(1043) On the 8th of March, 1769,, the lady publicly espoused Evelyn Pierrepoint., Duke of Kingston; for which offence she was impeached before the House of Peers, and the marriage declared illegal.  She subsequently retired to the continent, where she died in 1788.-E.

(1044) The following is Gray’s own account, in a letter of the 1st of August:—­“I write chiefly to tell you, that on Sunday se’nnight Brocket died by a fall from his horse, being, as I hear, drunk:  that on the Wednesday following I received a letter from the Duke of Grafton, saying he had the King’s command to offer me the vacant professorship; and he adds, that from private as well as public considerations, he must take the warmest part in approving so well-judged a measure, etc.  There’s for you!”—­ In a letter to Dr. Beattie, of the 31st of October, he says—­“It is the best thing the Crown has to bestow (on a layman) here; the salary is four hundred pounds per annum; but what enhances the value of it to me is, that it was bestowed without being asked.  Instances of a benefit so nobly conferred, I believe, are rare; and therefore I tell you of it as a thing that does honour, not only to me, but to the minister.”  Works, vol.  IV. pp. 123, 127.-E.

Letter 349 To George Montagu, Esq.  Arlington Street, Aug. 13, 1768. (page 529)

indeed, what was become of you, as I had offered myself to you so long ago, and you did not accept my bill; and now it is payable at such short notice, that as I cannot find Mr. Chute, nor know where he is, whether at your brother’s or the Vine, I think I had better defer my visit till the autumn, when you say you will be less hurried, and more at leisure.  I believe I shall go to Ragley beginning of September, and possibly on to Lord Strafford’s, and therefore I may call on you, if it will not be inconvenient to you, on my return.

I came to town to see the Danish King.  He is as diminutive as if he came out of a kernel in the Fairy Tales.  He is not ill made, nor weakly made, though so small; and though his face is pale and delicate, it is not at all ugly, yet has a strong cast of the late King, and enough of the late Prince of Wales to put one upon one’s guard not to be prejudiced in his favour.  Still he has more royalty than folly in his air; and, considering he is not twenty, is as well as one expects any king in a puppet-show to be.  He arrived on Thursday, supped and lay at St. James’s.  Yesterday evening he was at the Queen’s and Carlton-house, and at night at Lady Hertford’s assembly.  He only takes the title of altesse, an absurd mezzotermine, but acts king exceedingly; struts in the circle like a cock-sparrow, and does the honours of himself very civilly.  There is a favourite too, who seems a complete jackanapes; a young fellow called Holke, well enough in his figure, and about three-and-twenty, but who will be tumbled down long before he is prepared