taken for firmness, it will obtain at last, as it generally does, its genuine appellation. I am sorry you are losing your nephew and Lady Lucy, and more sorry that you continue troubled with lameness. Though I am a little younger, you must trust my greater experience. The gout will bear no contradiction. You must submit to what it gives, and what it leaves. I do not walk a mile in a twelvemonth, and suffer if I stand a quarter of an hour; but what then? There are chairs for us old folks, and in this age easy ones everywhere. Within these two months, sleep, which has been my constant support and food, has begun to grow coy. Can I wonder? At first I had a mind to find a cause; but I recollected that twenty years ago I should have said to myself, if a person of sixty complained, "The poor soul does not consider it is three-score!" We must part with all at once, or see it slip away by degrees. We cannot even choose which; nor should know how to decide, if we might. I endeavour to take patiently everything as it comes. You have a better temper, and can do so more easily. The vision has been pleasant enough upon the whole to both of us. Thank God, it has been no worse! Let us, while we last, hope it will not be. If we combat age, by pretending to believe that its consequences are accidents that may be removed, we only deceive and torment ourselves, but find no remedy. Adieu! LETTER CCLXXVII. Arlington Street, Jan. 4, 1778. THE period of a month is elapsed; and therefore, not to break through an ancient custom which I am not young enough to be excused violating, (though legislators often dispense themselves from observing their own laws,) I begin a letter to you, not at all foreseeing with what it is to be filled. The distance of place, and the extreme taciturnity of the Howes, must have taught you a little not to expect events from America every day. Even Burgoyne has left himself nothing to say-till be arrives. We have lived a fortnight on the capture of Mud Island, though it is far from clear that it is yet taken. If, on the contrary, New York should be retaken by the provincials -but stay, I do not know they intend it,-it has a most slender garrison, so has Quebec; but Washington may think it a shorter way of terminating the war by overwhelming the army under Howe-if he can. In truth, I am no judge of what is most for their interest-but the Congress seem to know. You must not suppose, though I make such short work of it, that it is the language here to sit down and give America for lost. The Ministers had, indeed, very nearly said so, and Lord North was to bring terms for peace after the holidays; mais nous avons changé * On the 10th of December, Lord Beauchamp having moved an adjournment "to the 20th of January," Mr. Burke moved to substitute the words "this day se'nnight." This was opposed by Lord North; who observed, that he hoped the campaign had produced events which tout cela, and nothing is talked of but raising regiments and sending another army--I don't know whither, because, supposing a new army can be raised, which is a postulatum, it will be a little necessary to know whether we have New York, or Philadelphia, or Quebec; and though, probably, one or two of them-but I really do not know what I say, nor have I found anybody on whose sleeve I pin my faith in these affairs. We have had assertion, and prophecy, and confidence, and all have been brought to shame, and none of them are ashamed; and so I refer you to the Chapter of Accidents. The Parliament, when it shall meet, is to go into a great inquiry, which, I conclude, will end in nothing at all, or, rather, not end. The talk of the day is, that France has signed a treaty with the provincials, and the Stocks look pale upon it; but all these rumours only fill up the chinks of time, and will be forgotten when great events happen. By great events I mean foreign war and domestic calamity. We are on the high road to both. The present moment is only like the half-hour at the theatre before the play begins: the galleries are riotous, pelt the candle-snuffers, or bawl for the overture; when the curtain is drawn up, nobody thinks but of the tragedy. We have had a great misfortune in our family: the would enable us to propose and enforce terms of conciliation with the Colonies. The Opposition, on the other hand, ridiculed the idea of the present Ministers becoming negotiators for peace and conciliation, as the greatest of all possible absurdities.—ED. Bishop of Exeter* is dead, who married my brother's eldest daughter. She is left with four children and a very small provision indeed; but Sir Edward has acted nobly, and gives up to her an estate at Windsor of eight hundred a-year, and a house in town, and keeps her a coach. He has, indeed, been a most bountiful father always, and has not made his children wait for his death. Jan. 7th. I have received yours of the 10th of last month. You will have learnt before now that the total defeat of Washington was converted into a total defeat of Burgoyne, and it is very much the opinion of the City that the American war will soon be turned into a French one; but I doubt France will stay till we have not a regiment left in the island, which you know would save a great deal of blood. Don't trouble your head any longer about Lady Lucy's having a son; they are the happiest who have no children. We are not content with having lost America; we shall not have an army to defend England. Why does not Mrs. Anne Pitt return? She would find most people as mad as herself. * Dr. Frederick Keppel, fourth son of William-Anne, second Earl of Albemarle; in 1754 appointed Canon of Windsor, and in 1762 promoted to the Bishoprick of Exeter. He married, in September 1758, Laura, the eldest of the three daughters of Sir Edward Walpole.-Ed. LETTER CCLXXVIII. Feb. 6, 1778. The troops of the latter IT is odd, that in the heat of a Parliamentary campaign, enlivened by a civil war, I should have nothing particular to tell you. are gone into winter quarters. field, and skirmish every day. are wounded, they do not own it. Some of the forces of the larger army have deserted to the enemy; and on Monday the numbers of the Opposition mounted to an hundred and sixty odd.* On the other hand, it is commonly believed, that the old general of the minority, Lord Chatham, is to command the King's forces. It is certain that there is a great coolness between him * On Monday, the 2nd of February, Mr. Fox moved, in the Committee on the State of the Nation, " That no more of the Old Corps be sent out of the nation." No reply was made to his speech, and the question was negatived by 259 against 165. The motion excited much interest out of doors. At an early hour a vast multitude assembled in the lobby and environs of the House; but, not being able to gain admission by entreaty or interest, they forced their way into the gallery, in spite of the door-keepers. The House, considering the intrusion a high breach of privilege, directly ordered strangers to withdraw. A partial clearance of the gallery, however, only took place : the gentlemen withdrew, but the ladies, through courtesy, were suffered to remain. Upon which Governor Johnstone observed, that if the motion for clearing the House was a supposed propriety to keep the state of the nation concealed, it was necessary that all strangers should withdraw. "This," says Mr. Hatsell, produced a violent ferment for a long time, the ladies showing great reluctance to comply with the orders of the House; so that, by their severance, business was interrupted for nearly two hours: but, at length, they too were compelled to submit."—ED. per |