I fear you will have thought me long in performing my promise, but as I was to have gone to Court yesterday, I delayed writing to you until the ceremony was over; as it is, instead of my letter being full of royalty, peers and ribbons, you must accept nothing but the remnant of those ideas, which the interesting hairbreadth adventures of _Tom Jones_ have left me; in plain English the Drawing-room was put off on account of the Queen's indisposition, and I am just at the end of the above-mentioned delightful book. Oh! had I the wit of Partridge, the religion of Thwackum, or the learning of Square, I might describe with tolerable accuracy the intolerable stupidity of this great town. The Opera is thin of company, thin of performers, thin of lights, thin of _figurantes_, thin of scene-shifters, thin of everything! One night we were a good deal entertained by having his R.H., & _chère amie_ [6] in the next box to us, really they squabbled so, you would have imagined they were man and wife.... As for Politicks, of which you ask so much, everyone here seems discontented. All Pitt's friends, angry that he has deserted them for Addington, and Lord Stafford, the head of them all, angry that the ribbon should be given to Lord Abercorn--to one who has protected rather than to one who has insulted Pitt--"Such little things are great to little men." The King, everyone agrees, looks charmingly and is more composed than he has been for long. Lady de Clifford is appointed Governess to the Princess (Charlotte)--_the bosom friend of Mrs Fitzherbert, hélas!_--and Mrs and Miss Trimmer under her; some say they will not accept it. Dr Fisher, Bishop of Exeter, is to be Governor. I am for making he and Mrs Trimmer disagree about Religion. _Mrs Spencer-Stanhope to John Spencer-Stanhope. February 23rd._ On Thursday Marianne and I attended the Drawingroom, and so disagreeable a crowd I never was in. Miss Drummond [7] looked very well and Miss Glyn quite pretty--the great Hoop suits her figure. I have not heard you mention being acquainted with a young man of the name of Knox-Irish. [8] His father and mother live in this street, and are friends of Mrs Beaumont's. [9] I have finished the Life of Sir William Jones. [10] His acquirements appear to have been wonderful--eight languages perfectly, but I think it was twenty-eight of which he had more or less some knowledge. He was withal a very religious man. His attainments were of the right sort, for they fixed his principles and all his writings are in favor of Virtue. The speech Mr Windham made in the House of Commons was full of wit, and would I think amuse you. _Marianne Spencer-Stanhope to John Spencer-Stanhope._ (_Undated._)