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 CORRESPONDENCE 
 
 OF THE LATE 
 
 JOHN WILKES, 
 
 WITH HIS FRIENDS, 
 
 PRINTED FROM THE 
 
 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS, 
 
 IN WHICH ARE INTRODUCED 
 
 MEMOIRS OF HIS LIFE, 
 
 BY JOHN ALMON. 
 
 IN FIVE VOLUMES. 
 
 VOL. II. 
 
 EonDon : 
 
 PRINTED FOR RICHARD PHILLIPS, 
 
 No. 71, St. Paul's Church-yard. 
 B/ Nichols and Son, Red Lion Passage, HeetStresfc 
 
 mmmtm 
 1805.
 
 in 
 
 CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME, 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Meeting of Parliament King r s Mes- 
 sage Mr. Wilkes's Complaint - - - 1 
 Complaint against Mr. Wilkes - - - - 8 
 
 Duel between Mr. Wilkes and Mr. Martin 1 2 
 
 Mr. Martin and Mr. Wilkes meet in Paris 1 9 
 Five Letters from Mr. Wilkes to Miss 
 
 Wilkes - --------- 22 
 
 Correspondence with Humphrey Cotes, Esq. 33 
 
 Letter from Mr. Philipps (Mr. Wilkes" 's . 
 
 Solicitor) to Mr. Wilkes ----- 70 
 
 Mr. Wilkes's Account of his Tour to Na- 
 ples, in Letters to his Daughter - - 107 
 Lettej*s to Mr. Cotes ---- 190
 
 MEMOIRS 
 
 AND 
 
 CORRESPONDENCE 
 p 
 
 JOHN WILKES, Esq. 
 
 MEETING OF PARLIAMENT. KING S MES- 
 SAGE, mr. wilkes's complaint. 
 
 On the 15th of November, 1763, the 
 iession opened. 
 
 By the usage of parliament, when any 
 complaint is to be made of a breach of 
 privilege, that complaint is to be heard 
 before any other business. But in the case 
 of Mr. Wilkes, even this rule was set aside. 
 As soon as the speaker had taken the 
 chair, Mr. Wilkes rose, and informed the 
 
 VOL. II. B
 
 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 house, that he had a complaint to make 
 of a breach of privilege. 
 
 The chancellor of the exchequer (the 
 right honourable George Grenville) im- 
 mediately rose, and stated, that he had a 
 message to deliver from his majesty. 
 
 It was resolved to hear his majesty's 
 message first. 
 
 The chancellor of the exchequer then 
 said, that he was commanded by the king 
 to acquaint the house, that " his majesty 
 having received information, that John 
 Wilkes, esq. a member of this house, was 
 the author of a most seditious and danger- 
 ous libel, published since the last session of 
 parliament ; he had caused the said John 
 Wilkes, esq. to be apprehended, and se- 
 cured, in order to his being tried for the 
 same by due course of law. And Mr. 
 Wilkes having been discharged out of 
 custody. by the court of common-pleas, 
 upon account of his privilege as a member
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. $ 
 
 of this house : and having, when called 
 upon by the legal process of the court of 
 king's-bench, stood out, and declined to 
 appear, and answer to an information 
 which has since been exhibited against 
 him by his majesty's attorney-general for 
 the same offence ; in this situation, his 
 majesty, being desirous to show all possible 
 attention to the privileges' of the house of 
 commons, in every instance wherein they 
 can be supposed to be concerned ; and at 
 the same time thinking it of the utmost 
 importance not to suffer the public justice 
 of .the kingdom to be eluded ; has chosen 
 to direct the said libel, and also copies of 
 the examinations upon which Mr. Wilkes 
 was apprehended and secured, to be laid 
 before this house, for their consideration." 
 And the right honourable gentleman deli- 
 vered the said papers in at the table *. 
 
 * Commons' journals vol. xxix. p, 667. 
 S 3
 
 4 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 The papers consisted of the North Bri- 
 ton, N 45 ; and the examinations of 
 George Kearsley, the publisher, and Ri- 
 chard Balfe, the printer. 
 
 The house resolved, after a long de- 
 bate, the particulars of which it is not ne- 
 cessary to state here, that the paper was a 
 false, scandalous, and seditious libel ; and 
 ordered it to be burned by the hands of 
 the common hangman. 
 
 Mr. Wilkes's complaint was then heard, 
 in the following speech. 
 
 ** Mr. Speaker, 
 M I think it my duty to lay before the 
 house a few tacts, which have occurred 
 since our last meeting ; because, in my 
 humble opinion (which I shall always sub- 
 mit to this house), the rights of all the 
 commons of England, and the privileges 
 of parliament, have, in my person, been 
 highly violated. I shall at present con- 
 tent myself with barely stating the facts,
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 5 
 
 and leave the mode of proceeding to the 
 wisdom of the house. 
 
 M On the 30th of April, in the morn- 
 ing, I was made a prisoner in my own 
 house, by some of the king's messengers. 
 I demanded by what authority they had 
 forced their way into my room : and was 
 shown a warrant, in which no person was 
 named in particular, but generally ' the 
 authors, printers, and publishers, of a 
 seditious and treasonable paper, intirled, 
 The North Briton, N 45/ The messen- 
 gers insisted on my going before lord 
 Halifax: which I absolutely refused ; be- 
 cause the warrant was, I thought, illegal, 
 and did not respect me. I applied, by my 
 friends, to the court of common -picas, for 
 the habeas-corpus ; and I enlarged on this 
 subject to Mr. Webb, the solicitor of the 
 treasury. I was, however, hurried away 
 to the Tower by another warrant ; which 
 declared me ' the author and publisher of a 
 niost infamous and seditious libd, inatlcd,
 
 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 The North Briton, N45.' The word 
 treasonable was dropped : yet I was de- 
 tained a close prisoner, and no person was 
 suffered to come near me for almost three 
 days, although my counsel, and several of 
 my friends, demanded admittance, in order 
 to concert the means of recovering my li- 
 berty. My house was plundered, my bu- 
 reaus broke open by order of two of your 
 members (Mr. Wood and Mr. Webb), and 
 all my papers carried away. After six 
 days' imprisonment, I was discharged, by 
 the unanimous judgment of the court 
 of common-pleas, that the privilege 
 of this house extended to my case.* 
 Notwithstanding this solemn decision of 
 one of the king's superior courts of jus- 
 tice, a few days after, I was served with a 
 subpoena upon an information exhibited 
 against me. in the king's-bench. I lost no 
 time in consulting the best books, as well 
 as the greatest living authorities; and, 
 from the truest judgment I could form, I
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 7 
 
 thought that the serving me with a sub- 
 poena was another violation of the privi- 
 lege of parliament, which I will neither 
 desert nor betray, and therefore I have 
 not yet entered an appearance. 
 
 " I now stand in the judgment of the 
 house, submitting, with the utmost defer- 
 ence, the whole, case to their justice and 
 wisdom; and beg leave to add, that if, after 
 this important business has, in its full ex- 
 tent, been maturely weighed, you shall be 
 of opinion that I am intitled to privilege, 
 I shall then be not' only ready, but eagerly 
 desirous, to wave that privilege, and to put 
 myself upon a jury of my countrymen.'* 
 
 The further hearing of this complaint 
 was put off from time to time, till Mr. 
 Wilkes was obliged to go abroad. 
 
 The above resolution of the commons 
 was communicated to the lords, and their 
 concurrence was desired ; which was rea- 
 dily obtained.
 
 8 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 The burning of the North Briton at the 
 Royal Exchange was attended with a vio- 
 lent riot, and the sheriff himself (Harley) 
 was obliged to take refuge in the mansion- 
 house. All candid people confessed, that 
 this measure evinced more impotence and 
 malignity than good sense ; and as sucl* 
 it was treated by the populace. 
 
 COMPLAINT AGAINST MR. WILKES. 
 
 In the house of lords, the earl of Sand- 
 wich, the new secretary of state succeed- 
 ing lord Egremont, made a formal com- 
 plaint, that Mr. Wilkes had violated the 
 most sacred ties of religion as well as de- 
 cency, by printing in his own house a 
 pamphlet intitled " An Essay on Woman, 
 with Notes ;" to which the name of a right 
 reverend prelate (Dr. Warburton, bi- 
 shop of Gloucester) had been scurrilously 
 affixed. And the house instantly voted an.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ES. 9 
 
 address to the king, to order the attorney- 
 general to prosecute Mr. Wilkes for this 
 offence **. 
 
 Mr. Wilkes had not had the least expecta- 
 tion of this circumstance. He did not know, 
 as was the fact, that his servants had been 
 suborned to rob him. He had caused this 
 poem to be printed at his own press ; but 
 permitted only twelve copies to be taken 
 off; and, while the workmen were em- 
 ployed on it he was always present. In- 
 deed, he took every possible precaution to 
 prevent any person from obtaining a copy. 
 
 But, notwithstanding all his care and 
 attention, three or four scraps, or parts 
 of soiled sheets, were stolen by the jour- 
 neymen ; and these were shown, as mat- 
 ters of curiosity, to other printers. At 
 length a few imperfect pages fell into the 
 
 * The poetical part of this famous production is a 
 parody of the first Epistle of Pope's Essay on Man; 
 the notes were principally written by Potter. See 
 Mr. Wilkes's notes on Churchill** dedication to the 
 bishop of Gloucester. 
 
 B 5
 
 *0 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 hands of one Faden, a printer, in Fleet- 
 street. This man was indefatigable in his 
 endeavours to get the remainder ; and, 
 with the assistance of another printer, they 
 contrived to corrupt the workmen in Mr. 
 Wilkes's house. To one man they gave 
 five guineas ; but he could not serve them. 
 In the course of their efforts, they applied to 
 one Curry (another of Mr. Wilkes's work- 
 men); who supplied them with all that he 
 could obtain ; and became the principal 
 evidence against Mr. Wilkes, both in the 
 prosecution for the Essay on Woman, and 
 in that for the North Briton. 
 . Faden showed these few pages to a Mr. 
 Kidgell, at that time chaplain to lord March. 
 He and Kidgell at first intended to reprint 
 the poem, with notes, in a series of letters, 
 in the newspaper called the Public Ledger, 
 of which Faden was at that time the printer. 
 But they scon abandoned this design ; con- 
 ceiving, on reflection, that they should 
 jderive greater emolument from govern- 
 ment. With this view,- Kidgell showed
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESCU II 
 
 the scraps to lord March, who laid them 
 before the secretary of state. 
 
 Mr.Wilkes has often observed, that, if the 
 North Briton had not appeared, the Essay 
 on Woman would never have been called 
 in question ; and it has been remarked by 
 others, that if the poem had been ten 
 thousand times worse than it was, yet it 
 would fall far short in infamy tc the shock- 
 ing and traiterous methods which were 
 taken to procure it. Mr. Home Tooke, 
 in his sixth letter to Mr. Wilkes, printed 
 in 1 77 1, at the time of their great differ- 
 ence, says : I have not to this moment 
 4 read the Essay on Woman ; and, what- 
 
 * ever it may contain, I should have felt 
 ( more indignation against those who 
 
 * bribed the printer to betray you, than 
 ' against you who were betrayed, because 
 ' it was a mean villainy.' These words are 
 perfectly true, if applied to the present edi- 
 tor. He neverwould see that poem, though 
 frequently urged by Mr. Wilkes.
 
 11 MEMOIRS Or 
 
 DUEL BETWEEN MR. WILKES AKB 
 MR. MARTIN. 
 
 When Mr. Wilkes returned home from 
 the house of commons on Wednesday 
 morning, the 16th of November, (the 
 house having sat till that time,) he sent 
 the following letter to Mr. Samuel Martin, 
 late secretary to the treasury, who had 
 grossly, but obliquely, insulted him the 
 preceding evening. 
 
 " Great George-street, Wednesday, 
 November i6, 1763. 
 ec SIR, 
 
 You complained yesterday, before five 
 hundred gentlemen, that you had been 
 Stabbed in the dark by the North Briton ; 
 but I have reason to believe you was not 
 so much in the dark as you affected, and 
 chose to be. Was the complaint made 
 before so many gentlemen on purpose that
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 13 
 
 they might interpose ? To cut off every 
 pretence of ignorance as to the author, I 
 whisper in your ear, that every passage of 
 the North Briton in which you have been 
 named, or even alluded to, was written by 
 your humble servant, 
 
 John Wilkes." 
 
 To this letter Mr. Martin returned the 
 following answer. 
 
 " Abingdon-street, November 16, 1763. 
 " SIR, 
 
 " As I said in the house of commons 
 yesterday, that the writer of the North 
 Briton, who had stabbed me in the dark, 
 was a cowardly as well as a malignant and 
 infamous scoundrel ; and your letter, of 
 this morning's date, acknowledges that 
 every passage of the North Briton in 
 which I have been named, or even alluded 
 to, was written by yourself; I must take 
 the liberty to repeat, that you are a malig-
 
 14 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 nant and infamous scoundrel, and that I 
 desire to give you an opportunity of shew- 
 ing me whether the epithet of cowardly 
 was rightly applied or not. 
 
 " I desire that you may meet me in Hyde- 
 park immediately, with a brace of pistols 
 each, to determine our difference. 
 
 M I shall go to the ring in Hyde-park, 
 with my pistols so concealed that nobody 
 may see them; and I will wait in expecta- 
 tion of you one hour. As I shall call in 
 my way at your house, to deliver this letter, 
 I propose to go from thence directly to the 
 ring in Hyde-park ; from whence we may 
 proceed, if it be necessary, to any more 
 private place. And I mention that I shall 
 wait an hour, in order to give you the full 
 time to meet me. 
 
 " I am, Sir, 
 
 your humble servant, 
 
 Sam. Maitix."
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESa. l 
 
 The circumstances of the duel were as 
 follows. 
 
 When the gentlemen met in Hyde-park 
 they walked together a little while, to 
 avoid some company which seemed com- 
 ing up to them. They brought each a 
 pair of pistols. When they were alone, 
 the first fire was from Mr. Martin's pistol, 
 which missed Mr. Wilkes. The pistol 
 in Mr. Wilkes's hand only flashed in the 
 pan. The gentlemen then each took one 
 of Mr. Wilkes's pair of pistols. Mr. 
 Wilkes missed ; and the ball of Mr. Martin's 
 piftol lodged in Mr. Wilkes's belly. He 
 bled immediately very much. Mr. Martin 
 came up, and desired to give him all the 
 assistance in his power. Mr. Wilkes replied, 
 that Mr. Martin had behaved like a man of 
 honour; that he was killed; and Insisted on 
 Mr. Martin's making his immediate escape, 
 adding that no person should know from 
 him (Mr. Wilkes) how the affair happened. 
 Upon this they parted. Mr. Wilkes was
 
 l6 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 carried home ; but would not tell any cir- 
 cumstance of the case till he found it was 
 publicly known. He only said to the sur- 
 geon, that it was an affair of honour. 
 
 The day following, Mr. Wilkes, ima- 
 gining himself in the greatest danger, 
 returned to Mr, Martin his letter, that no 
 evidence might appear against him ; and 
 insisted upon it with his own relations, that, 
 in case of his death, no trouble should be 
 given to Mr. Martin, for he had behaved 
 as a man of honour. 
 
 But, notwithstanding this declaration of 
 Mr. Wilkes, there is another circumstance 
 worthy of notice. Mr. Martin's not return- 
 ing Mr. Wilkes's letter, occasioned a suspi- 
 cion that it was kept to be made use of as a 
 proof of Mr. Wilkes's concern in the North 
 Briton. This neglect seemed as unaccount- 
 able as his having for eight months previous 
 to the meeting of parliament, borne in 
 silence the abuse of which he complained. 
 Was he all this time, Sundays not ex-
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. f 
 
 cepted, practising at a target ? That report 
 was confirmed by his neighbours in the 
 coumry *. Nor is it less remarkable, that 
 he should choose pistols, without naming 
 the sword ; though the choice of weapons 
 was, by the laws of honour, in Mr. Wilkes. 
 
 Mr. Wilkes was carried home in a chair. 
 Dr. Brocklesby, and Mr. Graves (surgeon), 
 were immediately sent for. Mr. Graves 
 extracted the ball ; which first struck Mr. 
 Wilkes's coat button, then his waistcoat 
 button, entered his belly about half an inch 
 below the navel, and sunk obliquely, on 
 the right side, towards the groin, but did 
 not penetrate the abdomen. It was ex- 
 tracted from behind. 
 
 "When he was able to write, he sent notice, 
 by letter, to the speaker of the house of 
 commons, of the condition of his health. 
 
 On Friday the 16th of December, the 
 house of commons made the following 
 
 * See Mr. Wilkes's letter to Mr. Cotes, 4ated 
 Calais, December 10, 1764.
 
 X8 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 order : <c That doctor Heberden, phrsi- 
 cian, and Mr. Caesar Hawkins, one of his 
 majesty's serjeant-surgeons, be desired to 
 attend John Wilkes, esq. from time to 
 time, at proper intervals, to observe the 
 progress of his cure ; and that they, to- 
 gether with Dr.Brocklesbyand Mr. Graves, 
 do attend this house, to report their opinion 
 thereupon, on the 19th day of January 
 next *, in case the said John Wilkes, esq. 
 be not then able to attend in his place." 
 
 This order being sent to Dr. Heberden, 
 by order of the speaker, he sent it to Dr. 
 Brocklesby ; with a letter, desiring to 
 know when he might attend Dr. Brocklesby 
 to Mr. Wilkes. Dr. Brocklesby sent 
 the order of the house, and Dr. Heber- 
 den's letter, to Mr. Wilkes ; and requested 
 him to appoint a time when they might 
 wait upon him. Mr. Wilkes sent a polite 
 card to Dr. Heberden, saying, that he 
 was so well satisfied with the attention and 
 
 * Parliament adjourned to the 19th of January.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESa. 10, 
 
 skill of Dr. Brocklesby and Mr. Graves, 
 that he did not wish to see Dr. Heberden 
 for some weeks. And he sent a similar 
 card to Mr. Hawkins. 
 
 MR. MARTIN AND MR. WILKES MEET AT 
 PARIS. 
 
 Mr. Martin immediately proceeded to 
 Paris. When Mr. Wilkes arrived there, he 
 was complimented by Mr. Martin with the 
 following card. 
 
 " Hotel de Luynes, Dec. 3; 1763. 
 
 " Mr. Martin presents his compliments to 
 Mr. Wilkes, and desires to know how he 
 does: flattering himself, from Mr. Wilkes's 
 performance of so long a journey at this 
 season of the year, that his health is per- 
 fectly re-established. 
 
 " Mr. Martin cannot help taking this op- 
 portunity to assure Mr. Wilkes, that he had 
 desired Mr. Bradshaw to deliver up Mr. 
 Wilkes's note, written to Mr. Martin on the 
 1 6th of November ; as soon as it occurred to
 
 20 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 the latter that any imaginable use might 
 be made of it to Mr. Wilkes's prejudice, 
 and before Mr. Martin had heard from 
 Mr. Bradshaw that it was actually given 
 up. * 
 
 " Mr. Martin returns his thanks to Mr. 
 Wilkes for his attention to Mr. Martin's 
 safety, by giving the early notice he did 
 to Mr. Bradshaw, of his apprehending 
 himself to be in danger. 
 
 " It is impossible for Mr. Martin to think 
 of taking part in any affair of Mr. Wilkes 
 that he may find depending in the house 
 of commons at his arrival in England. 
 He proposes to set off from hence on his 
 return home on Monday next ; but be- 
 lieves he shall not set foot in London 
 till those affairs are determined, to avoid 
 even a colour of suspicion that he is capa- 
 ble of appearing against Mr. Wilkes after 
 what has recently happened." 
 
 * The letter was returned to Mr. Wilkes on th 
 joth of December, not tooner, by Mr. Graves, ia 
 the uame of Mr. Martin.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 31 
 
 Mr. Wilkes immediately returned the 
 following answer : 
 
 " Hotel de Saxe, Friday, Dec. 30. 
 11 Mr.Wilkes's compliments to Mr. Mar- 
 tin, and is much obliged by the favour of 
 his note. Mr. Wilkes is going to pay his 
 respects to lord Hertford * ; and, if Mr. 
 Martin is disengaged, will afterwards wait 
 upon him, for a quarter of an hour, at the 
 hotel de Luynes." 
 
 " Hotel de Luynes, Dec. 30, 1763. 
 " Mr. Martin's compliments, and will 
 wait at home to receive the visit with 
 which Mr. Wilkes intends to favour him." 
 
 * At that time the English ambassador at Paris.
 
 fit MEMOIRS OF 
 
 FIVE LETTERS FROM MR. WILKES TO 
 MISS WILKES. 
 
 In March 1763, Mr. Wilkes took his 
 daughter to Paris, and placed her in the 
 hands of some particular friends there, in 
 order to finifh her education. He staid 
 but a few days at Paris, having previously 
 made the necessary arrangements. But re- 
 collecting, a few days after he had left 
 Paris, some points which had been omit- 
 ted, he sent to his daughter the following 
 letter from Calais. 
 
 Letter I. 
 
 " Calais, April g, 1763. 
 t MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 " Whatever cloaths you wish for, or 
 any thing else, desire monsieur Carpentier 
 to pay for. Every three months Mr. Foley 
 will pay him again, and draw upon me. I 
 wish that my sweet girl may have every
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESS. t$ 
 
 reasonable pleasure ; and I am sure that her 
 good sense will desire no other. I dare 
 ' say you will be happy with madame Car- 
 pentier ; and I have paid them the highest 
 compliment in trusting them with a trea- 
 sure I love so entirely as my dear daugh- 
 ter. Any money you wish for, you may 
 have. 
 
 " When you are well, I beg you never to 
 miss the embassador's chapel on Sunday ; 
 and I trust a good Providence will favour 
 you with confirmed health at Paris. Mr. 
 Foley will put you in a way to go with 
 Mrs. Poyntz, and she will ever be glad of 
 your company. 
 
 " I wish you directly to enquire of Mr. 
 Neville, who is secretary to the 1 duke of 
 Bedford, about the dancing-master belongs 
 ing to the court. He mentioned him to 
 me, and he is the only man for you to 
 learn of. I wish you would soon get the 
 dbest music-master. Consult Mr. Foley in 
 this, as in every thing.
 
