ch admired by all who
are too humble to judge for themselves.

I was much diverted the other morning with another volume on birds by
Edwards, who has published four or five. The poor man, who is grown very
old and devout, begs God to take from him the love of natural
philosophy; and having observed some heterodox proceedings among bantam
cocks, he proposes that all schools of girls and boys should be
promiscuous, lest, if separated, they should learn wayward passions. But
what struck me most were his dedications, the last was to God; this is
to Lord Bute, as if he was determined to make his fortune in one world
or the other.

Pray read Fontaine's fable of the lion grown old; don't it put you in
mind of anything? No! not when his shaggy majesty has borne the insults
of the tiger and the horse, &c., and the ass comes last, kicks out his
only remaining fang, and asks for a blue bridle? _Apropos_, I will tell
you the turn Charles Townshend gave to this fable. "My lord," said he,
"has quite mistaken the thing; he soars too high at first: people often
miscarry by not preceding by degrees; he went and at once asked for my
_Lord_ Carlisle's garter--if he would have been contented to ask first
for my _Lady_ Carlisle's garter, I don't know but he would have obtained
it!" Adieu!

_CAPTURE OF CARRICKFERGUS._

TO SIR HORACE MANN.

ARLINGTON STREET, _Feb._ 28, 1760.

The next time you see Marshal Botta, and are to act King of Great
Britain, France, and Ireland, you must abate about a hundredth
thousandth part of the dignity of your crown. You are no more monarch
of _all_ Ireland, than King O'Neil, or King Macdermoch is. Louis XV. is
sovereign of France, Navarre, and Carrickfergus. You will be mistaken if
you think the peace is made, and that we cede this Hibernian town, in
order to recover Minorca, or to keep Quebec and Louisbourg. To be sure,
it is natural you should think so: how should so victorious and heroic a
nation cease to enjoy any of its possessions, but to save Christian
blood? Oh! I know you will suppose there has been another insurrection,
and that it is King John of Bedford, and not King George of Brunswick,
that has lost this town. Why, I own you are a great politician, and see
things in a moment--and no wonder, considering how long you have been
employed in negotiations; but for once all your sagacity is mistaken.
Indeed, considering the total destruction of the maritime force of
France, and that the great m