The death of the Prince of Wales, who was more beloved for his affability and good-nature than esteemed for his steadiness and conduct, has given concern to many, and apprehensions to all.  The great difference of the ages of the King and Prince George presents the prospect of a minority; a disagreeable prospect for any nation!  But it is to be hoped, and is most probable, that the King, who is now perfectly recovered of his late indisposition, may live to see his grandson of age.  He is, seriously, a most hopeful boy:  gentle and good-natured, with good sound sense.  This event has made all sorts of people here historians, as well as politicians.  Our histories are rummaged for all the particular circumstances of the six minorities we have had since the Conquest, viz, those of Henry III., Edward III., Richard II., Henry VI., Edward V., and Edward VI.; and the reasonings, the speculations, the conjectures, and the predictions, you will easily imagine, must be innumerable and endless, in this nation, where every porter is a consummate politician.  Dr. Swift says, very humorously, that “Every man knows that he understands religion and politics, though he never learned them; but that many people are conscious that they do not understand many other sciences, from having never learned them.”  Adieu.

LETTER CXXXVII

London, April 7, O. S. 1751

My dear friend:  Here you have, altogether, the pocketbooks, the compasses, and the patterns.  When your three Graces have made their option, you need only send me, in a letter small pieces of the three mohairs they fix upon.  If I can find no way of sending them safely and directly to Paris, I will contrive to have them left with Madame Morel, at Calais, who, being Madame Monconseil’s agent there, may find means of furthering them to your three ladies, who all belong to your friend Madame Monconseil.  Two of the three, I am told, are handsome; Madame Polignac, I can swear, is not so; but, however, as the world goes, two out of three is a very good composition.

You will also find in the packet a compass ring set round with little diamonds, which I advise you to make a present of to Abbe Guasco, who has been useful to you, and will continue to be so; as it is a mere bauble, you must add to the value of it by your manner of giving it him.  Show it him first, and, when he commends it, as probably he will, tell him that it is at his service, ’et que comme il est toujours par vole et par chemins, il est absolument necessaire qu’il ale une boussole’.  All those little gallantries depend entirely upon the manner of doing them; as, in truth, what does not?  The greatest favors may be done so awkwardly and bunglingly as to offend; and disagreeable things may be done so agreeably as almost to oblige.  Endeavor to acquire this great secret; it exists, it is to be found, and is worth a great deal more than the grand secret of