 24 MEMOIRS 09 
 
 tl I write no other advice to you, because 
 you have as much sense as any body I 
 know ; and I am sure, will conduct your- 
 self in every thing so as to win the esteem 
 and love of every one. Let me beg you 
 to write your opinion to me on every 
 thing. I have the highest opinion of you, 
 and wish to make you happy. You have 
 an excellent genius given you from hea- 
 ven ; and it will be your own pleasure to 
 cultivate it. Read the best books, and 
 they will be your pleasure through life. 
 Desire monsieur Carpentier to buy for you 
 Boileau, Racine, and Moliere, in small 
 volumes , you cannot read them, as well 
 as Shakespeare, Pope, and Swift, too often ; 
 yet by no means tire yourself. God has 
 given you excellent understanding; but 
 the best land requires cultivation. 
 
 " I am ever, my dearest Polly, 
 most affectionately yours, 
 
 John Wilkbe."
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESt. 3<$ 
 
 I 
 
 Letter II. 
 
 u Great George- street, May io, 1765. 
 C( MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 " I embrace this first opportunity of 
 returning you my best thanks for your en- 
 tertaining letter of the 26th of April ; 
 which came to my hands in the Tower, 
 and was infinitely the best thing I saw 
 there. You will have seen from the pub- 
 lic prints, every thing which passed con 
 cerning me. It has in every respect been 
 highly advantageous and honourable to 
 me. I am impatient for the end of June, 
 that I may come and pass three or four 
 months with you at Paris. 
 
 " Your ever affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes.' 
 
 vol. ir.
 
 C.6 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 Letter 111 
 
 ** Great George-street, June 14, 1763. 
 " MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 (f I have not wrote to you for several 
 days, from the great hurry I have been in, 
 and the time it takes me to settle every thing 
 for my tour to Paris. I find now that it 
 will be the second or third week in July 
 before I can rejoin my dear girl ; but I hope 
 to continue in France till November. I 
 have a thousand things to tell you. I, am, 
 thank Heaven ! perfectly well, and in high 
 spirits, impatient to set out to meet you. 
 Every thing in England goes on as I wish 
 it. Lord Temple and all our friends con- 
 tinue well, and honour me with their ap- 
 plause. I am a greater favourite here than 
 I ought in modesty to say. 
 
 " I am obliged to attend our assizes, as a 
 country gentleman. They are on tne 18th
 
 JOHN WILKES, ES. 27 
 
 of July. I shall set out immediately after- 
 wards for Paris. 
 
 "lam ever, your affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes.** 
 
 Letter IV, 
 
 " Great George-street, Nov. 18, 1763; 
 ** MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 " I thought it would give you most sa- 
 tisfaction to have a line from my own hand, 
 relating to the duel between Mr. Martin 
 and me. At the second fire I was wounded 
 by a ball, which entered the lower part of 
 my belly on the right side. I was carried 
 home in a chair, and a surgeon has ex- 
 tracted the ball. The pains I have suffered 
 are beyond what I can describe, but both 
 physician and surgeon declare me out of 
 all danger, and 1 hope in a fortnight to go 
 
 C 2,
 
 j MEMOIRS OF 
 
 abroad. You may depend on see'ng me 
 at Paris before Christmas, if I am toler- 
 ably well. It was an affair of honour, and 
 my antagonist behaved very we'l. We are 
 both perfectly satisfied with each other on 
 this occasion. 
 
 " I am, my dearest girl, 
 
 your most affectionate father, 
 
 John Wiikes." 
 
 Letter V. 
 
 " Great George-street, Dec. %, i;6j. 
 " MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 " You would be glad to observe how fast 
 I mend, though I have not yet been abroad. 
 I hope to eat my Christmas dinner with 
 you at Paris ; and I wish you to send to 
 the note! de Saxe, to know if I can have 
 my olJ apartments on the ground-floor by 
 Christmas-day.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 
 
 " You may now give me joy of my 
 having carried one of my causes against the 
 tools of the administration. Last Tuesday 
 I had a verdict for me, and one thousand 
 pounds given me for damages, against Mr. 
 Wood. I expect the same damages against 
 Mr. "Webb, and ten times as much against 
 lord Halifax. 
 
 fi lam, ever, your affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes."
 
 CORRESPONDENCE 
 
 WITH 
 
 HUMPHRY COTES, Esq. 
 
 DURING 
 
 MR. WILKES'S RETIREMENT TO FRANCE 
 
 IK THI YEAR 1 764.
 
 ( 33 ) 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 Silver Lion, Dover, Sunday, Dec. 25, 1763. 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I will venture even by the post to con- 
 vey to you a piece of authentic intelli- 
 gence, ft is, that the notified John Wilkes, 
 esq. arrived here last night ; and has been 
 complimented by fourteen "gentlemen of 
 this place, who desired to wait Gn him and 
 drink his health in good claret, with the 
 most flattering testimonies in his favour. 
 
 It is, now near eleven on Sunday morn- 
 ing, and I am just going to embark. 
 
 I am, with much affection and gratitude, 
 my dearest friend, yours most sincerely, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 My wound has been a good deal fretted 
 by the vile jolts through the rascally towns 
 of Stroud, Rochester, Chatham, &c. and 
 
 c 5
 
 34 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 the old part too looks red and inflamed*;: 
 bat T slept pretty well last night, and to- 
 day I recover my .spirits. I think Friday 
 and yesterday were the two most unhappy 
 days I have known* 
 
 LETTER IS. 
 
 Calais, Dec. 25, 1763, Sunday afternoon. 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I wrote to you this morning from 
 Dover, and am now on French ground.. 
 We made this little voyage in two hours 
 and three quarters ; but the wind was so* 
 high that I was dreadfully sick, and most 
 violently strained with it. I am now recover^ 
 ing every hour ; but it has made my wound 
 very painful, and very much inflamed, sa 
 that instead of going on I am going to 
 bed. I am, more than I can express, 
 affectionately yours, 
 Joan Wilkes.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 35 
 
 fcETTER III. 
 
 Paris, Hotel de Saxe, Dec. 29, 1763. 
 MY DEARLST COTES, 
 
 The post only gives me time to say 
 that I arrived here last night; and am bet- 
 ter than I had reason to imagine I should 
 be, from what i suffered at sea. 
 
 Very sincerely and affectionately yours, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 Paris, Hotel de Saxe, Jan. 6, 1764, 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I have been to make my bow to lord 
 Hertford ; who, of course, was not at 
 home, but, to my surprise, returned my 
 visit. I left a card for the private secre- 
 tary, David Hume ; who returned my visit
 
 $6 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 likewise : and to-day I met him at baron 
 Holbach's, where we laughed much. I 
 believe there are not ten English here out 
 of the convents, except the ambassador's 
 family : but many Irish and Scots. I went 
 last. Sunday to the ambassador's chapel, 
 and go again next Sunday to take my 
 leave of a. dull preacher there*. I am 
 caressed here more than one of my mo- 
 desty will let me tell you. Nevertheless, 
 I shall be more happy when I return, the 
 1 6th; though I am to go through the fire 
 ordeal of both lords and commons. The 
 satisfaction of having never done any thing 
 unbecoming a man of honour, the glory 
 of having obtained two such important 
 decisions in favour of English liberty, and 
 the friendship of Mr. Cores and a few like 
 him, are noble distinctions for any man ; 
 and round life well, as our Stiakspeare says. 
 I intend to set out this day sevennight, 
 the 13th; and if I have a lucky passage, 
 
 * Dr. James Trail, afterwards bishop of Down.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESA. 57 
 
 hope that we shall dine together the 17th, 
 in Great George-street, 
 
 I beg my grateful respects to all of the 
 name of Onslow ; which I ever honoured 
 on a public account, and is now endeared 
 to me by every private motive. 
 
 Miss Wilkes is perfectly recovered ; and 
 is every thing a fond father could wish. 
 
 My respectful compliments to lord 
 Temple. 
 
 I am ever, 
 
 my dear Cotes, 
 your faithful and obliged 
 humble servant, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 letter v. 
 
 Paris, Hotel de Saxe, January ii,. 1764. 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 I had taken all my measures to return to 
 you and my other friends in England on
 
 ^8 MEMOIRS O* 
 
 the 13th, as I wrote to you on the 6rh. 
 I am now too ill to undertake the journey. 
 I have therefore directed a letter to be 
 written to the speaker, and have signed 
 it, begging farther time of the house. I 
 have likewise enclosed to him a certificate, 
 from the faculty, of my state of health. 
 
 I am ever, with the truest respect, 
 Dear Sir, 
 your obliged and affectionate 
 humble servant, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 letter VI.. 
 
 Paris, Hotel de Saxe, January u, 1764. 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I have wrote to Mr Onslow*, in Cur- 
 *on-street. and have enclosed to him copies 
 
 * The present earl Onslow..
 
 joh* wiLRBS, fcsa. . 59 
 
 F a letter to the speaker, and a certificate 
 of my ill state of health. 1 doubt not of their 
 having their proper weight with the house. 
 I intended to have set out on the 13th, 
 and had prepared every thing accordingly ? 
 and, among other things, had settled miss 
 Wilkes's business, and had drawn on you 
 at two months for 152,/. js. . but 1 am now 
 confined to my room for some time longer, 
 and 1 have nothing for it but don Quixote's 
 remedy, Patience and shrug up my shoul- 
 ders. I am not able to add more; but that 
 I am 
 your e\ er obliged, and 
 affectionate friend, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 letter VII. 
 Paris, Hotel de Saxe, January 1^, 1764. 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I had left Paris, and paid my compli- 
 ments to you in St. Martin's-lane, this very
 
 40 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 day, if my health had permitted. I have 
 been confined to my room for several days, 
 and I fear that the fever will not let me this 
 week even pass the threshold. You can 
 much better imagine than I can describe, 
 the anxiety my illness, and this cruel ab- 
 sence, give me in so interesting a moment. 
 I wrote, the last post, to the speaker ; 
 and enclosed him a certificate of my state 
 of health. Your letter of the 6rh gave me 
 great pleasure ; but, alas ! I am too ill as 
 yet to think of Calais or Boulogne, much 
 less of London. I have naturally good 
 spirits, yet the idea of the pave and the 
 sea frightens me. 
 
 I am 
 
 your highly obliged, and 
 very affectionate friend, 
 
 John Wilkei.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 41 
 
 [The following is a copy of Mr. 
 Wilkes's letter to the speaker, and of the 
 certificate, mentioned in the preceding 
 letters.] 
 
 * Paris, Hotel de Saxe, January n, 1764. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 I cannot express the concernl am under 
 from the impossibility I now find of attend- 
 ing my duty in Parliament on the 19th of 
 this month. I have suffered very much 
 from the tour I made here in the holydays, 
 to see my daughter. My wound is again 
 become extremely painful ; the parts are 
 very much inflamed, and a fever attend? it. 
 I enclose a certificate of one of the king's 
 physicians, and of a surgeon of the army, 
 gentlemen of eminence in their profession, 
 who think it absolutely necessary /or me 
 
 * Journals of the House of Commons, vol. XXIX. 
 
 t 7.
 
 42 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 to stay some time longer at Paris. I refer 
 to the certificate itself for the particulars. 
 
 The impatience I feel to justify myself 
 to the house from the groundless and 
 cruel attacks made upon me, and the zeal 
 I hope ever to retain for the vindication of 
 the sacred rights of the commons of Great 
 Britain, and the privileges of parliament, 
 both of which had been grossly violated in 
 my person, had determined me to set out 
 for England on Friday next ; but I now find 
 myself incapable of performing the journey. 
 
 I am therefore, sir, under the necessity 
 of entreating you to submit my case to the 
 house; and I doubt not, from their justice, 
 that a more distant day will be appointed, 
 when it may be in my power to attend the 
 discussion of points so very important in 
 themselves, and in which I am so very 
 importantly concerned. 
 
 I would not, sir, implore this of the 
 house, if I thought the delay could be 
 attended with any possible inconvenience
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESft. 43 
 
 to the publick ; and I beg to observe, that 
 I seized the first moment which the reso- 
 lutions of parliament gave me, to enter my 
 appearance to the informations which have 
 been filed against me in the king's-bench* 
 
 I am, with due respect and esteem, 
 
 Sir, 
 
 your most obedient 
 
 humble servant, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 [The certificate enclosed.] 
 
 * * Nous, soussignes, medecin consultant 
 ' du Roi, ci-devant medecin en chef de ses 
 ' arm 'es en AHemagne et en Espagne ; et 
 ' nous chirurgien consultant c!es armees, et 
 * chirurgien major du regiment des gardes 
 1 Francoises. certifionsqueMr.JeanW'ilkes 
 ' est dans un eta qui nc lui permet point 
 1 (tant par rapport a ^a ble^snre, qui n'est pas 
 - " ' i i 
 
 * Journals, p. 722.
 
 44 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 ' entierem<nt cicatrisee, que par rapport a 
 ' lafievrequiluiestsurvenue)dentreprendre 
 ' la roure de Paris a Londres. Qu'il seroit 
 ' a craindre, vu. rinflammation et le bour- 
 ' souflement considerable arrives depuis peu 
 ' de jours, qu'il ne se format une hernie, <t 
 ' laquelle i! ne seroit point possible de re- 
 ' meclier. Que, pour prevenir cet accident 
 
 * dont il est menace (et que le mouvement 
 
 * violent, tel que celui d'une chaise deposte, 
 ' et 1' agitation de la mer, ne manqueroient 
 
 * pas de determiner), il est absolument in- 
 
 * dispensable qu'il reste encore quelque 
 ( temps a Paris. En fois de^ quoi, noui 
 ' lui avons delivre le present certificat. 
 
 ' A Paris, ce u Janvier, 1764.' * NlNNlN. 
 
 ' DlJFOUART.' 
 
 [This certificate was read to the house 
 on the 19th of January, by the speaker; 
 who at the same time observed, that it wa*
 
 J0I1K WILKES, ESQ. 4$ 
 
 not authenticated by any notary public, 
 nor the signature thereof verified in any 
 manner whatsoever. 
 
 The house having resolved, before the 
 adjournment, that the North Briton was a 
 libel, and that Mr. Wilkes was the author 
 of it, lord North now moved, " that the 
 said John Wilkes, esq. be, for his said 
 oflence, expelled this house. v 
 
 As soon as Mr. Wilkes was informed of 
 the speaker's observations, he transmitted 
 another copy of the certificate, signed by 
 messieurs Robineau and De la Rue, two 
 notaries ; and, for greater authenticity, 
 the English ambassador, lord Hertford, 
 signed the following declaration :] 
 
 * This dav, the 5th of February, 1764, 
 ' there appeared before me M. de la Rue, 
 ' and made oath that he was a notary public, 
 ' that he had signed the above paper ; that 
 ' M. Robineau was also a notary public, 
 * and had signed the same. In witness
 
 46 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 ' whereof I have hereunto affixed my hand 
 * and seal. 
 
 Hertford.' (L.S.) 
 
 [This declaration from lord Hertford 
 produced the following criticism from 
 Mr. Wilkes :] 
 
 ** Lord Hertford signs a paper of only- 
 two sentences, in our language, and yet 
 we find three palpable blunders in it. 
 
 '* There appeared. Where ? It is not 
 mentioned in the act of the English am- 
 bassador, where M. de la Rue appeared* 
 Where did lord Hertford see M. de la Rue ? 
 Was it at Paris, Versailles, Fontainebleau, 
 or Compiegne ? It is not stated in this 
 paper. The French gentlemen are accu- 
 rate : their act is declared to be done at 
 Paris, on the nth of January, 1764. 
 We have no hint where lord Hertford 
 was on that day. He might be returned 
 to London, and might have signed it as a 
 justice of the peace. Lord Hertford is not
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESGt. 47 
 
 named as ambassador, nor his capacity of 
 attesting a public act stated. 
 
 " There appeared M. de la Rue is a strange 
 and harsh construction, not very usual. 
 The veib takes place of its own nomina- 
 tive. It should be. M de la Rue appeared 
 hefore me, &c. We should know first who 
 the person is, before the quality of~?ppear- 
 ir>g, or indeed any other,, is given to 
 him. Such is the general concord of our 
 grammar. 
 
 " Lord Hertford says, he. has affixed bis 
 hand and seal. How does a man offix his 
 hand? I may set my hand and seal^ or I 
 may affix my seal ; but how can 1 affix my 
 hand? "
 
 J.1EM0IR9 OF 
 
 Letter VIII. 
 
 Paris, Hotel de Saxe, January 20, 1764. 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 Phi lip rs * writes to me in a warm strain, 
 to return immediately ; and, from the par- 
 tial view he takes of my affairs, which is 
 so far as law and the two houses are con- 
 cerned, I really think him right. You and 
 I, my beloved friend, have more extended 
 views ; and therefore, as I have now an 
 opportunity, I will sift it to the bottom, 
 for I am secure of my conveyance. Your 
 letter of the 10th leaves me no doubt of 
 the certainty of my expulsion. Now give 
 me leave to take a peep into futurity. I 
 argue upon the supposition that I was 
 expelled this morning, at ore or two 
 o'clock, after a warm debare. I am, 
 then, no longer a member of parliament. 
 
 * Pbilipps was now his solicitor.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESa. 49 
 
 Of consequence, a political man not in the 
 house is of no importance, and never can 
 be well enough, nor minutely enough, 
 informed, to be of any great service. 
 What then am I to do in England ? If 
 I return soon, it is possible that I may 
 be found guilty of the publication of 
 N 45 of the North Briton, and of the 
 Essay on Woman. I must then go off to 
 France ; for no man in his senses would 
 stand Mansfield's sentence upon the pub- 
 lisher of a paper declared by both houses 
 of parliament scandalous, seditious, &c. 
 The Essay on Woman, too, would be con- 
 sidered as bbsphemous ; and Mansfield 
 would, in that case, avenge on me the old 
 Berwick grudge. Am I then to run the risk 
 of this, and afterwards to confess by going 
 away so critically as evident a flight as 
 Mahomet" s was from Mecca ? Surely not. 
 
 But I am to wait the event of these 
 two trials ; and Philipps can never per- 
 suade me that some risk is not run. I 
 
 vol. 11. 5
 
 ^O MEMOIRS OP 
 
 have in my own case experienced the 
 fickleness of the people. I was almost 
 adored one week ; the next, neglected, 
 abused, and despised. With all the fine 
 things said and wrote of me, have not the 
 public to this moment left me in the 
 lurch, as 'o the ex pence of so great a 
 variety of law-suits ? I will serve them to 
 the last moment of my life ; but I will 
 make use of the understanding God has 
 given me, and will owe neither my secu- 
 rity nor indemnity to them. Can I trust 
 likewise a rascally, court, who bribe my 
 own servants to steal out of my house ? 
 "Which of the opposition, likewise, can call 
 on me, and expect my services ? I hold no 
 obligation to any of them, but to lord Tem- 
 ple; who is really a superior being. It ap- 
 pears, then, that there is no call of honour. 
 I will now go on to the public cause,, 
 that o every man, liberty. Is there 
 then any one point behind to be 
 tried ? I. think not* The two important
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESft. 5 1 
 
 decisions in the court of common-pleas 
 and at Guildhall, have secured for ever an 
 Englishman's liberty and property. They 
 have grown out of my firmness, and the 
 affair of the North Briton ; but neither in 
 this case are we nor our posterity con- 
 cerned whether John Wilkes, or John 
 a Nokes, wrote or published the North 
 Briton or the Essay on Woman. 
 
 The public, then, has no call upon me. 
 1 have steadily pursued their object ; and I 
 may now, after all their huzzas, fall back 
 into the mass of common citizens. Does 
 any one point suffer by my absence ? I have 
 not heard that it does. I know that many 
 of the opposition are, to the full, as much, 
 embarrassed about my business as the ad- 
 ministration, and detest it as much. I 
 believe, both parties will rejoice at my 
 being here. Too many personalities, like- 
 wise, have been mixed with my business ; 
 and the king himself has taken too great, 
 not to say too indecent, a share in it, to
 
 52 MEMOIRS OT 
 
 recede. Can it be thought, too, that the 
 princess dowager can ever forgive what 
 she supposes I have done ? What then 
 am I to expect if I return to England ? 
 Persecution from my enemies ; coldness 
 and neglect from friends, except such 
 noble ones as you and a few more. I go 
 on to some other things. 
 
 My private finances are much hurt, by 
 three elections; one at Berwick, and two 
 at Aylesbury. Miss Wilkes's education is 
 expensive. I can live here much cheaper 
 than in London. And what is my duty, 
 and you know is the object I have most at 
 heart, her welfare, will be better, in every 
 point, ascertained here, with me, than at 
 London. Shall I return to Great George- 
 street, amd liv*e at so expensive a house ? 
 Forbid it real economy, and forbid it 
 pride, to go to another, unless for some 
 great national point of liberty ! Perhaps, 
 in the womb of fate, some important pub- 
 lic or private event is to turn up. A
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. $$ 
 
 lucky death often sets all right. Mis. 
 Mead and Mr. Sherbrooke are both old, 
 and have no relation but miss Wilkes. 
 She is devoted to me, beyond what you 
 can imagine , and is really all that a fond 
 father can wish. I have taken all possible 
 care of her in every respect. I could live 
 here as well as I wish, for one half of what 
 it will cost me in London ; and, when 
 miss Wilkes was of an age to return to 
 England, not a farthing in debt which at 
 present oppresses my spirits. I am grown 
 prudent, and will be economical to a 
 great degree. 
 
 If government means peace or friend- 
 ship with me, and to save their honour 
 (wounded to the quick by Webb's affair), 
 I then breathe no longer hostility. And, 
 between ourselves, if they would send me 
 ambassador to Constantinople it is all I 
 should wish. Mr. Grenvillc, I am told, 
 solicits his recal. I think, however, the
 
 54 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 king can never be brought to this, (as 
 to me I mean,) though the ministry would 
 ivish it. 
 
 If I stay at Paris, I will not be forgot in 
 England ; for I will feed the papers, from 
 time to time, with gall and vinegar against 
 the administration. I cannot express to 
 you how much I am courted here, nor 
 how pleased our inveterate enemies are 
 with the North Briton. Gay felt the 
 pulse of the French ministers about my 
 coming here and Churchill's, upon the 
 former report. The answer was sent from 
 the duke de Praslin, by the king's or- 
 ders, to monsieur St. Foy, premier commit 
 des affaires etrangeres, in these words : ' Les 
 .' deux illustres J. W. et C. C. peuvent 
 ' venir en France et a Paris aussi souvent, 
 c et pour autant de tems, qu'ils le jugeront 
 ' a propos,' &c. 
 
 I am offered the liberty of printing 
 here whatever I choose. I have taken no
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESG. $$ 
 
 resolution ; nor will I, till I hear again 
 from you. Favour me with your senti- 
 ments fully and freely. 
 
