1755. nobody else, he was persuaded he would have liked to have shown his countenance against it; expressing himself as eagerly as if he could distinguish between their attacks upon his ministry and himself whenever he chooses to do it, and at the same time with the greatest satisfaction that your opinion was on his side. So much for this undetermined irresolute peer, much fitter from this sketch of him as politician, to be the Duke of Newcastle's bosom friend, than this mixture of sweet and bitter opponent by the way, I heard last night that my friend Rochford had thought it incumbent upon him to answer him, and had got a speech of ridicule ready; which of the Earls a performance of that sort upon such a question would have turned most against, since time will never disclose to us, I intend my Lady shall.

Admiral Boscawen's sailing orders went last night: the original command was seven ships, whether they have added any more, I can't tell.

Johnny and the Irish colonels kiss hands to-day, and go to-morrow or next day, and Lord Hartington, I now hear, goes this day se'night. I have nothing else to add, but an assurance how much I am, &c.

RICHARD RIGBY.

The honourable John, afterwards third Earl Waldegrave.

MR. RIGBY TO THE DUKE OF BEDFORD.

My dear Lord,

Leicester Fields, May 24. 1755.

The opera being but just now over, at past ten o'clock, the post would not give me time to write you much news, if the town was enough alive to furnish any; but though there are inhabitants to please Vaneschi* to-night, if he is not very unreasonable, they do not furnish conversation worth repeating out of the walls of the Haymarket: and what is worse for me, the Princess has kidnapped Betty, and we have no club, that I am come home to trouble you with these few lines, and don't believe I shall stir out again. She and her mistress come to town to-morrow at eleven o'clock, and return at two to Hampton Court; though so large a party is going to Hitcham, the poor Miller cannot be spared till Monday night, that the party that goes to-morrow to dinner will be at her house almost two days before her.

I have seen Lady Ossory last night and to-day, and I think I can tell your Grace and the Duchess I never saw her look better in my life, and appears to be in very good spirits. I was alone a little while, and inquired about Ireland and Tunbridge, and her last opinion was, that the latter scheme is certainly laid aside, and that he will go without

• One of the directors of the opera.

1755.

1755.

her to Ireland. The public news from that kingdom is very different, I find, from different quarters. The Lord Lieutenant writes the most sanguine accounts to his Old Whig, but his secretary's private opinion does not quite coincide with it; and the violence and inveteracy of the two parties against each other is undoubtedly as rife as ever: he is set out on a progress through part of the kingdom to visit the troops, barracks, &c. There is not the least tittle of other public news from America, or more important Germany; only, if you will believe it, the French fleet, we are now assured, is very ill manned, and so much inferior in every respect to Boscawen that he may do just what he pleases with them. Bussy, who was here formerly from France, is going to Hanover, and the reason assigned for that is, that Mons. Mirepoix is ill with the ministers there, and holds his employment by Madame Pompadour's interest, who is against the war.

Your Bedfordshire neighbour, Sir Charles Chester*, yesterday, in a high fever, jumped out of a two-pair of stairs' window in Sir Nathaniel Curzon's house, after having stabbed himself four times with a penknife. He broke his thigh by his fall, and what with his bruises and wounds I hear is at the point of death. An old woman, his nurse, was in the room,

but had not strength to hold him. Lady Gore is 1755. recovering very fast, and pretty sure of living.

I am, &c.

RICHARD RIGBY.

MR. RIGBY TO THE DUKE OF BEDFORD.

Mistley, August 21. 1755.

The night before last Mr. Walpole came down here for a few days, and as he generally has a good deal of political intelligence, I think my sending it can but give you the same trouble as reading a newspaper, and you may put equal confidence in it too, if you please. However, some of

it that relates to the transactions in Ireland he has from the best authority, and I dare say you may rely as much upon it, as you will be surprised at the folly of Hartington, who has acted the weakest part in the world since Conway left him, and after he had brought about the very thing he was sent to transact, and which was the thing in the world that would have redounded most to his own honour- I mean the removal of the Primate, which, after a long conversation between Conway, the Chancellor, and Newcastle, the latter had consented to give up; when immediately comes a letter from Hartington to Newcastle himself repenting of the measure of giving him up, and begging that when he shall return home a lieutenant may be appointed

1755.

to save the disgrace of leaving him out of the regency. It is imagined he had been worked up to this very weak measure by his relations where he is. And Newcastle has naturally laid hold of this letter as the strongest reason to prove there is no necessity to part with the Primate, and to retract from his agreement. Conway is outrageous at the folly of this, and at his own ill-treatment, and has wrote himself, and has prevailed upon Fox and Devonshire to do the same, in the strongest terms, to Hartington, to insist still upon the first resolution of giving him up: how all this will end God knows, but I never heard so complete a piece of folly, nor so strong an instance of want of judgment. My next piece of news may, perpaps, strike your Grace still with more astonishment: when the Hessian treaty was brought to the Treasury to be signed, Legge* refused to sign it, and being pressed over and over again, still persisted in his patriotism, and absolutely did not. I hope he will carry his resentment to it a little farther, and speak against it in the House of Commons: how very dirty work this must be, when he is afraid of being engaged; or does he find that he is sure of being

* Walpole, then at Mr. Rigby's, writes, "There is a certain Hessian treaty, said to be eighteen years long, which is arrived. At the Treasury, Legge refused peremptorily to sign it. You did not expect patriotism from thence ?

Legge has been frowned

upon by the Duke of Newcastle ever since he was made Chancellor of the Exchequer by him, and would have been turned out long ago if Sir George Lee would have accepted the post." Letters, vol. iii. p. 143.