friends. I wish you to send me the Almanach Royal for this year, which has not yet come to England, and a pattern of a small Sève dessert plate. It has rained a good deal every day for the last week, but the hay is not yet down, and the capital is very healthy.

Sir Francis Bassett has lost five members out of seven, and the Coalition declines hourly. Lord North the other day made an excellent speech against the reform of Parliament, and attacked with spirit the half-measures of Mr. Byng. Nothing against me.

I drink the Baron de Blome's health, and the Sardinian ambassador's. Not a word is mentioned here of the Denmark marriage. I really think the King's second daughter is one of the most beautiful young women I ever beheld, and her look is that of perfect benevolence and sweetness of temper. She resembles

the King as much as the Princess Royal does the Queen.

I enclose you Neptune, the translation of which would certainly amuse the Dutchess.

The servants all send their duty. Remember me to Mademoiselle Sophie. Adieu!

I wish the Marquis de Lusignan would send me one Sève figure. Pray hint it to the Baron. I am captivated by the delicacy of the Sève biscuit.

Were Benevolence to assume a human form, the goddess would appear in the person of the Dutchess de la Valliere,

LETTER XII.

Friday, June 25, 1784.

IF my daughter had been with me yesterday, my happiness had been completed, for I was unanimously re-elected Chamberlain. An exceedingly numerous and respectable Common Hall gave me every hand, voice, and demonstration of affectionate regard. regard. I expected from the sour leaven of Fox's and Byng's partisans, the unpleasing sound of hissses or groans, but nothing reached the ear but the loudest plaudits, and I never saw more general good-humour and satisfaction. Mr. Tomlins teased the Livery before the choice of new Auditors with a long unmeaning harangue, which was answered in the same style by the old Auditors. No

thing, however, was agreed to, as to any alteration in the mode of keeping accounts, and the whole scheme is for the present laid aside.

Poor T-rn-r's

debts

amount

to

38,000l. ; to pay which there is only 14,000l.

I have settled the business of young S. I have had several conversa.. tions with Mr. Angelo about his nephew's conduct, the extravagant generosity and absurdity of which I highly condemn. Yet the circumstance of the ship the Duke of Athol being blown up, and depriving him of every thing, strikes forcibly on my mind. I have since another letter from him, three hundred miles up the country, and he promises that he never will draw upon me again, and talks of making me remitI have therefore settled the bu

tances.

siness in the following manner: 2007, to be

paid Oct. 20, 1785, and the other 2007. October 20, 1786, with legal interest, by which I have saved the jeune étourdi from all the horrors of an arrest in a strange land.

Pray remember me kindly to Panchaud, and respectfully to the Chevalier de Chatelleux.

I wish you to profit to the utmost by your stay at Paris. I have seen Mr. Paice this morning here about other particulars of your City business, and he is all goodness, and has great intelligence. Without him I can contrive every thing for your stay till after the Dutchess's birthday. The unanimous re-election of the Chamberlain gives infinite credit,

and you may profit by it.

the Dutchess seems the

The fête of

epoch to fix

your departure, and the return by Spa highly desirable for your pleasure; but perhaps, after what I wrote in my last