Mrs. Williams, No. 8, Downing Street, will embrace Lord S., Mr. Purden and Co. for two Guineas and a half per week. The stables and Coach houses will be empty, and Mr. Collier will provide the needful refreshments.—Sir R[ichard] W[orsley] has opened the trenches in Doctors Commons, and cryed down his wife's credit with tradesmen, &c. I supped last night at Lord L[oughborough]'s with Mrs. Abingdon,[5]—a judge and an actress; what would Sir Roger Hill[6] say? Dinner will be on table at five o'clock next Monday in Bentinck Street.
Saturday night. Brookes's absolutely alone. The town even yet very empty.
424.
To Lord Sheffield.
Friday, two o'clock, 7th Sept., 1781.
FRENCH AND SPANISH FLEETS IN THE CHANNEL.
Lord Hillsborough[7] tells me that himself and Co. believe that the combined fleets are gone into Brest. Expresses that left Bristol yesterday, and Plymouth, Wednesday, cannot give the least account of them, and a Portuguese ship from Lisbon the 23rd last month, beat several days between Scilly and the Land's end without seeing or hearing of them. However, at all events more than twenty-five swift sailing vessels had been sent out to meet and warn the West India fleets. Adieu.
We shall meet at Brighton on Monday.