Your kind & charming letter, my own kind & charming friend, gave me two pleasures today that of hearing from you & that of not hearing from Miss Nooth). "Humph" quoth I when Lucy gave it me "Here had I just got quit of my blue-stocking, just sent her a huge packet to Paris--all the wit & learning I have to spare; & now have another letter to answer! I wish her pen & ink were Corked up. And down I plumped the letter. Meanwhile I read one from somebody else (you always contrive to come in a good company Mary) & then condescended to take it up again. Imagine my surprise & my pleasure to find dear Mary Webb) in the place of Charlotte Nooth so you see you were right as to the similarity of the handwriting for I had quite forgotten what you said on the subject & Miss N. was not at all in my head--You write like her in every way--only that you have a much greater knack of making people believe you love them--I suppose my dear because it happens to be true--& that it is which gives your letters that preference over hers which one gives to a living flower over a dead one--the principle of life.--You must not say that I would not come to Watlington--I was quite ready--packed--dressed--nothing wanting but the promised horse--ours never could have dragged me--Papasays he walked half the way--& think of my weight. I was very much disappointed--for I wanted to see you all--particularly you & dear Eliza--no you must not say--you must not think I would not come--for really & truly I meant it (this it is to have a bad reputation--if I had not broken some 22 engagements this Spring to Twickenham Richmond, London & Paris I need not take so much pains to be dis-believed--take warning by my fate & keep all promises Mary mine--but breaking engagements is a family fault--Mama never makes one without meaning to break it--& my honoured Father has within one week promised to spend August at Paris & August at Bickham--How he'll settle it I don't know. Perhaps he may quiet his conscience by breaking both promises & and bringing all his friends alike to come back to Watlington--I desire you will give my kindest love to the lovely Aunt Mary & condole with her from the on the bed-breaking calamity--Pray did you fair ladies "sleep in strata" Refers to a footnote in : "The Germans sleep between two beds; and it is related that an Irish traveller, upon finding a feather bed thus laid over him, took it into his head that the people slept in strata, one upon the other, and said to the attendant, 'will you be good enough to tell the gentleman or lady, that is to lie over me, to make haste, as I want to go asleep?'."--this mis-fortune looks rather suspicious--she will understand this question--& so will you if you have read --I am very glad you have read --It's a book one should not quite to like to recommend to a jeune & gentille demoiselle--but being read there is no harm in saying how very much one admires it. Live for ever la blonde Blague & the Princess of Babylon--& above all live Count Anthony Hamilton their immortal Historian the unrivalled painter of manners & of men. Dryden's character of Buckingham is perhaps the finest passage in his works & Pope's rival lives though not quite equal are the best of his good--but do either of them give you half so vivid an idea of the "blest madman" Quotation from describing the character of Zimri, identified with Buckingham as Count Hamilton's description of him dandling Lady Muskerry's dropped cushions & going to look for a wet nurse among the maids of Honour? I hope you read this delightful book in French--it is so untranslateable--the class of Memoires is the only one in which the French literature is richer than ours--there are perhaps a hundred publications of that sort (Most of them less witty & less licentious than the ) in the language. The very best are the --the pleasantest perhaps those ofM. Le Duke de St. Simon--a wit who hated every body. These ----Madame de Sevigné's --All Molière & all Regnard are the only things which console one for the trouble of learning French. (What a nice pen I have made!!) No! I never saw Strawberry Hill though I have seen the famous Strawberry Hill books--all I believe--especially the edition of for which the pictures were collected. I never saw Strawberry Hill--but I know exactly what it is--a gingerbread castle--Modern Gothic--all gilding & painted glass--smelling of courts all over--a very abomination of trumpery--I know all this--& yet I had rather see Strawberry Hill than any place I know of. I should like to see Count Anthony's heroes & heroines--I should like to see the Kings & beauties of the white rose--my dear Edward the Fourth & Richard the Third--I should like to see Madame de Sevigné & Madame de Grignan I should like even to see the old China--but chiefly I should like to see the abode of Horace Walpole--the man of the last Century who pleases the best. Did you never read any of his letters? His unrivalled letters? I shall always consider it as one of the misfortunes of my life to have been born too late to be his Correspondent--Unless you have seen some of his letters there is no giving you any idea of them, the perfection of lightness, elegance, sarcasm & humour as picturesque as old Tapestry--as vivid as stained glass--as graceful as a Grecian scroll. There is no giving you any notion of Horace Walpole--except perhaps by negatives. He is never wise--never good--very seldom right--& never dull. He is just become the fashion--to my great annoyance--I have loved him--all my days & am quite provoked that & Reviews should step in & make him common.--The only consolation that I have in being born some fifty or sixty years too late to rival his old blind Correspondent Madame du Deffand--is that I have much such another myself--not quite so good--but almost--incredibly good for a living man--very like him at all points--pleasant, humourous, graceful & as courtly as Horace himself--only rather to apt to be right. This Correspondent you know is Sir William Elford--He has been here while you were away & gave me a long account of the Exhibition--the picture of the year Madam, is he says the judges prefer it to Wilkie'sRefers to --& being by a new man, the wonder & pleasure go hand in hand.--Then I have a long account of pictures from Mrs. Hofland who says the hanging Committee ought to be hanged--a short one from Haydon. (today) who except this --& & --says of all the Exhibitors Academy "Heaven help them! Instead of having over their door in Greek Let no one unskilled in Art enter here, They should put "lasciete ogni Speranza voi ch' entrate" , Canto 3-->--which lovely line you must know Mr. Haydon has taken from from the Inscription over the Gate of Hell in , & means literally all ye who enter leave all hope behind. So you find he is growing saucy again--& well enough to paint thank Heaven.--When you come & see me I write tell you all the little things which prevented my sending you to see his picture--the greatest was my intention to come to Town & take you myself--I do hope however before the summer is over to show you to him here which will be better every way.--I want most dismally to see you my own dear Mary--when can you come? Papa & Mama are going into Hampshire on Sunday or Monday for the week--Now the now in your unbounded hospitality. that full or empty you will will be asking me to come to you. But I can't our people are all crazed with love--Mama would not go till I had promised her not to leave the house--so you must come & see me that is certain. Cannot you come on Tuesday you & our dear Eliza--or dear Aunt Mary or dear Kate Wheeler--or even you alone? Pray do if possible & let me know--or any other day that will suit you better--only let me know for fear of my prime minister Lucy hopping out. Do come & spend a long day with me & tell me all about the James's & a thousand things that I wish to hear. I will be very charming & amusing in my turn I promise you.--You shall then chuse choose some books. Burns though you may have seen it here was not mine--I have only a trumpery small edition-- I had from Coley--If Dr. Valpy has it I will borrow it for you--No book can be more charming.--I am delighted to hear so favorable an account of your dear Father--I hope he has been very prudent this week & not suffered from his hospitality--The puppies arrived very late & are the greatest beauties ever seen--I have scarcely room for my kindest love to All & God bless you.