th a letter of the Countess de Saldar, forwarded to her sister,
Harriet Cogglesby, three mornings after her arrival at Beckley
Court; and which, if it should prove false in a few particulars, does
nevertheless let us into the state of the Countess's mind, and gives the
result of that general's first inspection of the field of action. The
Countess's epistolary English does small credit to her Fallow field
education; but it is feminine, and flows more than her ordinary speech.
Besides, leaders of men have always notoriously been above the honours
of grammar. 'MY DEAREST HARRIET,

'Your note awaited me. No sooner my name announced, than servitors in
yellow livery, with powder and buckles started before me, and bowing one
presented it on a salver. A venerable butler--most impressive! led the
way. In future, my dear, let it be de Saldar de Sancorvo. That is our
title by rights, and it may as well be so in England. English Countess
is certainly best. Always put the de. But let us be systematic, as my
poor Silva says. He would be in the way here, and had better not come
till I see something he can do. Silva has great reliance upon me. The
farther he is from Lymport, my dear!--and imagine me, Harriet, driving
through Fallow field to Beckley Court! I gave one peep at Dubbins's, as
I passed. The school still goes on. I saw three little girls skipping,
and the old swing-pole. SEMINARY FOR YOUNG LADIES as bright as ever! I
should have liked to have kissed the children and given them bonbons and
a holiday.

'How sparing you English are of your crests and arms! I fully expected
to see the Jocelyns' over my bed; but no--four posts totally without
ornament! Sleep, indeed, must be the result of dire fatigue in such a
bed. The Jocelyn crest is a hawk in jesses. The Elburne arms are, Or,
three falcons on a field, vert. How heraldry reminds me of poor Papa!
the evenings we used to spend with him, when he stayed at home, studying
it so diligently under his directions! We never shall again! Sir
Franks Jocelyn is the third son of Lord Elburne, made a Baronet for his
patriotic support of the Ministry in a time of great trouble. The people
are sometimes grateful, my dear. Lord Elburne is the fourteenth of his
line--originally simple country squires. They talk of the Roses, but we
need not go so very far back as that. I do not quite understand why a
Lord's son should condescend to a Baronetcy. Precedence of some sort for
his lady, I suppose. I