at
evening, either from their being ill or their being out of town. Lord
Robert and Lord Edward for instance were ill; Ned Foley and his
brother-in-law, out of town; Lord Howe and Doily not in the House, with
more that do not occur to me. Burke acted with his usual bad judgment
in not letting Sir Fletcher Norton speak before him, but rather
pressing his privilege of bringing in the Bill, to speak before him;
consequently Sir Fletcher did not speak at all. It was a debate of
young members entirely. Neither Charles Fox or Lord N(orth) spoke.
There is a Select Committee upon East India affairs sitting, at which
there is a great deal of curious evidence given relating to the
manners, customs, and religion of the Gentoos. I was there one morning,
and was very much entertained with the accounts of the witnesses. A
Brammin, who is now in England, was examined on Monday. Voici, milord,
assez de details.

(1781,) March 24, Saturday.--. . . Mr. Potts has just left me. I
have been freer from pain these last 29 (or 24?) hours. I am now to
bathe three times a week, take opiate going to bed for some nights,
and begin a course of bark. I take nothing after my coffee, besides,
except Orgeat. I have quite relinquished nasty Brooks's, as Lady
C(arlisle) calls it. I am with the sexagenary of White's, et de
cette maniere je passe le temps assez tranquillement.

12 o'clock.--Here comes a letter from George for Lady C[arlisle],
brought to me by a gardener of Mr. Raikes, under his cover. Lord
Deerhurst has sent a formal proposal of marriage by Lord Ligonier to
Lady something Powis--Lord Powis's sister, who, to save appearance
of repulse, has returned for answer that she will take three or four
days to consider of it. This I have from Williams. He and his father
have constant altercations upon this subject. Lord Cov(entry) does
not object to the plan of marriage, but says it is not practicable,
on account of circumstances. I shall hear nothing of the matter from
the parties themselves. Ce n'est pas mon affaire, et je ne m'en
melerai pas, aux signes de perdre les bonne graces de ce belle-mere.
Lady M'Cartney has wrote to me to hire my house; but one thing I am
resolved upon is, not to let it to an acquaintance. I shall keep it
in its present state till these things at Avignon are determined
upon.

I dine to-day at the Bishop of Salisbury's, and to-morrow at Lord
Lisbourne's. I was to have gone for a day with Lady Fitzw[illiam] to
Roehamp