Sir William Stanhope wrote to Mrs. Ellis,(1078) that he had pleased himself, having seen much of Mr. Nugent and Lady Berkeley this summer, and having been so charmed with the felicity of their menage, that he could not resist marrying again.  His daughter replied, that it had always been her opinion, that people should please themselves, and that she was glad he had; but as to taking the precedent of Lady Berkeley, she hoped it would answer in nothing but in my Lady Stanhope having three children the first year.  You see, my lord, Mrs. Ellis has bottled up her words(1079) till they sparkle at last!

I long to have your approbation of my Holbein-chamber; it has a comely sobriety that I think answers very well to the tone it should have.  My new printing-house is finished, in order to pull down the old one, and lay the foundations next summer of my round tower.  Then follows the gallery and chapel-cabinet.  I hear your lordship has tapped your magnificent front too.  Well, when all your magnificences and minimificences are finished, then, we—­won’t sit down and drink, as Pyrrhus said,—­no, I trust we shall never conclude our plans so filthily:  then—­I fear we shall begin others.  Indeed, I don’t know what the Countess may do:  if she imitates her mother, she will go to a tavern at fourscore, and then she and Pyrrhus may take a bottle together—–­I hope she will live to try at least whether she likes it. -Adieu, both!

(1075) Lady Townshend.  On the death of General Wolfe, Colonel Townshend received the surrender.

(1076) Lady Ailesbury and Lady Strafford, both preserved their beauty so long, that Mr. Walpole called them huck(iback beauties, that never wear out.

(1077) The Duchess of Argyle, widow of John Campbell, Duke of Argyle, and mother to Lady Strafford.

(1078) His daughter.

(1079) She was very silent.

519 Letter 342
To The Right Hon. Lady Hervey. 
Saturday, Nov. 3d, 1759.

Poor Robins’ Almanack.  Thick fogs, and some wet.  Go not out of town.  Gouts and rheumatisms are abroad.  Warm clothes, good fires, and a room full of pictures, glasses, and scarlet damask are the best physic.

In short, for fear your ladyship should think of Strawberry on Saturday, I can’t help telling you that I am to breakfast at Petersham that day with Mr. Fox and Lady Caroline, Lord and Lady Waldegrave.  How did you like the farce?  George Selwyn says he wants to see High Life below Stairs (1080) as he is weary of low life above stairs.

(1080) This popular’ farce was written by the Rev. James Townley, high master of Merchant Tailors’ School .  Dr, Johnson said of it, “Here is a farce which is really very diverting when you see it acted, and yet one may read it and not know that one has been reading any thing at all;” and of the actors, Goldsmith tells us, that “Mr. Palmer and Mr. King were entirely what they desired to represent; and Mrs. Clive (but what need I talk of her, since without exaggeration she has more true humour than any actor or actress, upon the English or any other stage, I have seen), she, I say, did the part all the justice it was capable of.”  In England it was very successful; but in Edinburgh the gentlemen of the party-coloured livery raised violent riots in the theatre whenever it was performed.-E.