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 308 THE WENTWORTH PAPERS.

was not great, yet your infinite good nature does I am sure give you a concern for your sister's condition, which I am sory is not soe good as she deserves. I had the satisfaction this week of a letter from Captain Powell, with an account of your return from Amsterdam, and Count Tarouca's design'd magnificent ball. It will make as great a noise as one he made here two or three years agoe. We shall abound with ambassadours. The Spanish fill'd the drawing room on Fryday with his train ; it seems he is an Italian, but looks that noe more than a Spaniard, being fair and pretty fat. They say he is the greatest complimenter that ever was. Yesterday the D. of Ormond had him at dinner. There is a youth with him about 1 8, nephew to Cardinal Porto carrero, a grandee of the first class, and some other scrubs of the lower class. I do not know what those classes are, but am afraid that lower class is like the barons' bench here. There is also a Duke D'Atri, who they say is the 57th Duke of his family — a swinging gasconnade in my opinion, for at that rate they must have been Dukes about the time of our Saviour, tho' I believe that title some what more modern. Mr. Wentworth having told me your Lordship's desire about the installment, I told Lord Paulet that you would take it for a favour, if he would let me know in time when it was to be, which he said he would doe as soon as he knew it, but that hitherto he had not enquir'd about it, out of fear of appearing too much in haste. Tho' I told you in my last that the D. of Shrewsbury did not seem fond of his embassy, I perceive it was only a copy of his countenance, for he is extreamly pleas'd with it. He hath an unusual honour done him by the King's providing a house furnish't, call'd the hotel de Soissons, which is one of the finest in Paris. There is a talk of Lord Orkney's being to have the Ordnance, which some say the D. of Ormond expected. I never saw my Lady Strafford look better then when I saw her last Saturday, She is always very gracious to me, and soe I dare say she would be to any body she thought one of your friends. The Duke of Leeds behav'd to a wonder at his son's wedding. My Lord Treasurer hath been ever since at Wimbleton,

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