receive a guinea, or two guineas, and to pay
twenty, for every ten which I shall lose in the same day, above 50,
at any game of chance. I reserve the 50 for an unexpected necessity
of playing in the country, or elsewhere, with women. All things
considered, it is the best tie, and the tax the easiest paid, and
restrictive enough, and twenty guineas you will take; and if you tie
me up, I beg my forfeitures may go to the children, and then perhaps
I may forfeit for their sake, you'll say. I really think it will be
a wise measure for me, and a safe one; and let this tie be for this
year only, and then, if it is demonstrable that my fortune is
impaired by not playing, the tie will be over, and not renewed the
next. In the mean time, and till I shall hear your sentiments upon
this, I must avoid going to Almack's, and so I will. . . .

I dine to-day at Harry St. John's, and to-morrow at Eden's(130); and
on Monday all the St. Johns in the world, old and young, dine here.

Lord Northington(131) brought me home two nights in his coach, and
in one of them the conversation turned upon you. He said there was
nobody had a better idea of what a gentleman should be than
Carlisle; that you was so throughout. There is a singularity and
frankness in some people's manner of delivering their sentiments, by
which they receive great advantage. You remember Sir R. Payne's way
of describing you, which was still more odd; he said if anybody
looked through the keyhole at any time to see how you behaved when
you was alone, that he was sure there would be no more impropriety
in it than if you had a hundred eyes upon you. I don't like
commending you myself, but I like to hear others do so, and
especially when they speak about what they think, and when what they
think has the air of verite in it.

I hope you make my compliments to Ekins, and that he has by this
time read Atterbury quite through. I do not propose the Bishop as a
pattern for anything but for eloquence; and for argument, on n'en
trouve pas, chez lui.

I think that Storer, John St. John,(132) and I, shall set out in
about ten days. My coach, cloak, and muff are ready. Adieu most
affectionately. My respects to Lady C(arlisle) and my love to the
children, and last of all do not despair of me about Hazard, for it
being what I love so much, is precisely the reason why I shall be
more upon guard in respect to it. I do not mean by this to limit,
but the ense recidendum; every other parti