I am extremely surprised that Mrs. du Bouchet should have any objection to the manner in which your late husband desired to be buried, and which you, very properly, complied with.  All I desire for my own burial is not to be buried alive; but how or where, I think must be entirely indifferent to every rational creature.

I have no commission to trouble you with, during your stay at Paris; from whence, I wish you and the boys a good journey home, where I shall be very glad to see you all; and assure you of my being, with great truth, your faithful, humble servant, Chesterfield.

LETTER CCCXII

TO THE SAME, AT LONDON

Madam:  The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.  How soon would you have them placed at school?  When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.  In the meantime, I beg that you will equip them thoroughly with clothes, linen, etc., all good, but plain; and give me the account, which I will pay; for I do not intend that, from, this time forward the two boys should cost you one shilling.  I am, with great truth, Madam, your faithful, humble servant, Chesterfield.

LETTER CCCXIII

Madam:  As some day must be fixed for sending the boys to school, do you approve of the 8th of next month?  By which time the weather will probably be warm and settled, and you will be able to equip them completely.

I will upon that day send my coach to you, to carry you and the boys to Loughborough House, with all their immense baggage.  I must recommend to you, when you leave them there, to suppress, as well as you can, the overgrowings of maternal tenderness; which would grieve the poor boys the more, and give them a terror of their new establishment.  I am, with great truth, Madam, your faithful, humble servant, Chesterfield.

LETTER CCCXIV

Bath, October 11, 1769.

Madam:  Nobody can be more willing and ready to obey orders than I am; but then I must like the orders and the orderer.  Your orders and yourself come under this description; and therefore I must give you an account of my arrival and existence, such as it is, here.  I got hither last Sunday, the day after I left London, less fatigued than I expected to have been; and now crawl about this place upon my three legs, but am kept in countenance by many of my fellow-crawlers; the last part of the Sphinx’s riddle approaches, and I shall soon end, as I began, upon all fours.

When you happen to see either Monsieur or Madame Perny, I beg you will give them this melancholic proof of my caducity, and tell them that the last time I went to see the boys, I carried the Michaelmas quarterage in my pocket; and when I was there I totally forgot it; but assure them, that I have not the least intention to bilk them, and will pay them faithfully the two quarters together, at Christmas.