conceive it, nor the exclamations it occasioned.  Ellis, the forlorn hope, Ellis presented himself in the gap, till the ministers could recover themselves, when on a sudden Lord George Sackville led up the Blues;(467) spoke with as much warmth as your brother had, and with great force continued the attack which he had begun.  Did not I tell you he would take this part?  I was made privy to it; but this is far from all you are to expect.  Lord North in vain rumbled about his mustard-bowl, and endeavoured alone to outroar a whole party:  him and Forrester, Charles Townshend took up, but less well than usual.  His jealousy of your brother’s success, which was very evident, did not help him to shine.  There were several other speeches, and, upon the whole, it was a capital debate; but Plutus is so much more persuasive an orator than your brother or Lord George, that we divided but 122 against 217.  Lord Strange, who had agreed to the question, did not dare to vote for it, and declared off; and George Townshend who had actually voted for it on Friday, now voted against it. well! upon the whole, I heartily wish this administration may last:  both their characters and abilities are so contemptible, @at I am sure we can be in no danger from prerogative when trusted to such hands!

Before I have done with Charles Townshend, I must tell you one of his admirable bon-mots.  Miss Draycote,(468) the great fortune, is grown very fat:  he says her tonnage is become equal to her poundage.

There is the devil to pay in Nabob-land, but I understand Indian histories no better than stocks.  The council rebelled against the governors and sent a deputation, the Lord knows why, to the Nabob, who cut off the said deputies’ heads, and then, I think, was disnabob’d himself, and Clive’s old friend reinstated.  There is another rebellion in Minorca, where Johnson [has renounced his allegiance to viceroy Dick Lyttelton, and set up for himself.  Sir Richard has laid the affair before the King and council; Charles Townshend first, and then your brother, (you know why I am sorry they should appear together in that cause,) have tried to deprecate Sir Richard’s wrath:  but it was then too late.  The silly fellow has brought himself’ to a precipice.

I forgot to tell you that Lord George Sackville carried into the minority with him his own brother(469) Lord Middlesex; Lord Milton’s brother;(470) young Beauclerc; Sir Thomas Hales; and Colonel Irwine.

We have not heard a word of the Hereditary Prince and Princess.  They were sent away in a tempest, and I believe the best one can hope is, that they are driven to Norway.(471)

Good night, my dear lord; it is time to finish, for it is half an hour after one in the morning — I am forced to purloin such hours to Write to you, for I get up so late, and then have such a perpetual succession Of nothings to do, such auctions, politics, visits, dinners, suppers, books to publish or revise, etc. that I have not a quarter of an hour without a call upon it:  but I need not tell you, who know my life, that I am forced to create new time, if I will keep up my correspondence with you.  You seem to like I should, and I wish to give you every satisfaction in my power.