17 Heart.

18 This sentence is almost illegible.

19 A reward of 500 pounds was offered by the Crown for Maccartney’s apprehension, and 200 pounds by the Duchess of Hamilton.

20 In the proposed History of the Peace of Utrecht.

21 Mr. Ryland’s reading.  Forster has “Iss.”  These words are obliterated.

22 Hoist.  Cf."Hoised up the mainsail” (Acts xxvii. 40).

23 It was afterwards found that Miss Ashe was suffering from smallpox.

24 We are told in the Wentworth Papers, p. 268, that the Duchess of Shrewsbury remarked to Lady Oxford, “Madam, I and my Lord are so weary of talking politics; what are you and your Lord?” whereupon Lady Oxford sighed and said she knew no Lord but the Lord Jehovah.  The Duchess rejoined, “Oh, dear!  Madam, who is that?  I believe ’tis one of the new titles, for I never heard of him before.”

25 A thousand merry new years.  The words are much obliterated.

26 Lady Anne Hamilton, daughter of James, first Duke of Hamilton, became Duchess on the death of her uncle William, the second Duke, at the battle of Worcester.

27 The quarrel between Oxford and Bolingbroke.

28 See Letter 19, note 1.

29 Burnet (History, iv. 382) says that the Duc d’Aumont was “a goodnatured and generous man, of profuse expense, throwing handfuls of money often out of his coach as he went about the streets.  He was not thought a man of business, and seemed to employ himself chiefly in maintaining the dignity of his character and making himself acceptable to the nation.”

30 Partially obliterated.

31 For the most part illegible.  Forster reads, “Go, play cards, and be melly, deelest logues, and rove Pdfr.  Nite richar MD, FW oo roves Pdfr.  FW lele lele me me MD MD MD MD MD MD.  MD FW FW FW me me FW FW FW FW FW me me me.”

32 On the third page of the paper.

33 See Letter 7, note 3.

Letter 58.

1 To “Mrs. Dingley,” etc.  Endorsed “Feb. 4.”

2 This sentence is scribbled over.  Forster reads the last word as “lastalls,” i.e. rascals, but it seems rather to be “ledles.”

3 Dr. Peter Brown was appointed Bishop of Cork in 1709.

4 See Letter 5, note 22.

5 See Letter 5, note 3.

6 See Letter 5, note 11.

7 Dr. H. Humphreys, Bishop of Hereford, died on Nov. 20, 1712.  His successor was Dr. Philip Bisse (1667-1721), Bishop of St. David’s (see Letter 3, note 36).

8 Thomas Keightley, a Commissioner of the Great Seal in Ireland.

9 Nearly obliterated.  Mr. Ryland reads, “deelest MD.”

10 See Letter 57, note 14.

11 In the Examiner for Jan. 5 to 9, 1712[-13], there is an account of the game of Similitudes.  One person thinks of a subject, and the others, not knowing what it is, name similitudes, and when the subject is proclaimed, must make good the comparisons.  On the occasion described, the subject chosen was Faction.  The prize was given to a Dutchman, who argued that Faction was like butter, because too much fire spoiled its consistency.