Parliament met yesterday, and the address to the King was voted without a negative. The threatened Opposition is disjointed, and half of its expected leaders did not appear. The late ridiculous Minister, Lord Shelburne, (which is using the most favourable of all the epithets he deserves,) keeps in the country. Lord Temple made a speech in the Lords which nobody minded or answered; and Mr. William Pitt in the commons behaved with candour and great decency. Mr. Fox shone with new superiority; but even masterly eloquence is not his first quality. All his conduct is manly, and marked with strong sense, and first-rate common sense, which is the most useful of all. In short,

he has that, and the frankness and firmness, and the utmost good-humour; and, therefore, you will not wonder I am partial to him, and think him the only man I have seen who unites all those qualities like my father. I wish he may be minister as long-which is a very disinterested wish at my age. I don't believe you suspect that it is interested for any part of the term.

The preliminaries with Holland are signed; nay, Ireland seems to be coming to its senses. One thing they have taken from us and improved, which I do not envy,-Parliamentary scurrility. Mr. Grattan, their late idol, and Mr. Flood (who, they say, might be the idol of Indians, who worship the powers that can do most mischief,) have called one another as many foul names as Scaliger and Scioppius used to throw in Latin at the heads of their adversaries. It is pity that one of them at least did not reserve a few for the CountBishop, whom you have seen in Italy, and who seems to have conceived there a passion for a red hat. Is not it odd to see an emperor demolishing convents in the East, and a Protestant Bishop pleading for Popery in the West? His son has been as eccentric in a smaller line here, as you have seen in the papers.

This is a slight sketch of public affairs: private news I have none. I now come to Cavalier Mozzi.

Ten days ago Mr. Duane told me that Sharpe and Lucus would be ready in a few days to lay the result of their most tedious consultation before us; and that he believed the upshot would be, that they would think we ought to allow five thousand pounds to my Lord. I smiled, and said to myself, "They needed not to have taken five or six months to agree on an opinion which they might have delivered in five minutes, for it is precisely what both had settled long ago my Lord should have." Sharpe said at first, that my Lord and Mozzi should divide the money in question, which he called ten thousand; and Lucas above a year ago, I think I told you, told an impatient creditor of my Lord, that his Lordship would get five thousand from Cavalier Mozzi. However, I said nothing then, reserving my reflection for a moment when it may come with more force. Nay, I even commanded myself this morning, when Lucas was with me, and produced their liquidated states, by which these honest men allot 5,4571. to my Lord. But my indignation took its revenge; for, on Lucas telling me that there was still one point on which Sharpe and

he could not agree, which was on interest upon interest for arrears of my Lady's jointure, and which was originally founded on an iniquitous parallel demand which had been allowed by a villany of old Cruwys, Lucas's predecessor, by which my father's creditors were defrauded of 18,000l. I broke out, called Cruwys all the rascals he deserved, [not meaning to except his successor,] and told him, that even if Mozzi's claim could not be allowed, the money ought not to go to my Lord, but to the creditors. At last I said plainly, that Mr. Duane and I were not at all bound to submit to his and Sharpe's opinion, but ordered them to deliver their reasons to us in writing; and that for my part, I would lay those reasons before Lord Camden, for, being no lawyer myself, I would be justified by having the opinion of one of the first lawyers in England for the judgment I should pronounce. This I trust will make him less flippant. He had begun by saying. Mr. Duane and I would be able to decide in a few minutes; which was pretty impudent, considering that even he and Sharpe do not agree on one point; but I repeated that we should not have such implicit faith; we had only desired to know on what points they did agree. Upon the whole, I fear this affair will not be so soon concluded. Nay, I perceive so much roguery, that, as I cannot unravel it, I shall be very unwilling to pronounce; being persuaded that Cavalier Mozzi will be cheated. Lucas pretended just now to have found but yesterday a scrap of paper without a title, that proved, under the hand of Lady Orford's steward, that she had received more from her jointure than was pretended. I asked him in a very severe tone where he had found that bit of paper. He said, amongst my Lord's writings. I replied, it was very extraordinary that he, who for so many years had been poring over my Lord's writings, should never have taken notice of that paper before;-nor do I conceive how a paper of my Lady's steward came there! in a word, I told Lucus plainly that all he had said to-day had confirmed me much more strongly in what I thought before of Cruwys's villany, and of the justness of the arguments I had used to show that what had been deemed law for my brother ought to be law for Lady Or ford, and that what a jury had given to one ought to be given by a jury to the other. This he owned; but said, the money ought to go to my Lord as executor. "If it does" said 1," will my Lord pay to the creditors?" He replied, "I suppose he will; he has paid much more to them." I could have answered, "Much less than he ought."-Oh! my good sir, do you wonder, after all I have seen, that I have a dismal opinion of the three professions-lawyers, clergy, and physicians? 'Tis well I am come to the bottom of my paper, or I should continue invectiving.

