Last night I received your very kind, I might say your letter tout court, of Christmas-day.  By this time I trust you are quite out of pain about me.  My fit has been as regular as possible; only, as if the bootikins were post-horses, it made the grand tour of all my limbs in three weeks.  If it will always use the same expedition, I m content it should take the journey once in two years.  You must not mind my breast:  it was always the weakest part of a very weak system ; yet did not suffer now by the gout, but in consequence of it; and would not have been near so bad, if I could have kept from talking and dictating letters.  The moment I am out of pain, I am in high spirits ; and though I never take any medicines, there is one thing absolutely necessary to be put into my mouth—­a gag.  At present, the town is so empty that my tongue is a sinecure.

I am well acquainted with the Biblioth`eque du Roi, and the medals, and the prints.  I spent an entire day in looking over the English portraits, and kept the librarian without his dinner till dark night, till I was satisfied.  Though the Choiseuls(178) will not acquaint with you, I hope their Abb`e Barthelemil(179) is not put under the same quarantine.  Besides great learning, he has infinite wit and polissonnerie and is one of the best kind of men in the world.  As to the grandpapa,(180) il ne nous aime pas nous autres, and has never forgiven Lord Chatham.  Though exceedingly agreeable himself, I don’t think his taste exquisite.  Perhaps I was piqued; but he seemed to like Wood better than any of us.  Indeed, I am a little afraid that my dear friend’s impetuous zeal may have been a little too prompt in pressing you upon them d’abord:—­ but don’t say a word of this—­it is her great goodness.—­I thank you a million of times for all yours to her:-she is perfectly grateful for it.  The Chevalier’S(181) verses are pretty enough.  I own I like Saurin’s(182) much better than you seem to do.  Perhaps I am prejudiced by the curse on the Chancellor at the end.

Not a word of news here.  In a sick room one hears all there is, but I have not even a lie; but as this will not set out these three days, it is to be hoped some charitable Christian will tell a body one.  Lately indeed we heard that the King of Spain had abdicated; but I believe it was some stockjobber that had deposed him.

Lord George Cavendish, for my solace in my retirement, has given me a book, the History of his own Furness-abbey, written by a Scotch ex-Jesuit.(183) I cannot say that this unnatural conjunction of a Cavendish and a Jesuit has produced a lively colt; but I found one passage worth any money.  It is an extract of a constable’s journal kept during the civil war; and ends thus:  “And there was never heard of such troublesome and distracted times as these five years have been, but especially for constables.”  It is so natural, that inconvenient to my Lord Castlecomer is scarce a better proverb.