Letter 313 To George Montagu, Esq.  Strawberry Hill, Sept. 18, 1766. (page 488)

I am this moment come hither with Mr. Chute, who has showed me your most kind and friendly letter, for which I give you a thousand thanks.  It did not surprise me, for you cannot alter.  I have been most extremely ill; indeed, never well since I saw you.  However, I think it is over, and that the gout is gone without leaving a codicil in my foot.  Weak I am to the greatest degree, and no wonder.  Such explosions make terrible havoc in a body of paper.  I shall go to the Bath in a few days. which they tell me will make my quire of paper hold out a vast while! as to that, I am neither credulous nor earnest.  If it can keep me from pain and preserve me the power of motion, I shall be content.  Mr. Chute, who has been good beyond measure, goes with me for a few days.  A thousand thanks and compliments to Mr. and Mrs. Whetenhall and Mr. John, and excuse me writing more, as I am a little fatigued with my little journey.

Letter 314 To The Hon. H. S. Conway.  Bath, Oct. 2, 1766. (page 488)

I arrived yesterday at noon, and bore my journey perfectly well, except that I had the headache all yesterday; but it is gone to-day, or at least made way for a little giddiness which the water gave me this morning at first.  If it does not do me good very soon, I shall leave it; for I dislike the place exceedingly, and am disappointed in it.  Their new buildings that are so admired, look like a collection of little hospitals; the rest is detestable; and all crammed together, and surrounded with perpendicular hills that have no beauty.  The river is paltry enough to be the Seine or Tiber.  Oh! how unlike my lovely Thames!

I met my Lord Chatham’s coach yesterday full of such Grenville-looking children, that I shall not go to see him this day or two; and to-day I spoke to Lady Rockingham in the street.  My Lords Chancellor and President are here, and Lord and Lady Powis.  Lady Malpas arrived yesterday.  I shall visit Miss Rich to-morrow.  In the next apartment to [nine lodges *****.  I have not seen him some years; and he is grown either mad or superannuated, and talks without cessation or coherence:  you would think all the articles in a dictionary were prating together at once.  The Bedfords are expected this week.  There are forty thousand others that I neither know nor intend to know.  In short, it is living in a fair, and I am heartily sick of it already.  Adieu!

Letter 315 To George Montagu, Esq.  Bath, Oct. 5, 1766. (page 489)