intrinsic merit was preeminent, or which shed light on some great public transaction, or the character of some distinguished person. Scaliger thought it very impertinent in Montaigne to think the world cared which he liked best, white wine or red; but it is nevertheless true, an unfading freshness of interest hangs around these trivial details which brings us, as it were, into the familiar presence of famous men. And probably very few would sympathize with the sentiment of Wordsworth, that if records of Horace and his contemporaries, composed upon "the Boswellian plan," were unearthed from the ruins of Herculaneum, he would regret to hear it, "lest the beautiful ideal of those illustrious persons should be disfigured by incongruous features." In the distribution of the letters, some have been found which could have been referred to either of several titles. An approximation, however, to an exact classification has, on the whole, seemed to the Editor much preferable to an arrangement on any other plan. With one or two exceptions, no translations of foreign letters have been introduced. The principal exception has been in the case of Madame de Sévigné, whose letters have given equal pleasure to men of the world like Horace Walpole, and such scholars as Sir James Mackintosh. The selections have been made with the permission of the publishers, Messrs. Mason Brothers, from the American Edition, edited by Mrs. Hale. It is to be hoped that the promised additions to the "Library of Standard Letters" may be soon forthcoming. NEW YORK, December, 1865. JAMES P. HOLCOMBE. TABLE OF CONTENTS. LETTER L-Madame de Sévigné to Madame de Grignan.-The Court of Louis the Fourteenth-Amusements-Madame de Montespan-Dangeau, the celebrated Gam- LETTER II.—Lady M. Wortley Montagu to the Countess of Mar.-The Birthnight Ball- Not, to be taken out of the Commandments. Note.-Refreshing Contrast in Letters of LETTERS IV., V. VI., VII.—Madame de Sévigné to Madame de Coulanges.—A Slip be- LETTER VIIL-Mrs. Bradshaw to Mrs. Howard.-Life of a Lady of Fashion in the Country, in 1722-Eating, Drinking (Ale), Dressing, and Flirtations-How a noble Cap- tain came to dine in white Gloves, LETTER IX.-Lord Chesterfield to the Countess of Suffolk.-Diary of a Man of Fashion at Bath, in which the daily Life and Conversation of the Hon. Wm. Sawyer Herbert are LETTER X.-Lady Montagu to Lady Pomfret.-The House of Lords having excluded the Ladies from the Gallery, is besieged by a Mob of noble Dames, and finally entered. Note.-Incident in French Chamber of Deputies, LETTERS XI., XII.—Lady Russell to Lord Russell.-Simplicity of her Life-Family News 24, 25 LETTER XIV.-Horace Walpole to Sir Horace Mann.-Popularity of the Duke of Cum- berland-Lady Walpole-Anecdote of Lord Bath's Parsimony, LETTER XV.-Horace Walpole to Sir Horace Mann.-The Earthquake-Middlesex Elec- LETTER XVI.-Horace Walpole to George Montagu.-Strawberry Hill a Paphos-Rage for Loo-Story of Lady Londonderry. Note.-Strawberry Hill overrun with Visit- LETTER XVII.-Horace Walpole to George Montagu.-Unceremonious Visit of the Duke LETTER XVIII-Horace Walpole to George Montagu.-" Honeymoon" of the New Reign-Funeral of George the Second-Hypocrisy of the Duke of Newcastle, 40 LETTER XIX.-Horace Walpole to George Montagu.-Bewildered by the Crowd of Vic- tories-Dinner with Garrick and "young Mr. Burke," LETTER XX.-Horace Walpole to George Montagu.