others-in-law had spent a great deal more than they ought, and
engaged the revenues of the Castlewood property, which the fond mother had
husbanded and improved so carefully during the time of her guardianship.

His "Clotilda", Castlewood went on to say, "was still delicate, and the
physicians thought her lying-in had best take place at Paris. He should
come without her ladyship, and be at his mother's house about the 17th or
18th day of June, proposing to take horse from Paris immediately, and
bringing 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 dispatched 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