 Your most devoted, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 I had agreed with Mr. Thomson to have 
 removed the mortgage for Aylesbury 
 which Mr. Campbell has (lately sirCordell 
 Firebrace's), and to have given it to Sylva 
 the jew ; but Thomson is dead. Mr. 
 Swale, an attorney whom my brother Hea- 
 ton knows, can assist you as to my titles, 
 &c. better than any man. He was recom- 
 mended to me by Potter; who was plunged 
 much deeper than me in annuities, and 
 gave me the worst advice.
 
 5 6 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 Paris, Rue St. Nicaise, February 17, 1764, 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 You will observe, by the date of this, that 
 I cannot yet know the fate of the trial on 
 Tuesday (Feb. 21) ; as I see by the papers 
 that was the day fixed. It will very little 
 affect me : because the crime of hav- 
 ing wrote N 45, in the eyes of men of 
 sense, will ever be small and pardonable ; 
 and, upon the principles of our govern- 
 ment, I really think it justifiable to attack 
 the king's speech, provided his person 
 is spared, which I am sure is done even 
 cautiously. I regret it not. Glorious de- 
 cisions in favour of liberty have grown out 
 of it. If I am convicted, it will be impos- 
 sible for me to return to England. No 
 man can stand Mansfield's sentence against 
 the author of a libel. I am too proud ever 
 to ask pardon, or even to receive a favour 
 from any of the great (however great) whom
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 57 
 
 I hate and despise. To cut the matter there- 
 fore very short, I think myself an exile for 
 life ; and I flatter myself, my dear Cotes, 
 with no foolish hopes, not even on the 
 restoration of Mr. Pitt and the whigs. I 
 never meant to embarrass them about me. 
 I love only lord Temple. Him I almost 
 adore ; and I grieve that I have been the 
 cause of so much disquietude to the most 
 excellent and most amiable man alive. I 
 am reconciling myself to my fate, and I 
 come apace to it. Nature has given me 
 some philosophy, and the necessity of the 
 case perfects it. 
 
 At first I found an awkwardness, I con- 
 fess, at being considered as exiled from 
 my native country. It is a prejudice 
 against me, which 1 must take more pains 
 to get over. The English, too, here will 
 generally be of the majority ; therefore I 
 shall have no comfort from my own coun- 
 trymen, nor reliance on them : and as ro 
 the French, though they are a very ami- 
 5
 
 58 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 able and entertaining people, full of little 
 wit, and abounding with pleasing sallies of 
 fancy, they are incapable of great or solid 
 actions, or real friendship. I am, however, 
 well diverted here ; though my health has 
 not hitherto permitted me to go once to a 
 place of public entertainment, nor even to 
 up. I am now got from the hotel de Saxe, 
 which was very expensive; and am with 
 miss Wilkes, in the Rue St. Nicaise. I 
 pay 2400 livres a-year for the apartments, 
 and my servants I give fifteen pence Eng- 
 lish a-day to find themselves every thing. 
 Miss Wilkes and I generally dine alone, 
 and we pay half-a-crown a head for our 
 dinner. When any body dines with me, I 
 jonly order for one more, at the same rate ; 
 by which I shall know certainly my ex- 
 pence. Travelling is the most expensive 
 of all things, and therefore I am deter- 
 mined not to stir till I can well afford it. 
 Then I shall wish to go one year to Rome, 
 with miss Wilkes ; and afterwards to Con-
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 59 
 
 stantinople, alone, for six months. I tell 
 you, my dear Cotes, my most distant 
 views and projects, as far as they can be 
 formed ; always submitting them to what I 
 have most at heart, the service of the cause 
 of liberty, and of our friends. For that, I 
 shall be content to pass my whole time in 
 a dirty sea-port on the coast, if I can there 
 do any real good ; and I shall ever be 
 happy to receive your orders. My plan 
 for my daughter's education is the greatest 
 expence to me, and that is a point I can- 
 not dispense with. Masters are as dear at 
 Paris as at London, and I ought not now 
 to stop short. Tell me fully your senti- 
 ments on the whole of it. 
 
 I leave to your discretion to sell what- 
 ever you please. Perhaps, in my circum- 
 stances, it might be prudent to sell Ayles- 
 bury too, and convert my fortune into 
 rentes vtageres (a kind of annuities here). 
 In time, after the decease of Mrs. Mead 
 and Mr. Sherbrooke, who have no rela,-
 
 6o 
 
 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 tion but miss Wilkes, her income would 
 be very considerable ; and she would live 
 with me. Mrs. Mead and Mr. Sherbrooke 
 are both old ; and, as they have no other 
 relation but miss Wilkes, 1 therefore sup- 
 pose they will leave every thing to her,, 
 independent of me. Yet this is, after all,. 
 waiting for dead men's shoes. 
 
 What is to be done with the third 
 volume of the North Briton ? I think, 
 presents should be made to some of our 
 friends. Among others, pray send one to 
 Dr. Fry, president of St. John's college, 
 Oxford ; and one to Mr. Atterbury, of 
 Christ Church, Oxford *. 
 
 I have a boy, about two years old, al 
 nurse near Houn slow ; a lively little rogue. 
 Mr. Lewellyn, who was a surgeon to the 
 Bucks militia, and is now apothecary to 
 the Westminster hospital, can tell you 
 about him. He was so kind to go once to 
 
 * Two copies Mr. Almon had ; the remainder 
 were burnt.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. &I 
 
 Hounslow for me. He was under the care 
 of Mr. Frogley, an apothecary there, who 
 put him to nurse. Frogley is dead ; but the 
 widow is still there, a very prudent good sort 
 of a woman. Mr. Lewellyn will tell you 
 more of her. The boy goes by the name 
 of John Smith. His mother was my house- 
 keeper; and when she went to see her friends 
 in the country (or to lie-in), she went by the 
 name of Smith. There is about five pounds 
 due to the nurse and Mrs. Frogley : may I 
 trouble you to settle it, and to mention what 
 plan I should pursue for him at that age ?- 
 
 I have weighed what you mention about 
 Mr.Rigby: and would give it to the public j 
 but my friend seemed to think there was 
 so much of private conversation mixed 
 with it, the world would say, there was a be- 
 traying of that, in an unjustifiable manner*. 
 Many of the phrases are too remarkable to 
 
 * He sent Mr. Cotes's letter on this subject to Mr. 
 Almon; who returned it, with his opinion on the 
 impropriety of its publication.
 
 6l MEMOIRS OP 
 
 be forgot any thing now, to any amount, 
 not ostensible' and a promise of Canada 
 c when that government is settled, he 
 shall be the first governor of Canada' 
 another fallacy, for Murray is made go- 
 vernor of Canada : vide Gazette. 
 
 Mr. Bateman, master of Will's coffee- 
 house, (an honest man, but half-mad,) has 
 all my plate, on condition of being paid 
 320I. before Lady-day next. The value is 
 considerable. It would, methinks, be better 
 to sell the whole. My library is very 
 good : if it can be saved, I shall be glad ; 
 if not, it must go. There is a lease of the 
 house in George-street for twenty-one years, 
 at my option. 
 
 I am, 
 dearest Cotes, 
 
 your most affectionate 
 and sincere friend, 
 
 John Wilkes
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 6$ 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 Paris, Rue St. Nicaise, March 1, 1764* 
 SIR, 
 
 I have as yet no other particulars 
 than what I find in your letter. I am un- 
 able to guess what the jury went upon, 
 when I was found guilty of re -printing N 
 45. As to the Essay on Woman, all Eu- 
 rope has sufficiently condemned the mean, 
 base, and unworthy arts, used to obtain the 
 little part they have got of it. The whole 
 proceeding sufficiently instructs me, what 
 idiotism it would be in me to trust myself 
 to a ministry capable of such baseness; or 
 to a court so infamous, so incapable of 
 honourable great hatred, so capable of the 
 meanest treachery. 1 think it probable 
 that the next step will be, to try to get this 
 court to order me to leave Paris ; because 
 here I am, as it were, in the reach of every 
 thing. You may be assured that I shall
 
 64 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 never be given up; because I have had the 
 most honourable and handsome leave to 
 stay as long as I please. 
 
 I wish to know whether, after the two 
 verdicts, any proceeding can issue against 
 my estates before next term. I signed., 
 while I was in England, a conveyance 
 (drawn up by Mr. Life) of every thing I 
 had, to miss Wilkes ; or rather, to you in 
 trust for her. 1 enclose you the deed. 
 
 Adieu, mon trh cher ami I 
 
 letter xr. 
 
 Paris, Rue St. Nicaise, March 15, 1764^ 
 MY DEAREST FRIEND, 
 
 I will not write again to Philipps. I 
 guess, by two words, at the real cause of the 
 late transactions. ' O my prophetic soul !' 
 Do you recollect two or three doubts 
 about him, I proposed to you in George- 
 street, a good while ago ?
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 65 
 
 The policy for the insurance of the 
 goods is at Aylesbury, in my bureau up 
 stairs. I have been forced to draw on you 
 for 1521. 5 s. at two months, which I beg 
 you to honour. 
 
 I am ever, 
 
 my dearest Cotes, 
 
 your obliged 
 
 and affectionate friend, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 LETTER XII, 
 
 Paris, Rue St. Nicaise, April 1764. 
 MY DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 I can never sufficiently acknowledge 
 the variety and importance of the services 
 you are continually doing me. How no- 
 bly does your behaviour to an exiled friend 
 contrast with the conduct of all the rest !:
 
 66 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 except lord Temple, whom I can never 
 enough love and admire. Philipps, I am 
 
 convinced, is a ; and though I find 
 
 other people begin only to suspect him, I 
 agree with you that he is a complete . 
 
 As to Boulogne, I am ever ready to 
 meet you any where ; and the pleasure I 
 should have from it, would more than 
 make amends for the chagrins of life I am 
 doomed to encounter. I look upon my- 
 self as an exile for life. 
 
 There is 3 1. 12 s. 6 d. due, for tythes, 
 from Aylesbury to the Tenths-office near 
 the Middle Temple. I beg you to send 
 and pay it, or Aylesbury will be distrained 
 for that trifle. Aylesbury is held by three 
 lives, but there is a freehold besides. The 
 lives are Mrs. Wilkes's, Mr. Baskerfield's 
 of Leighton in Bedfordshire, and my own. 
 Perhaps Mrs. Mead would buy the rever- 
 sion of Spridlington : but she would be a 
 hard chap. Sell my books, and every 
 thing as you judge best. As to outlawry,
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 67 
 
 if I Can settle my private affairs before it 
 takes place, what can it signify to me ? I 
 mean no more fb return to a country 
 where my person, my house, my papers, 
 are still insecure. 
 
 Believ me ever, 
 
 most affectionately and 
 
 gratefully yours, 
 
 John Wjljcei, 
 
 LETTER XIII. 
 
 Paris, Rue St. Nicaise., April 25, 1764. 
 MY DEAR COTES, 
 
 I sincerely condole with you that the 
 session of parliament is at end ; and no 
 declaration from either house, of the -un- 
 doubted but violated rights of the people of 
 England. I cannot but think that this was 
 an affair of infinitely greater moment than
 
 6$ MEMOIRS OF 
 
 any one which has been in agitation thfc 
 whole winter. The leaving it undeter- 
 mined must raise a very just alarm in the 
 breast of every sober and thinking man 
 who had the happiness of being born in. 
 our island. 
 
 You judge perfectly right about not 
 giving Mr. Dell a lease. That estate, both, 
 the leasehold and freehold of Aylesbury, are 
 underlet, and it would very essentially hurt 
 the purchase. I could give you other rea- 
 sons why I never would grant a lease, but 
 they are too long for a letter. Perhaps 
 Mrs. Mead or Mrs. Wilkes would like the 
 purchase. It is a better and more desir- 
 able purchase for my wife's family than for 
 any other, if they choose k. 
 
 I beg my sincerest respects to lord 
 Temple, and very affectionate compli- 
 ments to your family at Byfleet. 
 
 Your faithful friend, and 
 
 humble servant, 
 
 John Wilkes.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 69 
 
 LETTER XIV. 
 
 Paris, Rue St. Nicaise, April 30, 1764, 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I have been obliged to buy a stock of 
 several things, that I may not pay cent, 
 per cent, for wood, wine, &c. I have paid 
 all miss Wilkes's arrears. We are now 
 together, and generally dine alone. I am 
 now in a regular train. My greatest ex- 
 pences were the several weeks I lodged at 
 the hotel de Saxe (which is an extrava- 
 gant tavern), my doctors, &c. All this is 
 over, and without it I could never ac- 
 count for the drafts I have made on you of 
 152 1. 7 s., 100 1., 152I. 5 s.; and now I 
 am obliged to draw on you for 2,00 1. at 
 a month. I let miss Wilkes's masters 
 -come at present, till I know what my in- 
 come will be; and till I see you, to settle a 
 regular plan. I mean to send my mother- 
 in-law a drawing of miss Wilkes's, and her
 
 7< MEMOIRS OF 
 
 mother something in crayons. She has 
 really made a very happy progress. 
 
 Believe me ever, my dearest Cotes, 
 
 your affectionate and 
 
 obliged friend, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 [Letter from Mr. Philipps (Mr. Wilkes's 
 solicitor) to Mr. Wilkes ; received at 
 Paris, May 18, 1764.] 
 
 DEAR SIR, 
 
 I hope the step that has been taken to ren- 
 der your prosecutions against Webb effec- 
 tual, will screen me from the imputation 
 either of perfidy or neglect. I must confess 
 to you, that the disastrous events of the 21st 
 of February *, and the sad consideration 
 of an insufficient indictment depending 
 
 * Trial of North Briton, &c.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESa. 7 1 
 
 against this man, impressed my mind so 
 deeply, that I could not write to you as I 
 ought, till a blow worthy of your cause 
 had been struck. This happy circum- 
 stance, I think, has happened ; which has 
 dissipated a thousand equally illiberal and 
 injurious prejudices that have been en- 
 tertained against me. Strange as it is, it 
 is true, that I have not received ten pages 
 of the short-hand writer's transcript at this 
 very hour. I will send it to you when the 
 whole is completed. I intend to slip over 
 to you about the 7th of June, and promise 
 myself great pleasure in spending a day or 
 two with you. 
 
 I cannot inform you more of the cir- 
 cumstances of your trials, than that the 
 printing and publishing were clearly 
 proved, but nothing admitted ; and the 
 law was so happily explained away, that 
 the jury were left only to judge of the fact. 
 
 The Essay on Woman being under 
 different circumstances, a different ma- 
 nagement was necessary. The mere fact
 
 Jt MEMOIRS OP 
 
 of printing was manifest ; but how did the 
 publishing appear ? delivering a paper to 
 a printer to be printed is a legal publica- 
 tion, nor were the counsel even permitted 
 to controvert this curious law. 
 
 The alteration of the records was an 
 alarming circumstance. A summons is 
 served on my brother, returnable before 
 lord Mansfield the very day before the 
 trials. I consult counsel, who advise me 
 to attend. I oppose the amendment with 
 all my might : my remonstrances are de- 
 spised : the amendment is made : coun- 
 sel stare ; yet think it advisable to attend 
 the trials. The crown- office people pro- 
 duce a magazine of precedents in support 
 of the practice. Where is the remedy ? 
 The point cannot be debated, unless you 
 are personally present. Who dare advise 
 you to take so dangerous a step ? 
 
 We had a violent struggle to get the 
 new bill against Webb received by the 
 court of king's-bench. But we are victo- 
 rious at last ; and the cause will be tried
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESft. ?3 
 
 in a fortnight. Can you imagine, that it 
 was doubted whether you were the prose- 
 cfutor ? Mr. attorney-general * insinuated 
 that you knew nothing of the matter, be- 
 cause you was abroad when the first bill 
 was found. But Mr. Dunning informed 
 the court, f( that Mr. Wilkes was the per- 
 son intended to be injured- by his -j* per- 
 jury ; that he \ directed this prosecution ; 
 and that he would not relax till he had 
 brought this daring offender to justice." 
 
 We are driving on lord Halifax's causes; 
 Which we hope to try the next term, and 
 to recover handsome damages for you. 
 
 The worthy serjeant || still indulges some 
 hopes of reversing the two judgments by 
 writs of error. 
 
 I am, sir, 
 
 your very humble servant, 
 
 Alex. Philippe 
 
 Cecil Street, London, May u, 1764. 
 
 * Sir Fletcher Norton. f Webb's. 
 
 % Mr. Wilkes. || Mr. strjc;.nt G)yao 
 
 VOL. II. >
 
 74 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 Paris, Rue St. Nicaise, May 24, 1764. 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I return you my warmest thanks for 
 your letter of the nth. I had a letter 
 by the same post from Philipps. I inclose 
 you a copy of it, and extracts of two 
 
 others of an old date. 1 much suspect 
 
 his having been bribed to give such ad- 
 vice ; from the violence with which he 
 urges it, and from the other particulars of 
 his conduct. I beg you to attend to his 
 expressions about what has happened. 
 How cautious, how subtle, he is ! Is this 
 the full and fair account 1 had a right to 
 expect ? But you are on the spot, and can 
 judge better of him. Let me know your 
 opinion, and I will wait for it before *I 
 write again to him. Be so good to com- 
 municate the letter, r.nd the extracts to tl.e
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ.. ?5 
 
 worthy Serjeant *. He can tell us if the 
 case is stated fairly as to the law part, as 
 Well as the rest. 
 
 I am not yet recovered ; and upon a 
 change of weather I find myself faint 
 and languid. I attend exceedingly to my 
 health ; and as I will not go to Spa, I en- 
 deavour, by moderate exercise and tern 
 perance, to repair the late inroad on thi 
 clay- cottage. 
 
 I am, with the most sincere love 
 
 and attachment, 
 
 Dear Cotes, 
 
 your obliged and affectionate friend, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 [^Extracts from two letters of Mr. Fhilipps 
 to Mr. Wilkes, referred to in the above.] 
 
 II January 10, 1764. Your friends una- 
 nimously approve of your return. We 
 
 * Glynn. 
 E 2
 
 f MEMOIRS OP 
 
 can, in all-erents, provide for your personal 
 security. The chief of your friends think 
 your immediate return a proper measure. 
 If you omit this opportunity, you can 
 never hope to set foot again in old Eng- 
 land ; for I can assure you, that a procla- 
 mation, conceived in terms the most gall- 
 ing to a man of honour, will be published 
 in consequence of your absence. I should 
 be deeply concerned to have a circum- 
 stance so replete with disgrace spread 
 through Europe." 
 
 " January 6, 1 764. We are in possession 
 of complete and unanswerable testimony 
 to repel the charge of publication. It is 
 not in the power of either house to com- 
 pel a particeps criminis to bear testimony 
 of it. If you return to attend your service 
 in parliament, you will be in complete pos- 
 session of a weight and popularity that 
 very few men have enjoyed in this king- 
 dom : but I will not give you a sixpence 
 for the reversion of your popularity after
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 77 
 
 the 19th, if you absent yourself; for you 
 may assure yourself that you will find very 
 few who will attempt to excuse, and 
 none to justify you. It is necessary to re- 
 mark, that you cannot be defended in 
 your absence." 
 
 1ETTER XVI. 
 
 Paris, Rue St. Nicaisc, June 10, 1764. 
 MY DEAR COTES, 
 
 As to Frogley, the bills delivered in 
 amounted only to five pounds, as I well 
 remember, nor could much accrue since ; 
 therefore the demand of 30 1. is unjust. 
 She does not know the truth of the story, 
 but suspects it. I wish to see all my bills 
 before they are paid. It hurts humanity, 
 Jiow grossly I am imposed on by those
 
 yS MEMOIRS O* 
 
 wretches in my absence, because they see 
 the case is without remedy. I will not, 
 however, sink under it, but manfully resist 
 it. 
 
 I have drawn on you for 881. 13 s. iod. 
 at two months. 
 
 I am ever, my dearest friend, 
 your grateful and affectionate 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 LETTER XVII. 
 
 Paris, Rue St. Nicaise, July 30, 1 764. 
 1Y DEAR COTES, 
 
 I cannot express to you the impa- 
 1 ience I have for the letter which will 
 tell that you and Churchill have set out 
 for Boulogne. I shall be there, on the 
 wings of friendship, before you ; and, for a 
 time, forget all the scurvy tricks of Fortune, 
 and the baseness of mankind.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. ?0 
 
 I am fixed here, as much as I can be : my 
 mind begins to be more reconciled to it, 
 and the wound closes tolerably well ; thanks 
 to nature, to philosophy, and to a very few 
 worthy friends. I keep these lodgings, by 
 agreement, till the ist of April. I have 
 been charged high to the capitation tax, 
 (which is according to rank,) for myself, 
 miss Wilkes, and all the servants. My 
 first year here is expensive,; my second 
 will not be so great : yet I shall be too 
 poor to go to Rome, for a long time; 
 though the education of' miss Wilkes, as to 
 drawing, &c. would be so much benefited 
 by it. 
 
 I waited till I had your account of the 
 sale of the Aylesbury estate ; and have 
 drawn on' you, as usual, at two months, for 
 374I. 10s. 
 
 The two young Grenvilles * were here 
 for a few days, and were so obliging as 
 to favour me several times with their com- 
 
 . * The present lord Glastonbury 3 and his bro- 
 ther, general Grenville.
 
 &0 MIMOIHS OF 
 
 paay. Be assured, I have the most lively 
 ^ense of your goodness to your very sinr 
 cere and affectionate 
 
 John Wilkss. 
 
 1ETTER XVIII, 
 
 Fans, Rue St. NIcaise, Aug. 16, 176*4. 
 MI DEAREST COTES, 
 
 J cannot express to you how expensive 
 I found Paris at first - y both from the ar- 
 rears of miss "Wilkes, and -my real illness, 
 &c. You told me, in a former letter, that 
 I should have 5C0I. per annum clear, Mrs. 
 Wilkes and every body paid. Since that, 
 you tell me that the Aylesbury estate sold 
 for locol. more than you could possibly 
 imagine ; yet, in your last, you mention 
 my affairs as desperate. I had before, by 
 Heaton *, a general account of all my 
 debts : none are contracted since, and 
 
 * His brother, Mr. Heaton Wilkes.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ES. 8l 
 
 several delivered in were absolutely unjust. 
 All this is beyond my poor abilities to re- 
 concile. I have never yet received the 
 particulars delivered in, of the claims on 
 me. I do not know that I am obliged to 
 pay all my debts at once ; but I am sure it 
 becomes me to have my bills paid, for 
 which I receive cash. I must therefore 
 earnestly beg that my drafts may be paid 
 when due, as you will receive cash before 
 that time. I am ready to execute any 
 papers which shall be judged necessary. 
 
