e of his comrades,
but it would not do--the House grew tired, and we again divided at seven
for adjournment; some of our people were gone, and we remained but 184,
they 208; however, you will allow our affairs are mended, when we say,
_but_ 184. _We_ then came away, and left the ministers to satisfy Wood,
Webb, and themselves, as well as they could. It was eight this morning
before I was in bed; and considering that, this is no very short letter.
Mr. Pitt bore the fatigue with his usual spirit--and even old Onslow,
the late Speaker, was sitting up, anxious for the event.

[Footnote 1: Mr. Barre had lately been dismissed from the office of
Adjutant-General, on account of some of his votes in Parliament. In 1784
he was appointed Clerk of the Rolls, a place worth above L3,000 a year,
by Mr. Pitt, who, with extraordinary disinterestedness, forbore from
taking it himself, that he might relieve the nation from a pension of
similar amount which had been improperly conferred on the Colonel by
Lord Rockingham.]

On Friday we are to have the great question, which would prevent my
writing; and to-morrow I dine with Guerchy, at the Duke of Grafton's,
besides twenty other engagements. To-day I have shut myself up; for with
writing this, and taking notes yesterday all day, and all night, I have
not an eye left to see out of--nay, for once in my life, I shall go to
bed at ten o'clock....

Adieu! pray tell Mr. Hume that I am ashamed to be thus writing the
history of England, when he is with you!

_LORD CLIVE--MR. HAMILTON, AMBASSADOR TO NAPLES--SPEECH OF LOUIS XV._

TO SIR HORACE MANN.

STRAWBERRY HILL, _June_ 8, 1764.

Your Red Riband is certainly postponed. There was but one vacant, which
was promised to General Draper, who, when he thought he felt the sword
dubbing his shoulder, was told that my Lord Clive could not conquer the
Indies a second time without being a Knight of the Bath. This, however,
I think will be but a short parenthesis, for I expect that _heaven-born
hero_[1] to return from whence he came, instead of bringing hither all
the Mogul's pearls and rubies. Yet, before that happens there will
probably be other vacancies to content both Draper and you.

[Footnote 1: "That _heaven-born hero_" had been Lord Chatham's
description of Lord Clive.]

You have a new neighbour coming to you, Mr. William Hamilton,[1] one of
the King's equerries, who succeeds Sir James Gray at Naples. Hamilton is
a friend of mine, is so