COMPIEGNE, 26th August 1766.

DEAR SIR—­It is, you may believe, with the greatest concern that I find myself obliged to give you an account of a slight fever from which the Duke of Buccleugh is not yet entirely recovered, though it is this day very much abated.  He came here to see the camp and to hunt with the King and the Court.  On Thursday last he returned from hunting about seven at night very hungry, and ate heartily of a cold supper with a vast quantity of sallad, and drank some cold punch after it.  This supper, it seems, disagreed with him.  He had no appetite next day, but appeared well and hearty as usual.  He found himself uneasy on the field and returned home before the rest of the company.  He dined with my Lord George Lennox, and, as he tells me, ate heartily.  He found himself very much fatigued after dinner and threw himself upon his servant’s bed.  He slept there about an hour, and awaked about eight at night in a good deal of disorder.  He vomited, but not enough to relieve him.  I found his pulse extremely quick.  He went to bed immediately and drank some vinegar whey, quite confident that a night’s rest and a sweat, his usual remedy, would relieve him.  He slept little that night but sweat profusely.  The moment I saw him next day (Sunday) I was sure he had a fever, and begged of him to send for a physician.  He refused a long time, but at last, upon seeing me uneasy, consented.  I sent for Quenay, first ordinary physician to the King.  He sent me word he was ill.  I then sent for Senac; he was ill likewise.  I went to Quenay myself to beg that, notwithstanding his illness, which was not dangerous, he would come to see the Duke.  He told me he was an old infirm man, whose attendance could not be depended on, and advised me as his friend to depend upon De la Saone, first physician to the Queen.  I went to De la Saone.  He was gone out, and was not expected home that night.  I returned to Quenay, who followed me immediately to the Duke.  It was by this time seven at night.  The Duke was in the same profuse sweat which he had been in all day and all the preceding night.  In this situation Quenay declared that it was improper to do anything till the sweat should be over.  He only ordered him some cooling ptisane drink.  Ouenay’s illness made it impossible for him to return next day (Monday) and De la Saone has waited on the Duke ever since, to my entire satisfaction.  On Monday he found the Duke’s fever so moderate that he judged it unnecessary to bleed him....  To-day, Wednesday, upon finding some little extraordinary heat upon the Duke’s skin in the morning, he proposed ordering a small quantity of blood to be taken from him at two o’clock, but upon returning at that hour he found him so very cool and easy that he judged it unnecessary.  When a French physician judges bleeding unnecessary, you may be sure that the fever is not very violent.  The Duke has never had the smallest headache nor any pain in any part of his body; he has