 Miss Wilkes cannot come to England 
 before spring, for reasons wh'ch physicians 
 could give you. I cannot bear to do any 
 thing which would retrench what is ne- 
 cessary for the education of miss Wilkes; 
 and that is at present a great expence to 
 me. I find that I am to be outlawed. I 
 wish, therefore, that as soon as possible you 
 would get all my money matters finished* 
 
 Believe me, ever, my dearest Cotes's 
 affectionate and obliged 
 
 John Wilkes.. 
 * 5
 
 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 LETTER XIX. 
 
 Paris, Rue St. Nicaise, Aug. 20, 1764. 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 My affairs draw to a crisis. By the" 
 outlawry I shall be cut off from the body 
 ot English subjects. I believe, an outlaw 
 can neither sue nor be sued : it therefore be- 
 comes me to have all my private affairs 
 settled as soon as possible. Let me there- 
 fore, my dearest friend, entreat you to 
 send me immediately the scheme you pro- 
 pose. I had rather every thing was sold 
 for my life, and the amount sent me to ma- 
 nage heie ; for I can have no legal connec- 
 tion in England very soon. I wish too, 
 for the sake of your family, that you 
 would send a general release from me to 
 you before the outlawry, to confirm all yoyi 
 have done, that you may have the fullest 
 sanction the law can give. Many of the
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 83 
 
 claims made upon me are absolutely un- 
 just. A part only might be paid imme- 
 diately, and notes given for the rest. I 
 entreat, my dearest Cotes, that they may be 
 settled in that manner; and the last note 
 on Selwin and Foley for 374.I. 10 s. either 
 accepted or paid, which is absolutely ne- 
 cessary. Do not embarrass yourself about 
 how I am to live for the future. I will 
 act a fair and honest part in private life, 
 as I have a great and noble' one for the 
 public. The rest I leave to providence. 
 I do not intend to quit Paris before April, 
 unless to meet you and Air. Churchill at 
 Boulogne. There are not, my dear friend, 
 ten such sincere friends to the public in 
 England, as you and lord Temple. 
 
 Believe me your' 
 
 ever-affectionate friend, 
 
 John Wilkes.
 
 84 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 1ETTER XX. 
 
 Paris, Rue St. Nicaise, Aug. 30, 17641 
 MT DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I had the favour of your letter of the- 
 24th, yesterday; which adds much to my 
 anxiety, for I plainly see the great trou^ 
 ble I am daily giving you both on & 
 public and a private account. ' O Cas- 
 sius I I am sick of many griefs :' yet I; 
 may truly add too, with Brutus, 'no man 
 bears sorrow better." Miss Wilkes is my 
 enly solid comfort here. 
 
 The account you give me, in your last^ 
 of my private affairs, is totally different 
 from the other I have of yours. I am sure 
 you will manage the best for me. No man 
 can have a more entire reliance on another, 
 than I have on you. 
 
 You mention about my not staying at 
 Paris ; yet forget that I cannot leave it be-
 
 roffN wtlkes, Esor. Be- 
 
 fore- April, both on miss Wilkes's account 
 and my own. As to my friends serving* 
 me effectually, I have, to be sure, much 
 to be very grateful for. It is certainly a 
 proud list, that of my friends ! After your- 
 self, a truly noble peer *, the first poet in 
 the world 'j-, and one or two more, who 
 are they ? I have been too honest and too 
 disinterested to have the half-friends you 
 mention. 
 
 There are no judgments attending the 
 mortgages By my father's settlement, as 
 my brother Heaton will tell you, 500 1. is 
 my share of what is to come to the younger 
 children after my mother's life : how does 
 the outlawry aifect this ? 
 
 I am dearest Mr. Cotes's 
 
 obliged friend, 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 * ' ' ' 1 . 
 
 * Lord Temple. + Churchill.
 
 86 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 LETTER XXI. 
 
 Paris, Rue St. Nicaise, Sept. 17, 1754. 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I wrote to you last week, and ex- 
 pressed my ideas of the ministerial scheme; 
 which is, to outlaw me as fast as possible, 
 and time enough to prevent the great 
 cause against lord Halifax (in which the 
 first warrant must be formally condemned) 
 being ever decided. 1 am therefore deter- 
 mined, if my friends advise it, to return to 
 London, and to submit to all the terrors 
 of a sentence to be dictated by a provoked 
 Scottish chief-justice of England. I shall 
 bear it all with fortitude and dignity, if 
 the cause of liberty can be essentially 
 served. 
 
 Mr. Swale has the titles to the estates in 
 Bucks and Bedfordshire ; which were in- 
 trusted with him when the mortgages were
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 87 
 
 made, and afterwards left by the mortgagee 
 in his hands. 
 
 . If you cannot raise me money enough 
 to pay the bill I have given Messrs. Foley 
 and Co., my honour is blasted here; and 
 the consequences are, total ruin to me. 
 The life-estate 1 have the power to sell, and 
 it is my affair what I will do afterwards. 
 If Mr. C. or Mr. W. would advance the 
 money only for that bill on a note of yours, 
 I will sign any powers you please, ro de- 
 duct it out of the life- estate, which I will 
 sell. 
 
 I am, ever, your obliged and 
 
 affectionate friend, 
 John Wilkes.
 
 88 MBMOTP* O?" 
 
 LETTEF "' 
 
 Paris, Rue St. Nieaise, Oct. 4, 1764, 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 T cannot sufficiently express the gra- 
 titude of my heart, for the care you have 
 taken of the bill on Foley and Co. I am 
 more impatient than you can possibly 
 imagine, to meet you at Boulogne ; for I 
 have a thousand things to say and to ex- 
 plain. I long to have the letter fixing the 
 time of your setting out from London, and 
 shall rly with rapture to meet you. 
 
 I do not like the Defence of the Mino- 
 rity *. It gives too ample room for cavil. 
 Talking is Charles's talent, and he should, 
 have kept to it. 
 
 I am ever, my dearest Cores, 
 your very affectionate and 
 obliged friend,. 
 John Wilkes* 
 
 * Written by the late right honourable Charles 
 Townshend, who was afterwards chancellor of the 
 exchequer.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESG. 89 
 
 LETTER XXIII. 
 
 Paris, Rue St. Nicaise, Nov. U, 1764. 
 MY DEAREST FRIEND, 
 
 I am sure you will be an incomparablt 
 executor of our dear Churchill's will, and 
 a faithful guardian of his children. As to 
 the province he has allotted me, I will do 
 it to the best of my poor abilities. My 
 life shall be dedicated to it *. 
 
 I have given warning to the servants 
 here, and will quit this expensive place as 
 soon as possible. I will certainly be at 
 ^Calais with miss Wilkes on Tuesday the 
 4th of December, and I beg my dearest 
 friend to take his measures according. She 
 only brings with her a femme de chambre. 
 
 * Churchill had died at Boulogne, on the 5th of 
 the month in which this letter is dated. See vol. iii, 
 p. 66, of the present work. 
 
 All the notes which Mr. Wilkes wrote on 
 Churchill's poems, he transmitted to Mr. Almon. 
 They will be found in the third volume of this. 
 * ork, from his last corrections*
 
 90 MF,M< . : 
 
 I should be happy if mi . W-I'.es could 
 go at first on a vibit only to lady Temple. I 
 think she is so eo^agir 2; that she would be 
 asked to stay. I am impatient to hear that 
 you have seen lord Temple. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Garrick are at Paris, and have been 
 to see miss Wilkes and me. 
 
 I am yours unalterably, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 LETTER XXIV. 
 Paris, Rue StNicaise, Nov. 19, 1764* 
 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I am better, but cannot get any conti- 
 nued sleep. The idea of Churchill is ever 
 before my eyes. A pleasing melancholy 
 will perhaps succeed in time, and then I 
 shall be fit for something. As I am, there 
 is not a more useless animal in the world.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESa. 9I 
 
 My mind turns much on my dear friend's 
 request about his works. I desire to live., 
 first to shew my gratitude to my friends, 
 then my detestation of our enemies. 
 
 I shall want one hundred pounds more 
 -than I mentioned to you. Pray, send me 
 credit on Foley. 
 
 I am ever, dearest Cotes, 
 
 your obliged and affectionate 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 LETTER XXV. 
 
 Paris, Rue St. Nicaise, Nov. 25, 1764. 
 MY DEAREST FRIEND, 
 
 I begin to recover from the late cruel 
 blow *, but I believe I shall never get quite 
 over it. I wish that whoever comes to 
 Calais may bring all the letters between 
 
 * Churchill's death.
 
 2 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 Churchill and me, and all manuscripts re- 
 lative to his works. That, and the His- 
 tory, will be the future occupations of my 
 life. I want the other volumes of Pope- 
 You know the contempt our dear friend * 
 had of him, which is more than once" 
 hinted in his works. I cannot too much 
 labour this point ; because the world 
 imagines it was both false judgment, and 
 jealousy, in Churchill. I will shew that 
 it was neither. I shall act the very con- 
 trary part to Warburton -f-. All the au- 
 thor's friends shall be the friends of th 
 annotator : all his enemies shall be my 
 enemies. 
 
 With true gratitude and affection*. 
 
 Yours, 
 
 John Wilkes* 
 
 * Churchill. 
 
 fc This promise Mr. Wilkes well performed in hi* 
 Notes on Churchill. See particularly the remark* 
 between pages 74 and 85 of vol. iii. of the present 
 work..
 
 -JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 93 
 
 BETTER XXVI. 
 
 Calais, December 5, 1764. 
 ttt DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I send Brown, as you advise, with my 
 daughter *. I am left without a servant, 
 and therefore have desired him to stay 
 only one day in London. He may bring 
 all books, Churchill's letters, Sec. The 
 affair of D'Eon is infamous. I expect 
 every day to hear of his death by assassi- 
 nation, or poison. His affair is always 
 mentioned as bearing some relation to 
 mine, though there is not the least resem- 
 blance ; and I shall not be surprised if 
 broad hints are soon given, how agreeable 
 it will be for me to leave this kingdom. 
 Two states seldom regard the interest or 
 the honour of a private person, and seldom 
 
 * Brown was his valet-de-chambre several years, 
 when he lived in Great George-street.
 
 94 MEMOIRS O* 
 
 quarrel for one man. There is no trifling 
 with French ministers, and the two courts 
 are certainly fast friends. 
 
 I write to lord and lady Temple. 
 
 Miss Wilkes will first go and see her 
 mother, and that family : then I hope you 
 will soon contrive for her to pay a visit to 
 lady Temple. 1 leave to your dexterity t 
 manage this. 
 
 I am ever, 
 
 most dearest friend, 
 
 your affectionate and obliged 
 
 John Wilke*. 
 
 LETTER XXVII. 
 
 Calais, December 10, 1764. 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I cannot sufficiently thank you for all 
 your kindness. I was much pleased with
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESS. 95 
 
 The Enquiry, &c. * There is much 
 good sense, and, 1 suppose, a great" deal 
 of sound law, in it. I am very roughly 
 treated. As a Christian I must pray for 
 the author's forgiveness of the injuries he 
 has done me. As a brother author, you 
 know, I cannot forgive ; and I will take a 
 severe revenge. The dog is* sensible; but 
 ' coarse worthless fellow,' I am called 
 twice. What does he mean by saying, ' he 
 ever avoided my acquaintance ?' I never 
 heard of htm till now. When he says u the 
 North Briton, for the beauty of images, 
 the happiness of allusion, and the ele- 
 
 * This was a very celebrated law pamphlet, writ- 
 ten on Mr. Wilkes's case. It was at first cailed, 
 " A Letter to Mr. Almon ; being an Enquiry, &c." 
 but it is more generally known by the title as Mr. 
 Almon altered it, viz. " A Letter on Lib: Is, War- 
 rants, and the Seizure of Papers, &c." The com- 
 position has been ascribed to several persons; to 
 Mr. Dunninsr, to lord Camden. &c. : but the real 
 author was a late master in chancery ; he had much 
 assistance from lord Camden.
 
 96 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 gance of expression, was a rara avis in 
 this predicament of writers," he seems to 
 pay a vast compliment ; but he has for- 
 got the true praise of the North Briton, 
 his invariable regard to truth. 
 
 The account of the character of Mr. 
 Xegge is the most yawning pamphlet I 
 ever read. All the first part is a dull fu- 
 neral sermon. It is very laughable to find 
 a writer in the opposition, thinking it a- 
 man's praise that ' he continued to the last 
 one of his majesty's privy council.' What \ 
 is that a merit in these times ? And is it 
 forgot that the duke of Devonshire did 
 not continue to the last one of his majesty's 
 privy council ? The original papers make 
 us some amends for the execrable stuff in 
 the former part of the pamphlet. They 
 were not, however, new to me. I had seeji 
 them, both from poor t-egge aad Buller. 
 But they are good stuff for volumes. 
 What ! does a prince of Wales, before the 
 talons of the wild beast are grown, be*
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. t)f 
 
 come so furious ? Is a prince of Wales to 
 nominate two members for an English 
 county ? What a reverence for parlia- 
 ment, and the constitution, must he have ? 
 Are the body of whigs, who brought in 
 the prince of Wales's family, who gave 
 him all his rights in England, to be treated 
 with that insolence and injustice ? Where 
 is the freedom of election, if a prince of 
 Wales is to nominate our members ? If a 
 lord is forbid to interfere in elections, shall 
 it be allowed to a prince of Wales i I do 
 not know so fruitful a field for political 
 writing ; and. I hope to see it well ma- 
 naged # . 
 
 I have not slept two hours since I have 
 been here : I mean continued sleep. You 
 know in what a restless state a man's spirits 
 must be, who does not sleep. Churchill 
 is still before my eyes. Indeed I am not 
 ' ' i i ! ' 'i ; 
 
 * The accountrof Mr. Legge wa* writteo by Dv. 
 Butler, bishop of Hereford. 
 
 rot. ii. r
 
 8 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 fit to undertake the English Constitution * ? 
 and, in my present frame of mind, I should 
 disappoint you if I did it ; for I could not 
 do justice at present to such a subject. If 
 I could undertake it now, I would choose a 
 better motto than either of the two I hinted. 
 It would be from Churchill's Conference : 
 
 tc Let private sorrows rest j 
 As to the public, I dare stand the test ; 
 Dare proudly boast, I feel no wish above 
 The good of England, and my country's love." 
 
 I hear that J. Churchill is about selling 
 the right of copy of our dear friend's 
 works. Is it to take place before or after 
 my edition, which will take me up several 
 months more for I will never risk any 
 crudities with the public ? No man who 
 had any reputation, was ever wrote out of 
 it but by himself. 
 
 I wish you to publish the letters between 
 Martin and me -j-, as well as the story of the 
 
 * See vol. iii. page 129, of' the present work. 
 f Page 12, &x. above.
 
 JOHN WILKES,' ESS. 99 
 
 firing at the target * ; making your appeal to 
 Mr.Stevens, byname. This will authenticate 
 the fact to posterity ; and I can quote it in 
 the notes to the Duelist, to explain the line- 
 
 ' With three months training on his head.' 
 
 Book III. 
 
 I observe that Wright highly condemns 
 me as too ludicrous, from the expres- 
 sion of ' stolen goods,' &c. ; yet you re- 
 member that letter was wrote in the pre- 
 sence of, and highly approved by, lord 
 Temple and serjeant Glynn : so likewise 
 was the second letter to the secretaries, 
 on which the same dull lawyer is likewise 
 severe. The expression in that case of 
 * stolen goods' was nervous, not ludicrous* 
 It was treating the case as it deserved. 
 I am ever, 
 
 my dearest friend, 
 your most affectionate and obliged 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 fc I ! I I " . . I , 
 
 * Page 17, above; 
 F 2
 
 IOO MEMOIRS OF 
 
 LETTER XXVIII. 
 
 Calais, Wednesday night, Dec. 12, 1764. 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I have your letter, another from my 
 <iear daughter, and a third from my bro- 
 ther Heaton. You are always kind, ge- 
 nerous, friendly, and humane ; but, by 
 G , Heaton is a barbarian. He has done 
 the most cruel thing in the world by miss 
 Wilkes ; and has held a language to her 
 about me, which is false, insolent, and in- 
 famous. What ! set a daughter against 
 her father ? After such a letter as his last 
 to me, could I expect such usage to my 
 daughter ? I have cried ever since I read 
 her letter. 
 
 I am obliged to return to Paris, to give 
 up my apartments in the Rue Nicaise 
 to Garrick ; who will pay the quarter, 
 and I will decamp from those expensive 
 lodgings.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. IOI 
 
 I commission you, my dear Cotes, to 
 contract in my name with any bookseller, 
 for a History of England, from the Re- 
 volution -y to be in two quarto volumes : 
 the first portion of manuscript to be deli- 1 
 vered on this day twelvemonth ; the next, 
 this day two years ; and I submit the work 
 to any man in England, the bookseller's 
 friend, to make any retrenchments he 
 chooses, but not a word of addition. This 
 is the work for my fame and my purse. 
 If you will not undertake it with any book- 
 seller, I will get some other friend. 
 
 I will convince you that all your suspi- 
 cions about Italy are ill founded. My life 
 will be the truest proof of that. I shall 
 act a most wise and firm part ; and I ap- 
 peal to yourself, if you ever knew a firmer 
 mind. I will work for posterity. I am 
 sure, my dear Cotes, you cannot with- 
 hold your approbation from my conduct ; 
 and the world shall look after me, not with 
 pity, but with envy and admiration. You "
 
 IJD2 . MEMOIRS OF 
 
 are angry because I will not write a poli- 
 tical paper through the winter. No man 
 can, in another country. You will, I am 
 sure, be more pleased with me soon than, 
 ever you was, and so will lord Temple. I 
 will therefore add no more till I get to- 
 Paris. 
 
 Your affectionate friend, 
 
 John Wilkes* 
 
 I.ETTER XXIX. 
 
 Calais, Thursday morning, Dec. 13, 1764* 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I have been put to a furious expence. 
 I have been here, at an inn (Grandsire's), 
 eight days ; and, though I have not supped 
 nor drank, my bill is 328 livres. I have 
 paid the return of Brown and La Vallerie, 
 &c. This is an additional 30I. I have 
 been obliged to draw on Mr. Walsh foe
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 103 
 
 thirty- four guineas. Mr. Fector advanced 
 ten pounds to Brown ; which I beg you to 
 settle. These are furious expences ; but 
 I need not say they are not my fault. 
 
 I beg of you to wait, and judge of me by 
 events; not by the wicked inventions of 
 any enemy at Paris, or elsewhere : which 
 might gain belief on such a mind as Hea- 
 ton's, but ought not on yours. I say 
 wicked inventions, for such is the story 
 of the house hired in Italy. I care not 
 what Heaton thinks, but am anxious you 
 should approve me. I will be in every 
 thing very prudent, and my eye is ever 
 fixed not straitly, but steadily, on my two 
 great works, Churchill's edition and the 
 History ; for either of which, I hope, 
 I am not totally" unqualified. I send the 
 letter to Fitzherbert for the Beef-stake 
 Club, with the inscription agreed upon- 
 I am, ever, 
 
 most sincerely and 
 
 affectionately yours>. 
 
 John Wilkes.
 
 MR. WILKES'S ACCOUNT 
 
 OF 
 
 HIS TOUR TO NAPLES, 
 
 IK 
 
 LETTERS TO HIS DAUGHTER. 
 
 **5
 
 107 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 Lyons, Dec. 31, 1764. 
 MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 I left Paris on Christmas-day ; but the 
 English mails, which had been so long due, 
 luckily arrived a few hours before I set out,, 
 and brought me your letter of the 12th. I 
 am very happy to hear that my dear girl 
 continues well, and that the air of London 
 agrees with her. 
 
 The roads from Paris 1 found so bad, tha^ 
 I did not arrive here till last night; six whole 
 days on the road, and every morning in the 
 post-chaise before it was light. The coun- 
 try is almost drowned, by the excessive 
 rains of the last three months. 
 
 The first night I lay at Nemours, iof- 
 posts; the second at Briare, n| posts. 
 I went to see the great hall at the^ 
 castle of Montargis ; which has very 
 striking proportions^ and is very satisfac-
 
 IOS MEMOIRS OF 
 
 tory to the eye. There is a chimney at 
 each end, and two on each side. It is said 
 to be 28 fathoms 2 feet long, 8 fathoms4 feet 
 broad. The roof is arched ; it has no pil- 
 lars. There is no furniture of any kind in 
 it ; but the proportions are very fine. The 
 third night I lay at Nevers. The road is 
 rery pleasing the whole way. The Loire, 
 a very noble river, is on your right hand, 
 and affords many beautiful views ; but the 
 scene is lifeless, and in so great an extent 
 I saw but two vessels on the river. In Eng- 
 land there would have been a forest of masts 
 in half that extent. Nevers is well situated, 
 between two rivers ; but the place itself is 
 only famous for a glass manufactory. The 
 fourth day I lay at Varennes, 12I posts. 
 Nothing remarkable the whole day. Left 
 Varennes at five, reached St. Siphorien at 
 seven. The road is very mountainous. 
 There are two remarkable bridges, built 
 quite across a deep valley, from one moun- 
 tain to another. The fifth day presented 
 nothing to a weary traveller. The sixth
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 109 
 
 day I left St. Siphorien between five and 
 six ; yet did not arrive at Lyons, which is 
 only eight posts, before six in the evening. 
 There is a mountain called La Tarare, above 
 two leagues long. We descended it ; but, 
 for three leagues before, the horses were to 
 pull us up hill : and the roads were ex- 
 tremely deep, and so dangerous, that, for 
 the first time, I was rejoiced that my dear 
 daughter was not with me on this winter 
 expedition. 
 
 Tomorrow I set out for Turin, and I 
 shall give you a letter by the first post 
 after I arrive there. You may depend on 
 my writing regularly ; but you must make 
 allowance for contrary winds and bad 
 roads, which may often prevent my re- 
 ceiving your letters in time. 
 
 I wrote to you, my dear girl, on the 16th 
 and on the 23d December. Did you 
 receive both those letters ? I wrote you 
 two letters on the 1 2th : you mention 
 *** """^ipt qf one; did the other come
 
 TIO MEMOIRS OF 
 
 to your hands ? Nothing can please or 
 oblige me more than your journals. Give 
 yourself no trouble about all the idle re- 
 ports spread concerning me. You may 
 remember I did you the same justice with 
 madame de Fouilleuse, at the hotel de Saxe, 
 when she began to talk ridiculously about 
 my dear daughter. You and I are the best 
 and most natural friends ; and in every 
 thing I shall first of all consult your hap- 
 piness and your pleasures. Look forward, 
 and remember what I told you. Did I not 
 prophesy a great deal of what has hap- 
 pened ? Always say where I am, if any 
 body asks you. 
 
