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: Prie. caturally brought cum great Le cas been described as "consistent save the us cart: ind its met were affected." His bernew fence, at. Le Fase dever lost an opportunity of saring a smart or in -eatured thing something that Wid Wand somebody-describes im as "one who knew somewhat of everything but how to hold his tongue." His dress was soventy is cction homery, and his tongue vas tired with the Norsk accent. Like many others be could not resist printing in Answer to the Latter Part of Lord 30 metroses "Letters on the Study of History -that eminently stimulating source of controversy. aus brother Robert, he lied of stone, and his eldest son, Horatio, succeeded is second Baron Woiterton, and was the subiect of the new creation of the Earidom of Orford in 1806. "Pradle Jock" and "Hockley-in-the-Hoie." alluded to by Pte in his letter of January 15, 1796, with regard to "Walpoles title, as terms of derision, are two of the lost beauties of the Engrish language. The former place was approached from Puddle Jock Hill, Blackinars, and, together with Puddle Dock Wharf, was the resort of what Pie would call “an liberal tarpaulin crew." Hockley-m-the-Hole was, as the name implies, a place of very moderate refinement, where such rough amusements a bear and bull-baiting and cock-ighting took place. Hogarth's vulgar "Five Days Peregrination" of 1732, 1 porter at the Dark House, Billingsgate, is spoken of, and called in derision "the Duke of Puddledock.”

Again we are confronted by a most interesting personality-Horace, fourth son of Sir Robert Waipole. An early and characteristic incident in his life is that in 1727 he was taken, at his own request, June 1, 1727, to kiss the hand of George I., just before the King left for his last journey to Hanover. Eight days later the tragic death took place in the carriage, between Ippenburen and Osnabruck, which placed George II. upon the throne, and assured the posi

tion of Sir Robert Walpole. Horace was educated at Eton, and King's, Cambridge, and doubtless in those "holy shades" first acquired his appreciation of buildings and things "gothic" which distinguished him throughout his long life. Who does not readily recall the main features of his interesting career? The grand tour and the quarrel with Gray, his "noble rage" for pictures, his connoisseurship, his vers de société, his "Anecdotes of Painting," hist dabblings in the higher literature, his "gothic" house at Strawberry Hill, his troops of friends-among them Thomas Kerrich, and, most of all, his delightful correspondence. His Memoirs of his Time also have uncommon interest, though prejudiced by party spirit. In 1757 Walpole vacated his seat for Castle Rising-one of the most rotten of the rotten boroughs-to which he had been elected in 1754, for that of King's Lynn. He spoke but rarely in the House, but worked in vain to save Admiral Byng. To Horace Walpole may be attributed in a great measure the renaissance of gothic architecture; but with all his misconceptions of the style, he would have been startled indeed if he could have seen some of the gothic vagaries of the present day, and the havoc of "restoration."

In 1748, on the occasion and in consequence of ffolkes's marriage, Pyle thought very little of his chances of representing Lynn (see Letter, January 12, 1743). It may be gathered from a letter of nearly four years later (November 22, 1760) that ffolkes's health was failing apace and that he had no longer the wish for a Parliamentary career, that would take him away from his building and his bounteous hospitality to his neighbours.

Continuing the retrospect of Pitt-he became Secretary of State for the Southern Department, December 4, 1756, Premier, and Leader of the Commons, with the Duke of Devonshire as First Lord of the Treasury, Temple First Lord of the Admiralty, and Legge Chancellor of the

Exchequer. Pitt at once began to put into execution his own plan of carrying on the war with France-the Seven Years' War, so calamitous for that country both by sea and land, but principally in the loss of her American colonies, concluded by the Peace of Paris, February 10, 1763. The failure of Byng and the loss of Minorca, and the pitiable conduct of Mordaunt and Hawke at Rochefort, formed the ominous opening of Pitt's advent to power. The people said, justly enough, that Byng was shot for not doing enough, and Mordaunt acquitted for doing nothing at all. The inauguration of a brilliantly successful foreign policy, the raising of the militia, and the strengthening of British naval power, met with opposition from the King, and Pitt and Temple had to resign office, April 5, 1757. So greatly was this to the public discontent that the stocks fell. An alliance was patriotically concluded, two months later, between Pitt and Newcastle, by which the former again became Secretary of State, with the supreme direction of the war, and of foreign affairs, the Duke of Newcastle returning to the Treasury "with the disposal of civil and ecclesiastical patronage, and of that part of the secret service money which was employed in bribing the Members of the House of Commons." In the reconstruction of the Government Legge returned to the Exchequer. It is desirable to recount the above details because, although Pyle writes a letter to Kerrich on April 21, 1757, he takes no account of the notable political impasse which had arisen fifteen days before. Doubtless it would have been sufficiently noised abroad. One would have been glad of Pyle's views on the ministerial reconstruction, but, unfortunately, the next letter but one-a very long one-is occupied with matters of Church, and not of State, bringing us in the following letter to April 6, 1758. As soon as he was firmly re-established in power Pitt's war policy was distinguished by such vigour and sagacity that France was everywhere completely beaten on