-Description of Lady Wortley Mon- LETTER XXIII.-Horace Walpole to John Chute.-Visit to John Wesley's "Opera." Note.-Wesley's Reasons for adopting Secular Tunes-Knox's Account of his Char- acter, LETTER XXIV.-Horace Walpole to H. S. Conway-Visit to Stowe, in Company of the LETTER XXV.-Horace Walpole to George Montagu.-Beauty of the Richmond Fire- LETTER XXVII.-Hannah More to her Sister.-Trial of the Duchess of Kingston for Bigamy-Demeanor of the Prisoner-Speeches of Counsel. Note.-Sketch of the 68 LETTER XXXI.-Hannah More to her Sister.-A London Thé-Folly of the Custom, 78 LETTER XXXII-Hannah More to her Sister.-Dinner with Madame La Chevaliere LETTER XXXIII-William Cowper to John Newton.-Visit of Mr. Grenville, on an electioneering Tour, to Olney. Note.-Anecdote of Lord Wharton, LETTER XXXIV.-Dr. Beattie to Sir William Forbes.-Life in the Week and on Sunday In an English Country Parsonage-Behavior of the People at Church-Bishop Por- LETTER XXXV.-Mrs. John Adams to Miss Lucy Cranch.-First Impressions of Paris- LETTER XXXIX,-Dr. Chalmers to his Daughter.-Presentation of the Scotch Commis- sioners to William IV.-Description of the Ceremonial. Note.-Lord Jeffrey's Ac- LETTER XL-Dr. Chalmers to his Daughter.-Description of a Dinner at the Lord LETTTER XLL-Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton to Miss Burton.-Dinner with Rothschild 93 LETTER XLII.-Francis Jeffrey to Lord Cockburn.-A Scotch Election-The Candidate LETTER XLIII.—Hugh & Legaré to his Sisters.-Visit of the Queen of France to Brus- sels-Account of a grand Diplomatic Dinner-A Concert at Court, LETTER XLIV.-Wm. H. Prescott to Miss Prescott.-Young Ladies not so much in So- ciety in England as in the United States-Description of the Ascot Racos-The Coun- LETTERS OF PLEASANTRY, SENTIMENT, AND FANCY. LETTER L-Alexander Pope to Feresa and Martha Blount.-Visit to Hampton Court- Life of a Maid of Honor-The Death of Dr. Radcliffe. Note.-Thackeray on the Pope LETTER III—Alexander Pope to Dr. Swift.-Account of Lord Bolingbroke's Life in the Country-His active Habits and simple Diet-His Message to Swift-Forthcoming LETTER IV.-Dr. Swift to Lord Bolingbroke.-Advice to write History-His own Tem- LETTER V.-Lord Bolingbroke to Dr. Swift.-The Philosophy for Old Age lies in the Regulation of the Passions-Lady Bolingbroke-Postscript from Pope as to his LETTER VII.-Bishop of Rochester (Dr. Atterbury) to Mr. Pope.-Written from the LETTER VIII.-Alexander Pope to the Bishop of Rochester.-In Answer-Protestations LETTER IX.-The Bishop of Rochester to Alexander Pope.-Written from Paris-In- 181 LETTER X.-Mrs. Penruddock to her Husband.-Feelings on the Eve of his Execution, LETTER XI.—Mr. Penruddock to his Wife.-Written in Reply to the preceding letter, 135 LETTER XII.-Lady M. W. Montagu to the Abbé.-Crossing the Channel in a Storm- Amusing Account of a Lady trying to conceal Lace from the Custom-house Officers- Happiness of those who have no Wish to leave Home, LETTER XIII-Alexander Pope to Lady M. W. Montagu.-Two Rustic Lovers struck 188 . LETTER XIV.-Lady M. W. Montagu to Mr. Pope.-In Reply-Ridicules the Sentiment of Mr. Pope-An Epitaph of her own, LETTER XV.-Lord Chesterfield to Dr. Monsey.-Playful Allusions to the Faculty-His own Disease incurable-It is "Time," LETTERS XVI., XVII., XVIII, XIX.-Correspondence between Mrs. Piozzi and Dr. LETTER XX.-Mr. Gray to Dr. Wharton.-Amusements in Town-Reflections on Riches |