en invited in form: "You must not," said he, addressing himself to the
Chevalier de Grammont, "be obliged to me for this visit. I come from the
king's 'coucher', where all the discourse was about you; and I can assure
you that the manner in which the king spoke of you, could not afford you
so much pleasure as I myself felt upon the occasion. You know very well,
that he has long since offered you his good offices with the King of
France; and for my own part," continued he, smiling, "you know very well
that I would solicit him so to do, if it was not through fear of losing
you as soon as your peace is made; but, thanks to Miss Hamilton, you
are in no great haste: however, I am ordered by the king, my master,
to acquaint you, that while you remain here, until you are restored to
the favour of your sovereign, he presents you with a pension of fifteen
hundred Jacobus's: it is indeed a trifle, considering the figure the
Chevalier de Grammont makes among us; but it will assist him," said he,
embracing him, "to give us sometimes a supper."

The Chevalier de Grammont received, as he ought, the offer of a favour he
did not think proper to accept: "I acknowledge," said he, "the king's
bounty in this proposal, but I am still more sensible of Lord Falmouth's
generosity in it; and I request him to assure his Majesty of my perfect
gratitude: the king, my master, will not suffer me to want, when he
thinks fit to recall me; and while I continue here, I will let you see
that I have wherewithal to give my English friends now and then a
supper."

At these words, he called for his strong box, and showed him seven or
eight thousand guineas in solid gold. Lord Falmouth, willing to improve
to the Chevalier's advantage the refusal of so advantageous an offer,
gave Monsieur de Comminge, then ambassador at the English court, an
account of it; nor did Monsieur de Comminge fail to represent properly
the merit of such a refusal to the French court.

Hyde Park, every one knows, is the promenade of London! nothing was so
much in fashion, during the fine weather, as that promenade, which was
the rendezvous of magnificence and beauty: every one, therefore, who had
either sparkling eyes, or a splendid equipage, constantly repaired
thither; and the king seemed pleased with the place.

Coaches with glasses were then a late invention.

[Coaches were first introduced into England in the year 1564.
Taylor, the water poet, (Works, 1630, p. 240,) says