"où je fuis, je ne puis fentir que le coup de vent

qui m'a abbattu. "How different from the careless cheerfulness with which our poor friend Lord North fupported his fall! Madame Necker maintains more external compofure, mais le Diable n'y perd rien. It is true that Necker wifhed to be carried into the clofet, like old Pitt, on the shoulders of the people; and that he has been ruined by the democracy which he had raised. I believe him to be an able financier, and know him to be an honeft man ; too honeft, perhaps, for a minifter. His rival Calonne has paffed through Lausanne, in his way from Turin and was foon followed by the Prince of Condé, with his fon and grandfon; but I was too much indifpofed to fee them. They have, or have had, fome wild projects of a counter-revolution: horfes have been bought, men levied: fuch foolish attempts muft end in the ruin of the party. Burke's book is a moft admirable medicine against the French difeafe, which has made too much progrefs even in this happy country. I admire his eloquence, I approve his politics, I adore his chivalry, and I can forgive even his fuperftition. The primitive church, which I have treated with fome freedom, was itself at that time an innovation, and I was attached to the old Pagan establishment. The French spread so many lies about the fentiments of the English fo nation, that I wish the most confiderable men of all parties and defcriptions would join in fome public act, declaring themselves fatisfied and refolved to fupport our present conftitution. Such a declaration would have a wonderful effect in Europe; and,

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were I thought worthy, I myself would be proud to fubfcribe it. I have a great mind to fend you fomething of a sketch, fuch as all thinking men might adopt.

I have intelligence of the approach of my Madeira. I accept with equal pleasure the fecond pipe, now in the Torrid Zone. Send me fome pleasant details of your domestic state, of Maria, &c. If my Lady thinks that my filence is a mark of indifference, my Lady is a goofe. I must have you all at Lausanne next fummer.

LAUSANNE, August 7, 1790.

I ANSWER at once your two letters; and I fhould probably have taken earlier notice of the first, had I not been in daily expectation of the second. I must begin on the fubject of what really interests me the most, your glorious election for Briftol. Most fincerely do I congratulate your exchange of a curfed expenfive jilt, who deferted you for a rich Jew, for an honorable connexion with a chaste and vir tuous matron, who will probably be as conftant as fhe is difinterested. In the whole range of election from Caithness to St. Ives, I much doubt whether there be a fingle choice fo truly honorable to the member and the conftituents. The fecond commercial city invites, from a diftant province, an independent gentleman, known only by his active fpirit, and his writings on the fubject of trade; and names him, without intrigue or expenfe, for her reprefentative: even the voice of party is filenced, while factions strive which fhall applaud the most.

You are now fure, for feven years to come, of never wanting food; I mean bufinefs: what a crowd of fuitors or complainants will befiege your door! what a load of letters and memorials will be heaped on your table! I much question whether even you will not fometimes exclaim, Ohe! jam fatis eft! but that is your affair. Of the excurfion to Coventry I cannot decide, but I hear it is pretty generally blamed but, however, I love gratitude to an old friend; and fhall not be very angry if you damned them with a farewel to all eternity. But I cannot reprefs my indignation at the use of those foolish, obfolete, odious words, Whig and Tory. In the American war they might have fome meaning; and then your Lordship was a Tory, although you fuppofed yourself a Whig: fince the coalition, all general principles have been confounded; and if there ever was an oppofition to men, not measures, it is the prefent. Luckily both the leaders are great men; and, whatever happens, the country muft fall upon its legs. What a ftrange mist of peace and war feems to hang over the ocean! We can perceive nothing but fecrecy and vigor; but thofe are excellent qualities to perceive in a minister. From yourself and politics I now return to my private concerns, which I fall methodically confider under the three great articles of mind, body, and eftate.

1. I am not abfolutely difpleafed at your firing fo haftily at the hint, a tremendous hint, in my Jaft letter. But the danger is not fo ferious or im minent as you feem to fufpect; and I give you my word, that, before I take the flightest step which

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can bind me either in law, confcience, or honor, I will faithfully communicate, and we will freely difcufs, the whole ftate of the business. But at prefent there is not any thing to communicate or difcufs; I do affure you that I have not any particular object in view: I am not in love with any of the hyænas of Lausanne, though there are fome who keep their claws tolerably well pared. Sometimes, in a folitary mood, I have fancied myself married to one or another of those whose society and conversation are the most pleafing to me; but when I have painted in my fancy all the probable confequences of fuch an union, I have started from my dream, rejoiced in my escape, and ejaculated a thanksgiving that I was still in poffeffion of my natural freedom. Yet I feel, and fhall continue to feel, that domeftic folitude, however it may be alleviated by the world, by ftudy, and even by friendship, is a comfortless ftate, which will grow more painful as I defcend in the vale of years. At prefent my fituation is very tolerable; and if at dinner-time, or at my return home in the evening, I fometimes figh for a companion, there are many hours, and many occafions, in which I enjoy the fuperior blef fing of being fole mafter of my own house. But your plan, though lefs dangerous, is ftill more abfurd than mine: fuch a couple as you describe could not be found; and, if found, would not answer my purpose; their rank and position would be awkward and ambiguous to myself and my acquaintance; and the agreement of three perfons of three characters would be ftill more impracticable. My plan of Charlotte Porten is undoubtedly the most desirable; and she might

either remain a fpinfter (the cafe is not without example), or marry fome Swifs of my choice, who would increase and enliven our fociety; and both would have the strongest motives for kind and dutiful behavi our. But the mother has been indirectly founded, and will not hear of fuch a proposal for fome years. On my fide, I would not take her, but as a piece of soft wax which I could model to the language and manners of the country: I must therefore be patient.

Young Severy's letter, which may be now in your hands, and which, for these three or four laft pofts, has furnished my indolence with a new pretence for delay, has already informed you of the means and circumftances of my refurrection. Tedious indeed was my confinement, fince I was not able to move from my houfe or chair, from the ninth of February to the first of July, very nearly five months. The firft weeks were accompanied with more pain than I have ever known in the gout, with anxious days and fleepless nights; and when that pain fubfided, it left a weakness in my knees which feemed to have no end. My confinement was however softened by books, by the poffeffion of every comfort and convenience, by a fucceffion each evening of agreeable company, and by a flow of equal fpirits and general good health. During the last weeks I defcended to the ground floor, poor Deyverdun's apartment, and constructed a chair like Merlin's, in which I could wheel myself in the house and on the terrace. My patience has been universally admired; yet how many thoufands have paffed thofe five months lefs eafily than myfelf. I remember making a remark perfectly fimple, and perfectly true: "At pre