of the premises, and you will all be commodiously aud pleasantly lodged. You have heard a great deal of the beauty of my house, garden, and fituation; but fuch are their intrinfic value, that, unless I am much deceived, they will bear the teft even of exaggerated praife. From my knowledge of your Lordship, I have always entertained fome doubt how you would get through the fociety of a Laufanne winter: but I am fatisfied that, exclufive of friendship, your fummer vifits to the banks of the Leman Lake will long be remembered as one of the most agreeable periods of your life; and that you will fcarcely regret the amufement of a Suffex Committee of Navigation in the dog days. You afk for details: what details? a map of France and a poft book are easy and infallible guides. If the ladies are not afraid of the ocean, you are not ignorant of the paffage from Brighton to Dieppe: Paris will then be in your direct road; and even allowing you to look at the Pandemonium, the ruins of Versailles, &c. a fortnight diligently employed will clear you from Sheffield Place to Gibbon Castle. What can I say more?

As little have I to say on the fubject of wordly matters, which feem now, Jupiter be praised, to be drawing towards a final conclufion; fince when people part with their money, they are indeed ferious. I do not perfectly understand the ratio of the precife fum which you have poured into Gofling's refervoir, but fuppofe it will be explained in a general account.

You have been very dutiful in fending me, what

I

I have always defired, a cut Woodfall on a remarkable debate; a debate, indeed, most remarkable ! Poor ***** is the most eloquent and rational madman that I ever knew. I love ***'s feelings, but I deteft the political principles of the man, and of the party. Formerly, you detefted them more ftrongly during the American war, than myself. I am half afraid that you are corrupted by your unfortunate connexions. Should you admire the National affembly, we fhall have many an altercation, for I am as high an ariftocrat as Burke himself; and he has truly observed, that it is impoffible to debate with temper on the subject of that curfed revolution. In my last excurfion to Geneva I fre quently faw the Neckers, who by this time are returned to their fummer refidence at Copet. He is much reftored in health and spirits, especially fince the publication of his last book, which has probably reached England. Both parties, who agree in abusing him, agree likewife that he is a man of virtue and genius; but I much fear that the pureft intentions have been productive of the moft baneful confequences. Our military men, I mean the French, are leaving us every day for the camp of the Princes at Worms, and support what is called reprefentation. Their hopes are fanguine; I will not anfwer for their being well grounded: it is certain, however, that the emperor had an interview the 19th instant with the Count of Artois at Mantua; and the ariftocrats talk in mysterious language of Spain, Sardinia, the Empire, four or five armies, &c. They will VOL. I.

R

doubtless ftrike a blow this fummer: may it not recoil on their own heads! Adieu. Embrace our female travellers. A fhort delay!

LAUSANNE, June 12th, 1791.

I Now begin to fee you all in real motion, fwimming from Brighton to Dieppe, according to my scheme, and afterwards treading the direct road, which you cannot well avoid, to the turbulent capital of the late kingdom of France. I know not what more to fay, or what further instructions to fend; they would indeed be ufelefs, as you are travelling through a country which has been sometimes vifited by Englishmen: only this let me fay, that in the midst of anarchy the roads were never more fecure than at prefent. As you will wish to affift at the national affembly, you will act prudently in obtaining from the French in London a good recommendation to fome leading member; Cazales, for inftance, or the Abbé Maury. I foon expect from Elmfley a cargo of books; but you may bring me any new pamphlet of exquifite flavor, particularly the last works of John Lord Sheffied), which the dog has always neglected to fend. You will have time to write once more, and you must endeavour, as nearly as poffible, to mark the day of your arrival. You may come either by Lyons and Geneva, by Dijon. and les Rouffes, or by Dole and Pontarlier. The poft will fail you on the edge of Switzerland, and must be supplied by hired horfes. I wish you to make your last day's journey easy, so as to dine upon the road, and arrive by tea-time. The pulfe

of the counter-revolution beats high, but I cannot fend you any certain facts. Adieu. I want to hear my Lady abusing me for never writing. All the Severys are very impatient.

Notwithstanding the high premium, I do not absolutely wish you drowned. Befides all other cares, I must marry and propagate, which would give me a great deal of trouble.

LAUSANNE, July 1ft, 1791.

IN obedience to your orders I direct a flying fhot to Paris, though I have not any thing particular to add, excepting that our impatience is increased in the inverfe ratio of time and space. Yet I almost doubt whether you have paffed the fea. The news of the King of France's escape must have reached you before the 28th, the day of your departure, and the profpect of ftrange unknown diforder may well have fufpended your firmeft refolves. The royal animal is again caught, and all may probably be quiet. I was juft going to exhort you to pafs through Bruffels and the confines of Germany; a fair Irifhifm, fince if you read this, you are already at Paris. The only reasonable advice which now remains, is to obtain, by means of Lord Gower, a fufficiency, or even fuperfluity, of forcible paffports, fuch as leave no room for cavil on a jealous frontier. The frequent intercourfe with Paris has proved that the best and shortest road, instead of Befançon,is by Dijon, Dole, Les Rouffes, and Nyon. Adieu. I warmly embrace the Ladies. It would be idle now to talk of business. R 2

IT has appeared from the foregoing Letters, that

by

a vifit from myself and my family, to Mr. Gibbon vat Lausanne, had been for some time in agitation. This long-promifed excurfion took place in the month of June 1791, and occafioned a confiderable ceffation of our correfpondence. I landed at Dieppe immediately after the flight from, and return to, Paris of the unfortunate Lewis XVI. During my stay in that capital, I had an opportunity of feeing the extraordinary ferment of men's minds, both in the national affembly, and in private focieties, and alfo in my paffage through France to Lausanne, where I recalled to my memory the interesting scenes I had witnessed, frequent conversations with my deceased friend. I might have wished to record his opinions on the fubject of the French revolution, if he had not expreffed them fo well in the annexed Letters. He feemed to fuppofe, as fome of his Letters hint, that I had a tendency to the new French opinions. Never indeed, I can with truth aver, was fufpicion more unfounded; nor could it have been admitted into Mr. Gibbon's mind, but that his extreme friendship for me, and his utter abhorrence of these notions, made him cenxious and jealous, even to an excefs, that I fhould not entertain them. He was, however, foon undeceived; he found that I was full as averfe to them as himfelf. I had from the firft expreffed an opinion,