Page:Life of William Shelburne (vol 2).djvu/363

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"I do what I please, and have what I please. I ride and read with my lord, walk with a dog, stroke the leopard, draw little Henry out in his coach, and play at chess and billiards with the ladies. My lord's custom is to read to them after tea, when they are at work; and now nothing will serve him but, in spite of everything I can say, he will make them hear my driest of all dry metaphysics. He takes the advantage of my being here to read it in my presence, that I may explain things. This has gone on for several evenings."

"Will. Pitt you know for certain; in his conversation there is nothing of the orator—nothing of that hauteur and suffisance one would expect; on the contrary, he seems very good-natured, and a little raw. I was monstrously frightened at him, but when I came to talk with him, he seemed frightened at me; so that if anything should happen to jumble us together, we may perhaps be good pax; which however is not very likely: for I don't know very well what ideas we are likely to have in common. After beating Miss Vernon, I have just been beating him at chess; an inglorious conquest, as he is scarce so much in my hands as I am in yours."

"Lord Shelburne values himself much on his friends, and on their mutual fidelity. With Alderman Townshend, he says, he has been connected twenty-two years; with Lord Camden twenty-one; with Dunning eighteen; and with Elliot, I think he added sixteen. Elliot brought in seven members, he says the last time. Gibbon he brought in for private friendship; though as it turned out, much to his regret. Elliot offered, he says, to take his recommendation for some of them;