 Pope is an excellent author for you ; 
 so are Boileau and Racine. You cannot 
 read them too often; but never, dear 
 girl, tire yourself. Get the last edition 
 of Lowth's English Grammar. Buy it for 
 yourself. It is a small i2mo. It will 
 perfect you in good English. Take time 
 for every thing.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESa. Ill 
 
 Pray, write directly a letter of civility 
 to madame la baronne d'Holbach. Any 
 thing you wish for, write to me about. 
 You may go a visiting with your mam- 
 ma whenever you choose it : all I say is, 
 never lie in the same house with her ; all 
 the rest I leave to your own prudence. 
 I do assure you that, upon my honour, 
 I neither knew nor suspected any thing 
 which has happened about La Vallerie ; 
 nor was I ever so provoked as about her 
 return. Your uncle knows that well. At 
 present, however, you must think with 
 me, that it is most prudent not to send her 
 back to your uncle's. 
 
 I approve your manner of writing en- 
 tirely. Pray, give my compliments to 
 monsieur Goy ; you and he may talk 
 French often together. Remember me to 
 my brother and sister, and the little folks. 
 I am, my dearest daughter, 
 your obliged and 
 affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes.
 
 112 MEMOIRS Ot 
 
 I wish you to mention, if the box 
 l'abbe Galiani sent by you, for the mar- 
 quis Carracioli, was sent to him. 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 Xa Chambre in Savoy, Saturday, Jan. 5, I/65. 
 MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 I embrace the opportunity of a gentle- 
 man's going from this little village to Paris, 
 to pay my compliments to you. I gave 
 you my little journal to Lyons; where I 
 received great civilities from monsieur 
 Camp, and an eminent bookseller, to 
 whom monsieur D'Espilly gave me letters. 
 I found no difficulty about my books, nor 
 my baggage. 
 
 I left Lyons new-year's- day, at one in 
 the afternoon, and arrived at LaVerpil- 
 liere a little before six. The road is very 
 good, and a perfect flat, (three posts and a. 
 half.) Jan. i > I left La Verpilliere at
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. U3 
 
 Ave, reached La Tour du Pin at half an 
 hour after ten, (three posts and a half.) 
 Dined. Proceeded at one to Pont Beau- 
 voisin, (two posts;) arrived there at five. 
 The road is very good and level. Jan. 3, 
 left Pont Beauvoisin at seven. The ter- 
 ritories of France end here. A small river 
 parts France from Savoy. You pass it 
 on a bridge, near the end of the town. 
 Your baggage undergoes a -slight examina- 
 tion here twice, where the territories of 
 France end ; and, soon after, in the terri- 
 tories of Savoy. The road from Pont Beau- 
 voisin to Les Echelles is very rough and 
 mountainous. On the left, close to the 
 road, are very high rocks almost all the 
 way. On the right the road is defended 
 by a stone wall from the precipice : at the 
 bottom of which runs a little stream ; and 
 then the rocks rise on the other side, very 
 high, and almost perpendicular. I did not 
 arrive at Les Echelles till half an hour after 
 ten, though it is but one post ; but the
 
 114 MEMOIRS of 
 
 posts in Savoy are generally nine miles, m 
 France only six. I arrived at Chamberry, 
 the capital of Savoy, a little after six (two 
 posts). The road is extremely rough, and 
 there is a very difficult and long mountain 
 to ascend, about a mile from Les Echelles. 
 The face of the country is very rugged, but 
 it has every where as much cultivation as it 
 is capable of. There is a pretty little cas- 
 cade on the right, about a mile from Cham- 
 berry. Jan. 4 I left Chamberry at seven ; 
 arrived at Montmelian, one post, at ten. I 
 dined at one, and proceeded to Aigue-belle, 
 (two posts ;) got there by six. The road 
 tolerably good, and pretty level, except 
 one steep hill soon after you leave Mont- 
 melian. The road lies between very high 
 mountains, which were almost covered 
 with snow. I lay last night at Aigue-belle, 
 and left it this morning at six. Got here, 
 (two posts) by eleven ; and am now, at twelve 
 (good country hours), drinking my dear 
 daughter's health with a lively Frenchman-
 
 JOHN WILKES,'ESQ. 115 
 
 just arrived from Turin. I hope to arrive 
 there next Tuesday, and will write to my 
 dearest by the first post. 
 
 This little journal of my tour is dull, 
 but it will be useful if you keep the letters. 
 I wrote you a long letter from Lyons, 
 December 3 1 , and to Mr. Nesbitt : I wish 
 to know if they both came safe to hand. 
 
 When I arrive at Turin, J hope to find 
 that Mr. Panchaud has sent me some of 
 your letters, which I am very impatient 
 for. You will see by this, that wherever I 
 am, your dear idea is the most agreeable 
 thing in the world to me. 
 
 I beg you to give my best respects to 
 lord and lady Temple. 
 
 The postillions wait for me ; so I must 
 only add that 
 
 I am ever, 
 dearest Polly, 
 
 your loving father, 
 
 John Wilkes*
 
 u6 memoir; of 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 Turiu, January 9, 176& 
 MT DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 The English post being just setting out,, 
 gives me time to pay very short compli- 
 rnents to you. I wrote you a long letter 
 on the 5th from La Chambre in Savoy ; 
 and on the last day of the last year, from 
 Lyons, another tolerably long letter. Be- 
 fore I leave Turin I shall send you the 
 continuation of my journal : at present I 
 shall only say, I had a good passage over 
 the Alps; but the roads were in many 
 places so very bad, that I did not get here 
 till last night. 
 
 I am a good deal tired, or rather jaded ; 
 but if you were with me I should soon be 
 as well as I could wish. Continue always 
 to write to me at Messrs. Foley and Co.,
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESft. II7 
 
 "Rue St. Saveur, a Paris ; who will send me 
 all letters. 
 
 I shall write again by the next post; but 
 I could not miss this opportunity of assur- 
 ing my dear Polly how much I am her 
 
 obliged and affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 Mr. Needham is here, with Mr. Dillon 
 and Mr. Norton. We have almost inces- 
 sant rains. 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 Turin, January io, 1765. 
 
 I now pursue my journal, dearest 
 daughter * ; very happy if in any particular 
 it can entertain you. I continued my tour 
 to La Chambre in Savoy ; where, just be- 
 fore dinner, I had the pleasure of writing 
 to you. 
 
 * From Letter 11.
 
 Il8 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 I left LaChambre at one, and got to 
 St. Michel, (two posts and a half,) a 
 little after six : the road generally rough, 
 a few hills, but not steep. The whole 
 way lies between rocks, and for the most 
 part of it there is a small but rapid stream 
 rans in the bottom. Several of the 
 bridges are very ruinous ; the good land 
 is very well cultivated. January 6 I left 
 St. Michel at five; arrived at Modan, 
 a little village between St. Andre and 
 Villaraudin, (about two posts and a half 
 from St. Michel,) at eleven ; dined, and 
 between two and three to Lannebourg, 
 (two posts and a half from Modan,) but 
 did not reach it till after eight. Lan- 
 nebourg is the last village on the Savoy 
 side of the Alps. The road is very moun- 
 tainous, and full of large loose stones. 
 The whole way from Modan to Lanne- 
 bourg was snow and ice ; very steep and 
 dangerous descents, and very difficult as- 
 cents, often for half a mile together. AH
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESft. IIQ 
 
 the baggage was sent on mules from St. 
 
 Michel to Lannebourg. The fir-trees rise 
 
 above one other in a beautiful manner, 
 
 quite from the bottom to the top of many 
 
 of the mountains ; and there is an infinite 
 
 variety of cascades of the clearest water. 
 
 In many parts of the Alps, where you see 
 
 no water, you hear the fall of two or three 
 
 different cascades. The roads were so bad, 
 
 I was obliged often to walk on the ice and 
 
 snow, and got several tumbles, so that I 
 
 could scarcely stir the next day. January 
 
 7 I left Lannebourg at seven ; ascended 
 
 Mont Cenis in a chair, carried by two 
 
 men, assisted by four more ; arrived at the 
 
 top of the mountain in an hour and a 
 
 quarter: in another c: arter reached La 
 
 Tavernette, the first post fom - ne- 
 
 bourg. I was carried in a tra neau, \ 
 
 by a single horse over . ie sne vs, * 
 
 top of the mountain to La Cra- ; 
 
 which is the beginning of the c' i 
 
 the Piedmont side. I arrived t . . a
 
 120 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 hour, and immediately proceeded to La 
 Ferriere ; and in about the same space of 
 time reached Novalene, the first village on 
 this side the Alps. The whole time of 
 passing Mont Cenis, the highest of the 
 Alps which is passable, was six hours ; I 
 include an hour of rest and refreshment. 
 The ascent on the Savoy side is one league J 
 the plain on the top or rather the gentle 
 rising and falling on the summit which looks 
 flattened, not pointed is two leagues; 
 and the descent on the Piedmont side is 
 two leagues. The chair in which I was 
 carried was not a sedan chair, but a small 
 wicker chair with two long poles; there 
 is no covering of any kind to it. The 
 snow lay four feet deep, and it was a frost ; 
 so that there was firm footing where the 
 snow had been trod. After you pass La 
 Grande Croix, in about a mile you come 
 to a small rivulet, which separates Savoy 
 and Piedmont ; and you enter on a little 
 plain, called the plain of St. Nicholas
 
 John wilkes, Esa. 121 
 
 which makes a pleasing variety In so steep 
 a descent. On the top of Mont Cenis is 
 a fine lake, a mile in circumference, re- 
 markable for excellent trout ; a chapel, and 
 an hospital. In the winter the roof of the 
 hospital has sometimes been covered with 
 snow twelve fc^t deep in less than ten 
 hours : the passage is somewhat dangerous, 
 from the amazing height of the rocks, and 
 your being forced to come often very near 
 the edge of the precipice. The carriage 
 was taken to pieces ; and was sent with the 
 rest of the baggage, on six mules, from 
 Lannebourg to Novaleze, two posts and a 
 half. I arrived at Novaleze at one, and left 
 it a little after six ; and at half an hour 
 after eight reached Suze, where I lay : the 
 road is very good to Suze, and there is 
 only one little hill to ascend. January 8 
 I left Suze. A little after four reached 
 St. Ambroise, two posts and a half; by 
 ten dined : left it at one, and arrived at 
 Turin, two posts and a half, a little after 
 vol. 11. ft
 
 122 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 five. In my next I shall give my dearest 
 girl a short account of Turin ; at present I 
 shall only say, that the most agreeable 
 object I have seen here is Mr. Needham. 
 To-day I go to see the palace, and to-mor- 
 row I go to Milan. Perhaps it may amuse 
 you to trace me in the map. I shall stay 
 only one day at Milan, to deliver abbe 
 Galliani's letter to the prince Trivulzio ; 
 and proceed from thence to Parma, where 
 I have letters to a friend of monsieur 
 Suard. 
 
 I have not yet any of your letters since 
 December 12. I wrote to you December 
 16 and 23 from Paris, from Lyons Decem- 
 ber 31, from La Chambre January 5, from 
 hence January 9, (yesterday.) 
 
 I wish you to mention if you have seen 
 miss Penton, and if she is the fine girl she 
 promised to be two years ago. How do 
 you like England, on your present visit to 
 it ? Is it not a little trhte f The Sundays 
 especially (between you and me) are very 
 dull.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. I23 
 
 I beg my love to my dear brother and 
 sister, and a kiss to the little folks. How 
 is the little blue-eyed Nancy ? I hope she 
 is, cured of the little stammering she had. 
 
 I am ever, my dearest Polly, 
 
 your affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 letter v. 
 
 Parma, Jan. i6 } 1765. 
 
 ICIY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 I arrived here yesterday, not a little 
 fatigued by the jolting of the chaise in the 
 hard rough roads of Italy, 
 
 Heft Turin the i ith, at noon ; and reach- 
 ed Agliano, three posts and a half, at six. 
 The 1 2th I left Agliano, at half an hour past 
 seven ; and got to Buffalora at six, five posts, 
 Buffalora is the first town of the. empress- 
 g a
 
 124 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 queen's dominions, and is in the duchy of 
 Milan. The road from Turin to BufTa- 
 lora is almost a perfect flat, and tolerably 
 good. The posts are remarkably long. I 
 lay at Buffalora ; and, January 13th, at 
 eight, proceeded to Milan. The baggage 
 was searched at Buffalora ; and you have a 
 pass-avant, to carry you from thence, 
 through the empress-queen's Italian terri- 
 tories. I got to Milan about eleven. I 
 left it January 14th, at eight ; and arrived 
 at Plaisance a little before seven. The 
 roads were very deep and heavy. You 
 cross the famous river Po just before you 
 arrive at Plaisance ; five posts, and very 
 long ones, from Milan. January 15 I left 
 Plaisance at half an hour past seven, and 
 arrived here at two ; five posts, not long, 
 and the road tolerably good. 
 
 There is little remarkable at Milan, ex- 
 cept the cathedral, which is an immense 
 work of the Gothic order. The profusion 
 of statues, both on the out ar.d in-side of
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 1 25 
 
 the building, is incredible. Prince Tri- 
 vulzio received me in the noblest man- 
 ner; and in the evening carried me to 
 the countess Simonetta, who is the first 
 woman at Milan. I was afterwards pre- 
 sented by the prince to the duke of Mo- 
 dena, who is regent there ; and to count 
 Firmian, the first minister. I was treated 
 in the most distinguished manner, and 
 indeed with many marks of true friend- 
 ship, by prince Trivulzio. I was four 
 hours with the first minister. 
 
 This place is only remarkable for the 
 cathedral, the finest in the world : and for 
 several paintings of the famous Corregio, 
 in the dome ; very few of which are in 
 tolerable preservation. 
 
 This valley is thought the most cele- 
 brated in Europe ; and was part of the 
 famous Lombardy, which you will find 
 much of in the old romances. 
 
 You can scarcely imagine the difference
 
 Il6 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 in the warmth of the air here: it seems, 
 on this side the Alps, to be rather a mild 
 April than the month of January ; but I 
 am told that at Naples they even eat green 
 peas at Christmas. I begin to make myself 
 understood in Italian, and I read tolerably 
 well their best authors. I hope to hear 
 jny dear girl talk Italian as well as she 
 does French ; and that she will be as much 
 admired for one, as she has been for the 
 other. 
 
 I hare not seen an English newspaper 
 siriCc I left Piris, SO that I am quite igno- 
 jant of the present state of Old England. 
 I hope a libel I saw at Paris, called " A 
 Letter to the worthy Inhabitants of Ayles- 
 bury,** has been burnt before this. It 
 seemed to me a flaming libel. I long to 
 hear from you. The most agreeable thing 
 I can see in this absence is a letter, with 
 an account of my dear daughter's perfect 
 health.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 12? 
 
 I beg you to remember me to your 
 uncle and aunt, as well as to all our 
 friends. 
 
 I am, dear angel, 
 your very affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 Florence, Feb. i, I/65. 
 MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 I hope that you received my various 
 travelling letters ; because, though they 
 might not entertain you, they would shew 
 you that in whatever place I was, I did not 
 fail every fair opportunity to pay my com- 
 pliments to you. 
 
 My little journal was continued to Mo- 
 denaj where I arrived January 17, and 
 continued there that night. January 18 I 
 left Modena at eight, and arrived at Sa-
 
 12$ MEMOIRS OF 
 
 moggia, one post and a half, a little before 
 one ; the roads tolerably good, and almost 
 a perfect flat. The churches at Bologna 
 are beyond description magnificent, and 
 full of pictures by the greatest masters ; 
 the most capital of which is the St. Cecilia 
 of the divine Raphael. Some of the con- 
 vents of men are fit to be the palaces of 
 sovereigns. I went to pay my compli- 
 ments to mademoiselle Corradini, and 
 dined every day at her house while I staid 
 at Bologna. . I took private lodgings, where 
 i lay every night. I continued at Bologna 
 trll the 28th ; and had the favour of your 
 letter datecT December 19, on the 26th 
 of January, at that place. I left Bo- 
 logna January 28, between two and three 
 in the afternoon ; and got to Pianora, one 
 post and a half, a little before five. I lay 
 there, at the foot of the famous Appenines. 
 January 29 I left Pianora at half an hour 
 after nine, and arrived at Lojano, one post 
 and a b.alf. Proceeded to. Filicaia* ona
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESG. 129 
 
 post ; where I arrived a little after three : 
 and from thence to Cavallaio, one post, at 
 six. January 30 I left Cavallaio at eight; 
 came to Monte -carrelli a little after ten, 
 one post ; to Caffagolo,.one post, at one; 
 to Fonte Bone, one post, at three ; and 
 reached Florence, one post, about five. 
 The greatest part of the road (quite from 
 Pianoro to Fonte Bone) is ascending and 
 descending the Appenines, and in general 
 the roads are indifferent. 
 
 The Appenines are not near so high, nor 
 so horrible, as the Alps. On the Alps you 
 see very few tolerable spots ; and only firs, 
 but very majestic : on the Appenines there 
 are many very rich small valleys, a variety of 
 vineyards, and all sorts of trees. About a 
 mile from Pietra Mala, a little village 
 between Filicaia and Cavallaio, is a singu- 
 lar phenomenon of fire, about nine yards 
 round, arising from a stony ground, to the 
 height of three or four feet. It is a bright 
 clear flame, without smoke* The greatest 
 05
 
 I30 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 rains only extinguish it for a moment; 
 small rains increase it. The stones round 
 it are much burnt. I removed several, 
 and the flames still arose from the same 
 spot. They gave a considerable heat. 
 
 I thank my dear girl very much for the 
 continuation of her journal. I am glad 
 you are so good a church-woman. Pray 
 remember me there, for fear I forget my- 
 self in the hurry of travelling.- La Vallerie 
 found out the two guineas you so politely 
 put up; and told me of it with tears in her 
 eyes, before I mentioned it to her. I am 
 impatient to hear again from my dear girl ; 
 and she may depend upon it I will contrive 
 every thing as well as I can for her satis- 
 faction, which is always my first desire. 
 
 I have had but two letters from Eng- 
 land (including yours) since I left Paris. 
 
 Let me beg my dear girl to give my 
 love to my brother and sister, and a kiss 
 to the little folks. Pray, tell Mr. Cotes 
 that I have had no answer to a long letter
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. I3I 
 
 which I wrote to him from Calais ; nor to 
 another from Paris, before I went from 
 thence. 
 
 I am ever, my dearest Polly, 
 with the utmost affection, 
 your much obliged father, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 LETTER VII. 
 
 Rome, February 16, 1765. 
 MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 I hope that my former letters have con- 
 vinced you that I let slip no opportunity 
 of shewing you that, amid all the hurry 
 and dissipation of such a journey, your 
 agreeable idea still filled my mind, and 
 followed me wherever I went. I wrote to 
 you last from Florence, which I liked pretty 
 well. All the English there, among 
 whom were lord Beauchamp and Mr.Trail,'
 
 IJ MEMOIRS OF 
 
 eame to see me. I did not go to the resi- 
 dent's *, to save him the embarras of re* 
 turning a visit to a man so very obnoxious 
 to the English (or. rather Scottish) mmistry- 
 as myself. I have been caressed more than- 
 I can express, during my whole journey; 
 and by those in every country whose eloge 
 does me real honour. 
 
 I left Florence February 9, at three in 
 the afternoon ; and got to San Cassiano, 
 one post, a little after six. The road was 
 very rough, and much up hill. Febru- 
 ary 10, I left San Cassiano at seven; arrived 
 at Tavernelle, one post, at twelve ; came 
 to Poggibonzi, one post, at three ; to 
 CastiglioncellOj one post, at five ; and 
 reached Sienna a little before seven : the 
 load tolerably good, and the views on each 
 side very picturesque ; a sweet variety of 
 hills and valleys, and the whole face of the 
 country smiling. The earth is almost every 
 where covered with corn, and olive-trees* 
 
 * Sir Horace Mans.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESO. 13$ 
 
 February 1 1, 1 left Sienna, at twelve, and 
 arrived at Monterone, one post, at two ; 
 reached Buonconvento, one post, at five; 
 and arrived at Torrenieri, one post, at 
 seven. The road much up and down hill, 
 but not dangerous. February 12, I left 
 Torrenieri at seven ; came to La Scala, one 
 post, at nine ; to Ricorsi, one post, at 
 twelve; to Radicofani, one post, at three ; 
 to Ponte Centino, one post and three quar- 
 ters, at five ; to Acquapendente, one post, 
 at a little after seven. The post to Radi- 
 cofani is very bad, the hills very steep and 
 rough : the post to Acquapendente is still 
 worse, and the hill a little dangerous; it 
 is indeed almost perpendicular. Febru- 
 ary 13,1 left Acquapendente at eight; came 
 to S. Lorenzo, three-quarters of a post, at 
 ten ; proceeded to Bolsena,- one post and 
 three-quarters; arrived there at five; changed 
 horses about half-way ; reached Viterbo at 
 half an hour after six. Between Bolsena 
 and Montefiascone you Have a beautiful
 
 134 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 view of the lake of Bolsena, about thirty 
 miles in circumference, with two islands 
 in it ; all the way on the right. The road 
 is very rough, and over mountains. Feb- 
 ruary 14, I left Viterbo at eight : ascended 
 the very high mountain of that name to 
 Ronciglione, three-quarters of a post ; 
 arrived there at eleven : proceeded to 
 Monte Rosi, one post, the whole way 
 almost descending the mountain of Viter- 
 bo ; got there by one : proceeded to Bac- 
 cano, one post ; came there at three : to 
 Alia Storta, one post, at six ; and to 
 Rome, one post, at eight. The road is 
 either very rough, or deep, the whole 
 way. The postillions drove directly to the 
 Dogana ; where the trunks were taken off, 
 and left till the next morning. No exami- 
 nation was made of the inside of the chaise, 
 or coach, which came in our company. 
 It viasjeudi gras : or rather jeudi gris ; for, 
 of eleven persons at the custom-house, ten 
 were drunk.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. I35 
 
 I had yesterday the happiness of your 
 two letters, dated January 2 and 9, which 
 gave me more pleasure than I can express. 
 I set out for Naples on the 21st of this 
 month, where I mean to stay a consider- 
 able time. As soon as I arrive there, I 
 will answer particularly my dearest daugh- 
 ter's two letters. In the mean time, and 
 ever, 
 
 I am, my beloved Polly, 
 
 your affectionate 
 
 and obliged father, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 
 Naples, March 1, 1765. 
 MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 I arrived here the 26th of last month, 
 and with pleasure embrace this earliest op- 
 portunity of making my compliments to
 
 I36 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 you. I wrote to you from Rome on the 
 16th of February. Since that time I have 
 had the satisfaction of three more of your 
 letters. One, of the 16th of January, at 
 Rome, on the 18th of February ; another, 
 of the 26th of December, at Naples, on 
 the 27th of February ; and a third, 30th 
 January, I had this morning. The letter 
 my dear girl mentions of January 15 I have 
 not yet; which prevents me answering as I 
 wish many particulars which your letter of 
 the day after (January 16) alludes to, and 
 I am still ignorant of. I will on?y say, 
 that I never yet found any reason to dis- 
 approve your conduct ; and that I think 
 you have behaved with your usual pru- 
 dence, as far as I know. You see it is 
 impossible to write an answer till I have 
 that letter of the 15th January; and you 
 will observe by the date of others how 
 irregular the posts are. That of Ja- 
 nuary 16 I received before that of De- 
 cember 26. You mention your uncle
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. I37 
 
 inclosing yours in one of his. I never 
 received a line from him since I left 
 Paris. 
 
