help thinking that,
notwithstanding our late disasters, Bob's(183) political tenants
will be very tardy in remitting him their rents. But between Foley
House, and the run of Mr. Boverie's kitchen, with his own credit at
Brooks's, and his share in and affinity to an opulent Bank, and
flourishing trade, he may find a subsistence.

The D(uche)ss of Marlborough,(184) I hear, is already laying a
scheme for marrying Lord Blandford to a great fortune, so by that
any hopes which I might have had of my dear little Caroline being
Duchess of Marlborough are blasted. I am told, that Miss Child's
alliance is in her Grace's contemplation. I saw Ekins yesterday; he
mends very slowly. Lady Althrop is breeding, Lord Harrington has
another son. Lord Sandwich looks near to death with fatigue and
mortification.

Burke(?) said in the House the other day that he had so little
credit that his evidence was not good even against himself. All this
may be, but he is the last of all his Majesty's Ministers which I
shall give up. He has experience, assiduity, e(t) du zele. Whether
he has blundered or not I cannot tell, or been obliged to adopt the
blunders of others. He has judged right in one thing, if he ever had
it in his head to make a friend of me. For he has been always
extremely civil, and indeed that is not only a sine qua non with me,
but all that I have to ask of any of his Majesty's Ministers, and
that I am intituled to at least.

Now do I wish that my coachman was come back, that I may hear how my
dear little friend is, and at night I will let you know.

(180) See Storer's letter of December 1, below.

(181) John Robinson, Secretary to the Treasury.

(182) William, fifth Duke of Devonshire (1748-1811), married, in
1774, Georgina, daughter of John, Earl Spencer, the well-known
beautiful Duchess of Devonshire; their daughter, Georgina Dorothy,
married George, successor to the fifth Earl of Carlisle.

(183) Lord Robert Spencer?

(184) Caroline, only daughter of John, fourth Duke of Bedford.

Anthony Storer to Lord Carlisle.

1781, Dec. 1.--I received your short note with an enclosed letter
for Boothby, which I sent into the country to him. You laugh at me
when you talk about the tears at the Drawing Room. I confess to you
that I left Ireland with a great deal of regret. If you had not
packed me off to Parliament, I suppose that by Christmas I should
almost have thought myself happy to have established myself in
Dublin. Th