66

LETTER CCCCX.

Nov. 21, 1783.

I AM exceedingly hurt to be forced to tell you, that I shall not be able to do so much service to Cavalier Mozzi as I hoped; nor should I have it in my power to do any, if I threw up my refereeship, as I have been on the point of doing: but I will tell you methodically, and as shortly as I can, what passed yesterday. The three lawyers came to me. As soon as Lucas had opened the points on which Sharpe and he are agreed, and by which they give a balance to my Lord of 54577., I said with all the sneer I could put into a look, "It was unlucky, gentlemen, that you flung away six months to compute what you guessed so exactly a year and a half ago! You both said, so long ago, that my Lord would or ought to have five thousand pounds." Lucas understood me; but I afterwards made him understand a great deal more, which I will not repeat now. We then came to the point of interest, on which he and Sharpe still disagree, and by which Lucas would extort 19007. for my Lord. Sharpe did behave handsomely, and would have set it all aside. I then spoke, and called on Lucas to acknowledge that I had at first declared in writing to my Lord that I would not undertake the office. of umpire, unless I were allowed to act as a gentleman, and not as a lawyer. [This Lucas could not deny.] I then stated all the Cavalier's handsome behaviour. I appealed to Sharpe, who knew all, whether I could be partial to my Lady and her friend. [This Sharpe allowed.] I said, I had accepted the office only to save her honour and my Lord's from being bandied about in a public court of justice; but that since I found that the law was stretched to the utmost against Cavalier Mozzi, and as I was unwilling to pronounce against my Lord, whose side I was to maintain, or to be thought partial for him, I chose to throw up my trust, and leave the whole to be decided at law. I was then silent for some minutes. At last Mr. Duane spoke, and said, that Mr. Sharpe and Mr. Lucas had agreed on the 54577., and that he and I during the former discussions had in general allowed their several demands; and that we had allowed very liberally to my Lord. Lucas interrupted him, and would not acknowledge that we had allowed liberally to his Lordship; but both Duane and Sharpe insisted we had. Mr. Duane then proposed to Lucas to desire my Lord to give up the interest to Cavalier Mozzi, which would be 1900., and would, by so much, lessen the 5457ĺ. Lucas said very awkwardly, he would, and was sure my Lord would agree to any thing; but seemed exceedingly dissatisfied. Sharpe and Lucas then took their leave; and Duane was going, but I kept him, and beseeched him to tell me honestly what I ought to do. I should tell you that Sharpe had proposed to give up the interest on both sides. Mr. Duane said that he advised me by all means not to leave the affair undecided; that it must then go to

