Letters of Horace Walpole — Volume I

Part 1

LETTERS

HORACE WALPOLE

SELECTED AND EDITED BY

CHARLES DUKE YONGE, M.A.

AUTHOR OF "THE HISTORY OF FRANCE UNDER THE BOURBONS," "A LIFE OF MARIE ANTOINETTE," ETC., ETC.

WITH PORTRAITS AND ILLUSTRATIONS

VOLUME I

London

T. FISHER UNWIN

PATERNOSTER SQUARE

NEW YORK: G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS

MDCCCXC

CONTENTS.

1736-1764.

1. TO MONTAGU, May 2, 1736.--Marriage of the Princess of Wales--Very lively

2. TO THE SAME, May 6, 1736.--Fondness for Old Stories--Reminiscences of Eton, etc.

3. TO THE SAME, March 20, 1737.--Wish to Travel--Superiority of French Manners to English in their manner to Ladies

4. TO WEST, April 21, 1739.--Theatres at Paris--St. Denis--Fondness of the French for Show, and for Gambling--Singular Signs--The Army the only Profession for Men of Gentle Birth--Splendour of the Public Buildings

5. TO THE SAME, 1739.--Magnificence of Versailles--The Chartreux Relics

6. TO THE SAME, February 27, 1740.--The Carnival--The Florentines Civil, Good-natured, and Fond of the English--A Curious Challenge

7. TO THE SAME, June 14, 1740.--Herculaneum--Search should be made for other Submerged Cities--Quotations from Statius

8. TO CONWAY, July 5, 1740.--Danger of Malaria--Roman Catholic Relics--"Admiral Hosier's Ghost"--Contest for the Popedom

9. TO THE SAME, July 9, 1740

10. TO WEST, Oct. 2, 1740.--A Florentine Wedding--Addison's Descriptions are Borrowed from Books--A Song of Bondelmonti's, with a Latin Version by Gray, and an English One by the Writer

11. TO MANN, Jan. 22, 1742.--Debate on Pulteney's Motion for a Committee on Papers Relating to the War--Speeches of Pulteney, Pitt, Sir R. Walpole, Sir W. George, etc.--Smallness of the Ministerial Majority

12. TO THE SAME, May 26, 1742.--Ranelagh Gardens Opened--Garrick, "A Wine-merchant turned Player"--Defeat of the Indemnity Bill

13. TO THE SAME, Dec. 9, 1742.--Debate on Disbanding the Hanoverian Troops--First Speech of Murray (afterwards Earl of Mansfield)--Bon Mot of Lord Chesterfield

14. TO THE SAME, Feb. 24, 1743.--King Theodore--Handel Introduces Oratorios

Part 2

15. TO THE SAME, July 4, 1743.--Battle of Dettingen--Death of Lord Wilmington

16. TO THE SAME, Sept. 7, 1743.--French Actors at Clifden--A new Roman Catholic Miracle--Lady Mary Wortley

17. TO THE SAME, March 29, 1745.--Death of his Father--Matthews and Lestock in the Mediterranean--Thomson's "Tancred and Sigismunda"--Akenside's Odes--Conundrums in Fashion

18. TO THE SAME, May 11, 1745.--Battle of Fontenoy--The Ballad of the Prince of Wales

19. TO MONTAGU, August 1, 1745.--M. De Grignan--Livy's Patavinity--The Maréchal De Belleisle--Whiston Prophecies the Destruction of the World--The Duke of Newcastle

20. TO MANN, Sept. 6, 1745.--Invasion of Scotland by the Young Pretender--Forces are said to be Preparing in France to join him

21. TO THE SAME, Sept. 20, 1745.--This and the following Letters give a Lively Account of the Progress of the Rebellion till the Retreat from Derby, after which no particular interest attaches to it

22. TO THE SAME, Sept. 27, 1745.--Defeat of Cope

23. TO THE SAME, Oct. 21, 1745.--General Wade is Marching to Scotland--Violent Proclamation of the Pretender

24. TO THE SAME, Nov. 22, 1745.--Gallant Resistance of Carlisle--Mr. Pitt attacks the Ministry

25. TO THE SAME, Dec. 9, 1745.--The Rebel Army has Retreated from Derby--Expectation of a French Invasion

26. TO THE SAME, April 25, 1746.--Battle of Culloden

27. TO THE SAME, Aug. 1, 1746.--Trial of the Rebel Lords Balmerino and Kilmarnock

28. TO THE SAME, Oct. 14, 1746.--The Battle of Rancoux

29. TO CONWAY, Oct. 24, 1746.--On Conway's Verses--No Scotchman is capable of such Delicacy of Thought, though a Scotchwoman may be--Akenside's, Armstrong's, and Glover's Poems

30. TO THE SAME, June 8, 1747.--He has bought Strawberry Hill

31. TO THE SAME, Aug. 29, 1748.--His Mode of Life--Planting--Prophecies of New Methods and New Discoveries in a Future Generation

