L30/14/138/4

Sent from Ampthill Park 13 December 1772, received 29 December:

1772

From: 1772 To: 1772

Have been for 3 months intending to write but in phrase of Pope's "you know that in the commerce of words I am both poor and lazy". Of last meeting of Parliament "everybody seemed to agree that there never was a thinner meeting or less to do. You may guess what was most interesting to me was Richard's moving the address, he did it very well, short, to the purpose and well deliver'd, whether it will encourage him to continue speaking or not God knows, he had his friends go on as usual. When I was in town Lord H had Charles's affairs before him, I hear the interest he pays is at least £8,000 a year and I have not yet heard what Lord H intends doing for him". He is to be a Lord of the Treasury. He, Foley and Richard have almost ruined Newmarket; "Bunbury and I are the only people that have been able to cope with them at all, we managed our affairs there as well as usual, two sons of Prophet of mine did very well, which I daresay your brother Parker is pleased with. I grow fonder of this place every day and keep going on a grand train in improving it, I am going to indulge Mr Walpole by erecting a Gothic Cross on the top of the hill to the memory of Catherine/Katherine of Arragon who lived there after her divorce, he has wrote some verses for the inscription which are very pretty, I will enclose them". "Cranford is just come from Paris and I expect him here every day, he writes that he is just the same as to his health and spirits; Ste and Lady Mary are very well, and have been adding some magnificent rooms to the palace of Winterslow. The Duchess of Bedford is as gay as usual, which she always says is for the sake of the girls, we are in high favour just now and she has invited herself here at Xmas. I really can not recollect any thing new of any of our acquaintance, if you was to come I believe you would find every body going on just as you left them. George Selwyn dividing his time between March and Carlisle, and nursing Lady something Howard and the Signorina Fagnani by turns, James etc are as hunting mad as ever, and the Duke of Roxbughe is in Scotland. Pray, my dear Lord, let me hear from you when you have leisure, which by your letters I am afraid you have too much of, and I have a notion if a person that was subject to ennui was in your situation he would have a bad time of it. Lady Ossory desires join with me and in our best compliments to you and your brothers". Inscription for Queen Catherine's Cross: In days of old here Ampthills towers were seen, The mournful refuge of an injured Queen, Here flowed her pure, but unavailing tears, Here blended zeal sustained her sinking years, Yer freedom hence her radiant banner weaved, And Love avenged a realm by priests enslaved, From Cathrine's wrongs a nation's bliss was spread, And Luther's light from Henry's lawless bed.

item

Fox, Charles,
Foley,
Richard,
Bunbury,
Parker,
Walpole,
Walpole, Horace,
Aragon, Katherine of,
Crawfurd, John,
Fox, Stephen,
Fitzpatrick, Mary,
Duchess of Bedford,
Russell, Gertrude (Duchess of Bedford),
Selwyn, George,
March,
Carlisle,
Howard,
Fagnani,
Roxburghe, John Ker, 3rd Duke of,
Ossory

AMPTHILL, Ampthill Park, monuments, monumental inscriptions