me about.  I saw a paltry house that I took for the sexton’s, at the corner of the close, and bade my servant ring, and ask who could show me the Castle.  A voice in a passion flew, from a casement, and issued from a divine.  “What! was it his business to show the Castle? — Go look for somebody else!  What did the fellow ring for as if the house was on fire?” The poor Swiss came back in a fright, and said, the doctor had sworn at him.  Well—­we scrambled over a stone stile, saw a room or two glazed near the gate, and rung at it.  A damsel came forth and satisfied our curiosity.  When we had done seeing, I said, “Child, we don’t know our Way, and want to be directed into the London road; I see the Duke’s steward yonder at the window, pray desire him to come to me, that I may consult him.”  She went—­he stood staring at us at the window, and sent his footman.  I do not think courtesy is a resident at Thornbury.  As I returned through the close, the divine came running, out of breath, and without his beaver or band, and calls out, “Sir, I am come to justify myself:  your servant says I swore at him:  I am no swearer—­Lord bless me! (dropping his voice) it is Mr. Walpole!” “Yes, Sir, and I think you was Lord Beauchamp’s tutor at Oxford, but I have forgot your name.”  “Holwell, Sir.”  “Oh! yes.” and then I comforted him, and laid the ill-breeding on my footman’s being a foreigner; but could not help saying, I really had taken his house for the sexton’s.  “Yes, Sir, it is not very good without, won’t you please to walk in!” I did, and found the inside ten times worse, and He was making an Index to Homer, a lean wife, suckling a child.  He is going to publish the chief beauties, and I believe had just been reading some of the delicate civilities that pass between Agamemnon and Achilles, and that what my servant took for oaths, were only Greek compliments.(118) Adieu!  Yours ever.

You see I have not a line more of paper.

(115) John Hooper, Bishop of Gloucester, who, having refused to recant his opinions, was burned alive before the cathedral of Gloucester in the year 1554.-E.

(116) Thomas, third Lord Berkeley, was entrusted with the custody of Edward ii.; but, owing to the humanity with which he treated the captive monarch, he was forced to resign his prisoner and his castle to Lord Maltravers and Sir Thomas Gournay.  After the murder of Edward, Lord Berkeley was arraigned as a participator in the crime, but honourably acquitted.  The Lady Berkeley alluded to by Walpole was his first wife, Margaret, daughter of Roger de Mortimer, Earl of March, and widow of Robert Vere, Earl of Oxford.-E.

(117) Thornbury Castle was designed, but never finished by the Duke of Buckingham, in Henry VIII’s time.-E.

(118) The Rev. William Holwell, vicar of Thornbury, prebendary of Exeter, and some time chaplain to the King.  He was distinguished by superior talents as a scholar, and a critical knowledge of the Greek language.  His “Extracts from Mr. Pope’s Translation, corresponding with the Beauties of Homer, selected from the Iliad,” were published in 1776.-E.