I believe all the apprehensions which Me Viri had filled us with,
are now dispersed, and not fearing anything from cold, I hope that I
shall not be so foolish as to be thinking of the consequences of
heat; cela ne finit point. I saw Viri at Lady Hertford's at night;
he was unacquainted with the particulars of the courier, &c., but
only said that the King, his master, had assured him that he should
invest you with that order, as his Brother(88) had desired he would,
and that it should be done avec toute la pompe et eclat dont la
chose fut susceptible. He is a stupid animal in appearance, this
Viri.

I had yesterday morning my conference with the D(uke) of G(rafton);
he has assured me that I should have the place of Treasurer to the
Queen, added to that which I already have (without any kind of
pension), as soon as ever one could be found out for Mr. Stone, but
he having been the King's Preceptor there will be some management
with him, but the Duke said, if he would not acquiesce, he
insinuated force. The two places together, if I am not mistaken in
the estimate, will be near 2,300 pounds per annum. I'm much obliged
to the D(uke) for his liberal and kind manner of treating with me. I
have succeeded better, I find, in negotiating for myself, than when
I employed another; but I have this time had to deal with a person
who seemed willing to comply with anything which I could propose in
reason, and has even gone beyond my proposals; and I have reason to
flatter myself that his Majesty has not that reluctance to oblige
me, which his grandfather had, and has certainly a much better
opinion of me. Then, if this Election goes off without an enormous
expense, I shall be enabled to pay off much the greatest part of my
debt; but my imprudences have been beyond conception. I hope that
that Providence which has preserved me from the usual effects of