippis, Dr. an anecdote of 
 
 r. 
 
 73 
 
 JCnovvles's Hiltorv of 'the Turks, .critic i fed ~ 
 
 ji. 
 
 40 
 
 ICnowled^e of the world} ltstendcncy ** 
 
 11. 
 
 77 
 
 Konin°Tma! k, Count, an anecdote of *■— 
 
 j. 
 
 5° 
 
 L. 
 
 Lachrymatories > 
 
 11. 
 
 148 
 
 Languet's Letters, Lord Hailes's edition 
 
 sr. 
 
 6 
 
 Lattin, or tin, derivation of the word 
 
 11. 
 
 84 
 
 Lavater's opinion of Lord Anfon, erroneous 
 
 1. 
 
 35 
 
 Law, the trick of a Jew and a Chriftian to evade it 
 
 11. 
 
 '3 
 
 Legacy, foreftalled -' - 
 
 it 
 
 39 
 
 Letters, original, of Mr. Walpole - I. 18. 38 
 
 to 45 
 
 73. 
 
 103. izi. 130. It. 2c. 28. 32. 41. 52. 67. 81. 88. 
 
 ,93. 100. 158. 1 6.5. 
 
 Le 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Vol. Page 
 
 Le Vayer, the French Plutarch, his EiTays - II. 131 
 
 Lewis, Mr. his title of Monk, erroneous - I. 5 
 
 Literature, revolutions in - I. 61 
 Literary focieties, in England and France, different in 
 
 principle - - . I. 113 
 
 Lorke, Mr. and King William, an anecdote of I. 59 
 
 Louis XIV. an anecdote of - - II. u 7 
 
 the devotion of - II. 149 
 
 Lucian, compared with modern wits - - I. 153 
 
 M. 
 
 Madame Elizabeth, anecdotes of - II 
 Manners, modern, the progreis of 
 Marlborough, the Duke of, and Mifs Jennings 
 the Duchefs of, her hauteur to Queen 
 
 Anne 
 
 ■ Pope's treatment of 
 and Bifhop Burnet 
 
 Mary, Queen of Scots, remarks on her letter to Eli- 
 zabeth - 
 — her apologies, &c. 
 
 portraits of 
 
 Marriage, an inftance of an equal one 
 
 ■ extraordinary, of the defendants of 
 
 Charles I. and Oliver Cromwell 
 Mafon, the poet, compjred with Gray 
 
 and Mr.Walpole, their quarrel 
 
 an anecdote of 
 
 his apoflacy 
 
 99, 100 
 II. <>6 
 1. 7© 
 
 I. 128 
 I. 129 
 I. 130 
 
 I- 35 
 
 I. 36 
 
 I. 70 
 
 II. 100 
 
 I. 137 
 I. 46 
 I. 88 
 
 I. 92 
 L 93 
 
 Maflillon's 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Vol. Page 
 
 Maffillon's eloquence ' - - - II. 1 14 
 Mathematical reafoning injurious to the other modes 
 
 of ratiocination - - - I. 1 1 3 
 
 Metaphor, a pretty one, by Mrs. D. - I. 7 
 
 Metaftafio's operas, remarks on I. 47 
 
 Methodifm - - - - I. 76 
 
 Medal, odd, of Lucy, Duchefs of Portfmouth H. 14 
 
 Metonymy, inftances of . II, 49 
 
 Men, the real value of - • H, 127 
 
 Miniltry, an innocent one, flory applicable to I. 11 
 
 Minifiers two, a curious anecdote of I. 32 
 
 -' ■ of George 11. all whig, - I. 37 
 
 Milton, Mr. Walpole's opinion of - . 1-35 
 ■■ his fuperior excellence in the graces of com- 
 
 pofition - - - 1. 51 
 ' his Allegro, Penferofo, and Comus, opi- 
 nion of - jb. 
 Mifcellaneous antiquities, Mr. Walpole's - I. 65 
 Mills, when introduced in England - - II. 73 
 Miniatures, Mr. Walpole's collection of - II. 156 
 Mifer, a fplendid one II. j^o 
 Modena, Duchefs of, anecdote of - - II. 97 
 Montngue, Lady Wortley, her Letters - I. 3 
 
 habitually flovenly ib. 
 