 The post now gives me time only to 
 tell you, that this is in my opinion the 
 pleasantest place in Europe ; and were you 
 here with me, my fondest wishes would 
 be answered. I mean to continue here ; 
 but I beg you to direct to me as usual, at 
 Paris. By the next post you shall have a 
 long letter. In the mean time, and for 
 ever, you may rest assured of the warmest 
 love of 
 
 your affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 My kind love attends my brother and 
 litter.
 
 I38 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 Naples, March 10, 1765. 
 MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 The greatest pleasure I have in my ab- 
 sence from my dear girl, is the hearing 
 from you and conversing with you, though 
 in this imperfect manner. The scenes I 
 have been lately engaged in, of going post 
 from place to place, are not in themselves 
 very entertaining; and I only gave you the 
 particulars from the idea of their future 
 usefulness ; with the same view I shall now 
 pursue my journal, which may hereafter 
 be of service to my beloved daughter. 
 
 February 21, 1 went to the custom- 
 house, and took out the two trunks which 
 I had left there ; and they were suffered to 
 go out of Rome unsearched. I went from 
 thence al one in the afternoon, and ar-
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. I39 
 
 rived at Marino about six : lay there. The 
 road tolerably good. February 22, I left 
 Marino between six and seven ; dined in 
 the coach ; and at six in the evening ar- 
 rived at Acquaviva, a most wretched soli- 
 tary inn. The roads tolerably good this 
 day too. February 23, I left Acquaviva 
 at five, travelled the whole day, and at 
 eight arrived at Fondi. The roads rough, 
 but level ; except the great descent from 
 Piperno. After you leave Terracina, you 
 have for about three miles" a fine view of 
 the sea. A variety of ancient monuments, 
 almost the whole road. February 24, left 
 Fondi at half an hour after eight ; came to 
 Mola on the banks of the sea, a little after 
 one ; lay there : the whole road was over 
 the old Appian Way, which is in very good 
 preservation. Nothing, however, can be 
 imagined more disagreeable; the pave-* 
 ment being intolerably hard, and so slip- 
 pery that the horses were continually 
 coming down on their knees. I came
 
 140 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 with horses hired for the whole journey j 
 and they were so fatigued that, though 
 they had gone but two posts, I was ob- 
 liged to continue at Mola till the next day. 
 There is an infinite quanrity of orange and 
 lemon-trees, which were loaded with fruit 
 and flowers. Laurels and laurustinuse9 
 were in all the hedges, and olive-trees 
 grew wild on the hills. February 25, left 
 Mola at six : came to Garigliano at ten ; to 
 S. Agatha at one. Dined there, and pro- 
 ceeded at four to Francolisi : but did not 
 arrive there till one in the morning ; the 
 cart that I was obliged to hire for the bag- 
 gage, being overturned seven times. The 
 road from Mola to Garigliano is the old 
 Appian Way, and tolerably rough. At 
 Garigliano you cross in a boat the river of 
 that name ; and then you pass a fine mea- 
 dow, and through roads intolerably deep 
 and full of bad holes, quite to Francolisi. 
 The inn at Francolisi was so wretched, that 
 I slept a part of the night in the coach ;
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 141 
 
 and February 26, at six in the morning, 
 proceeded to Capua Nova. Arrived there a 
 little after nine ; dined : left it at one, and 
 reached Naples at six. The baggage was 
 examined at Mola, but not strictly : and 
 about a mile from Naples, at Capo di 
 Chino, the question was asked whether it 
 had been examined at Mola ; and it was suf- 
 fered to proceed. The road from Francolisi 
 to Capua Nova is deep, and full of holes ; 
 from thence to Naples pretty good, but 
 some bad holes. 
 
 So much^ my dear angel, for my jour- 
 nal. I am now here quiet ; ever intent on 
 the two great works my edition of poor 
 Churchill, and my History of England 
 from the Revolution. I am glad you have 
 begun Rapin. Yet the first volumes you 
 may skim lightly, till you come to Henry 
 the Seventh ; from that reign I would ad- 
 vise you to read him first cursorily, and a 
 second time with much care. I fear you 
 will find him dull; but he is tolerably
 
 1^2 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 exact. Let me beg you not to forget your 
 French ; a little every day ; either of Boi- 
 leau, Moliere, Racine, or Corneille, would 
 keep it up. I would have my dear daugh- 
 ter as much distinguished by every valua- 
 ble accomplishment, as she is by her good- 
 sense and sweetness of temper. 
 
 I have much to say to you, but I do not 
 choose to do it by the post. You are al- 
 ways the first object of my thoughts, and 
 your happiness is my first aim. Be gay, 
 and look forward ; there are rewards in 
 store for true merit. This is my second 
 letter to you from Naples ; my next will 
 be by a better conveyance than the post. 
 
 I am ever, my sweet girl, 
 
 your affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes.
 
 JOHNAVILKES, ESQ. 143 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 Naples, March 11, 1765. 
 
 I hope my dear daughter will receive 
 by the post of this day the long letter I 
 have just had the honour of finishing; yet 
 I would not omit this other occasion, by 
 Mr. Yeo, of paying my compliments, and 
 begging your acceptance of an elegant 
 French book of geography, and a dozen 
 pair of Roman gloves, which are thought 
 the best in the world, and are worthy of an 
 elegant young lady's hand. I suppose you 
 will keep one pair at least for your return 
 to Paris, to be handed by the young baron 
 to the opera or comedie. 
 
 I do not undertake yet to give you any 
 description of Naples. As to what con- 
 cerns myself, thank heaven I am well ; and 
 as happy here as I can be, absent from
 
 144 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 you. I am caressed here enough to put 
 me to the blush ; but I live much retired, 
 and avoid as much as possible all the Nea- 
 politan nobility. 
 
 Good night, dear girl ; for it is now ele- 
 ven. Be assured, I shall tenderly love you 
 all my life. Adieu ! 
 
 LETTER XI. 
 
 Naples, March iS, I/65. 
 
 I am every day, my dearest Polly, more 
 and more regretting the cruel distance we 
 are from each other. I am most impa- 
 tient for your letters, as what are my 
 greatest comfort; but the bad regulation 
 of Italian posts makes me often wait much 
 longer than I ought to do. It likewise 
 deprives me of writing so frequently as I
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. t$$ 
 
 am inclined to do, for Tuesday is the only 
 post day in the week from hence. 
 
 Mr. Yeo left Naples the day before yes- 
 terday. I gave him a dozen pair of very 
 elegant Roman gloves (which are thought 
 the best in the world), and a new edition 
 of that well -engraved French book of 
 maps you admired so much, with a letter 
 for you. I hear, since, the gloves were 
 seized as contraband, but recovered ; so 
 that I hope they will come safe to your 
 hand. 
 
 I have not yet received the letter to 
 which you refer; as soon as I do, I will an- 
 swer all the particulars. I am exceedingly 
 concerned that my dear girl should have 
 suffered any uneasiness : whenever it is in 
 my power, I will prevent any approach- 
 ing her. 
 
 It is as warm here now as it is generally 
 in England in June, and the productions 
 of the earth are as forward; the trees begin 
 to be in leaf, and all nature seems to wear 
 
 VOL. II. k
 
 146' MEMOIRS OP 
 
 a smiling aspect. I am here at an inn, 
 called Stephano's ; a large good house on 
 the banks of the sea, which forms here a 
 fine bay of about thirty miles in extent. 
 The island of Capri is just opposite to the 
 windows, and breaks the force of the waves 
 fvhich come into the bay. The sea is to 
 the smith. To the north are fine moun- 
 tains, which defend the city from the cold 
 winds; the burning mountain of Vesuvius 
 is to the east; and other hills, with old 
 castles in ruins, to the west. 
 
 The day before yesterday I went to the 
 top of Vesuvius. It is indeed a most singu- 
 lar appearance. I chose a clear but cold 
 day : yet the heat was so excessive, that all 
 the skin of my face peeled off in two or 
 three hours ; from the excessive heats of the 
 mountain, and the reflection of the sun. 
 The mountain is a composition of cinders, 
 pulverised brick, and calcined stones. It 
 is with difficulty you ascend : I had five 
 men to get me up;--two before, whose gir-
 
 JOHN WILKES, ES<8U 147 
 
 tiles I laid hold of; and three behind, who 
 pushed me by the back. I approached 
 quite to the opening, from whence issues- 
 the sulphureous smoke : I guess it to be 
 about a mile m -circumference. I lay on 
 rny belly against the side, on the edge, 
 ind looked down ; but could see very little : 
 only now and then, when the wind blew 
 the smoke much on one side, I could see 
 teveral ragged mountains of yellow (sul* 
 hur, I suppose). I endeavoured to gd 
 quite round ; but was almost suffocated by 
 the smoke, and obliged hastily to retire. 
 You descend with great difficulty, some- 
 times almost up to the knees in ashes. The 
 stones, ashes, &c. are so burnt that they 
 make a composition harder than marble, 
 which is called lava. It is of an iron-grey 
 colour; and serves for chimney-pieces, ta- 
 bles, and snuff-boxes : but is not beautiful ; 
 yet, if you choose it, I will send you some. 
 Vesuvius is at once the terror and the 
 -happiness of all this neighbourhood. It 
 h %
 
 I48 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 is often the occasion of earthquakes, and 
 sometimes overwhelms whole cities ; but its 
 subterraneous tires make all the neigh- 
 bourhood fertile, and the best wines near 
 this place are from the vines half-way up 
 the mountain. 
 
 My old friend, sir William Stanhope, is 
 here, in good health and spirits. I have 
 often the pleasure of seeing him. He in- 
 quires about you. 
 
 I beg you to remember my respectful 
 compliments to lord and lady Temple. 
 When you see my mother, assure her of 
 my duty j and my brothers and sister of 
 my love. 
 
 I am, my dearest daughter, 
 
 your most affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes,
 
 John wilkes, esq. 149 
 
 LETTER XII. 
 
 Naples, March 26, 1765. 
 
 I cannot miss this opportunity, by 
 the Tuesday's post, of writing to my 
 dearest daughter, though I have not since 
 my last the satisfaction of any of her let- 
 ters. I have been very busy in looking 
 out for a small house, and have at last suc- 
 ceeded ; for I have taken one a little out 
 of the town, which commands the neigh- 
 bouring hills and this fine bay. I shall 
 there, at more leisure than I possibly could 
 at Paris, attend to my two works for the 
 press. 
 
 I am impatient to know how you find 
 London on your return. I have had two 
 letters from mademoiselle La Vallene, in 
 which she regrets exceeding 1 )- the not 
 having heard from you. I wish you to 
 write to her, at monsieur D*Espilly's, rue St.
 
 I^O MEMOIRS OF 
 
 Jacques. Let me beg you likewise not ft? 
 forget madame De Chantereine, nor the ba- 
 ronne. Madame de Chantereine sends me 
 word, by mademoiselle LaVallerie, that she 
 wishes you might be entirely with her ;. 
 and so does La Vallerie. Madame de Chan- 
 tereine would let any masters you choose 
 come to her house to attend you; and 
 would only ask 2000 livres a-year for 
 yourself, femme-de-chambre, and footman,, 
 I paying all the masters. This is the sub- 
 stance of a proposal to which I have given; 
 no answer. We must both be content a*, 
 things are, for a little time : after that, I 
 hope we shall be together ; my text ha* 
 always been " Look forward." Let me know 
 all that happens, and what my dear daugh- 
 ter wishes ; nobody but she knows my real 
 sentiments, and I have always found that I 
 could depend on you in every thing. 
 
 This is my fifth letter to you from Na- 
 ples. My old friend sir William Stanhope 
 and I are much together, but the people
 
 J0H2T WILKES, ESCU ll 
 
 of the country are too disagreeable to asso- 
 ciate with. I always think of the com- 
 pany which gives me most pleasure ; and 
 be assured, dearest Polly, that I shall ever 
 endeavour to convince you how entirely 
 you possess the heart of your 
 
 affectionate father, 
 
 John Wiljcis.. 
 
 1ETTER XXII. 
 
 Naples, April 9, 1765. 
 MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 I had the pleasure of writing to you as 
 usual by last Tuesday's post ; and of men- 
 tioning to you what occurred to my mind 
 as the best scheme with respect to your- 
 self, our relations in Red-lion-court, 
 and mademoiselle La Vallerie. I have
 
 15* MEMOIRS OF 
 
 not heard from England since ; therefore 
 .all I can add is, I am ever ill the same way 
 of thinking, and in the same disposition to 
 oblige my dear daughter to the utmost of 
 my power. Let me beg you for the fu- 
 ture to write to me always directly here at 
 Naples, and only direct your letters a 
 monsieur Wilkes, a Naples, Italie. You 
 must order the servant who carries them 
 to the post-office in Lombard-street, to 
 pay the postage ; or they will not come. 
 A letter is twenty days in the common 
 passage from London to Naples : if the 
 wind is contrary, it is more. I suspect that 
 the multiplicity of business Mr. Foley and 
 Mr. Panchard have at Paris, prevents 
 their clerks giving the attention one could 
 wish to send the letters of their corre- 
 spondents by the first post after they arrive. 
 The direct way therefore from London to 
 Naples is the best. 
 
 I am every day sending to the post, with- 
 out having got any letter since that of
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. Jj>3 
 
 January 30 ; which makes me extremely- 
 uneasy. I shall continue, however, to 
 write ; and beg my dear girl to write every 
 week. All the other letters I directed to 
 you at your uncle Heaton's : this comes 
 under Mr. Nesbitt's cover. 
 
 I am just got into a pleasant house, in a 
 sweet situation, where I am from morn- 
 ing to night with a pen or a book in my 
 hand. That is my present business, which, 
 entirely occupies me. In the eating-room 
 are your crayons of the woman's head, 
 and the basket of fruit ; and your picture 
 by Mr. Fossier, which I always fill a glass 
 to in the absence of the dear original, 
 whose I am, with all the tenderness of a 
 father's love, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 h 5
 
 1 54 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 LETTER XIYV 
 
 Naples, April 16, 176$. 
 MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 It was the highest satisfaction to me 
 on the 1 2th to receive three of your let- 
 ters, of very distant dates. They are of 
 February 6 and 15, and March 6. I 
 guess that one has miscarried, for I dare 
 Say that you wrote to me between the 
 15th of February and the 6th of March. 
 I thank you very much for the entertain- 
 ment these three charming letters have 
 afforded me, and for all the marks of 
 affection you give me. Let us both con- 
 tinue to love one another more than all 
 the rest of the world, and that will sweeten 
 every thing, however cross and disagree- 
 able it may appear. I beg you for the 
 future to write to me directly at Naples, 
 Italy, and I believe, according to the
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ, I55 
 
 rules at our post-office, it must be paid 
 for when it is put in. 
 
 I am much concerned to hear that my 
 dear sister Sally has been so dangerously 
 ill. I hope your next will give me the 
 agreeable news of her perfect recovery. 
 Pray, let her know how ardently I wish it ; 
 and assure her of my best love, and my 
 mother of my duty. 
 
 Is miss Davidson as handsome as she 
 was two years ago ? My compliments 
 attend her, and her worthy father. 
 
 I am very glad to hear that you have 
 danced so frequently; it is a noble and 
 elegant exercise : but pray take care not 
 to dance too long at any one time, as 
 your constitution is so delicate ; and I fear 
 your sitting up too late. The city, I find, 
 grows not only elegant, but luxurious ; I 
 believe, even equal to the polite end of the 
 town. 
 
 Who is the Mr. Mason you mention ? Is 
 he not the nephew of the late Mr. Edwards,
 
 156. MEMOIRS or 
 
 of Turrick ? I am glad your little tour to- 
 Harrow amused you* How does my- 
 nephew and namesake Jack*? Remember 
 me to him, and to blue-eyed Nancy, &c. 
 I long to see them ; but much more my 
 sweet girl. 
 
 I am much diverted with the particulars 
 you mention, about me in the English pa- 
 pers. Our news -writers are very welcome 
 to take my name in vain whenever they 
 want a paragraph, or it answers any pur- 
 pose to them. I wish you to tell me every 
 thing that amuses you.. 
 
 I am glad you was so well entertained at 
 Covent Garden. Is Mr. Garrick yet re- 
 turned to his own theatre of Drury Lane I 
 or is the town impatient for him ? 
 
 You cannot read Pope too much. He 
 is the most correct of our English poets; 
 though he has not the strength and copi- 
 
 * His natural son, John Smith, who was then at 
 Harrow school, and whom he called his nephew...
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 1 5,7 
 
 ousness of Dryden, nor of my dear 
 Churchill. 
 
 My dear girl frequently mentions many- 
 little particulars, about which she asks my 
 advice. The distance is so great, that it is 
 impossible for you to receive my answer in 
 time. I trust to your prudence, which I 
 know is very great ; and your affection for 
 a father who honours you more than all 
 your sex, and loves you beyond any per- 
 son in the world. 
 
 I am here quite retired : I have not been 
 out but once for a fortnight, nor seen any 
 body but sir William Stanhope and major 
 Ridley. I am amusing myself (as I hope 
 that I shall others afterwards) with my pen. 
 The edition of Churchill, and the History, 
 occupy me entirely ; and I look into futu- 
 rity for the pleasing days when we shall be 
 together. I am ever, my dearest daugh- 
 ter, beyond what any words can tell you, 
 your affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes.
 
 IJj8 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 LETTER XV. 
 
 Naples, April 23, 1765. 
 I have been ever since the 12th in 
 the most impatient expectation of the 
 entertainment your letters always afford. 
 I mentioned in my letter to you last week, 
 that the last I received was dated March 6 ; 
 but I have the comfort of thinking there 
 are several from you on their way to 
 Naples. I continue to write every week; 
 for it is the greatest pleasure as well as* 
 consolation to me in this cruel absence. 
 
 I am here in such a retirement as is 
 perfectly suited to my schemes, both for 
 my friend's works and my own. I lay 
 here (I mean in the house I have hired 
 out of the town, though within its jurisdic- 
 tion), for the first time, on the 3d of 
 this month ; and I have been only once in 
 Naples, to dine with sir William Stanhope, 
 and he has been once to dine here. You
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ,. T$g 
 
 see by this how closely I attend to busi- 
 ness : and how much I have at heart ta 
 shew the world how 1 loved Churchill ; 
 and what influence those I loved, even 
 when gone from us, retain over me. 
 
 Has my dear girl seen lord or lady Tem- 
 ple lately ? Does my mamma Wilkes ever 
 visit in Red-lion-court ? Has monsieur 
 Goy been lately to pay his compliments to 
 you ? Is miss Penton married ? Have you 
 received the book and gloves I sent you 
 by Mr. Yeo (I mean Le Siege de Calais) ? 
 Does Pope continue to please you ? Are 
 you very fond of Shakspeare ; of his best 
 pieces, -Richard the Third, Hamlet, Lear, 
 Othello, Macbeth, and the Tempest ? Let 
 me know all your pleasures : nothing can 
 add so much to my own. 
 
 Lord Beauchamp, I hear, is still at Flo- 
 rence. Mr. Bigge is returned to Rome. 
 It is a rule all over Italy, for the persons 
 who are already there to visit the new- 
 comers. The contrary custom prevails in
 
 l6o MEMOIRS OP 
 
 France. I have not been to visit any new- 
 comers, as I choose to live retired. The 
 best company, however, I see at sir Wil- 
 liam Stanhope's, at lady Orford's, and at 
 the houses of two or three of the nobility, 
 when I choose it which is very seldom. 
 If my dear girl was at Naples, I should not 
 complain of the rigour of my fate, nor the 
 injustice done me. 
 
 The weather has been very rainy till 
 yesterday. It is now as fine as can be 
 imagined. On the continent it is scarcely 
 known what a beautiful green is, such as 
 our lawns are in the beginning of spring ; 
 in England it is scarcely known what a 
 fine blue the arch of heaven is here, pure, 
 serene, and unclouded, sometimes for 
 weeks together. Fine weather and warm 
 suns are what distinguish Italy ; but I own 
 I love my native country so well that I 
 shall hail the inclement fogs of Old Eng- 
 land, when I can with honour and dignity. 
 If I cannot ever with those two circum-
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESGt. l6l 
 
 stances in our own island, then we will, 
 my beloved daughter, contrive our meet- 
 ing here, or in France ; and it shall be, I 
 hope, soon, though not so soon as I wish- 
 ed. In the mean time, my most pleasing 
 thoughts are about you, and my last glass 
 of wine and water (for pure wine I sel- 
 dom touch) is always to your health and 
 pleasures. 
 
 Commencez aujourd'hui le cours 
 
 Dune longue suite d'annees. 
 
 Esperez, en croissant, d'heureuses destineesj 
 Et qu' une belle humeur anime vos beaux jours I 
 
 II sied mal a quinze ans d'etre triste et reveuse. 
 Mais n'accordez a vos desirs 
 
 (Si vous avez dessein d'etre toujours heureuse) 
 Que ce que la nature a d'innocens plaisirs. 
 
 So sings the elegant Pavilion : your good- 
 sense does not want such advice ; but the 
 verses came into my head, and they are so 
 pretty 1 could not help transcribing them. 
 Good night, dear Polly ! remember me 
 to all our friends. You do not know how I
 
 16a MEMOIRS OF 
 
 miss you, nor how often I think of you in 
 all my little amusements. I shall ever be, 
 my sweet girl, 
 
 your most affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 LETTER XVI, 
 
 Naples, May 7, 1765. 
 
