My dear lord, Lord Granby has entirely defeated the French!—­The foreign gazettes, I suppose, will give this victory to Prince Ferdinand:  but the mob of London, whom I have this minute left, and who must know best, assure me that it is all their own Marquis’s doing.  Mr. Yorke(1053) was the first to send this news, “to be laid with himself and all humility at his Majesty’s feet",(1054) about eleven o’clock yesterday morning.  At five this morning came Captain Ligonier, who was despatched in such a hurry that he had not time to pack up any particulars in his portmanteau:  those we are expecting with our own army, who we conclude are now at Paris, and will be tomorrow night at Amiens.  All we know is, that not one Englishman is killed, nor one Frenchman left alive.  If you should chance to meet a bloody wagon-load of heads, you will be sure that it is the part of the spoils that came to Downe’s share, and going to be hung up in the great hall at Cowick.(1055)

We have a vast deal of other good news; but as not one word of it is true, I thought you would be content with this victory.  His Majesty is in high spirits, and is to make -,a triumphal entry into Hanover on Tuesday fortnight.  I envy you the illuminations and rejoicings that will be made at Worksop on this occasion.

Four days ago we had a great victory over the Russians; but in the hurry of this triumph it has somehow or other been mislaid, and nobody can tell where to find it:—­however, it is not given over for lost.

Adieu, my dear lord!  As I have been so circumstantial in the account of this battle, I will not tire you with any thing else.  My compliments to the lady of the menagerie.  I see your new offices rise(1056) every day in a very respectable manner.

(1053) Afterwards Lord Dover,, then Minister at the Hague.

(1054) The words of his despatch.

(1055) Lord Downe’s seat in Yorkshire.

(1056) At Lord Strafford’s house at Twickenham.

506 Letter 330
To The Hon. H. S. Conway.(1057)
Arlington Street, Aug. 14, 1759.

I am here in the most unpleasant way in the world, attending poor Mrs. Leneve’s deathbed, a spectator of all the horrors of tedious suffering and clear sense, and with no one soul to speak to-but I will not tire you with a description of what has quite worn me out.

Probably by this time you have seen the Duke of Richmond or Fitzroy—­but lest you should not, I will tell you all I can learn, and a wonderful history it is.  Admiral Byng was not more unpopular than Lord George Sackville.  I should scruple repeating his story, if Betty(1058) and the waiters at Arthur’s did not talk of it publicly, and thrust Prince Ferdinand’s orders into one’s hand.