cent gallows in England, though, I must own, I was a little afraid, when I heard that my friend Will Rogers was so near it: I beg your pardon for beginning with a for I hope I shall grow more serious every day, and be of some little service to my master. I keep the accounts of the house, and sometimes write letters for him. I copied one that went to the king's own hands, so that king George has read my hand-writing, which, I believe, is more than any other Abergavenny man can say. We are going, in a short time, above five hundred miles farther from England, and I hope all this travelling will make me more fit for your conversation when I return; and, was I to go to the end of the world, I never should forget you who was always my good friend, though you used to teaze me sometimes. I am, Sir, Your most obedient and humble Servant, RICHARD EVANS. Punch presents his duty, and talks French very well. TO THE RIGHT HON. HENRY FOX. MY DEAR FOx; Dresden, 22nd Sept. N. S. 1748. I have yours of the 10th instant N. S. for which I thank you, and am glad Mr. Harris has undertaken to send me the telescopes, perhaps he may accompany them with a letter, for I have had no answer as yet to my last letter; though there was wit enough in it for Harris to retail out to the Dilettante Club during his whole life, and not be thought dull companyyou may assure him, he won't see my beautiful hand-writing again for some time. I am glad the miracles and dark ages of the Polish History have not disgusted you. The very letter I send to day, puts an end to them by the beginning of the reign of Casimir the Great, about whom you will perceive I take pains. I work three hours every morning in the king's library, which is a very agreeable place and well furnished, and the librarian is just what he should be, very dull with a good memory; is thoroughly well acquainted with the title pages of all the books without having looked farther into any one of them. I desire that when I have finished Casimir the Great, you would give me your opinion, always remembering that I write the abridgment of several histories, and not a history. When I come to the constitution of Poland, there I pretend to be exact, and a fault is inexcusable. The two works go on together, and you will receive the history of the Constitution before you expect it. Rigby, you say, has promised you to write to me, and is very angry that I do not deal in Satire any longer, tell him not to be in a hurry, for I have some of his new allies in my eye, that I would abuse if I did not think them so low, that my verses would rather raise their character. The two minor ministers that are members for Old Sarum,* call loudly for something to be said to them, though they are not dangerous enough for mankind to be put upon their guard against them. The utmost that the ablest of the two can arrive at is picking a pocket; and I will not put my rhymes upon the same foot with John Trot's voice, who stands in the playhouse passage, and cries "Gentlemen take care of your pockets-Ladies take care of your watches;" but if you have a mind to give any of these gentlemen a scratch, I'll be ready at a week's warning. I am really concerned at Mr. Pelham's illness, his last letter to me has made me his steady, and unalterable friend and servant; if he orders it, I believe I could furnish a pretty good Pamphlet upon the Peace (in case it is made) for in conscience I think we have almost as much the better of France in our Arthur Viscount Doneraile, Lord of the Bed-chamber to Frederick Prince of Wales, and Charles Earl of Middlesex, Master of the Horse, to the same Prince. negotiations at Aix, as the French had of us at Utrecht. I will never fail executing any commission you send me; but when it is for yourself, I go to the Fabrique and buy the china at the lowest price, and then get it set by the best and cheapest hand: for other people, I buy of the shopkeepers who will have their profit. Pray tell Ellis, that I can send him just such a box as he describes, with a flower-pot full of flowers in the insides admirably well painted and well set; but it will cost fifteen guineas, because it is quilted china and large; if he likes it at that price, I'll send it to Hanover directed to you. You seem to have quite forgot the small quantity of Hungary wine that I have for you; try if you cannot get somebody at Hanover, to send it over with the king's baggage, and I will immediately send to Hanover. I am sure the duke's stay cannot be long in England, because he is to be at the Hague by the 25th instant N. S. I have not to this day ever heard one word from the duke of Newcastle, and it is |