304 
NOTES AND QUERIES. 
No. 19. 
Thus Peter Pindar describes a turbulent crowd of 
people as being 
“ Leek bullocks sting’d by apple-drones.” 
Ts this bit of weather-wisdom current in other 
parts of the kingdom? Tam induced to ask the 
question, because Chaucer seems to have embodied 
the proverb in some well-known lines, viz. : — 
« Right as the Friday, sothly for to tell, 
Now shineth it, and now it raineth fast, 
Right so can gery Venus overcast 
‘The hertes of hire folk, right as hire day 
Ts gerfull, right so changeth she aray. 
Seldz is the Friday all the weke ylike.” 
The Knighte’s Tule, line 1536. 
Tyndale. — Can any of your readers inform me 
whether the translation of the “ Enchiridion Militis 
Christiani Erasmi,’ which Tyndale completed in 
1522, was ever printed ? J. M. B. 
Totnes, Feb. 21. 1850. 
LETTER ATTRIBUTED TO SIR ROBERT WALPOLE. 
In Banks's Dormant Peerage, vol. iii. p. 61., 
under the account of Pulteney, Earl of Bath, is 
the following extraordinary letter, said to be from 
Sir Robert Walpole to King George IL., which is 
introdueed as serving to show the discerninent of 
Walpole, as well as the disposition of the persons 
by whom be was opposed, but evidently to expose 
the vanity and weakness of Mr. Pulteney, by ex- 
hibiting the scheme which was to entrap him into 
the acceptance of a peerage, and so destroy his 
popularity. It is dated Jan. 24. 1741, but from 
no place, and has but little appearance of authen- 
ticity. 
“ Most saered, 
« The violence of the fit of the stone, which has 
tormented me for some days, is now so far abated, that, 
although it will not permit me to have the honour to 
wait on your majesty, yet is kind enough to enable me 
so far to obey your orders, as to write my sentiments 
concerning that troublesome man, Mr. Pulteney; and 
to point out (what I conceive to be) the most effectual 
method to make him perfectly quiet. Your majesty 
well knows how by the dint of his eloquence he has 
so captivated the mob, and attained an unbounded po- 
pularity, that the most manifest wrong appears to be 
right, when adopted and urged by him. Hence it is, 
that he has become not only troublesome but dangerous. 
The inconsiderate multitude think that he has not one 
object but the public good in view; although, if they 
would reflect a little, they would soon perceive that spleen 
against those your majesty has honoured with your 
confidence has greater weight with him tkan patriotism, 
Since, let any measure be proposed, however salutary, 
if he thinks it comes from me, it is sufficient for him to 
oppose it. Thus, sir, you see the affairs of the most 
momentous concern are subject to the caprice of that 
popular man; and he has nothing to do but call it a 
ministerial project, and bellow out the word favourite, 
to have an hundred pens drawn against it, and a thousand 
mouths open to contradict it. Under these circum- 
stances, he bears up against the ministry (and, let me 
add, against your majesty itself); and every useful 
scheme must be either abandoned, or if it is carried in 
either house, the public are made to believe it is done 
by a corrupted majority. Since these things are thus 
cireumstanced, it is become necessary for the publie 
tranquillity that he should be made quiet; and the 
only method to do that effectually is to destroy his 
popularity, and ruin the good belief the people have in 
him. 
“Tn order to do this, he must be invited to court ; 
your majesty must condescend to speak to him in the 
most favourable and distinguished manner ; you must 
make him believe that he is the only person upon 
whose opinion you ean rely, and to whom your people 
look up for useful measures. As he has already several 
times refused to take the lead in the administration, 
unless it was totaliy modelled to his fancy, your 
majesty should close in with his advice, and give him 
leave to arrange the administration as he pleases, and 
put whom he chooses into office (there can be no danger 
in that as you can dismiss him when you think fit); 
and when he has got thus far (to which his extreme 
self-love and the high opinion he entertains of his own 
importance, will easily econduce), it will be necessary 
that your majesty should seem to have a great regard 
for his health; signifying to him that your affairs will 
be ruined if he should die; that you want to have him 
constantly near you, to have his sage advice; and that 
therefore, as he is much disordered in body, and some- 
thing infirm, it will be necessary for his preservation 
for him to quit the House of Commons, where male- 
volent tempers will be continuaily fretting him, and 
where, indeed, his presence will be needless, as no step 
will be taken but according to his advice; and that he 
will let you give him a distinguishing mark of your 
approbation, by creating hima peer. ‘[his he may be 
brought to, for, if 1 know anything of mankind, he has 
a love of honour and money ; and, notwithstanding his 
great haughtiness and seeming contempt for honour, he 
may be won if it be dene with dexterity. For, as the 
poet Fenton says, ‘ Flattery is an oil that softens the 
thoughtless fool.’ 
“ If your majesty can once bring him to accept of a 
coronet, all will be over with him; the changing multi- 
tude will cease to have any confidence in him; and 
when you see that, your majesty may turn your back 
to him, dismiss him from his post, turn out his meddling 
partizans, and restore things to quiet ; the bee will have 
lost his sting, and become an idle drone whose buzzing 
nobody heeds, 
* Your majesty will parden me for the freedom with 
which I have given my sentiments and advice; which 
I should not have done, had not your majesty com: 
manded it, and had I not been certain that your peace 
is much disturbed by the contrivance of that turbulent 
man. I shall only add that I will dispose several 
whom I know to wish him well to solicit for his esta- 
blishment in power, that you may seem to yield to their 
entreaties, and the finesse be less liable to be disco- 
vered. 
“I hope to have the honour to attend your majesty 