VOL. II.-27

Chancery, where it would not be decided in a dozen years, or perhaps not in twenty-that Cavalier Mozzi would lose the whole interest of all the money in the meantime, and perhaps spend the principal in the pursuit; that it had always been his practice to advise adverse parties to split the difference; and therefore, of the 19007, . he would give my Lord half, and Mozzi half. I did not like this. At last I proposed my Lord should have 6007. and the Cavalier the remaining 1300. I found Mr. Duane did not like this. In short, we agreed at last that my Lord should have 64007., and Cavalier Mozzi the rest; and this he would go and offer to Sharpe. Thus, after all, of 10,500l., the sum in dispute, I shall save Cavalier Mozzi but 4100/.! You will say, I had better have let Lucas go and propose to my Lord to cede the 19007. It is true; but, besides that Lucas accepted the request so unwillingly, and not in a way to satisfy my Lord, I could not satisfy myself without talking to Mr. Duane alone; and, when I did, I found him so clear in what I ought to do, that I could not, from inclination to serve Cavalier Mozzi, do what would be injustice to my Lord, whose cause I was chosen to defend. In short, I am very unhappy, and shall not wonder if at last Cavalier Mozzi suspects I have acted a double part; and have, notwithstanding all my professions, only meant to hurt him. Lucas, I am sure, still thinks just the contrary; at least, that I have been partial against my nephew: no; yet against Lucas I have, whom I did reproach with instigating my Lord to contest his mother's will, after he had said he would not. I do not care what my Lord or Lucas think; I have strictly followed Mr. Duane's opinion; and, as he could have no partiality, I chose to prefer his opinion to my own, as his could have no bias. Whatever Cavalier Mozzi shall think, it is mortification enough to me to be outwitted by Lucas; but I could not suffer my wish of defeating him to supersede what I am told is justice.

I have attempted to carry a collateral point, in which I suppose I shall not be much more successful. In Lucas's warmth of pleading for my Lord, I discovered that the 60007. which my Lord is likely to recover from Mozzi (for observe, nothing is yet decided,) ought to go to my brother's creditors, and can only be received by my nephew as executor. I pinned Lucas down to this confession; and both the other lawyers agreed I was in the right. I then wanted to have the 60007. deposited in the hands of trustees or a banker: but that, it seems, is not law; my Lord indeed being answerable for the money to the creditors, but nobody has a right or power to sequester it from him. However, when the decision shall be made, I shall declare to Lucas that I shall give my brother's creditors notice that there is such a sum, which they may claim.

I have thus told you the substance, and you may inform poor Mozzi of it. I will write again when I know any farther. I have done the best I could, and perhaps more than any one else could have done; yet I claim no merit. All evidence, except what little

was in Sharpe's hands, was in Lucas's, and he has certainly made the most of it. Had I not been present, who bore witness against him in some particulars of his own knowledge, I conclude he would. have gained more from Mr. Duane, who, as a lawyer, must be a little biassed by law arguments; yet I believe, though I explained much to him, that his love of peace, and the disagreeable consequences he foresaw from a legal suit, chiefly influenced his judgment. I have not room or time to add a word more.

P.S.-Nov. 25, after dinner.

As I was going to seal my letter, I received one from Mr. Duane, which obliges me to add a postscript. He says, that Mr. Sharpe has convinced him by arguments, which I have not time to particularize, that Cavalier Mozzi ought to have more than we had allotted to him. [This shows that Sharpe has not quite sacrificed his client; indeed, I have always specified every instance in which I thought he acted justly.] Mr. Duane therefore advises to let Lucas make the proposal above-named to my Lord, and wait his answer. If it is not favourable, he says we may then offer 56004., or at least enlarge it. I certainly agree to wait, and willingly; but I send my letter notwithstanding: though you need not read the particulars to Cavalier Mozzi yet. It is hard to be a judge in a law affair, of which I am no judge. I have acted throughout from good-nature for Cavalier Mozzi, whom I thought ill-treated; and, to avoid scandal, I have done the best I could. I have made Lucas my enemy more than he was before, and I have not managed him; though I do not doubt but he will represent my conduct to my Lord in the worst light; and, though Mozzi may suspect me of favouring my nephew, I have probably added new alacrity to the wretches who wish my Lord to disinherit me, should I outlive him, but that is certainly what I do not expect to do; and, when I have scorned to court him or them, be assured I would not flatter him at the expense of another. In short, I have done right to the best of my judgment, and cannot help what is thought of me.

LETTER CCCCXI.

Berkeley Square, Dec. 2, 1783. We have not yet terminated poor Cavalier Mozzi's business. Lucas is highly dissatisfied at our offering my Lord what he calls but 60007., and I am as much displeased at offering so much; but Mr. Duane thinks the 54577., must be allowed, though Lucas, I believe, would find it very difficult to prove so in a court of law: and, as we fear we must agree to divide the remaining 18007. in question, we probably shall be reduced to fix the whole sum for my Lord at 64007.,,