104 'OLD q' 



On his lordship's return he found his very obliging 

 friend gone to the French capital, whether to witness 

 an execution or for other purposes can only be sur- 

 mised ; nevertheless, he appears to have been anxious 

 to have his noble friend's company, who could not be 

 made to make a definite promise.^ The next letter ^ 

 affords some curious information as to how wealthy 

 and noble persons tried to defraud H.M, Customs. 

 His lordship laments the seizure of some silk stock- 

 ings his good Selwyn had sent him, that had been 

 seized by the Custom-house officers. But, says this 

 law-abiding peer, had they been taken out of the 

 paper and rolled up, it ' would have made them pass 

 for old stockings ' ! This letter imparts information 

 seldom found in contemporary records — viz. his lord- 

 ship's entertainment of his ducal relative. 



The Earl of March and Ruglen, after the July 

 Meeting, Newmarket, found time to make up his 

 mind to go to France, where, from Fontainebleau,^ 

 he addresses Selwyn, to whom he recites a circum- 

 stance that concerns his ' dear George.' The Queen 

 of France had asked Madame de Mirepoix 'si elle 

 n'avoit pas beaucoup entendu medire de Monsieur 

 Selwyn, et elle ? Elle a repondu : " Oui, beaucoup, 

 Madame." "J 'en suis bien aise," dit la Reine.' 



^ Appendix F. ^ Appendix G. * Appeudii: H. 