 I have sent every day for the last 
 month, my dearest Polly, to the post, in 
 the hope of receiving some of your letters; 
 for I am persuaded that you have not 
 omitted writing to me, and I need not re- 
 peat that the greatest satisfaction I have in 
 my exile is hearing from my beloved 
 daughter. I am sometimes uneasy for 
 your health ; and the more so, as the wea- 
 ther has been wonse than was ever known
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESfi. 163 
 
 tn this fine climate. We have had a de- 
 luge of rain ever since the beginning of 
 April ; and the Neapolitans say that it is 
 colder now than in November or Decem- 
 ber. I will however try to keep up 
 my spirits ; and " Hope" shall still be my 
 motto. Lest my other letters should have 
 miscarried, I repeat that I beg you to 
 write to me directly here, a monsieur, 
 monsieur Wilkes 9 a Naples, Italie ; and 
 something must be paid, I believe, on ihs 
 letter's being put into the post-house. 
 
 Last Saturday I assisted at the great fes- 
 tival which is- kept twice a-year here. It 
 is on occasion of the liquefaction of the 
 blood of St. Januarius, the patron of the 
 kingdom of Naples. All the nobility and 
 the people were assembled. There was a 
 very fine concert performed in the church 
 where this miracle was to be performed. 
 A cardinal came in great pomp, dressed 
 in his scarlet robes; and soon after was 
 brought a glass case, containing two chry-
 
 I64 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 stal phials. These were held up to the peo- 
 ple. I stood on the steps of the altar ; and 
 saw in the largest a thick red substance, 
 which looked like coagulated blood. In 
 the smaller phial was a substance not so 
 thick. After the glass case containing the 
 phial had been held up for some time, it 
 was brought near a head of the saint, made 
 of brass, but having on a large mitre en- 
 tirely covered with jewels and precious 
 stones. The cardinal then repeated seve- 
 ral prayers in Latin, and kept turning about 
 the glass case for about twenty minutes ; 
 when on a sudden, bowing to the peo- 
 ple, he cried out " The miracle is done !" 
 in Italian, and the multitude seemed fran- 
 tic with joy the women especially. A 
 little before, they were grown mad with, 
 impatience ; and began to tear their hair, 
 beat their breasts, and make furious howl- 
 ings, praying God to pray St. Januarius 
 to perform the miracle. If the miracle 
 does not happen (in the Neapolitan phrase),
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 165 
 
 the people here expect some dreadful 
 disaster. After the liquefaction, the car- 
 dinal (on his knees), the imperial ambassa- 
 dor, &c. &c. kissed the relick with great 
 devotion. The people now think them- 
 selves safe against Vesuvius, and all other 
 dangers, for six months- at least. I should 
 have mentioned that a sacred oratorio is 
 performed in the church just before the 
 liquefaction, the book of which was given 
 me. There are three persons introduced 
 in this oratorio; God Almighty, Religion, 
 and the City of Naples. I will soon send 
 you a translation of it. I tell it my dear 
 girl just as it passed, while it is fresh in 
 my mind. 
 
 Is Mr. Garrick yet returned to Eng- 
 land ? Have you got your book of maps, 
 which I sent by Mr. Yeo ? I hear the 
 gloves were seized. Let me know how you 
 amuse yourself, and every mark of kind- 
 ness shewn you ; that I may prove I am
 
 l66 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 not ungrateful to my best friends, those 
 who are kind to my daughter. 
 
 I am ever, my dearest Polly, 
 
 your most affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 LETTER XVII. 
 
 Naples, May 21 , 1765. 
 MY DEAREST FOLLY, 
 
 I had the great entertainment of your 
 letter of the 20th April on the 17th of 
 this month ; and in it was enclosed a note 
 from the comptroller of the foreign office, 
 H that it was necessary, when letters were 
 put into the post-office for Italy, to pay the 
 postage at the same time ; if that was 
 omitted, it was usual to return the letters :" 
 however, he paid me the compliment of
 
 JOHN WILKES, ES. l6f 
 
 forwarding it, and desired the shilling due 
 might be sent. I beg the favour of you 
 therefore to send one of my brother Hea- 
 ton's servants, or his clerk, to the general 
 post-office Lombard-street, with the shil- 
 ling for the comptroller of the foreign of- 
 fice ; and desire the servant to mention on 
 what account it is due. For the future, be 
 so good to be particularly .careful that the 
 servant pays the postage on putting the 
 letter into the office. 
 
 Now I come to answer my dear girl's 
 letter. I am very glad that the two letters, 
 of the 26th March and April 2, came to 
 your hands ; but you do not mention 
 that you received some of the former 
 which I wrote to you, from Modena Ja- 
 nuary 17, from Rome February 16, and 
 from Naples the 7th and 19th March. I 
 do not find that you have yet received any 
 of these letters. 
 
 I have heard two or three times from 
 poor La Vallerie, who by no means likes
 
 l68 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 her present situation at Paris. If you could 
 prevail for her coming to Red-lion-court, 
 she would set out immediately ; and you 
 might write to her directly from London, 
 at monsieur d'Espilly's, a la croix (for, rue 
 St. Jacques* She has money enough in 
 her hands, from the sale of the furniture, 
 &c. and of her own. I have above half 
 finished my edition of Churchill ; and at 
 pTesent intend to stay here only a few 
 months more, and to go somewhere else to 
 print it : but this my dear girl shall know 
 soon, and some other circumstances which 
 1 believe she will like. ' 
 
 I assure you that I was never more dis- 
 appointed than in the inhabitants of Italy. 
 I expected to see a very clever and po- 
 lite people ; on the contrary, you cannot 
 imagine any thing more ignorant, more 
 ill-bred, or more coarse, than they are. 
 Their conversation is shocking to a mo- 
 dest ear. You may imagine from this, 
 how disagreeable it would be to you to
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESa. l6$ 
 
 make any stay in this country. The tra- 
 velling too is worse than I can describe. 
 The roads are bad; and in many places no 
 windows at all in their houses, in most 
 only paper. The wooden shutters are 
 opened in the day-time; but when a storm 
 of rain or wind happens, the room is shut 
 up, and candles are lighted. For three 
 days I could get nothing to eat but red 
 herrings, eggs, and bread. The people 
 have a deal of low cunning and tricking, 
 but very little sense. 
 
 I regret that you did not see the shew 
 of lord Byron's trial. Pray write to good 
 madame Chantereine from time to time : 
 she loves you as much as if you were her 
 daughter. Have you seen Mr. Cotes lately, 
 or any of that family ? I have not once 
 wrote to your uncle Heaton : because I 
 would not write a harsh letter; and I have 
 not yet forgiven him the ill-nature of not 
 letting my daughter have with her a ser- 
 vant she liked. If I do write some time 
 
 VOL. II. i
 
 170 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 1 cnce, it will only be because you desire it, 
 and I can refuse you nothing. 
 
 I shall be very happy to receive the 
 drawing you mention ; it should be cut 
 close because of the post, and I will paste 
 it on other paper afterwards. 
 
 Mr. Aston was at Naples for a month ; 
 not with the Mrs. Aston who was at Paris, 
 but a French Mrs. Aston who diverted 
 us very much. Lord Mountstuart and his 
 governor are gone. They lodged at the 
 inn called Stephano's, on the banks of the 
 sea, while I was there ; but not a word 
 passed between us. 
 
 Remember me "to all oir common 
 friends ; and be assured I shall ever' be 
 
 your affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 Have you seen lord or lady Temple 
 lately, or any of our Buckinghamshire 
 friei.ds ?
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESS. 171 
 
 LETTER XVIII. 
 
 Naples, June 2$, 1765. 
 MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 I had your agreeable letter of May 30, 
 yesterday. I have never missed writing 
 to my dear girl every week; and I am en- 
 tirely satisfied of the same punctuality on 
 her part, which I beg may be continued. 
 
 Major Ridley, an English friend of 
 mine, is going next Thursday from hence 
 to Marseilles, in a French ship. I take 
 this opportunity of quitting Italy rather 
 than the going by land ; considering the 
 badness of the roads, and of all sorts of 
 accommodations: I could not go in a 
 small tartan without some one friend, 
 and I would not choose one more agree- 
 able than the good major* 
 
 The passage has been sometimes one 
 week, sometimes three ; but as soon as ever 
 I 2
 
 I72 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 I arrive at Marseilles, I shall not fail to 
 pay you my compliments by the post, and 
 give you the little history of my voyage. 
 I mean at present to go from Marseilles to 
 Geneva, on a short visit to Voltaire ; and 
 from thence to Lausanne, to print my edi- 
 tion of Churchill. I beg my dear daugh- 
 ter to write to me at Geneva ; and to in- 
 quire at the post-office if the letter is not 
 to be paid for, as is usual with the foreign 
 posts. I order all letters to be sent after 
 me to Geneva. 
 
 This little tour reminds me of our pas- 
 sage by the Needles, and our Isle of Wight 
 expedition. I shall never forget the cir- 
 cumstance of the variety of birds, of your 
 courage when we fired so near you, and 
 of the laugh we all had with poor Harris, 
 &c. But alas ! I can have no company that 
 pleases me half so much in this little voyage, 
 although the major is very sensible and 
 agreeable. Let us hope, my dear angel, 
 that we have many such happy times in
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESft, 173 
 
 store. I please myself in the present 
 
 voyage, that I am still drawing nearer to 
 
 you ; but wherever I am you will be sure 
 
 that you will always be supreme in the 
 
 heart of your 
 
 affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes* 
 
 LETTER XIX. 
 
 Marseilles, July 9, i 76 V 
 MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 I paid my compliments to you from 
 Naples, the post before I embarked for this 
 place. Major Ridley and I took our pas- 
 sage aboard a small French tartan, caled 
 the St. Pierre, on Thursday evening, June. 
 27. Our good friend, sir William Stan^ 
 hope, was so obliging as to come to see
 
 1^4 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 us on board ; and seemed to take pity on 
 us for the smallness'of the vessel, and the 
 badness of accommodations. We com- 
 forted ourselves with our being a less time 
 on the sea, on account of the vessel's 
 being so good a sailer ; and on our avoid- 
 ing Italian roads, Italian inns, &c. which 
 are most execrable. 
 
 There was so dead a calm that we did 
 not get out of the gulph of Naples till the 
 next morning, and several times we were 
 becalmed at sea. We had laid in a little 
 stock of beef and veal ; as well as live store, 
 as they are called. Our live stock con- 
 sisted of only five fowls; which were put 
 to death, and devoured, three days before 
 we reached land. A large pie was of ex- 
 cellent service to us. The major and I 
 drank your health regularly twice a-day ; 
 but we were so badly off for accommoda- 
 tions, we could not wish you with us 
 though we wished ourselves with you. 
 At last we got near Toulon, which is about
 
 JOHN WILKES, ES. I 75 
 
 thirty English miles from Marseilles, on 
 Sunday afternoon, July 7 ; so that we lay 
 just ten nights on board. The wind being 
 against us for Marseilles, and our provi- 
 sions as well as our patience almost ex- 
 hausted, we chose to get to land as soon 
 as we could ; and we got into Toulon. We 
 lay there that night ; and yesterday at four 
 we set out for this place, which we reached 
 about six in the evening. The road, like 
 almost all the rest in France, is very good, 
 but scarcely any pavL 
 
 I was ; greatly disappointed at Toulon. 
 T^he town is quite mean ; but the dock- 
 yards, &c. are very considerable. It docs 
 not seem to me above one-half so big as 
 Dover. Fiom Toulon to Marseilles the 
 country is very poor and barren. You see 
 few trees but firs and olives, both which 
 will grow almost any where except on rich 
 soils. The olive-tree is disagreeable ; for 
 it is a som'rc brown, when one expects a 
 green.
 
 176 MEMOIRS OP . 
 
 I left Brown, my postchaise, and bag- 
 gage, on board of the French tartan; and 
 they are not yet arrived, although they are 
 expected every hour. Poor Brown was 
 very sick the whole voyage ; but I escaped 
 tolerably well, only, from the heat of the 
 sun, my face burns like hot coals. 
 
 We had what is called a water- spout 
 break very near us. It is a kind of whirl- 
 wind at sea. The clouds are driven round 
 in a circle, then form an immense spout, 
 And the water of the sea is carried up with 
 vast violence till it joins with that in the 
 clouds. Sometimes small vessels have been 
 sunk by it. A cannon is often fired to 
 dissipate it. That which we saw was nei- 
 ther large enough, nor near enough to us, 
 to give us any apprehensions. I thought 
 this short account of it might divert you, 
 as it is really curious. 
 
 I know very little as yet of Marseilles, 
 for I have not a clean shirt till Brown ar- 
 rives ; but in passing through the streets >
 
 JOHN- WILKES, ESQ. 1 77 
 
 rfiere seem to be many considerable build- 
 ings, and the town is remarkable for its 
 great trade. I write by this post to you 
 uncle Heaton ; but, for fear of accidents, I 
 wish you to send him a little note that I 
 am arrived here safely in my way to Ge- 
 neva, where I beg him to direct my let- 
 ters. I beg my dearest daughter to do so 
 likewise, and to favour me with her cor- 
 respondence every week. I' hope, as soon 
 as I arrive at Geneva to receive two or 
 three at least of your letters, and the most 
 agreeable news of your health. 
 
 I am, with more tenderness than words 
 can tell you, my dearest daughter, 
 
 your affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 1 5
 
 *78 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 LITTER XX. 
 
 Marseilles, July io, 1765. 
 MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 I had the pleasure of writing you a 
 long letter yesterday by the post ; but 
 the opportunity of sending you a fine 
 print, by captain Welldone, has made me 
 resume the pen. I am well, but not quite 
 recovered of my ten days sea voyage. 
 
 The print is done by the famous Ange- 
 lica KaufTman, who is the first painter in 
 Europe; and her paintings are allowed to 
 have the grace of Raphael, the warmth of 
 Corregio's colouring, and the delicacy of 
 Guido. 
 
 The post-chaise of the captain is at the 
 door ; therefore I have only time to add 
 that I am ever 
 
 yours most tenderly, 
 
 John Wilkes.
 
 JOHN WILKES, $SQ. 179 
 
 This drawing won the prize of the aca- 
 demy of St. Luke at Rome. 
 
 I wrote to your uncle Heaton yesterday. 
 
 LETTER XXI. 
 
 Geneva, July 29, i^6. 
 MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 I have only time, before the post goes 
 from hence, to tell you that I am arrived 
 in good health here ; through very bad 
 roads, and as bad accommodations as you 
 can imagine. By Friday's post you shall 
 have my tour. In the mean time I shall 
 only say, that in half an hour I go to pay 
 my compliments to the celebrated Voltaire, 
 "along with lord Abingdon. 
 
 I shall ever be, mare than my pen can 
 ever tell you, my dear angel, 
 
 your most affectionate 
 
 and obliged father, 
 
 John Wilkes.
 
 x8o memoirs or 
 
 LETTER XXII. 
 
 Geneva, August 6, 1765. 
 MY DEAREST POLLY, 
 
 I fear that I tired you with an account 
 of a dull sea voyage of ten days from Na- 
 ples to Toulon. My land excursion from 
 thence to Geneva is rather more fruitful 
 of events. 
 
 I had the pleasure of the major's com- 
 pany quite to Grenoble, the capital of 
 Dauphine. I went to the parliament-house 
 there; out of respect to the members, 
 who had made about two years ago a no- 
 ble struggle in favour of liberty. They 
 have an excellent picture of Louis V. 
 there; but nothing else remarkable, and 
 the town is but indifferent; the situa- 
 tion is, however, agreeable among the 
 mountains. 
 
 I went from Grenoble to see the Grande 
 Chartreuse; which is the chief monastery
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESO. lSl 
 
 of the Chartreux, and where the general 
 chapter is held once in every year. It 
 is about eight leagues from Grenoble ; 
 among the most savage rocks, and gloomy 
 woods, you can imagine. The situation 
 inspires horror rather than pensiveness. 
 The monks are extremely hospitable, and 
 entertain strangers very well. They speak 
 only on particular days; but a pere coad- 
 iuteur is appointed to receive and to do 
 the honours to strangers, and the pere 
 general may always talk. They eat no 
 meat ; but they have fish of all sorts, 
 and garden-stuff. They are allowed to 
 drink wine, and the pere general sent me 
 a present of the best Burgundy I ever 
 tasted. They receive all strangers; and 
 there are separate apartments for the 
 English, French, Spaniards, &c. with a 
 large hall for each to dine in. The 
 building is immense, and near it are small 
 houses for all kinds of workmen. I lay 
 there ; and was as well entertained as it is
 
 l82 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 possible to be, with the best fish, bread, 
 butter, cheese, and wine. I ought to have 
 mentioned first the pious conversation of 
 the good fathers; which edified me greatly, 
 though not quite converted so obstinate a 
 lieretic as 013* dear Polly knows me to be. 
 Many of the fathers have lived much in 
 the gay world ; and are indeed truly gentle- 
 men, very polite and easy, and not in the 
 least peevish. Several of them were only 
 sons of great fortunes, who have volun- 
 tarily retired there. They have each a 
 bed-chamber, an antichamber, a cabinet, 
 and a garden ; with a variety of iron and 
 wooden instruments to make chairs, boxes, 
 &c. to amuse themselves. 
 
 There is a very old chapel dedicated to 
 the Virgin Mary, called St. Bruno's chapel 
 (the founder of the order). I: is a strange 
 aotio^ie buiWing, much higher among the 
 rocks than the present convent. The old 
 convent stood there ; but a great fragment 
 of the rock tumbling down, and crushing
 
 JOHN WILKES, KSft. 1 83. 
 
 several of the fathers, obliged the survivors 
 to build where the Chartreuse now stands. 
 The famous La Tr&ppe near Paris, which is 
 remarkable for its strictness, holds under 
 the Grande Chartreuse. I found it ex- 
 tremely cold, though it was the end of 
 July ; and there is almost perpetual rain 
 there. The road from Grenoble to it is 
 among rocks and over precipices, with fine 
 cascades tumbling down in a most roman- 
 tic manner % 
 
 * The following is a copy of the entry written 
 by Mr. Wilkes in the Album of the Grande Char- 
 treuse. 
 
 " I had the happiness of passing the entire day 
 of July 24, 1765, in this romantic place, with the. 
 good fathers of the Grande Chartreuse ; and I 
 reckon it among the most agreeable of ray life. I 
 was charmed with the hospitality and polit- ness 
 I met with, and edified by the conversation of the 
 pere general and the phe coadjutewr. The sav :..ge- 
 ness of the woods, the gloom of the rocks, and 
 the perfect solitude, conspire to make the mind
 
 184 MEsrorRS op 
 
 I found my good friend, lord Abing- 
 don, here; and we went together to see 
 Voltaire. I was charmed with the recep- 
 tion he gave me, and still more with the 
 fine sense and exquisite wit of his conver- 
 sation. He put me to the blush by the 
 many compliments he paid me ; and the 
 most generous offers he made me about 
 his printers, &c. I do not know when I 
 have been so highly entertained; but I 
 know, after all, that I had rather be with- 
 my dear girl than with the first wits or 
 beauties in the world. 
 
 I read in the foreign papers, as well as 
 the English, a variety of articles about, 
 myself, which amuse me. Every thing, 
 however trifling, which can regard a man 
 
 pensive, and to lull to rest all the turbulent guilty 
 passions of the soul. I felt much regret at leaving 
 the place and the good fathers, but I carry with me 
 the liveliest sense of their goodness. 
 
 " John Wilkes, Anglois.".
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 185 
 
 whose name has been so often printed, be- 
 comes interesting to the public. I let 
 the news-writers take my name in vain as 
 often as they please. They get by so 
 many paragraphs, and I am amused as 
 well as others with their nonsense. 
 
 Pray, my dearest Polly, write to me 
 every week ; and be assured of the unal- 
 terable affection of 
 
 your obliged father, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 LETTER XXIII. 
 
 Paris, Hotel de Saxe, Sept. 30, 1765. 
 MY DEAREST DAUGHTER, 
 
 After a tedious journey from Geneva, 
 I arrived at this capital of politeness and 
 luxury, yesterday morning at one. I am 
 now pretty well, but the two last days I
 
 l86 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 was out of order at Geneva. I dined at 
 the good baron's, and there were a thou- 
 sand inquiries after you. Every thing 
 there goes on in the same agreeable way. 
 The Parisians seem overjoyed to see again 
 a man who much admires their life and 
 gaiety. 
 
 I went yesterday to monsieur D'Espilly's- 
 to see mademoiselle La Vallerie ; but she 
 was gone out, as well as D'Espilly and his 
 wife. I expect her here this morning ; but 
 as the post goes out so early, you cannot 
 in this letter have any more news of her 
 than that she is well. 
 
 I would not delay by this first post pay- 
 ing my respects to my dearest Polly : by 
 the next you shall hear more. I have only 
 to add a truth above fifteen years old, 
 
 that I am your affectionate father, 
 
 John Wileies*
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 187 
 
 LETTER XXIV* 
 
 Hotel de Saxe,, Rue du Colombier, Nov. 1,1765. 
 
 I have just received my sweet Polly's 
 letter of October 22 from Clapham ; and 
 methinks I am sorry you have not yet got 
 into warm winter-quarters, at London. 
 There is in the country towards the end of 
 October a raw coldness in the air, which 
 to me was very disagreeable, and I thought 
 was a good deal corrected by the smoke 
 of the thousand fires blazing in town. I 
 therefore wished you rather in town ; and 
 above all in the town of Paris, because I 
 am there, and you neither dislike me nor 
 this sprighdy nation. 
 
 Among the many changes which are 
 daily taking place in our country, some 
 are talked of in which I am not a little in- 
 terested. The consequences I do not fully 
 know. In the mean time madaine Chan-
 
 l8S MEMOIRS OF 
 
 tereine and I talk much about our dear 
 miss Wilkes, and she would be very glad 
 of your company under her roof. I do 
 not yet know the result of some other 
 things yet in agitation in London, and 
 therefore at present take wary resolution ; 
 but I think that we shall not long be sepa- 
 rated. My first and fondest wish is, that 
 we may soon meet. 
 
 Mademoiselle La Vallerie has been ill for 
 a week ; and the whole artillery of medi- 
 cine, as usual, has been played off against 
 her, physicking, bleeding, &c. She is 
 still weak, but better. She desires her best 
 respects. 
 
