bowels, and not sufficiently regarding the distemperature of his spirits, a disease, much more to be apprehended than the other; while he continues under this oppression, I am afraid it will be impossible for me to leave him, as he fancies me of the utmost use to him, as a friend and a comforter; but I hope in God he will soon find some alteration for the better, of which I shall be glad to give you the earliest information. In the mean time, I beg you will take care of your health, and as the most effectual means of establishing it, I most earnestly desire you will follow Mr. Montagu's exhortations to repair forthwith to Tunbridge; as by so doing, you will not only contribute to the regaining your own health and spirits, but to the comfort and felicity of some here, who love and admire you much, especially one, who values himself much upon the title of your friend, and merits it equally by the great esteem and affection which he has for you. Mr. Pitt expressed a due sense of your goodness in inquiring so particularly after him;

and that you may know how high you stand in his opinion, I must inform you, that in a conversation with Molly, he pronounced you the most perfect woman he ever met with. I am with the utmost sincerity and the highest regard, my dearest Cousin's

most affectionate friend,

and obliged humble servant,

To her Husband.

GIL. WEST.

The 8th, 1753.

MY DEAREST,

I AM much obliged to you for your letter from Doncaster, as it has allayed my fears on account of the hazards of a journey, to find you have performed so much of it happily. I reckon with impatience every day of absence from so dear and good a friend; nothing could keep me in tolerable humour during this separation, but the daily progress I make towards better

health; the only blessing I want, and which, though you cannot absolutely. bestow it on me, yet you furnish me with means and opportunity of gaining it. It has been much the turn of the society I am in, to go out in parties to see places, and last post day we resolved upon an expedition of this sort, with such precipitation, I had not opportunity to write without keeping all the company waiting. We went to see an old seat of a Mr. Brown's; it is well situated, was built by Inigo Jones, has some fine portraits, none of which delighted me so much, as one by a great hand, of an old woman of above fourscore, great, great grandam to the present possessor: the health and vivacity of the complexion, and the happy serenity of the countenance, expressing the gay conscience of a life well spent, were highly pleasing: her grandson, painted by Vandyck, is in the same piece; he has the amiable grace of infancy, and a countenance void of care, as is usual to children; but it does not express the heart-felt joy, the sober certainty of

We

waking bliss, which is signified in the old lady's, who, I find, is held in veneration by her descendants. The house is furnished with the good woman's work; I dare say her pleasures were all of the domestic kind, her dairy and poultry her care, her garden her amusement; perhaps to know no more, is woman's highest honour and her praise, and more in our proper character than the cabal and intrigue of state, in which the French ladies place their happiness and glory. went from this venerable seat, to a place called New Vauxhall, where Mr. Pitt had provided us a good dinner; the view from it is romantic; we staid there till the cool of the evening, and then returned home. We drank tea yesterday in the most beautiful rural scene that can be imagined, which Mr. Pitt had discovered in his morning's ride, about half a mile from hence; he ordered a tent to be pitched, tea to be prepared, and his French horn to breathe music like the unseen genius of the wood. The company dined with me; and we set out, number

eight. After tea we rambled about for an hour, seeing several views, some wild as Salvator Rosa, others placid, and with the setting sun, worthy of Claude Lorrain. These parties are good for health and pleasure, and break the dull line of a Tunbridge life. Sir George Lyttelton and Mr. Bowers are come to spend a few days with Mr. Pitt.

I am, &c. &c.

E. MONTAGU.

To the Same.

June the 13th, 1753.

MY DEAREST,

I CAN with pleasure assure you, the waters have hitherto done as well as I could wish, my cough is much abated, and my appetite increased; this return of health will give me double pleasure, as I know it will add to your happiness. I have a constant invitation to dinner at the white stone house; Mr. Pitt is too ill to dine