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I have not been dead, but only gone to [Mr Chute who had been] seized with a cruel fit of the Gout,
wch held him five weeks, & as he had no other company in the house it was impossible to leave him in that condition. since my
return I have made a visit of four days at Twickenham. I shall probably stay here till the middle of
next month & then transplant myself to London, if Mrs Wharton and You de bon
cœur have no objection to me. if any thing has happen'd, since I saw you, to make it inconvenient I insist upon being told so. I
have heard the story of the Lyon,
& its consequences, tho' you say not a word about it. pray, inform me how Miss Peggy got over her operation. Leicester-house is
(as I suppose you know) settling upon its own terms. 40,000£ a year for the P:, 5000 for P:
E:d., no removing to St. J:s, Earl of Bute Groom of the Stole (there is for you) Mr Stone Controller of the [Household
(wch see]ms a concession by way of thanks) Lords of the Bed Chamber I have forgot. Miss Shepherd's Mr Ingram, & Mr Onslow, the Speaker's Son, Grooms of the Bed-chamber. are you upon the List?
Shew me such another King, as the K: of Prussia. every body used to call him Coxcomb, & to be
sure he is one; but a Coxcomb (it is plain) may make a figure far superior to the ordinary run of Kings. I delight in his treatment of
the K: of Poland. when he first inform'd him of the necessity he was under to make use of Saxony in
his way to Bohemia, he added that if his Majesty chose to retire into his Polish Dominions he had order'd Relais on the road, &
that all the respect in the world should be shewn him. & his last memorial to the Empress-Queen
ended with point de réponse en stile d'Oracle.
I recommend two little French Books to you, one call'd Memoires de M:r De la Porte. it has all the air of simplicity & truth, & contains some few very extraordinary facts, relating to Anne of Austria, & Card:l Mazarin. the other is two small Volumes, Mem:es de Madame Staal. the facts are no great matter, but the manner & vivacity of it make it interesting. she was a sort of Confidente to the late Dutchess of Maine, & imprison'd a long time in the Bastille on her account during the Regency. the first you may buy, & the latter borrow. I desire my Compliments to Mrs Wharton, & am,