‘Monday your Aunt and I were in the House of Commons from one o’clock at noon till nine at night; it was the Mitchell Election,[9] when the great ones were setting themselves in combat against each other; it was a most hard-fought battle. _The_[10] Duke espousing our party against the Duke of Newcastle in support of the other, but the Tories most of them going with the D. of N. gave him the majority. Though he lost it at the Committee. There was much speaking, which was very entertaining; Mr. Fox talked a great deal with great vehemence, for this loss frustrates his schemes, as he finds the strength of the D. of N.’s party though he had all the Army and the Duke’s Court people with him. And now, Mr. Arthur, you being a very good polititian, I shall proceed to entertain you with some more Parliamentary affairs. Tuesday last the Message was brought from the King to the House. It imparted little; nothing to be collected from it of either peace or war. Only desiring the Parliament would support him in the armaments he might have occasion for by sea and land, &c. &c. General Onslow says during the eight and twenty years he has sat in that house he never saw, or could have conceived it to be so unanimous in the acclamations of the King. Every one striving who should in the strongest terms express their confidence in him, Tories and all. Even Sir John Phillips declared he would vote the King twenty shillings in the pound, for that their lives and _whole_ fortunes were not too much for him, and the House rung with their _confidence_ in the King, without any one of the Ministers saying a syllable. They were the silentest people. The General says he would have given any money Miripoix[11] had been in the House to have heard the Parliament of England’s hearty affection for their King. I should have much liked to have been there, but the ladies’ privilege extends no farther than elections. Lady Crosse sent to us on Monday morning at ten o’clock to let us know she would call on us at eleven, and we had to dress in gowns and petticoats and eat our breakfasts, which last was not to be omitted, for it was certain we were to have no dinner. And by much hurry we did get ready for her ladyship, but waited at her house for Sir John till near one, frighted to excess, fearing we should not get in. This Mitchell Election so famous an affair that all the town wanted to hear it, and evidently the gallery would hold a small part of them. However, we had the luck to get excellent places, having a chair for one of us brought out of the Speaker’s chamber. The elections for this year are now all over except the Oxfordshire, and whether they will be able to finish that no one can tell. In answer to this long letter I shall hope to hear very soon from you, and am,