illuminated; mottoes
beneath in Latin and English: 1. For the Prince of Wales, a ship,
_Multorum spes_. 2. For the Princess Dowager, a bird of paradise, and
_two_ little ones, _Meos ad sidera tollo_. People smiled. 3. Duke of
York, a temple, _Virtuti et honori_. 4. Princess Augusta, a bird of
paradise, _Non habet parem_--unluckily this was translated, _I have no
peer_. People laughed out, considering where this was exhibited. 5. The
three younger princes, an orange tree, _Promittit et dat_. 6. The two
younger princesses, the flower crown-imperial. I forget the Latin: the
translation was silly enough, _Bashful in youth, graceful in age_. The
lady of the house made many apologies for the poorness of the
performance, which she said was only oil-paper, painted by one of her
servants; but it really was fine and pretty. The Duke of Kingston was in
a frock, _comme chez lui_. Behind the house was a cenotaph for the
Princess Elizabeth, a kind of illuminated cradle; the motto, _All the
honours the dead can receive_. This burying-ground was a strange codicil
to a festival; and, what was more strange, about one in the morning,
this sarcophagus burst out into crackers and guns. The Margrave of
Anspach began the ball with the Virgin. The supper was most sumptuous.

[Footnote 1: In a subsequent letter he represents Mme. de Boufflers as
giving them the same character, saying, "Dans ce pays-ci c'est un effort
perpetuel pour sedivertir."]

[Footnote 2: Miss Chudleigh, who had been one of the Princess Dowager's
maids of honour, married Mr. Hervey, afterwards Earl of Bristol, but,
having taken a dislike to him, she procured a divorce, and afterwards
married the Duke of Kingston; but, after his death, his heirs, on the
ground of some informality in the divorce, prosecuted her for bigamy,
and she was convicted.]

You ask, when do I propose to be at Park-place. I ask, shall not you
come to the Duke of Richmond's masquerade, which is the 6th of June? I
cannot well be with you till towards the end of that month.

The enclosed is a letter which I wish you to read attentively, to give
me your opinion upon it, and return it. It is from a sensible friend of
mine in Scotland [Sir David Dalrymple], who has lately corresponded with
me on the enclosed subjects, which I little understand; but I promised
to communicate his ideas to George Grenville, if he would state
them--are they practicable? I wish much that something could be done for
those brave