ringing but a single servant with him; and he requested that the
lawyers of Gray's inn might be invited to meet him with their account,
and the land-steward come from Castlewood with his, so that he might
settle with them speedily, raise a sum of money whereof he stood in
need, and be back to his viscountess by the time of her lying-in." Then
his lordship gave some of the news of the town, sent his remembrance to
kinsfolk, and so the letter ended. 'Twas put in the common post, and no
doubt the French police and the English there had a copy of it, to which
they were exceeding welcome.

Two days after another letter was despatched by the public post of
France, in the same open way, and this, after giving news of the fashion
at Court there, ended by the following sentences, in which, but for
those that had the key, 'twould be difficult for any man to find any
secret lurked at all:--

"(The King will take) medicine on Thursday. His Majesty is better than
he hath been of late, though incommoded by indigestion from his too
great appetite. Madame Maintenon continues well. They have performed a
play of Mons. Racine at St. Cyr. The Duke of Shrewsbury and Mr. Prior,
our envoy, and all the English nobility here were present at it. (The
Viscount Castlewood's passports) were refused to him, 'twas said; his
lordship being sued by a goldsmith for Vaisselle plate, and a pearl
necklace supplied to Mademoiselle Meruel of the French Comedy. 'Tis a
pity such news should get abroad (and travel to England) about our young
nobility here. Mademoiselle Meruel has been sent to the Fort l'Evesque;
they say she has ordered not only plate, but furniture, and a chariot
and horses (under that lord's name), of which extravagance his
unfortunate Viscountess knows nothing.

"(His Majesty will be) eighty-two years of age on his next birthday. The
Court prepares to celebrate it with a great feast. Mr. Prior is in a sad
way about their refusing at home to send him his plate. All here admired
my Lord Viscount's portrait, and said it was a masterpiece of Rigaud.
Have you seen it? It is (at the Lady Castlewood's house in Kensington
Square). I think no English painter could produce such a piece.

"Our poor friend the Abbe hath been at the Bastile, but is now
transported to the Conciergerie (where his friends may visit him. They
are to ask for) a remission of his sentence soon. Let us hope the poor
rogue will have repented in prison.

"(The Lord Castlewo