“But he, as loving his own pride, and purposes, Evades them with a bombast circumstance, horribly stuffed with epithets of war, And in conclusion—­nonsuits my mediators.”

He insisted on a war with Spain, was resisted, and last Monday resigned.  The city breathed vengeance on his opposers, the council quailed, and the Lord knows what would have happened; but yesterday, which was only Friday, as this giant was stalking to seize the tower of London, he stumbled over a silver penny, picked it up, carried it home to Lady Hester, and they are now as quiet, good sort of people, as my Lord and Lady Bath who lived in the vinegar-bottle.  In fact, Madam, this immaculate man has accepted the Barony of Chatham for his wife, with a pension of three thousand pounds a year for three lives; and though he has not quitted the House of Commons, I think my Lord Anson would now be as formidable there.  The pension he has left us, is a war for three thousand lives! perhaps, for twenty times three thousand lives!—­But—­

“Does this become a soldier? this become Whom armies follow’d, and a people loved?”

What! to sneak out of the scrape, prevent peace, and avoid the war! blast one’s character, and all for the comfort of a Paltry annuity, a long-necked peeress, and a couple of Grenvilles!  The city looks mighty foolish, I believe, and possibly even Beckford may blush.  Lord Temple resigned yesterday:  I suppose his virtue pants for a dukedom.  Lord Egremont has the seals; Lord Hardwicke, I fancy, the privy seal; and George Grenville, no longer Speaker, is to be the cabinet minister in the House of Commons.  Oh!  Madam, I am glad you are inconstant to Mr. Conway, though it is only with a Barbette!  If you piqued yourself on your virtue, I should expect you would sell it to the master of a Trechscoot.

I told you a lie about the King’s going to Ranelagh—­No matter; there is no such thing as truth.  Garrick exhibits the coronation, and, opening the end of the stage, discovers a real bonfire and real mob:  the houses in Drury-lane let their windows at threepence a head.  Rich is going to produce a finer coronation, nay, than the real one; for there is to be a dinner for the Knights of the Bath and the Barons of the Cinque-ports, which Lord Talbot refused them.

I put your Caufields and Stauntons into the hands of one of the first heralds upon earth, and who has the entire pedigree of the Careys; but he cannot find a drop of Howard or Seymour blood in the least artery about them.  Good night, Madam!

(192) Bubb Doddington, having for many years placed his ambition on the acquisition of a coronet, obtained the long-wished-for prize in the preceding April.-E.

Letter 98 To The Hon. H. S. Conway.  Arlington Street, Oct. 12, 1761. (page 154)