Page:Notes and Queries - Series 1 - Volume 1.djvu/314

304 NOTES AND QUERIES. [No. 19. Thus Peter Pindar describes a turbulent crowd of people as being

Is this bit of weather-wisdom current in other parts of the kingdom? I am induced to ask the question, because Chaucer seems to have embodied the proverb in some well-known lines, viz:—

Tyndale.—Can any of your readers inform me whether the translation of the "Enchiridion Militis Christiani Erasmi" which Tyndale completed in 1522, was ever printed?

LETTER ATTRIBUTED TO SIR ROBERT WALPOLE. Iii Banks's Dormant Peerage, vol. ili. p. 61., under the account of Pulteney, Earl of Bath, is the following extraordinary letter, said to be from Sir Robert Walpole to King George II., which is introduced as serving to show the discernment of Walpole, as well as the disposition of the persons by whom he was opposed, but evidently to expose the vanity and weakness of Mr. Pulteney, by ex- hibiting the scheme which was to entrap him into the acceptance of a peerage, and so destroy his popularity. It is dated Jan. 24. 1741, but from no place, and has but little appearance of authen- ticity. '* Most sacred, " The violence of the fit of the stone, which has tormented me for some days, is now so far abated, that, although it will not permit me to have the honour to wait on your majesty, yet is kind enough to enable me so far to obey your orders, as to write my sentiments concerning that troublesome man, Mr. Pulteney ; and to point out (what I conceive to be) the most effectual method to make him perfectly quiet. Your majesty well knows how by the dint of his eloquence he has so captivated the rnob, and attained an unbounded po- pularity, that the most manifest wrong appears to be right, when adopted and urged by him. Hence it is, that he has become not only troublesome but dangerous. The inconsiderate multitude think that he lias not one object but the public good in view ; although, if they would reflect a little, they would soon perceive that spleen against those your majesty has honoured with your confidence has greater weight with him than patriotism. Since, let any measure be proposed, however salutary, if he thinks it comes from me, it is sufficient for him to oppose it. Thus, sir, you see the affairs of the most momentous concern are subject to the caprice of that popular man ; and he has nothing to do but call it a ministerial project, and bellow out the word favourite, to have an hundred pens drawn against it, and a thousand mouths open to contradict it. Under these circum- stances, he bears up against the ministry (and, let me add, against your majesty itself); and every useful scheme must be either abandoned, or if it is carried in either house, the public are made to believe it is done by a corrupted majority. Since these things are thus circumstanced, it is become necessary for the public tranquillity that he should be made quiet ; and the only method to do that effectually is to destroy his popularity, and ruin the good belief the people have in him. " In order to do this, he must be invited to court ; your majesty must condescend to speak to him in the most favourable and distinguished manner ; you must make him believe that he is the only person upon whose opinion you can rely, and to whom your people look up for useful measures. As he has already several times refused t > take the lead in the administration, unless it was totally modelled to his fancy, your majesty should close in with his advice, and give him leave to arrange the administration as he pleases, and put whom he chooses into office (there can be no danger in that as you can dismiss him when you think fit) ; and when he has got thus far (to which his extreme self-love and the high opinion he entertains of his own importance, will easily conduce), it will be necessary that your majesty should seem to have a great regard for his health ; signifying to him that your affairs will be ruined if he should die ; that you want to have him constantly near you, to have his sage advice ; and that therefore, as he is much disordered in body, and some- thing infirm, it will be necessary for his preservation for him to quit the House of Commons, where male- volent tempers will be continually fretting him, and where, indeed, his presence will be needless, as no step will be taken but according to his advice; and that he will let you give him a distinguishing mark of your approbation, by creating him a peer. This he may be brought to, for, if J know anything of mankind, he has a love of honour and money ; and, notwithstanding his great haughtiness and seeming contempt for honour, he may be won if it be done with dexterity. For, as the poet Fenton says, ' Flattery is an oil that softens the thoughtless fool.' " If your majesty can once bring him to accept of a coronet, all will be over with him ; the changing multi- tude will cease to have any confidence in him ; and when you see that, your majesty may turn your back to him, dismiss him from his post, turn out his meddling partizans, and restore things to quiet ; the bee will have lost his sting, and become an idle drone whose buzzing nobody heeds. " Your majesty will pardon me for the freedom with which I have given my sentiments and advice ; which I should not have done, had not your majesty com- manded it, and had I not been certain that your peace is much disturbed by the contrivance of that turbulent man. I shall only add that I will dispose several whom I know to wish him well to solicit for his esta- blishment in power, that you may seem to yield to their entreaties, and the finesse be less liable to be disco- vered. " I hope to have the honour to attend your majesty