 • a playfellow of Mr. 
 
 VValpole . jb p 
 
 ■■ and Madame Sevigne, 
 
 compared - _ _ I. 8i 
 
 ■ anecdote of - J. Qa 
 
 -' " 1 — her defence of Lady 
 
 Sundon - i - - I. 129 j 
 
 Monks 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Vol. Page 
 
 Monks and friars, diftinguiftred - - I. 4 
 
 Monk, General, his remonftrance to Charles II. I. 65 
 
 Montefquieu, a witty remark on his celebrated work I. 13$ 
 
 Monafteries, the ufe of, explained - - II. 58 
 
 'Mountfort, the player, the murder of - I. 96 
 
 Myfterious Mother, fome obfervations on , ~ I. 27 
 
 N. 
 
 Naivete, of the Prefident de la Rofc, inftance of II. 66 
 
 1 — ' children, fometimes curious - II. 74 
 
 and ignorance, a rifible inftance of - . II. 2c 
 
 Napier, Lord, comment on his writing - -I. j jj, 
 
 -Narbonne, the Archbifhop of, an anecdote of II. 38 
 
 Nerves, weak, a humorous inftance of , 
 
 Newsfile, Duke of, an anecdote of . I. 33 
 
 News, a Gazette of, firft publithed at Paris M. 25 
 
 Newfpapers, the prefent good ftyle of - I. 60 
 
 Newton, Sir Ifaac, ftri&uie on his writing - I. ha 
 
 Ninon de l'Enclos, a portrait of - - II. ,148 
 
 Novel, a new idea for - - - I. 31 
 
 - of the Countefs de Mortane - - -II„ »W 
 
 P. 
 
 Oath, emphatic, of a puritan » 
 
 its value, indicated ' 
 
 Obligation, odd, of the Duke de Roquelaure 
 O'Keeffe's farces, a critique on 
 Omiflions not always lapfes 
 Oppofition, to the miniftersof George II. who 
 Oppofition parties, feldom unanimous 
 Vol. II. O 
 
 II- ,4 
 
 II. 50 
 
 II. 37 
 
 I. 33 
 
 I* 44 
 
 I- 37 
 
 II. 116 
 , Qpiurnj, 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Vol. Page 
 
 Opium, its good effc&s - - I. 103 
 
 Oflbry, Lord, penfioned - - - I. 63 
 
 Orleans, the Regent Duke of, a witticifm on I. 110 
 ■ and his daughters, an 
 
 anecdote of - - H • 97 
 » 1 his ambition and trca- 
 
 f on - - - - ' II. 1*4 
 
 P. 
 
 Fainting, Mr. Gibbon's Anecdotes of - II. 8-4 
 
 .... 1 - never loft in Italy - - ib. 
 
 ■ ■ on velvet - - - U- 156 
 
 Patronage of authors, now obfolete - - I. 11a 
 
 Pauw, an ingenious author, remarks on - II. 64 
 
 Pearls, remarks on, and anecdotes of - II. 38 
 
 Pembroke, Lord, his eccentricities - - I- 9 1 
 Philip 111. of Spain, a vi&im to the etiquette of his 
 
 court - - - - II. 115 
 Phyfiognomy, Lavater's, remarks on - I. 35 
 Piety, miftaken, an inftance of H. 39 
 Piety, impious - - - H- I S5 
 Pitt, Mr. and the Duke of Newcaftle, an anec- 
 dote of - - 33 
 Poems, the old French, referred to in Vol. II. p. 73 II. 165 
 Poetical epochs, two favourite ones - - I. 40 
 Poetry and poets, ancient French, fome account of II, 73 
 Poiflardcs and Louis XIV. an anecdote of - II. *9 
 Politics, the extent of in England - - II. 117 
 Pope, Mr. remarks on him, as an author. - I. 34 
 
 — unfuccefsful in his Ode to St. Cecelia I. 4° 
 
 ' ■ his Rape of the Lock, a ftandard of grace I. 53 
 
 Pope, 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Vol. Page 
 
 Pope, Mr. his conduit to theDuchefs of Marlborough I. 129 
 
 Pope, Innocent XI. an anecdote of - - I. in 
 
 Portraits, antique, likenefs in s - - I. 25 
 
 ' fupei ior to the modern - ib. 
 
 Portraits, of Mary Queen of Scots - - I. 7» 
 Portrait painting, preferable to that of landfcape and 
 
 hiftory - - - - I. aS- 
 
 Poulct, Lord William, his ignorance - I. 17 
 
 Preaching, the foolilhnefs of, exemplified - II. 56 
 
 Prejudices, a French bon tnrvato on this topic II. 45 
 
 Premature child, an idea of, confuted - II. 14 
 
 Price of making a park into a garden - I. 8 
 
 Princefs (Caroline) of Wales, anecdote of - I. 86 
 
 Proverb, beautiful - - - II. 36 
 
 — — — provincial - • II. 124 
 
 Pun, on the Earl of Leicester's railing - I. 9 
 
 Public virtue, Mr.Walpole's opinion of I. 24 
 
 Puff drefs, a means of notoriety - - II. 12 
 
 Puzzle, legal, of a French advocate - — - II. 62 
 
 Queftion, artful, of Dominico the French harlequin II. 66 
 
 Quin, a witticifm of - - I. jo 
 
 Quixote Don, Mr. Walpole's judgment of - I. 30 
 
 a critique on - - ib. 
 
 Quotation, an apt one - - - II. 51 
 
 R. 
 
 Racine, his excellence in grace, in compofition I. 5a 
 Ramfay, Chevalier, anecdotes of - 
 
 Raynal, l'Abbe', nationality of - II. t 
 
 O 2 Reynolds, 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Vol. 
 
 Page 
 
 Reynolds, Sir Jofhua, the candid judgment of 
 
 I. 
 
 23 
 
 • ■ avaricious in his old age 
 
 11. 
 
 '57 
 
 Revolutions, never attempted by good men 
 
 I. 
 
 45 
 
 Republics 
 
 h 
 
 9 8 
 
 Ridicule, not the teft of truth 
 
 It 
 
 4 
 
 Reading, ufelefs, denned 
 
 II. 
 
 3° 
 
 Reproof, emphatic, an inftance of 
 
 IT; 
 
 45 
 
 ' delicate, to Cardinal Dubois 
 
 II. 
 
 58 
 
 Retort, a fpirited one - - 
 
 II. 
 
 60 
 
 Revenge, an inftance of - 
 
 II. 
 
 91 
 
 Rhime, when firlt known in Europe 
 
 II. 
 
 66 
 
 Riddle, of a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage 
 
 II. 
 
 19 
 
 Richlieu, conjectures concerning his writings 
 
 II. 
 
 7i 
 
 Royal favour, an anecdote of 
 
 1. 
 
 7 
 
 . Rofs, Lord, his reprobate conduct on his death-bed 
 
 I. 
 
 1 1 
 
 Bobertfon, Dr. his political opinion 
 
 I. 
 
 "29 
 
 ■ miftakes of, in his Hifiory of Charles V. 
 
 II. 
 
 50 
 
 Robinfon, Sir Thomas, anecdote of 
 
 II. 
 
 13 1 
 
 Romance tongue, the period of its commencement 
 
 11. 
 
 j8 
 
 Rotrou's tragedy of Venceflas, remarks on 
 
 II. 
 
 26 
 
 Roulfeau, his abfurdities expofed 
 
 11. 
 
 91 
 
 s. 
 
 Sacerdos, &c. parodied by Mr. Goftling 
 
 I. 
 
 J14 
 
 Scepticifm and curiofity the chief fprings of know- 
 
 
 
 ledge - - ■ ■ . 
 
 J- 
 
 119 
 
 Scotch highlanders, an anecdote of . 
 
 11. 
 
