VISIT TO THE HOUSE OF LORDS 119 



This letter also testifies to the Duke of Queens- 

 berry's seeking his lordship's services on some election 

 matter, a fact which shows a better state of feeling 

 between his grace and his presumptive heir than 

 was supposed to exist. This letter is well worth 

 reading in extenso. 



The communication ^ which follows is one of doubts 

 and fears regarding the much-promised trip to Paris ; 

 it also hints of le nialade imaginaire — March at 

 forty-one found out that he had a stomach, after 

 more than a generation of 'high living.' But this 

 is only in accordance with the established order of 

 things: 'A man is either a physician or a fool at 

 forty.' The latter his lordship certainly was not ; 

 and he showed some knowledge of the healing art 

 by taking a good dose of Nature's own restorer — 

 fresh air and exercise. However, in spite of his 

 ailment, his lordship manages to conclude with 

 some very chatty gossip, and a desire to be re- 

 membered to the Rena, who evidently was in Paris. 



Following is a very ' rara avis ' of a letter ; for his 

 lordship — in as great a political age as our own, 

 without its careless tendency — writes from White's ^ 

 of a visit to the House of Lords, where he had sat out 

 a long sitting, as one of the sixteen representative 



^ Appendix V. 2 Appendix W. 



