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A VERY GOOD QUARREL.

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prised the secretly adored of Horace (Lady Grenville once), Lady Sophia Fermor.

The Granville faction,' Horace wrote, before his father's death, ‘are still the constant and only countenanced people at court. Lord Winchelsea, one of the disgraced, played at court at Twelfth-night, and won; the king asked him next morning how much he had for his own share. He replied, Sir, about a quarter's salary." I liked the spirit, and was talking to him of it the next night at Lord Granville's. Why yes," said he, "I think it showed familiarity at least: tell it your father, I don't think he will dislike it.""

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The most trifling incidents divided the world of fashion and produced the bitterest rancour. Indeed, nothing could exceed the frivolity of the great, except their impertinence. For want of better amusements, it had become the fashion to make conundrums, and to have printed books full of them, which were produced at parties. But these were peaceful diversions. The following anecdote is worthy of the times of George II. and of Frederic of Wales:

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'There is a very good quarrel,' Horace writes, on foot, between two duchesses: she of Queensberry sent to invite Lady Emily Lenox to a ball: her grace of Richmond, who is wonderfully cautious since Lady Caroline's elopement (with Mr. Fox), sent word "she could not determine." The other sent again the same night: the same answer. The Queensberry then sent word, that she had made up her company, and desired to be excused from having Lady Emily's; but at the bottom of the card wrote "Too great trust." There is no declaration of war come out from the other duchess; but I believe it will be made a national quarrel of the whole illegi timate royal family.'

Meantime, Houghton was shut up: for its owner died 50,0007. in debt, and the elder brother of Horace, the second Lord Orford, proposed, on entering it again, after keeping it closed for some time, to enter upon new, and then very

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unknown economy, for which there was great need:' thus Horace refers to the changes.

It was in the South Sea scheme that Sir Robert Walpole had realized a large sum of money, by selling out at the right moment. In doing so he had gained 1000 per cent. But he left little to his family, and at his death, Horace received a legacy only of 5,0007., and a thousand pounds yearly, which he was to draw (for doing nothing), from the collector's place in the Custom House; the surplus to be divided between his brother Edward and himself: this provision was afterwards enhanced by some money which came to Horace and his brothers from his uncle Captain Shorter's property; but Horace was not at this period a rich man, and perhaps his not marrying was owing to his dislike of fortune-hunting, or to his dread of refusal.

Two years after his father's death, he took a small house at Twickenham: the property cost him nearly 14,0007.; in the deeds he found that it was called Strawberry Hill. He soon commenced making considerable additions to the house-which became a sort of raree-show in the latter part of the last, and until a late period in this, century.

Twickenham-so called, according to the antiquary Norden, because the Thames, as it flows near it, seems from the islands to be divided into two rivers,-had long been celebrated for its gardens, when Horace Walpole, the generalissimo of all bachelors, took Strawberry Hill. Twicknam is as much as Twynam,' declares Norden, 'a place scytuate between two rivers.' So fertile a locality could not be neglected by the monks of old, the great gardeners and tillers of land in ancient days; and the Manor of Twickenham was consequently given to the monks of Christ Church, Canterbury, by King Edred, in 491; who piously inserted his anathema against any person-whatever their rank, sex, or order-who should infringe the rights of these holy men.

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