Elections, you may be sure, are the only topic here at present—­I mean in England—­not on this quiet hill, where I think of them as little as of the spot where the battle of Blenheim was fought.  They say there will not be much alteration, but the phoenix will rise from its ashes with most of its old plumes, or as bright.  Wilkes at first seemed to carry all before him, besides having obtained the mayoralty of London at last.  Lady Hertford told me last Sunday, that he would carry twelve members.  I have not been in town since, nor know any thing but what I collect from the papers; so. if my letter is opened, M. de Vergennes will not amass any very authentic intelligence from my despatches.

What I have taken notice of, is as follows:  For the city Wilkes will have but three members:  he will lose Crosby, and Townsend will carry Oliver.  In Westminster, Wilkes will not have one; his Humphrey Cotes is by far the lowest on the poll; Lord Percy and Lord T. Clinton are triumphant there.  Her grace of Northumberland sits at a window in Covent-garden, harangues the mob, and is “Hail, fellow, well met!” At Dover, Wilkes has carried one, and probably will come in for Middlesex himself with Glynn.  There have been great endeavours to oppose him, but to no purpose.  Of this I am glad, for I do not love a mob so near as Brentford especially, as my road lies through it.  Where he has any other interest I am too ignorant in these matters to tell you.  Lord John Cavendish is opposed at York, and at the beginning of the poll had the fewest numbers.  Charles Fox, like the ghost in Hamlet, has shifted to many quarters; but in most the cock crew, and he walked off.(136) In Southwark there has been outrageous rioting; but I neither know the candidates, their connexions, nor success.  This, perhaps, will appear a great deal of news at Paris:  here, I dare to say, my butcher knows more.

I can tell you still less of America.  There are two or three more ships with forces going thither, and Sir William Draper as second in command.

Of private news, except that Dyson has had a stroke of palsy and will die, there is certainly none; for I saw that shrill Morning Post, Lady Greenwich, two hours ago, and she did not Know a paragraph.

I forgot to mention to you M. de Maurepas.  He was by far the ablest and most agreeable man I knew at Paris:  and if you stay, I think I could take the liberty of giving you a letter to him; though, as he is now so great a man, and I remain so little an one, I don’t know whether it would be quite so proper—­though he was exceedingly good to me, and pressed me often to make him a visit in the country.  But Lord Stormont can certainly carry you to him—­a better passport.