[Footnote 3:  Gray, in reference to this letter, writes thus to Dr. Wharton, on the 5th of March:—­“Mr. Walpole writes me now and then a long and lively letter from Paris, to which place he went the last summer, with the gout upon him; sometimes in his limbs; often in his stomach and head.  He has got somehow well (not by means of the climate, one would think) goes to all public places, sees all the best company, and is very much in fashion.  He says he sunk, like Queen Eleanor, at Charing Cross, and has risen again at Paris.  He returns again in April; but his health is certainly in a deplorable state.”—­Works by Mitford, vol. iv. p. 79.]

SITUATION OF AFFAIRS IN ENGLAND—­CARDINAL YORK—­DEATH OF STANILAUS LECZINSKI, EX-KING OF POLAND.

TO SIR HORACE MANN.

PARIS, Feb. 29, 1766.

I have received your letters very regularly, and though I have not sent you nearly so many, yet I have not been wanting to our correspondence, when I have had anything particular to say, or knew what to say.  The Duke of Richmond has been gone to England this fortnight; he had a great deal of business, besides engagements here; and if he has failed writing, at least I believe he received yours.  Mr. Conway, I suppose, has received them too, but not to my knowledge; for I have received but one from him this age.  He has had something else to do than to think of Pretenders, and pretenders to pretensions.  It has been a question (and a question scarcely decided yet) not only whether he and his friends should remain Ministers, but whether we should not draw the sword on our colonies, and provoke them and the manufacturers at home to rebellion.  The goodness of Providence, or Fortune by its permission, has interposed, and I hope prevented blood; though George Grenville and the Duke of Bedford, who so mercifully checked our victories, in compassion to France, grew heroes the moment there was an opportunity of conquering our own brethren.  It was actually moved by them and their banditti to send troops to America.  The stout Earl of Bute, who is never afraid when not personally in danger, joined his troops to his ancient friends, late foes, and now new allies.  Yet this second race of Spaniards, so fond of gold and thirsting after American blood, were routed by 274; their whole force amounting but to 134.  The Earl, astonished at this defeat, had recourse to that kind of policy which Machiavel recommends in his chapter of back-stairs.  Caesar himself disavowed his Ministers, and declared he had not been for the repeal, and that his servants had used his name without his permission.  A paper was produced to his eyes, which proved this denial an equivocation.  The Ministers, instead of tossing their places into the middle of the closet, as I should have done, had the courage and virtue to stand firm, and save both Europe and America from destruction.