 ?6 
 
 Secret fervices - - • 
 
 I. 
 
 \«3 
 
 Selwyn, George, a pun of his on Bruce 
 
 11. 
 
 3 
 
 Selfifhnefs, an inftance of - 
 
 !?• 
 
 3S 
 
 fcemiramis, Voltaire's tragedy of, praifed 
 
 II. 
 
 65 
 
 -Sentimental 
 
I. II 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Vol. Page 
 
 Sentimental writing, a remark on - - I. T ,^ 
 
 Serres, John de, the Serranus who publifhed Plato JI. 73 
 
 Sevigne', Madame de, remarks on her writings J. 55 
 
 atld Lady Montague compared I. 80 
 
 Sheridan, Mr. his high character - - I. 44. 
 
 Sigerius, a vifionary, an anecdote of - - I. 100 
 
 Sinclair, Sir John, anecdote of . I. 63 
 
 Smollett's Hi ftory of England - - I. 60 
 
 Song-writing, Mr.Walpole's remarks on - J. 30. 
 
 ■ " Mr. Shenftone unfuccefsful in » - jb. 
 
 Spanifh etiquette, the feverity of - - II 5 
 
 Squirrels and mice •- . ' . _ I 71 
 Squabble, ecclefiaflical - 
 St. Catharine, of Sienna, the Hiftory of her Life 
 
 mentioned . . . _ II 40 
 
 Staniflaus (King), an ingenious bon-mot of his I. 7 
 
 Story, applicable to an innocent miniftry - I. if 
 
 Style, in writing, remarks on - - I. 60 
 
 Stupid ftories, fometimes laughable - 1 Jc g 
 
 Sterne's want of feeling exemplified - - J x ^ 
 
 Step, the firft, the only difficult one, a proverb JJ. 4 
 
 Staal, Madame de, ber buft characleriit'c - JI. 63 
 
 State compliment - _ tt 
 
 1 - II. 147 
 
 Strawberry-hill, origin of . . II. 157 - 
 
 Style, meagre, a critique on - _ H. Il l 
 
 Suffolk, Countefs of, anecdotes of - \ 83,84 
 
 Sully, his Memoirs - " 
 
 • opinion on flare affairs - _ * jb. 
 
 the rirft of minifters - - II. 13 
 
 Sutton. General, and Sir Robert Walpole's valet I. JO 
 
 Swift, his flyle corrcft and elegant . I. 49. 60 
 
 ambitious, and of a bad heart - - I. iz6 
 
 Svlrhs 
 
 I. 117 
 
INDEX. 
 
 
 Vol. 
 
 Page 
 
 Sylphs and grandouers, fimilac 
 
 11. 
 
 T7 
 
 Suckling, Rev. Mr. an anecdote of - 
 
 T 
 
 1* 
 
 X 
 
 T. 
 
 
 
 Tacitus, a jeft-book, by him 
 
 i. 
 
 99 
 
 Tale, a ftrange one - 
 
 i. 
 
 138 
 
 — of Thomas de St.Valery and Adele his wife 
 
 ik 
 
 128 
 
 Temper, paflionate and patient, inftances of 
 
 i. 
 
 10 
 
 Teftament, an unexceptionable one, impollible 
 
 ii. 
 
 47 
 
 Thames and Ifis, the name of the latter corrected 
 
 ii. 
 
 rt _ 
 »7 
 
 Thynne, Mr. Verfes on and anecdotes of 
 
 ii. 
 
 "3 
 
 Title, French, a Angular one, mentioned 
 
 ii. 
 
 87 
 
 Townley's Hudibras - 
 
 i. 
 
 7i 
 
 Tragedy and comedy, compared 
 
 i. 
 
 43 
 
 Trifles, refpecYing Mr. Walpole 
 
 i. 
 
 61 
 
 Truth, an ingenious remark on 
 
 it. 
 
 64 
 
 Two peifons in one — 
 
 ii. 
 
 126 
 
 Tygre Natioaal, an appellation demonftrative 
 
 of 
 
 
 French civifm - 
 
 11. 
 
