(1768) Feb. 2, Tuesday Morning.--Yesterday Sir T. Stapleton and Mr.
Lee, the members for the town of Oxford, read in their places, by
order of the House, the letter which they had received a year and a
half ago from the Mayor, Bailiffs, and Council of Oxford to offer
them a quiet election, and absolute sale of themselves, for 5,670
pounds sterling; the sum which the Corporation is indebted, and
otherwise as they declare unable to pay. Eleven sign, of which
[whom] one is since dead; all the rest are ordered to attend at our
Bar on Friday with the Mace Bearer, &c. Their Regalia has been
pawned for their high living. The House was excessively crow[d]ed;
Thurloe and Rigby,(76) for the Duke of Marl(borough's) sake, made
weak efforts to bring them off. Some of these people are fled to
Calais, as it is said, to avoid Newgate; it may be that none of them
will appear who signed.

Mr. Walpole's(77) book(78) came out yesterday, but I got it from him
on Saturday, and my (?) Lord Molyneux carried it for me that morning
to Sir John Lamb[er]t to be forwarded to your Lordship immediately.
I'm confident that it will entertain you much, and, what is more
extraordinary, convince you; because I have that good opinion of
your understanding as not to think that ages and numbers can
sanctify falsehood, and that such is your love of truth as to be
glad to find it, although at the expense of quitting the prejudice
of your whole precedent life. I will not forestall your judgment by
saying anything more of this book, but only wish it may afford as
much entertainment as it has me. This historic doubter dined with me
yesterday, Williams, Lord March, Cadogan, and Fanshaw, qui m'a
demande a diner, at the House.