32. TO MANN, May 3, 1749.--Rejoicings for the Peace--Masquerade at Ranelagh--Meeting of the Prince's Party and the Jacobites--Prevalence of Drinking and Gambling--Whitefield

33. TO THE SAME, March 11, 1750.--Earthquake in London--General Panic--Marriage of Casimir, King of Poland

34. TO THE SAME, April 2, 1750.--General Panic--Sherlock's Pastoral Letter--Predictions of more Earthquakes--A General Flight from London--Epigrams by Chute and Walpole himself--French Translation of Milton

35. TO THE SAME, April 1, 1751.--Death of Walpole's Brother, and of the Prince of Wales--Speech of the young Prince--Singular Sermon on His Death

36. TO THE SAME, June 18, 1751.--Changes in the Ministry and Household--The Miss Gunnings--Extravagance in London--Lord Harcourt, Governor of the Prince of Wales

37. TO THE SAME, June 12, 1753.--Description of Strawberry Hill--Bill to Prevent Clandestine Marriages

38. TO MONTAGU, May 19, 1756.--No News from France but what is Smuggled--The King's Delight at the Vote for the Hanover Troops--Bon Mot of Lord Denbigh

39. TO THE SAME, Oct. 17, 1756.--Victory of the King of Prussia at Lowositz--Singular Race--Quarrel of the Pretender with the Pope

40. TO THE SAME, Nov. 4, 1756.--Ministerial Negotiations--Loss of Minorca--Disaster in North America

41. TO THE EARL OF STRAFFORD, July 4, 1757.--The King of Prussia's Victories--Voltaire's "Universal History"

42. TO ZOUCH, August 3, 1758.--His own "Royal and Noble Authors"

Part 3

43. TO THE SAME, Oct. 21, 1758.--His "Royal and Noble Authors"--Lord Clarendon--Sir R. Walpole and Lord Bolingbroke--The Duke of Leeds

44. TO MANN, Oct. 24, 1758.--Walpole's Monument to Sir Horace's Brother--Attempted Assassination of the King of Portugal--Courtesy of the Duc D'Aiguillon to his English Prisoners

45. TO ZOUCH, Dec. 9, 1758.--A New Edition of Lucan--Comparison of "Pharsalea"--Criticism on the Poet, with the Aeneid--Helvetius's Work, "De L'Esprit"

46. TO CONWAY, Jan. 19, 1759.--State of the House of Commons

47. TO DALRYMPLE, Feb. 25, 1759.--Robertson's "History of Scotland"--Comparison of Ramsay and Reynolds as Portrait-Painters--Sir David's "History of the Gowrie Conspiracy"

48. TO THE SAME, July 11, 1759.--Writers of History: Goodall, Hume, Robertson--Queen Christina

49. TO CONWAY, Aug. 14, 1759.--The Battle of Minden--Lord G. Sackville

50. TO MANN, Sept. 13, 1759.--Admiral Boscawen's Victory--Defeat of the King of Prussia--Lord G. Sackville

51. TO MONTAGU, Oct. 21, 1759.--A Year of Triumphs

52. TO THE SAME, Nov. 8, 1759.--French Bankruptcy--French Epigram

53. TO THE SAME, Jan. 7, 1760.--He lives amongst Royalty--Commotions in Ireland

54. TO THE SAME, Jan. 14, 1760.--Severity of the Weather--Scarcity in Germany--A Party at Prince Edward's--Charles Townsend's Comments on La Fontaine

55. TO MANN, Feb. 28, 1760.--Capture of Carrickfergus

56. TO DALRYMPLE, April 4, 1760.--The Ballad of "Hardyknute"--Mr. Home's "Siege of Aquileia"--"Tristram Shandy"--Bishop Warburton's Praise of it

57. TO THE SAME, June 20, 1760.--Erse Poetry--"The Dialogues of the Dead"--"The Complete Angler"

58. TO MONTAGU, Sept. 1, 1760.--Visits in the Midland Counties--Whichnovre--Sheffield--The new Art of Plating--Chatsworth--Haddon Hall--Hardwicke--Apartments of Mary Queen of Scots--Newstead--Althorp

59. TO THE SAME, April 16, 1761.--Gentleman's Dress--Influence of Lord Bute--Ode by Lord Middlesex--G. Selwyn's Quotation

60. TO THE SAME, May 5, 1761.--Capture of Belleisle--Gray's Poems--Hogarth's Vanity

61. TO THE SAME, May 22, 1761.--Intended Marriage of the King--Battles in Germany--Capture of Pondicherry--Burke

62. TO MANN, Sept. 10, 1761.--Arrival of the Princess of Mecklenburgh--The Royal Wedding--The Queen's Appearance and Behaviour