 
 ■ - TT 
 
 u • 
 
 
 
 Univerfities, opinions refpecting them 
 / 
 
 I. 
 
 59 
 
 V. 
 
 
 
 Vcrtue, his portrait of Mary Queen of Scots 
 
 I. 
 
 70 
 
 Vegetables, whence firft imported 
 
 II. 
 
 73 
 
 Vcrtot, an anecdote of - 
 
 I. 
 
 134 
 
 Vices, the mother of, a witticifm on 
 
 I. 
 
 110 
 
 Virgil, renowned for the harmony of his compofition I. 4S 
 
 Virgil, 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Vol. Pag E 
 
 Virgil, his /Eneid and Georgics, characters of . I. 48 
 
 Virtue, public, the hiftory of, where to be fouud XL 91 
 
 Virtuofi, their unprincipled avidity - - I. 120 
 
 Voltaire and Addifon, their interview difcredited I. 8 
 
 1 1 ■ Mr.Walpole, anecdote of - - I. 31 
 
 v Rolt, anecdotes of - - I. no 
 
 • compared with Eoileau, Garth, Pope, Vir- 
 gil, and Lucan - _ _ 1-53 
 
 • his tragedy of Semi ramis, praifed - II. 65 
 Letters, remarks on II. 88 
 
 W. 
 
 Walpole, Mr. fchoolfellow with Lord Bute - I. 2 
 
 1 1 his opinion of power - - I. 3 
 
 ■ playfellow with Lady W. Montague ib. 
 Original Letters of - I. 18. 38 to 43. 78. 
 
 103. 121. 130. II. 20. 28. 32. 41. 52.67.81.88. 
 93- 100. 158. 
 
 ■ ■ ■ his hours of compofition - I. 22 
 
 — ' his mifcellaneous antiquities - I. 65 
 
 ■ an anecdote of - - I. 71 
 
 ' and Mr. Mafon, their quarrel - I. 88 
 
 his age ~- . I. 92. II. ?0 
 
 1 ■ no author I. 1D g 
 
 Walpole, Sir Robert, accufed of accepting bribes I. 37 
 
 ■ and Shippen, an anecdote of ib. 
 
 ■ and George I. and II. - I, 58 
 
 .' 1 his opinion of hiftory - I. 60 
 
 . m ■ ■ his fecret-fervice money I. 63 
 
 ' ' anecdotes of - I. 84. 86 
 
 * ' 1 1 aphorifms of I. 88 
 
 Walpole., 
 
INDEX, 
 
 
 
 Vol. Page 
 
 inr alpoiCj Sir Robert, his maxims of government 
 
 T 88 
 1. oo 
 
 
 1. 126 
 
 V^ar, amufements of - _ - 
 
 T A1 
 
 It 47 
 
 "Well-doer, an anecdote of 
 
 TT At 
 
 **• 45 
 
 Weather, a common topic . » 
 
 II.' 126 
 
 Whig, defcription of a modern one - 
 
 I. 96 
 
 Whigs and Tones - • 
 
 ID. 
 
 "W heeler infect, defcribed ~ — 
 
 11 . 95 
 
 Willces, the patnotifm of i. — 
 
 
 ■ in the nay of France - 
 
 ID. 
 
 i dinged to Lord Bute 
 
 lb. 
 
 William irving i, diiu ivir. i_ah.ivc - — 
 
 
 - character of - 
 
 I. 97 
 
 Wines, whence feverally imported 
 
 II. 83 
 
 Writing, eafy, not eafily to be read 
 
 11. 62 
 
 Wig and hat, introduced by Francis I. 
 
 II. 128 
 
 V 
 
 
 Yorke, Sir Jofeph, and the Duke of Newcaille, 
 
 an 
 
 antcdute of - 
 
 1. i% 
 
 THE END. 
 
 
 The Binder is requejled to place Silver Paper 
 before the Copper-plate Title r , and the Plate 
 of Fac Similes facing Page 1 of Vol. I. 
 
 Printed by T. Bensley, 
 Bolt Ceurt, Fleet Street, London.