I never ate such good snuff, nor smelt such delightful bonbons, as your ladyship has sent me.  Every time you rob the Duke’s dessert, does it cost you a pretty snuff-box?  Do the pastors at the Hague(157) enjoin such expensive retributions?  If a man steals a kiss there, I suppose he does penance in a sheet of Brussels lace.  The comical part is, that you own the theft, ind sending me, but say nothing of the vehicle of your repentance.  In short, Madam, the box is the prettiest thing I ever saw, and I give you a thousand thanks for it.

When you comfort yourself about the operas, you don’t know what you have lost; nay, nor I neither; for I was here, concluding that a serenata for a birthday would be -is dull and as vulgar as those festivities generally are:  but I hear of nothing but the enchantment of it.(158) There was a second orchestra in the footman’s gallery, disguised by clouds, and filled with the music of the King’S chapel.  The choristers behaved like angels, and the harmony between the two bands was in the most exact time.  Elisi piqued himself, and beat both heaven and earth.  The joys of the year do not end there.  The under-actors open at Drury-lane to-night with a new comedy by Murphey, called “All in the Wrong."(159) At Ranelagh, all is fireworks and skyrockets.  The birthday exceeded the splendour of Haroun Alraschid and the Arabian Nights, when people had nothing to do but to scour a lantern and send a genie for a hamper of diamonds and rubies.  Do you remember one of those stories, where a prince has eight statues of diamonds, which he overlooks, because he fancies he wants a ninth; and to his great surprise the ninth proves to be pure flesh and blood, which he never thought of?  Some how or other, Lady Sarah(160 is the ninth statue; and, you will allow, has better white and red than if she was made of pearls and rubies.  Oh!  I forgot, I was telling you of the birthday:  my Lord P * * * * had drunk the King’s health so often at dinner, that at the ball he took Mrs. * * * * for a beautiful woman, and, as she says, “made an improper use of his hands.”  The proper use of hers, she thought, was to give him a box on the ear, though within the verge of the court.  He returned it by a push, and she tumbled off the end of the bench; which his Majesty has accepted as sufficient punishment, and she is not to lose her right hand.(161)

I enclose the list your ladyship desired:  you will see that the Plurality of Worlds” are Moore’s, and of some I do not know the authors. ’ There is a late edition with these names to them.

My duchess was to set out this morning.  I saw her for the last time the day before yesterday at Lady Kildare’s:  never was a journey less a party of pleasure.  She was so melancholy, that all Miss Pelham’s oddness and my spirits could scarce make her smile.  Towards the end of the night, and that was three in the morning, I did divert her a little.  I slipped Pam into her lap, and then taxed her with having it there.  She was quite confounded; but, taking it up, saw he had a Telescope in his hand, which I had drawn, and that the card, which was split, and just waxed together, contained these lines: