Doddington; I should never come down again; I cannot be driven in a royal curricle to wells and waters:  I can’t make love now to my contemporary Charlotte Dives; I cannot quit Mufti and my parroquet for Sir William Irby,(112) and the prattle of a drawing-room, nor Mrs. Clive for Aelia Lalia Chudleigh; in short, I could give up nothing but an Earldom of EglingtOn; and yet I foresee, that this phantom of the reversion of a reversion will make me plagued; I shall have Lord Egmont whisper me again; and every tall woman and strong man, that comes to town, will make interest with me to get the Duke of York to come and see them.  Oh! dreadful, dreadful!  It is plain I never was a patriot, for I don’t find my virtue a bit staggered by this first glimpse of court sunshine.

Mr. Conway has pressed to command the new Quixotism on foot, and has been refused; I sing a very comfortable te Deum for it.  Kingsley, Craufurd, and Keppel, are the generals, and Commodore Keppel the admiral.  The mob are sure of being pleased; they will get a conquest, or a court-martial.  A very unpleasant thing has happened to the Keppels; the youngest brother, who had run in debt at Gibraltar, and was fetched away to be sent to Germany, gave them the slip at the first port they touched at in Spain, surrendered himself to the Spanish governor, has changed his religion, and sent for a ——­ that had been taken from him at Gibraltar; naturam expellas fure`a.  There’s the true blood of Charles the Second sacrificing every thing for popery and a bunter.

Lord Bolingbroke, on hearing the name of Lady Coventry at Newmarket, affected to burst into tears, and left the room, not to hide his crying, but his not crying.

Draper has handsomely offered to go on the expedition, and goes.

Ned Finch, t’other day, on the conquest of Montreal, wished the King joy of having lost no subjects, but those that perished in the rabbits.  Fitzroy asked him if he thought they crossed the great American lakes in such little boats as one goes to Vauxhall? he replied, “Yes, Mr. Pitt said the rabbits”—­it was in the falls, the rapids.

I like Lord John almost as well as Fred. Montagu; and I like your letter better than Lord John; the application of Miss Falkener was charming.  Good night.

P. S. If I had been told in June, that I should have the gout, and kiss hands before November, I don’t think I should have given much credit to the prophet.

(112) In 1761, created Baron Boston.-E.

Letter 49 To George Montagu, Esq. 
Arlington Street.  October 25, 1760. (page 95)
I tell a lie:  I am at Mr. Chute’s.