of marble.  It looks like the palace of an auctioneer, who has-been chosen King of Poland, and furnished his apartments with obsolete trophies, rubbish that nobody bid for, and a dozen pictures, that he had stolen from the inventories of different families.  The place is as ugly as the house, and the bridge, like the beggars at the old Duchess’s gate, begs for a drop of water, and is refused.  We went to Ditchley, which is a good house, well furnished, has good portraits, a wretched saloon, and one handsome scene behind the house.  There are portraits of the Litchfield hunt, in true blue frocks, with ermine capes.  One of the colleges has exerted this loyal pun, and made their east window entirely of blue glass.  But the greatest pleasure we had, was in seeing Sir Charles Cotterel’s at Housham; it reinstated Kent with me; he has nowhere shown so much taste.  The house is old, and was bad; he has improved it, stuck as close as he could to Gothic, has made a delightful library, and the whole is comfortable.  The garden is Daphne in little; the sweetest little groves, streams, glades, porticoes, cascades, and river, imaginable; all the scenes are perfectly classic.  Well, if I had such a house, such a library, so pretty a place, and so pretty a wife, I think I should let King George send to Herenhausen for a master of the ceremonies.

Make many compliments to all your family for me; Lord Beauchamp was much obliged by your invitation.  I shall certainly accept it, as I return from the north; in the mean time, find out how Drayton and Althorp lie according to your scale.  Adieu!  Yours most sincerely.

Letter 35 To George Montagu, Esq.  Strawberry Hill, July 20, 1760. (page 76)

I shall be very sorry if I don’t see you at Oxford on Tuesday next:  but what can I say if your Wetenhalls will break into my almanack, and take my very day, can I help it!  I must own I shall be glad if their coach-horse is laid up with the fashionable sore throat and fever can you recommend no coachman to them like Dr. Wilmot, who will despatch it in three days?  If I don’t see you at Oxford, I don’t think I shall at Greatworth till my return from the north, which will be about the 20th or 22d of August.  Drayton,(83) be it known to you, is Lady Betty Germain’s., is in your own county, was the old mansion of the Mordaunts, and is crammed with whatever Sir John could get from them and the Norfolks.  Adieu!

(83) The seat of Sir John Germain, Bart.; by whose will, and that of his widow, Lady Betty, his property devolved upon Lord George Sackvillc; who, in consequence, assumed, in 1770, the name of Germain.-E.

Letter 36 To Sir Horace Mann.  Arlington Street, Aug. 1, 1760. (page 77)