Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 6.djvu/11

 es. v1.Jmv.19w.1 Norms AND QUERIES. 3 ment is commented on by Wal ole in his ‘Journal of the Reign of George LIL’ (vol. ii. }Fh86), under date 21 November in that year. e mistake of “ Rockingham ” for “ Bucking- ham ” originated with the editor of the second series of etters to Sir Horace Mann (1844), whence it was copied by Cunningham. The Marquis of Roc in ham was never Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Letter 1,624, addressed to the Earl of Os- sory, and dated 8 Jan., 1777 (Cunnin ham’s ed., vol. vi. p. 401), is misdated, and con- sequently misplaced. It was evidently written on 8 Jan., 1778, as is apparent from the fol- lowing considerations:- l. Walpole mentions the capture of Mud Island (in the Delaware) by the English, which took place on 15 Nov., 1777 (see ‘ Ann. Reg.,’ 1777, p. 138). In a letter to Lady Ossory of 29 Dec. 1777, and in one to Mann of 4 Jan., 1778, Walyle mentions the report of the capture of ud Island. The despatches which confirmed the re(port reached England on 8 Jan., 1778, the ay on which Horace Wal- pole_ evidently, wrote the letter under dis- cussion (see ages entry in his ‘Journal of the Reign of rge I[I.,’ vol. ii. p. 180). _ 2. Horace Walgole mentions the approach- ing marriage of t e Duke of Hamilton to Miss Burrell, and the critical state of the wife of Lord George Germaine. The duke’s marriage took place on 5 April, 1778, and Lad George Germaine died in January, 1778. 'llhe dates of these events ploint to 1778, not to 1777, as the year in whic Walpole wrote. In spite, then, of the fact that this letter is dated 1777 (Walpole might easily have written 1777 instead of 1778 as the new ear had only just begun), it should be laced' among those of the year 1778-i.e., Between No. 1,700 (dated 4 Jan., 1778) and No. 1,701 (dated 17 Jan., 1778) in vol. vii. of Cunningham’s edition. Letter l62ze§Cunningham’s ed., vol. vi. p. 402), addres to the Countess of Ossory with no date of month or year, and headed "Saturday," was placed by Vernon Smith (the original editor of the letters to Lady Gssoryzxamongst letters of January, 1777. The letter, owever, belongs to the summer of the year 1772, as is apparent from the following considerations :-- 1. Horace Walpole writes :- “On my table I found a de nrecation from the lecretary of the Antiquaries, but I intend to be obdurate. Having antiquarian follies enough of my ab; cannot participate of ‘ Whittington and his This passage refers to Walpole’s retirement from the Society of Antiquaries, which took lace at the end of July, 1772, as is stated by €Valpole himself in his ‘Short Notes of my Life’ (Cunningham’s ed., vol. i.  lxxxii). In several letters written during t e summer of 1772 the antiquarian discussion on ‘Whit- tin ten and his Cat’ is referred to by Horace Walpole. See his letter to Cole o 7 July, 1772, that to Mason of 21 July, 1772 (in which he announces his intention of retiring from the Society), and that to Cole of 28 July, 1772, in which he mentions his retirement as a fait accompli. 2. Horace Walpole (writing from Arlinglton Street) mentions London as “a place w ere grass would grow in the streets, if this summer it would grow anywhere.” If there were no other reason for fixing the date of this letter, it would be evident, from the men- tion of an unusually dry summer, that it could not have been written in January. Walpole twice speaks of the heat in letters written in the summer of 1772-viz., in his letters to Mann of 23 July and 3 August. In the first he sa 's, “ We have had the only per- fect summer I ever remember”; and in the second, “We have had, and have, the summerest summer that I have known these hundred years.” Walpole heads his letter “ Saturday,” but with no date of month or year. It was pro- bably written on Saturday 1 Aug. 1772, shortly after his retirement from the Society of Antiquaries at the end of July, and shortly before he started on a journey to Yorkshire, which he did on 4 Aug., 1772 (see letter to Mann of 3 August, in which he states his intention of settin out “to-morrow”). The letter may there§ore be lglaced between No. 1,322 (28 Jul, 1772) and 0. 1,323 (3 Aug., 1772) in vol. v. of’ Cunningham’s edition. Letter 1,836 addressed to the Countess of Ailesbury and dated “Friday night, 1779” (Cunnin ham’s ed., vol. vii. p. 239), is placed among Rstters of August in that year. It appears, however, to belong to July. The letter refers to the ca ture of Lady Ailes- bury’s daughter, Mrs. ll)amer, by a French rivateer when crossing from Dover to Cstend and to the absence in Jersey of General Conway Lady Ailesbury’s husband, and the father of Mrs. Damer. That Horace Walgole was aware of Mrs. Damer’s adventure efore August, 1779, is apparent from his letter to Lady Ossory of 20 July, 1779 (Cunningham’s e ., vol. vu. p. 231). Writing from Strawberry Hill, he says :-- “ It would have been impossible for me, Madam, to have met your Ladyship in town yesterday ...... I was detained here ; poor Lady Ailesbury was