63. TO THE COUNTESS OF AILESBURY, Sept. 27, 1761.--The Coronation and subsequent Gaieties

64. TO THE SAME, Nov. 28, 1761.--A Court Ball--Pamphlets on Mr. Pitt--A Song by Gray

65. TO MANN, Jan. 29, 1762.--Death of the Czarina Elizabeth--The Cock-lane Ghost--Return to England of Lady Mary Wortley

66. TO ZOUCH, March 20, 1762.--His own "Anecdotes of Painting"--His Picture of the Wedding of Henry VII.--Burnet's Comparison of Tiberius and Charles II.--Addison's "Travels"

67. TO MANN, Aug. 12, 1762.--Birth of the Prince of Wales--The Czarina--Voltaire's Historical Criticisms--Immense Value of the Treasures brought over in the Hermione

68. TO CONWAY, Sept. 9, 1762.--Negotiations for Peace--Christening of the Prince of Wales

69. TO MANN, Oct. 3, 1762.--Treasures from the Havannah--The Royal Visit to Eton--Death of Lady Mary--Concealment of Her Works--Voltaire's "Universal History"

70. TO THE SAME, April 30, 1763.--Resignation of Lord Bute--French Visitors--Walpole and No. 45

Part 4

71. TO MONTAGU, May 17, 1763.--A Party at "Straberri"--Work of his Printing Press--Epigrams--A Garden Party at Esher

72. TO CONWAY, May 21, 1763.--General Character of the French--Festivities on the Queen's Birthday

73. TO THE EARL OF HERTFORD, Dec. 29, 1763.--The ordinary way of Life in England--Wilkes--C. Townshend--Count Lally--Lord Clive--Lord Northington--Louis Le Bien Aimé--The Drama in France

74. TO MONTAGU, Jan.11, 1764.--A New Year's Party at Lady Suffolk's--Lady Temple, Poetess Laureate to the Muses

75. TO MANN, Jan. 18, 1764.--Marriage of the Prince of Brunswick: His Popularity

76. TO THE EARL OF HERTFORD, Feb. 6, 1764.--Gambling Quarrels--Mr. Conway's Speech

77. TO THE SAME, Feb. 15, 1764.--Account of the Debate on the General Warrant

78. TO MANN, June 8, 1764.--Lord Clive--Mr. Hamilton, Ambassador to Naples--Speech of Louis XV.

79. TO THE SAME, Aug. 13, 1764.--The King of Poland--Catherine of Russia

80. TO THE EARL OF HERTFORD, Oct. 5, 1764.--Madame De Boufflers' Writings--King James's Journal

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

I. HORACE WALPOLE

From an engraving after a sketch by Sir THOS. LAWRENCE, P.R.A.

II. SIR HORACE MANN

III. STRAWBERRY HILL, FROM THE SOUTH-EAST

IV. GEORGE MONTAGU

V. THE LIBRARY, STRAWBERRY HILL

VI. HORACE WALPOLE

From a picture in the National Portrait Gallery, by NATHANIEL HONE, R.A.

INTRODUCTION.

It is creditable to our English nobility, and a feature in their character that distinguishes them from their fellows of most other nations, that, from the first revival of learning, the study of literature has been extensively cultivated by men of high birth, even by many who did not require literary fame to secure them a lasting remembrance; and they have not contented themselves with showing their appreciation of intellectual excellence by their patronage of humbler scholars, but have themselves afforded examples to other labourers in the hive, taking upon themselves the toils, and earning no small nor undeserved share of the honours of authorship. The very earliest of our poets, Chaucer, must have been a man of gentle birth, since he was employed on embassies of importance, and was married to the daughter of a French knight of distinction, and sister of the Duchess of Lancaster. The long civil wars of the fifteenth century prevented his having any immediate followers; but the sixteenth opened more propitiously. The conqueror of Flodden was also "Surrey of the deathless lay"; and from his time to the present day there is hardly a break in the long line of authors who have shown their feeling that noble birth and high position are no excuses for idleness, but that the highest rank gains additional illustration when it is shown to be united with brilliant talents worthily exercised. The earliest of our tragic poets was Sackville Earl of Dorset. The preux chevalier of Elizabeth's Court, the accomplished and high-minded Sidney, took up the lyre of Surrey: Lord St. Albans, more generally known by his family name of Bacon, "took all learning for his province"; and, though peaceful studies were again for a while rudely interrupted by the "dark deeds of horrid war," the restoration of peace was, as it had been before, a signal for the resumption of their studies by many of the best-born of the land. Another Earl of Dorset displayed his hereditary talent not less than his martial gallantry. Lord Roscommon well deserved the praises which Dryden and Pope, after his death, liberally bestowed. The great Lord Chancellor Clarendon devoted his declining years to a work of a grander class, leaving us a History which will endure as long as the language itself; while ladies of the very highest rank, the Duchess of Newcastle and Lady Mary Wortley Montague, vindicated the claims of their sex to share with their brethren the honours of poetical fame.

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