Election will cost God knows what. I dine to-day at Ossory's.(53)
Lady Sarah, Miss Blake, Sir Ch[arles], &c., Sec., dine here on
Tuesday. I chose that, being a post day.

I believe that the best thing I can do is to ask Lord Shelbourne(54)
for the courier's place. I should be glad of it, if it was tenable
with my seat in Parliament. Sir G. Mac sat last night at supper
between Lady Bute(55) and his future, who by the way is laide a
faire peur. I was asking Lady Carlisle which was the most likely,
some years ago, to have a Blue Ribband, du beau-pere et du gendre.

Little Harry is not come to town. Sir Charles goes down into the
country next week, but not Lady Sarah that I know of. I expect
Hemmins every hour with the St. Andrew. He has so much abuse from me
every day, that I believe he wishes that I had been crucified
instead of St. Andrew. He swears that one man left the work in the
middle of it, and said he would not have his eyes put out in placing
those small diamonds that compose the motto.

Mr. Brereton is returned to the Bath, and the street robbers seem
dispersed. The hard weather is gone for the present, so that London
will be pleasanter than it has been, for the Jockeys and
Macaronis.(56) Garrick criticised your picture of mine, which he saw
at Humphry's; he has that and Sir Charles's; it is like, but not so
good and spirited a likeness as Reynolds's(57) certainly. But I am
much obliged to you for it. If you sit to Pompeio I shall hope to
have a better, and with your Order.

The Duke of Cumb[erlan]d attacked the Duke of Buccleugh last night
for wearing his under his coat; son Altesse R. a une bovardise fort