The newspapers are obliged to live Upon the diary of the King’s motions at Weymouth.  Oh!  I had forgot.  Lord Cornwallis has taken Bangalore by storm, promises Seringapatam, and Tippoo Saib has sued for peace.  Diamonds will be as plenty as potatoes, and gold is as common as copper-money in Sweden.  I was told last night, that a director of the Bank affirms, that two millions five hundred thousand pounds, in specie, have already been remitted or brought over hither from France since their revolution.

(824) The marriage took place four days after the date of this letter.-E.

Letter 390 To The Miss Berrys.  Strawberry Hill, Friday night late, Sept. 16, 1791. (page 519)

As I am constantly thinking of you two, I am as constantly writing to you, when I have a vacant quarter of an hour.  Yesterday was red-lettered in the almanacks of Strawberry and Cliveden, Supposing you to set out towards them, as you intended; the sun shone all day, and the moon at night, and all nature, for three miles round, looked gay.  Indeed, we have had nine or ten days of such warmth and serenity, (here called heat,) as I scarce remember when the year begins to have gray, or rather yellow hairs.  All windows have been flung up again and fans ventilated; and it is true that hay-carts have been transporting haycocks, from a second crop, all the morning from Sir Francis Basset’s island opposite to my windows.  The setting sun and the long autumnal shades enriched the landscape to a Claude Lorrain.  Guess whether I hoped to see such a scene next year:  if I do not, may you! at least, it will make you talk of me!  The gorgeous season’ and poor partridges.  I hear, have emptied London entirely, and yet Drury-lane is removed to the Opera-house.  Do you know that Mrs. Jordan is acknowledged to be Mrs. Ford, and Miss Brunton(825) Mrs. Merry, but neither quits the stage?  The latter’s captain, I think, might quit his poetic profession, without any loss to the public.  My gazettes will have kept you so much au courant, that you will be as ready for any conversation at your return, as if you had only been at a watering-place.  In short, -a votre intention, and to make my letters as welcome as I can, I listen to and bring home a thousand things, which otherwise I should not know I heard.

Lord Buchan is screwing out a little ephemeral fame from instituting a jubilee for Thomson.(826) I fear I shall not make my court to Mr. Berry, by owning I would not give this last week’s fine weather for all the four Seasons in blank verse.  There is more nature in L’Allegro and Penseroso, than in all the laboured imitations Of Milton.  What is there in Thomson of original?

Berkeley Square, Monday night, 19th.