I could not write to you last week, for I was at Woolterton,(701) and in a course of visits, that took up my every moment. I received one from you there, of August 26th, but have had none at all this week.
You know I am not prejudiced in favour of the country, nor like a place because it bears turnips well, or because you may gallop over it without meeting a tree: but I really was charmed with Woolterton; it is all wood and water! My uncle and aunt may, without any expense, do what they have all their lives avoided, wash themselves and make fires.(702) Their house is more than a good one; if they had not saved eighteen pence in every room, it would have been a fine one. I saw several of my acquaintance,(703) Volterra vases, Grisoni landscapes, the four little bronzes, the raffle-picture, etc.
We have printed about the expedition to Naples: the affair at Elba, too, is in the papers, but we affect not to believe it. We are in great apprehensions of not taking Prague—the only thing that has been taken on our side lately, I think, is my Lord Stair's journey hither and back again-we don't know for what-he is such an Orlando! The papers are full of the most defending King'S Journey to Flanders;our private letters say not a word of it-I say our, for at present I think the earl's intelligences and mine are pretty equal as to authority.
Here is a little thing which I think has humour in it.
A CATALOGUE OF NEW FRENCH BOOKS.
1. Jean-sans-terre, on l'Empereur en pet-en-l'air; imprim`e `a Frankfort.
2. La France mourante d'une suppression d'hommes et d'argent: dedi`e au public.
3. L'art de faire les Neutralit`es, invent`e en Allemagne, et `ecrit en cette langue, par Un des Electeurs, et nouvellement traduit en Napolitain; par le Chef d'Escadre Martin.
4. Voyage d'Allemaune, par Monsieur de Maupertuis; avec un t`elescope, invent`e pendant son voyage; `a l'usage des H`eros, pour regarder leur victoires de loin.
5. M`ethode court et facile pour faire entrer les troupes Fran`coies en Allemagne:-mais comment faire, pour les en faire sortir?