10 To HORATIO WALPOLE SR 7 MAY 1745 OS To HORATIO WALPOLE, SR,1 Tuesday 7 May 1745 OS Printed for the first time from the MS now WSL; acquired, 1937, from G. H. Last, Bromley, Kent. Endorsed (by 'Old Horace'): Nephew Horace May sept 1745 Rd 9. Arlington Street, May 7th 1745. Dear Sir, CAN'T lose the first moment to repeat to you how very much I 2 you have obliged me. 1 hope I shall never feel it less warmly than I do now, and that I shall always be as eager to show you my grati­ tude, as I now am to have the opportunity. I hope you have received the letter from my brothers he promised me to write you one; pray let me know if he has; I know he does not love the trouble; but if he has not, I will not rest till he has. In the meantime, I beg you will keep this letter, by which I assure you my brother gave me the most absolute promise of choosing your son* the next Parliament for Castlerising.s Mr Churchill6 is not dead, but past recovery. You will have had, Sir, many accounts of our great misfortune:? as nobody from their experience and zeal will take it more to heart than you, I wish I could send you any more favourable particulars. 1. Horatio Walpole (1678-1757), cr. 2. Unexplained. (1756) Bn Walpole of Wolterton; 'Old 3. Robert Walpole, who had succeeded Horace'; HW's uncle; M.P. 1710-56. He as 2d E. of Orford on the death of his was later the subject of several contro­ father 18 March 1745 OS. His letter is versies with HW, so violent that HW missing. wrote detailed accounts of them and 4. Horatio Walpole (1723-1809), 2d Bn jokingly contemplated the publication of Walpole of Wolterton, 1757; cr. (1806) two volumes of 'Horatiana ... or a full E. of Orford; 'Pigwiggin.' and true account of the bloody civil wars 5. The Walpole family had controlled of the house of Walpole, being a narrative it for year; see post 15 May 1745 OS; of the unhappy differences between L. B. Namier, Structure of Politics at the Horatio and Horace Walpoles' (MONTAGU Accession of George III, 2d edn, 1957, i. 186). One of these, 'A Narrative of the p. 145; J. H. Plumb, Sir Robert Walpole: Proceedings on the intended Marriage The Making of a Statesman, Boston, 1956, between Lord Orford and Miss Nicholl' is pp. 57-61, 99-104. an appendix to GRAY ii. 193s. 'He ['Old 6. Lt-Gen. Charles Churchill (ca 1679- Horace'] knew something of everything 1745), M.P. for Castle Rising 1715-45; he but how to hold his tongue, or how to died 14 May 1745 (Sedgwick i. 551-2; GM apply his knowledge. His mind was 1745, xv. 276). Richard Rigby (1722-88) a strange mixture of sense alloyed by ab­ was returned in his place (post 15 May surdity, wit by mimicry, knowledge by 1745 OS, n. 2). buffoonery, bravery by meanness, honesty 7. The British defeat at the battle of by selfishness, impertinence by nothing' Fontenoy (then called Tournay) 11 May (Mem. Geo. II, i. 140-1). 1745 NS (30 April OS). .