is a thing you may long complain of-indeed there I can consult nobody.  I have no dealings with either our state-doctors or statequacks.  I only know that the political ones are so like the medicinal ones, that after the doctors had talked nonsense for years, while we daily grew worse, the quacks ventured boldly, and have done us wonderful good.  I should not dislike to have you state your case to the latter, though I cannot advise it, for the regular physicians are daintily jealous; nor could I carry it, for when they know I would take none of their medicines myself, they would not much attend to me consulting them for others, nor would it be decent, nor should I care to be seen in their shop.  Adieu!

P. S. There are some big news from the East Indies.  I don’t know what, except that the hero Clive has taken Mazulipatam and the Great Mogul’s grandmother.  I suppose she will be brought over and put in the Tower with the Shahgoest, the strange Indian beast that Mr. Pitt gave to the King this winter.

.Letter 17 To Sir Horace Mann.

Arlington Street, March 26, 1760. (page 49)

I have a good mind to have Mr. Sisson tried by a court-martial, in order to clear my own character for punctuality.  It is time immemorial since he promised me the machine and the drawing in six weeks.  After above half of time immemorial was elapsed, he came and begged for ten guineas.  Your brother and I called one another to a council of war, and at last gave it him nemine contradicente.  The moment your hurrying letter arrived, I issued out a warrant and took Sisson up, who, after all his promises, was guilty by his own confession, of not having begun the drawing.  However, after scolding him black and blue, I have got it from him, have consigned it to your brother James, and you will receive it, I trust, along With this.  I hope too time enough for the purposes it is to serve, and correct; if it is not, I shall be very sorry.  You shall have the machine as soon as possible, but that must go by sea.

I shall execute your commission about Stoschino(40) much better; he need not fear my receiving him well, if he has virt`u to sell,—­I am only afraid, in that case, of receiving him too well.  You know what a dupe I am when I like any thing.

I shall handle your brother James as roughly as I did Sisson—­six months without writing to you!  Sure he must turn black in the face, if he has a drop of brotherly ink in his veins.  As to your other brother,(41) he is so strange a man, that is, so common a one;, that I am not surprised at any thing he does or does not do.