Lord Nuneham--Madame de Sévigné--Charles Fox--Mrs. Clive and Cliveden--Goldsmith and Garrick--Dearth of News--Madame de Trop--A Bunch of Grapes--General Election--Perils by Land and Water--Sir Horace Mann--Lord Clive--The History of Manners--A Traveller from Lima--The Sçavoir Vivre Club--Reflections on Life--The Pretender’s Happiness--Paris Fashions--Madame du Deffand ill--Growth of London--Sir Joshua Reynolds--Change in Manners--Our Climate 124 CHAPTER VII. The American War--Irish Discontent--Want of Money--The Houghton Pictures sold--Removal to Berkeley Square--Ill-health--A Painting by Zoffani--The Rage for News--The Duke of Gloucester--Wilkes--Fashions, Old and New--Mackerel News--Pretty Stories--Madame de Sévigné’s Cabinet--Picture of his Waldegrave Nieces--The Gordon Riots--Death of Madame du Deffand--The Blue Stockings 151 CHAPTER VIII. Walpole in his Sixty-fourth Year--The Royal Academy--Tonton--Charles Fox--William Pitt--Mrs. Hobart’s _Sans Souci_--Improvements at Florence--Walpole’s Dancing Feats--No Feathers at Court--Highwaymen--Loss of the _Royal George_--Mrs. Siddons--Peace--Its Social Consequences--The Coalition--The Rivals--Political Excitement--The Westminster Election--Political Caricatures--Conway’s Retirement--Lady Harrington--Balloons--Illness--Recovery 188 CHAPTER IX. Lady Correspondents--Madame de Genlis--Miss Burney and Hannah More--Deaths of Mrs. Clive and Sir Horace Mann--Story of Madame de Choiseul--Richmond--Queensberry House--Warren Hastings--Genteel Comedy--St. Swithin--Riverside Conceits--Lord North--The Theatre again--Gibbon’s History--Sheridan--Conway’s comedy--A Turkish War--Society Newspapers--The Misses Berry--Bonner’s Ghost--The Arabian Nights--King’s College Chapel--Richmond Society--New Arrivals--The Berrys visit Italy--A Farewell Letter 221 CHAPTER X. Walpole’s Love of English Scenery--Richmond Hill--Burke on the French Revolution--The Berrys at Florence--Death of George Selwyn--London Solitude--Repairs at Cliveden--Burke and Fox--The Countess of Albany--Journal of a Day--Mrs. Hobart’s Party--Ancient Trade with India--Lady Hamilton--A Boat Race--Return of the Berrys--Horace succeeds to the Peerage--Epitaphium Vivi Auctoris--His Wives--Mary Berry--Closing Years--Love of Moving Objects--Visit from Queen Charlotte--Death of Conway--Final Illness of Horace--His last Letter 262 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE