Horace Walpole, the celebrated son of the Minister, says in his "Reminiscences" "Whether tortured at witnessing Sir Robert's serene frankness and felicity, or suffocated with indignation and confusion at being forced to be obliged to one whom he hated and envied, the first morsel he put into his mouth was near choking him, and he was reduced to rise from the table and leave the room for some minutes. I never heard of their meeting more." He distinguished himself by a multitude of political writings till the year 1735, when being thoroughly convinced that the door was shut against him, he returned once more to France. In this foreign retreat he began his course of letters on the Study and Use of History for Lord Combury, to whom they are addressed. Lord Bolingbroke was born and died in the family Mansion at Battersea. The house was very large, with forty rooms on a floor; but with the exception of a wing,[3] it has long since been taken down and otherwise appropriated.[4] Dives' Flour Mills cover a portion of the site where once stood this venerable mansion. Upon the death of his father, who lived to be extremely old, Lord Bolingbroke settled at Battersea, where he passed the remaining nine years of his life in philosophical dignity. Pope and Swift, one a great poet, the other a great wit of that time, almost adored him. Arbuthnot, Thompson, Mallet, and other contemporary men of genius were his frequent visitors. Mr. Timbs says "here took place the memorable destruction of one of Bolingbroke's most celebrated works, his 'Essay on a Patriotic King,' of which the noble author had printed only six copies, which he gave to Lord Chesterfield, Sir William Wyndham, Lyttelton, Pope, Lord Marchmont, and Lord Combury, at whose instance Bolingbroke wrote the essay. Pope lent his copy to Mr. Allen, of Bath, who was so delighted with it that he had five hundred copies printed, but locked them up in a warehouse, not to see light until Lord Bolingbroke's permission could be obtained. On the discovery, Lord Marchmont (then living at Lord Bolingbroke's house at Battersea), sent Mr. Gravenkop for the whole cargo, and he had the books carried out on a waggon and burnt on a lawn in the presence of Lord Bolingbroke." Pope, when visiting his friend Lord Bolingbroke, usually selected as his study a parlour (the grate and ornaments were of the age of George 1st) wainscoted with cedar, and overlooking the Thames, in which he is said to have composed some of his celebrated works. It is well known that he received from him the materials for his famous poem the "Essay on Man."