I have in leisure hours been looking over a good many old letters which are here, written by the Fox’s and Pelhams and Sir Charles Hanbury Williams,[33] etc., etc., in the reign of George II., some of which are very entertaining. I send you a copy of verses written by Sir C. H. Williams to one of Ilchester’s aunts, Lady Susan O’Brien.[34] Sweeter than the sweetest Manna, Lovely, lively, dear Susannah, You’re the girl that I must muse on, Pretty little smiling Susan. Oh! if verses could amuse ye, Fairest, gentlest, laughing Susey, I’ll write to you, but ne’er rebuke ye, Handsome and good-natured Sukey. Every rhyme should flatter you Trifling, dimpling, tender Sue. I’ve sung my song and so adieu! adieu! Susannah, Susan, Susey, Sukey, Sue! Mary is quite reviving to-night, and is making a deuce of a noise, and be hanged to her. My love to my Mother and all. Yours very affectionately, AUCKLAND. _Miss Eden to Lady Buckinghamshire._ _Monday, January 1815._ MY DEAR SISTER, I have not a guess how far Mary’s journal[35] has been continued to you. She says, “The great amusement here seems to be eating, which goes on from morning till night. There is an immense breakfast for people to go in and out to, a large luncheon which stands two hours on the table, a very long dinner, and a regular supper, which altogether takes up half the day. To-day, by way of amusement, and keeping up an old custom, we have all been baking, that is, spoiling an enormous quantity of good things in the housekeeper’s room, making some uneatable gingerbread and cakes, and ourselves very dirty. There are a quantity of children here, and all very nice ones seemingly. Lady Theresa Strangways[36] would be really a dear little thing, if Lady G. Murray[37] would not talk and teaze one so about her stomach and teeth. ...Lady G. Murray is in greater beauty than ever, and happier than anybody I ever saw. She has two sons here.” _Tuesday_. ...I was so cross and stupid with a pain in my ear which I have had this week, and in such a fury with Willy Osborne[38] who made a point of dropping his shuttlecock on my paper every minute, that I was obliged to leave off writing in order to fight with him, and when that battle was ended, he insisted on playing at Blind Man’s Buff.... Mary seems quite delighted with her visit to Melbury, and even nearly reconciled to quitting Bowood, which she was very sorry to do. Sir George Paul,[39] nearly eighty years old, is very much struck with her, she says, and when she goes to the pianoforte puts on his spectacles, and sits opposite her, gazing on her beautiful countenance with great satisfaction. He drank two glasses of wine with her at dinner, and all the other ladies insisted on his drinking one with them, that they might at least have half as much done for them as was done for Mary.