ham. . . . His visit put out of my head, in a minute, all the
pretty French phrases which I was brewing. . . . Mr. C. stayed to
converse with the Welch heiress, to talk with Me de Choiseul upon
Greece and the Archipele, and of his uncle's voyage pittoresque, and
he spoke a great while in Italian with Me la Comtesse de Suffren. I
long to hear, as I shall this morning, his opinion of the party. I
asked them (a) few questions about their day's sport; it was a
novelty with which I know that they would be pleased.

So Me de Choiseul has obtained leave of her husband, I believe
without much difficulty, to stay here one day more. I shall, for my
part, make no efforts to detain them. Me de R. has explained to me
sufficiently en quoi consiste la mauvaise conduite du Marquis. But
young people ne regardent que le surface. The Duke did not return; I
believe that he dined and lay at Oatlands. His horse had a violent
fall; but I heard of no other event. I suppose he may have lost by
that accident.

I know as yet no more of Mr. C(ampbell's) motions than that he and
Lady C. go to town this morning, but return to dinner. We shall dine
with them, when these Races are over; they finish to-morrow.

I sat yesterday morning a great while with the Fish's friend, Me de
Roncherolles. Entre nous, I like her much more than any of the whole
set. She has neither du brillant dans son esprit, ni une infinite de
grace dans ses manieres, je l'avoue, mais, elle est sans
pretensions, et avec beaucoup de bon sens, meme de la solidite, et
elle est instruite suffisamment. Mr. Walpole ne lui donne pas la
preference. He must have something de l'esprit de l'Academie, &c.,
something of a charactere marque. Je ne cherche rien de tout cela;
je suis content du naturel, et de trouver une personne raisonnable,
honnete, et de bonne conversation. She is going to-day for a week or
more to Lady Spencer's at St. Alban's. I am sure that it is not
there, que je trouverois cette simplicite qui me plait. But this,
till it is time to embark for Isleworth, when I shall have something
more interesting to talk of than the perfections of Me de
Roncherolles. . . .

(1790, Nov.?) Thursday, Richmond.--You are so good, when you do not
see me or hear of me, to be desirous of having some information of
my state of health and existence. Now I must let you know that I
have at this moment every distress, negative and positive, that I
can have, et les voici. My negative one is, bein