Walpoliana, No. I. 
what injury fhe had done him? He an- 
{wered, ‘* I was a fine boy, and you 
changed me.” \ 
In this bull even perfonal identity is 
confounded ! 
XXXIV. CONVENIENT COURAGE. 
A certain earl having beaten Antony. 
Henley, at Tunbridge, for fome imper- 
tinence, the next day found Henley beat- 
ing another perfon. ‘The peer congratu- 
Jated Henley on that acquilition of {pirit. 
“© O, my lord,” replied Henley, ‘ your 
lordfhip and I know whom to beat.” 
XXXV. LORD WILLIAM POULET. 
_ Lord William Poulet, though often 
chairman of committees of the houfe of 
commons, was a great dunce, and could 
fcarceread. Being toread a bill for na- 
turalizing Jemima, duchefs of Kent, he 
called her Jeremiah, duchefs of Kent. 
Having heard South Walls commended 
for ripening fruit, he shewed all the four 
fides of his garden for fouth walls. 
A gentleman writing to defire a fine 
horfe he had, offered him any equivalent. 
Lord William replied, that the horfe was 
at his fervice, but he did not know what 
to do with an elephant. | 
A pamphlet, called ‘* The Snake in the 
Grafs,” being reported (probably in joke) 
to be written by this Lord William Pou- 
let, a gentleman, abufed init, fent him a 
challenge. Lord William profeffed his 
innocence, and that he was not the author; 
but the gentleman would not be fatisfied 
without a denial under his hand. Lord 
William took a pen, and began, ** This 
is to fcratify, that the buk called the 
Snak”’—** Oh, my lord,” faid the perfon, 
«« I am fatished; your lordfhip has al- 
ready convinced me you did not write the 
book.” 
XXXVI. LETTER WRITTEN SOON AF- 
TER HORACE WALPOLE, BY THE 
DEATH OF HIS NEPHEW, HAD SUC- 
CEEDED TO THE TITLE OF EARL OF 
ORFORD. 
Berkley-/quare, Dec. 26,1791. 
DEAR SIR, 
As Iam fure of the fincerity of your 
congratulations, I feel much obliged by 
them; though what has happened deftroys 
my tranquillity ; and if what the world 
reckons advantages, coud compenfate the 
Jofs of peace and-eafe, woud ill indemnify 
me, even by them. A fmall eftate, 
leaded with debt, and of which I do not 
underftand the management, and am too 
eld to learn ;'a fource of law-fuits amongft 
MonTHLiy Mac. No, xxx. 
279 
my near relations, though not affe&ting 
me; endlefs converfations with lawyers ; 
- and packets of letters every day to tead 
and anfwer: all this weight of bufineis 
is too much for the rag of life that yct 
hangs about me; and was preceded by 
three weeks of anxiety about my unfor- 
tunate nephew, and a daily correfpond- 
ence with phyficians, and mad doétors, 
calling upon me when'I had been out of 
order ever fince July: fuch a mafs of 
troubles made me very ferioufly ill for fome 
days, and has left me, and itill keeps me, fo 
weak and difpirited; that if I fhall not foon 
be able to get fome repofe, my poor head 
or body will not be able to refit. For the 
empty title, I truft you do not fuppofe it 
any thing but an incumbranee, by lard- 
ing my bufy mornings with idle vifits of 
interruption, and which, when I am able 
to goout, I fhall be forced to return. 
Surely no man of feventy-four, unlefs 
fuperannuated, can have the fimalleft plea- 
fure in fitting at home in his own roomy 
as I always do, and being called by a new 
name. ) 
It will feem perfonal, and ungrateful 
too, tohave faid fo much about my own 
tri? {ituation, and not to have yet thanked 
you, Sir, for your kind and flattering offer 
of letting me read what you have finifhed — 
of your hiftory; but it was neceflary to 
expofe my condition to you, before I coud 
venture to accept your propofal, when I 
am {fo utterly incapable of giving a quar- 
ter of an hour at a time to what, I know 
by my acquaintance with your works, will 
demand all my attention, if I wifh to 
reap the pleafure they are formed to give 
me. It is moft true that, for thefe feven 
weeks, I have not redde feven pages, but 
letters, {tates of accounts, cafes to-be laid 
before lawyers, accounts of farms, &c. &c. 
and thofe {ubject to mortgages. Thusare 
my mornings occupied: in anevening my 
relations, and a veryifew friends, come to 
me; and when they are gone, [have about 
an hour, to midnight, to:write an{wers to 
letters for the next day’s poft, which I 
had not time to doin the morning. This 
is actually my cafe now; I happened to 
be quitted at ten o’clock, and I woud 
not lofe the opportunity of thanking you, 
not knowing when I coud command ano- 
therhour. - 
I would by no means be underftood to 
decline your obliging offer, Sir. On the 
contrary, I accept it joyfully, if you.can > 
truft me with your manufcript for a little 
time, fhoud I have leifure to read’it but 
by {mall fnatches, which would be wrong- 
Oo ing, 