 I live as usual here ; generally dining 
 out, and coming home in the evening to 
 read or scribble. I miss at Paris my dear- 
 est, most amiable, miss Wilkes ; and no- 
 thing makes up for that loss. My greatest 
 pleasure is to talk of you with your old 
 friends. Madame D'Holbach had your 
 letter, and was much pleased with it. The 
 baron and I are more intimate than ever..
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ.. 189 
 
 The young gentleman is very much 
 yours, and now comes of himself to warm 
 his little fingers. Monsieur Fossier dined 
 with me last week ; he sends his compli- 
 ments. Good night, 
 
 my dearest daughter ! 
 and believe me ever 
 your most affectionate father, 
 
 John Wilkes,
 
 I90 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 LETTERS TO MR. COTES. 
 
 Letter i. 
 
 Naples, March 25, 1765. 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I wrote to you just before I left Paris, 
 and again from Rome. I enclosed the 
 notes respecting yourself in our dear 
 friend's works, which will tell this age a* 
 least my sense of the many obligations I 
 have to you. I take it for granted our 
 rascally post-office stopped those private 
 letters, as the officers of the customs did 
 the public ones to my quondam consti- 
 tuents at Aylesbury. There is not a man 
 in Europe who writes to a friend under 
 the disadvantages T now do. I have reason 
 to fear the shadow of a pen ; yet I will per- 
 severe, in justice to myself, in love to my 
 country, in veneration to the memory of
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. I9I 
 
 poor Churchill. He told me, and the 
 world too, 
 
 Resolve not quick, but, once resolv'd, be strong. 
 
 I am following every part of the plan I 
 had concerted with him. I shall soon be 
 here in a philosophical retirement, such as 
 he admired ; in the bosom of philosophy 
 and patriotism, for so you will find it. I 
 came here upon principle- to dedicate my- 
 self to my two great works ; the edition of 
 his noble poetry, and my History. I have 
 taken a house in a healthy situation which 
 overlooks the town, and hope to be quietly 
 in it in a few days : It will cost me about 
 thirty-five pounds a-year, but I am obliged 
 to buy some furniture ; there is no such 
 thing as a ready-furnished house in this 
 country, and I need not tell you how ex- 
 pensive an inn is here. I shall live quietly 
 here without going into trie town, except 
 sometimes to see my old friend sir William 
 Stanhope ; and I will have no incumbrance 
 of any kind.
 
 1^2 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 I have not had one line from you since 
 I left Calais ; and I know no more of what 
 has happened in England since Christmas, 
 than of what has happened in China. I 
 mean, from authentic hands; for I see the 
 London Chronicle at sir William's, and 
 lord Chesterfield's letters. He says that all 
 great and noble-minded spirit is dead in 
 England, and that nothing now remains 
 but the love of the guinea ; a love, dear 
 Cotes, you and I never had enough of. 
 
 All the English at Turin, Florence, 
 Rome, and here, came to see me. I did 
 not go to sir Horace Mann's at Florence : 
 but sent my excuses by the French envoy, 
 to whom I had letters ; that it was not 
 from personal disrespect, but from the 
 peculiarity of my situation, that I did not 
 wait upon him, because I would not em- 
 barrass him. I sent the same kind of mes- 
 sage to Mr. Hamilton, the minister here, 
 both by his brother and sir William Stan- 
 hope. I have since met him at lady Or-
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESS. I93 
 
 ford's, and he thanked me for my civility 
 and attention. I was very particularly 
 careful in my journey from Paris quite to 
 Naples, to avoid every possibility of a 
 fracas in any country ; for I knew there 
 was not any where an English minister 
 who would give himself any trouble to see 
 justice done me against a native : and from 
 my prudence no accident happened. 
 
 The foreign gazettes are very imperti- 
 nently sending me into the service of half 
 the princes in Europe. I hope my friends 
 at home do me more justice, and think of 
 me as I do of myself, ever actually in the 
 service of England, and for my life un- 
 alienably attentive to my country. ,The 
 most unjust and cruel persecutions, the 
 most unmerited outlawries, shall never 
 warp my allegiance. I do not forget the 
 present page of our history, and a second 
 letter to the borough of Aylesbury shall 
 soon prove it # . 
 
 * He, however, did not write a second letter to 
 the borough of Aylesbury. 
 VOL. II. X.
 
 194 "MEMOIRS OP 
 
 I ask lord Mansfield's pardon ; for I was 
 several days at Rome, and never once saw 
 either the old Pretender or the cardinal of 
 York. 
 
 I wrote a letter to my cousin Mr. Nes- 
 bitt in relation to the History, which I am 
 very anxious about, and which had rela- 
 tion to a private letter he sent me to Ca- 
 lais. I desired him to consult you, but I 
 have heard nothing of what has been 
 done since. 
 
 I am entirely ignorant as to my private 
 affairs. My expences at leaving Paris, 
 and my journeys here, have cost me not a 
 little. I hear, from sir William Stanhope, 
 of a real legacy of ioool.; but I am still in 
 the dark as to the certainty of it. I mean 
 to go on as fast as possible to finish my 
 two great works in peace here ; and I hope 
 to eat my frugal morsel with content and 
 cheerfulness, though many a sigh and tear 
 escape me for the death of dear Churchill, 
 and the absence of miss Wilkes, you, lord
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESa. 1$$ 
 
 and lady Temple, and a few, very few, 
 more. 
 
 Pray remember me very respectfully to 
 lord and lady Temple, to Mr. Onslow, 
 the colonel, Mr. Fitzherbert, &c. Be so 
 good to write to me soon ; and let me 
 know what Jack Churchill wishes as to his 
 brother's works, and all the particulars I 
 mentioned in my letter from Calais. I 
 beg you to send me all my letters to poor 
 Churchill ; my prints of Hampden, Sid- 
 ney, &c. given me by Mr. Hollis, and 
 those of lord Temple and Mr. Pitt. 
 
 Remember me kindly at JByfleet, and 
 to Jack *. 
 
 I am ever, dear Cotes, 
 
 gratefully and affectionately yours, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 i ...,- 
 
 * His natural son, John Smith. 
 
 X %
 
 I$5 MEMOIRS 07 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 Naples, May 21, 1765. 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I need not say to you that no man is 
 less disposed to peevishness than I am. 
 Nature has favoured me with tolerable 
 dispositions ; which I have not been un- 
 careful to cultivate, in a good measure for 
 my own peace and quiet. Yet I own that 
 I have experienced as many vexations as 
 most men of my age. The loss of 
 Churchill I shall always reckon the most 
 cruel of all the afflictions I have suffered : 
 I will soon convince mankind that I knew 
 how to value such superior genius and 
 merit. 
 
 My absence from England, miss Wilkes, 
 you, and a few more, I often lament with 
 tears. Methinks you should soften it by
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. I97 
 
 letters as frequently as you can. I have 
 not had a line from you since the begin- 
 ning of December; and am entirely in the 
 dark as to all the particulars I wrote about 
 from Calais, relative to the public, to the 
 care of Churchill's works, and to my own, 
 private affairs. I know not what arrange- 
 ments of any kind have been taken : whe- 
 ther I am to draw for any thing from 
 hence, or whether there is nothing left, I 
 am still in a cruel uncertainty. I know 
 nothing likewise of what was left unpaid 
 to Foley and Panchaud at Paris. 
 
 I have seen scarcely any company here, 
 except sir William Stanhope and lady 
 Orford. I live alone, and write or read, 
 ten hours a-day regularly. I have more 
 than half finished the projected edition of 
 Churchill ; and my thoughts now turn to- 
 wards the printing it, which I find cannot 
 be done here. My History at times has 
 been a relief to me from the other work. 
 I wait to receive from England the various
 
 198 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 pamphlets published relative to poor 
 Churchill, which I see advertised in the 
 papers. I shall be ready before winter to 
 set the press to work for our dear friend's 
 valuable Remains ; and if I am left in the 
 dark as much as I am at present, I shall 
 go to Geneva or Lausanne, or Amsterdam, 
 and publish a first edition, leaving it to 
 a second to rectify the mistakes which my 
 long absence from England may have oc- 
 casioned. I am ever intent on doing ho- 
 nour to the memory of a departed friend 
 whom I most dearly loved, and all the 
 services to my native country which are 
 in the reach of my poor abilities. You, 
 lord Temple, and a few more, will find 
 the just tribute of praise which the public 
 and I owe to you: Bute, Holland, and 
 Sandwich, will see that I think of them 
 just as I did in England. 
 
 I have no diversions here of any kind, 
 but the little company I have mentioned. 
 I am now quite alone, for mademoiselle 
 Corradini and her mother are gone from
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESGU I99 
 
 Naples; though the world had as little 
 to do with my amusements as with our 
 friend's. My countrymen will see in a 
 few months how well I have been em- 
 ployed, and how steady I am in every 
 cause in which I am engaged ; for I thinly 
 the Notes * are really good. 
 
 I beg you to remember me very affec- 
 tionately to our agreeable friends at By- 
 fleet -, and to Jack -f, when you write to 
 him. 
 
 I am told of changes' in the ministry, 
 and that some of the friends of liberty are 
 likely to be' employed. I shall rejoice at 
 every change, because lam sure that it must 
 be for the better. 1 am still devoted to the 
 good old cause :' and if those few whom I 
 love and trust can shew me how I cart 
 serve it, I shall be ready at a moment's 
 
 notice to sacrifice every thing to it, either 
 
 ' i ' ' ' ' " ' >* 
 
 * On Churchill : all which (as far as Mr. Wilke* 
 proceeded in them) are inserted in the third voluro* 
 of the present work. 
 
 f His natural son.
 
 200 MEMOIRS 
 
 here or in any part of the world ; and I 
 desire you would, my dear friend, repeat 
 it to those in whom you confide. 
 
 This is my fourth letter to you since I 
 have been transalpine. I hope soon to re- 
 ceive one from you, long and full. Be 
 assured, dearest Cotes, no man loves you 
 better ; no friend will ever be more true, 
 more grateful ; than 
 
 your affectionate and obliged 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 The famous abbe Winckelman, super- 
 intendant of the antiquities of Rome, has 
 sent me an antique sepulchral urn of ala- 
 baster. I have inscribed it to my dear 
 Churchill * 
 
 - * The inscription will be found in vol. iii. page 
 67, of the present work.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. $01 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 Naples, May 28, 1765. 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I have wrote to you several times since 
 I left Paris, but without once having the 
 favour of a line from you. I am entirely 
 ignorant of all public and private affairs (I 
 except only what relates to my daughter), 
 which is no small part of my present vexa- 
 tion. I look forward, however, to better 
 times ; and feel a resource in my old for- 
 titude, adequate to every affliction but 
 the death of Churchill and the absence of 
 a very few. 
 
 I breathe the same spirit of liberty even 
 in this land of slaves ; and am ready, when- 
 ever the standard of liberty is set up, to 
 fight under it, though not quite so near as 
 some of you may. As to the Scottish mi- 
 nister, I remain the same : I did all I could 
 
 * 5
 
 loa MEMOIRS OF 
 
 to drive the boars out of the garden ; I am 
 ready again should they get in, as I hear 
 they will. I desire you to say so to all 
 you converse with who are joined in the 
 common cause. 
 
 I have never heard any thing of my pri- 
 vate affairs. I have not drawn upon you : 
 but I must next Saturday, for 50 1. 4 s. yd. 
 which I received of the marquis Belloni 
 at Rome (a great banker), and he will have 
 a bill on you at ten-days sight. If my 
 affairs are in your hands, I beg you for 
 my honour and that of our country to ac- 
 cept it. If they are not, I trust to your 
 friendship, that you will give directions 
 for the acceptance and the payment. It is 
 no considerable affair. 
 
 I have told you fully about our dear 
 friend's works and the Notes relative to 
 yourself, as likewise of my History. I do 
 not know your sentiments on any of these 
 heads; but I am sure you and the public 
 will approve what I shall soon submit to
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ* SOJ 
 
 you both. No man has ever taken more 
 pains that Notes, a dull business of itself,, 
 may not disgrace his fair classic page; 
 
 I told you in my last that I am here 
 quite alone ; wishing to return to my native 
 country with honour and dignity ; ever 
 devoted to it, and to the few elect sons 
 of virtue, and consequently, my dearest 
 friend, 
 
 yours very sincerely, 
 
 John Wilkrsw 
 
 LETTER IV* 
 
 Geneva, August 18, ijtf^ 
 MY DEAR COTES, 
 
 I had a letter from Heaton by the last 
 post, in which he tells me of a very long; 
 one you had favoured me with*. I have 
 not, however, yet the happiness of re*- 
 ceiving it*
 
 ao4 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 I congratulate you most heartily on the 
 important changes now carrying on. I 
 hope all the boars are drove out of the fair 
 garden of England. 
 
 Heaton asks me several questions; I 
 know not by what authority, nor on what 
 foundation. If I am to give my opinion, 
 Constantinople is by far the most eligible. 
 Perhaps he is only amusing himself and me. 
 
 As to all my proceedings here concern- 
 ing the press, I promise you that at present 
 nothing shall appear, nor even any friend 
 get a copy. I will mar nothing by pre- 
 cipitation. I am ready ; but I wait for an- 
 other opportunity. I fear to do harm, and 
 I do not even wish to irritate. 
 
 I beg you to remember me very affec- 
 tionately to all your family, and to dear 
 Jack. I am ever, my dearest friend, very 
 warmly and gratefully yours, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 Voltaire is obliging to me beyond all 
 expression.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESft. 20$ 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 Geneva, Sept. si, 1765. 
 MY DEAR COTES, 
 
 I have not yet the favour of the long 
 letter you promised me, nor indeed of any 
 from you since the short one of July the 
 10th. I have just now one from my bro- 
 ther Heaton, and I think that I ought not 
 to be so far from the scene of action. 
 
 I intend therefore to set out to-morrow 
 for Paris, and I hope to be there by the 
 last day of this month. 
 
 I shall answer your letter the moment it 
 comes to my hands. I beg you to direct 
 to me a V hotel de Saxe, Rue du Cobmbier, 
 Fauxbourg 67. Germain, a Paris. 
 
 My best compliments attend Mrs. Cotes, 
 and all your family. 
 
 I am ever, my dearest friend, 
 
 yours most affectionately, 
 
 John Wilkes.
 
 aod MEMOIRS OF 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 Paris, Hotel dc Saxe, Sept. 30, 1765, 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I have just time to tell you that I ar- 
 rived here early yesterday morning from 
 Geneva ; and am indeed very happy in the 
 thought that I am once more near my na- 
 tive London, and such a friend as you. 
 
 I am most impatient to receive the long 
 letter you promised me. I have many im- 
 portant ideas revolving in this busy mind, 
 but I wait for your letter before I take my 
 resolutions. 
 
 I have always had it in my view that I 
 might possibly be obliged again to put to 
 sea as a political writer. My studies and 
 my thoughts have many months been di- 
 rected to that point ; and I have abundant 
 store of constitutional materials drawn
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 207 
 
 from history, the classics, &c. Perhaps, 
 however, another fate awaits me. I cannot 
 tell what the womb of fate is big with ; 
 but I know that nothing can ever change 
 me from being, with truth and gratitude, 
 
 your affectionate friend, 
 
 and humble servant, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 LETTER VII. 
 
 Paris, Hotel de Saxe, Rue du Colombier, 
 Monday, Oct. 7, 1765. 
 
 MY DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 I have had the pleasure several times 
 of seeing Mr. Home, and I thank you 
 heartily for so valuable an acquaintance. 
 He did not know of my being here, and 
 therefore sent your packet of letters to me
 
 208 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 at Geneva. They are not yet come back ; 
 and therefore I shall not say one word of 
 politics, but that I am ever true and un- 
 daunted in the cause of the public. I have 
 prepared several things. 
 
 The affidavit of D'Eon being sworn be- 
 fore Humphrey Cotes, make all letters to 
 the address of that worthy gentleman most 
 suspicious in this kingdom. 1 beg you 
 therefore, by the return of post, to give 
 me an address to .you under a feigned 
 name, and at another part of the town. I 
 wish you to write to me a mademoiselle, 
 mademoiselle Prochasson, cbez monsieur D'Es- 
 pilly, libraire, rue St. Jacques, a Paris ; and 
 let the direction be always in a woman's 
 hand : you need not put the letter in a 
 cover. Pray give me a line in this man- 
 ner by the return of the post ; and believe 
 me, with the truest warmth of friendship, 
 
 your obliged friend, and 
 
 humble servant, 
 
 John Wilkes.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 209 
 
 A most worthy friend of mine, monsieur 
 Tollot of Geneva, is so obliging to take 
 care of this letter. 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 
 Paris, Hotel de Saxe, Rue du Colombier, 
 Sunday, October 13, 1765. 
 
 MY DEAREST FRIEND, 
 
 I have this afternoon your very kind 
 letter of the 8th, and I must leave you to 
 imagine the impatience of my soul for the 
 long one you mention by Mr. Home. I 
 have often seen that gentleman, and I give 
 you my repeated thanks for so valuable an 
 acquaintance. He is still at Paris, and we 
 are much together. My letters are not 
 yet come back from Geneva ; as I men- 
 tioned before, that he put them in the post 
 here for me. You see therefore I cannot
 
 2IO MEMOIRS OP 
 
 yet take notice of any thing contained in 
 them. 
 
 I wrote to you a private letter by mon- 
 sieur Tollot, a gentleman of Geneva. 
 There is a circumstance in that, which I 
 beg you to answer immediately ; and thea 
 I will write to my beloved Humphrey very 
 fully. 
 
 I am still in the same idea as to Con- 
 stantinople : nothing can so effectually heal 
 all breaches of every kind. When you 
 consider what passed as to the brother 
 of a certain man not an Englishman *, I 
 believe the person you mention may be 
 brought to yield to it. You, who are on 
 the spot, can best judge of this. There is 
 nothing I so much wish, on every account 
 my busy mind can suggest to me. 
 
 * This alludes to the dismission of Mr. Stuart 
 Mackenzie, lord Bute's brother, from his post of 
 privy seal of Scotland, in May 1765, notwithstand- 
 ing the royal promise that he should hold it for 
 life.
 
 JOHN WJLKES, ESa. 211 
 
 When I hear from you in answer to 
 monsieur Tollot's letter *, I shall mention 
 some other things to you. In the mean 
 time pray assure lord Temple of the 
 warmest and most inviolable attachment 
 on my part ; and need I add, dearest 
 Cotes, that love of your excellent and 
 amiable qualities, (as well as gratitude,) will 
 ever continue me your sincere and affec- 
 tionate friend, 
 
 John Wilkes ? 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 Hotel de Saxe, Rue du Colombier> 
 Sunday, October 27, 1765. 
 
 MY DEAR COTES, 
 
 I read with very particular satisfaction 
 your letter of the 18th, and am greatly in- 
 debted to you for the sincere marks of 
 
 1, 1 1. 1 ., 1 , *. 
 
 * The letter carried by monsieur Tollot.
 
 212 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 true friendship with which it abounds. I 
 regret that the English post is not yet ar- 
 rived, and therefore that I cannot have 
 all the eclaircissements I wish and want. 
 The idea of an annual sum of one thou- 
 sand pounds being to be paid to me, does 
 not captivate my imagination. You men- 
 tion that you do not yet learn upon what 
 establishment, or fund, it is to be granted ; 
 and you desire me to write a letter for 
 you to deliver to them, without mention- 
 ing, or even leaving me to guess, who. 
 
 You avoid, my dear friend, the word 
 pension, with great care : yet I believe the 
 world would rather consider such a grant 
 only in that light, though I should myself 
 look upon it as paying very poorly all the 
 costs of suit due to me. Wood's fine 
 what jury would condemn Halifax to, 
 now general warrants are exploded even 
 by Mansfield ? I do not know upon 
 what public ground this ministry stands ; 
 nor what stipulations are made for assert-
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 213 
 
 ing the clear rights of every English- 
 man, so grossly invaded. I have a most 
 kind and friendly letter of Mr. Onslow's ; 
 yet it is couched in general expressions, 
 and all private intelligence is very disad- 
 vantageous to the present powers. No- 
 thing has yet been done ; and I am afraid, 
 in the bargain for the honours of the state, 
 that the good of it was never thought of 
 by the majority of the present gentlemen. 
 I am an insignificant individual ; but I 
 have given much time and attention to 
 these subjects, and I know what ought to be 
 done, and what the nation expects should 
 be done : I have digested my thoughts 
 very carefully, and I intend to give them 
 to the public the first day of the meeting 
 of parliament. How the ministry will like 
 them, I very little care : every whig must, 
 I am sure, approve ; and I think I am se- 
 cure of every friend of my country (not 
 embarked with either party) giving Trie 
 applause. I wait for an opportunity of
 
 I4 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 answering our Surry friend's letter in a 
 more particular manner than I choose by 
 the post. 
 
 I have never yet heard who the present 
 ministry are: I believe the Scot is the 
 breath of their nostrils. It depends how- 
 ever on them, whether Mr. Wilkes is their 
 friend or their enemy. If he starts as the 
 latter, he will lash them with scorpion 
 rods, and they are already prepared: I 
 wish, however, we may be friends ; and I 
 had rather follow the plan I had marked 
 out in my letter from Geneva *. In all 
 cases I shall wait to hear your opinion ; and 
 I shall see what that great chapter in the 
 book, the chapter of accidents, produces 
 before the meeting of the house. I de- 
 sire, however, you would let it be under- 
 stood by the present ministry, that if we 
 are not good friends on public grounds, 
 I am their determined implacable enemy, 
 
 * Page 204, above.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESft. 21$ 
 
 ready to give the stab where it will wound 
 the most. I repeat, however, I wish we 
 may be friends in earnest ; and if we are, 
 I will give every assistance that such 
 mean abilities as mine can afford them, 
 and they know how indefatigable I am in 
 every cause I undertake. I leave you, 
 my dear Cotes, to negociate all these mat- 
 ters : I know the goodness of your head 
 and of your heart. The experience of your 
 excellent understanding, and the friend- 
 ship you have shewn me on every occa- 
 sion, make me trust this with entire confi- 
 dence in your hands. Be assured of the 
 warmest returns of gratitude from your 
 
 most affectionate friend and 
 
 humble servant, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 I received the letters Mr. Home sent to 
 Geneva : they were the highest entertain- 
 ment to me. My sincere respects to Mr. 
 Fitzherbert, and sir William Baker.
 
 2l6 MEMOIRS O? 
 
 Am I to draw on you, or how is that to 
 be ; and for what sum, &c. &c. &c^? 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 Paris, Rue des Sts. Peres, Dec. 4, 1765. 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 . I embrace with pleasure this opportu- 
 nity of writing to you by a friend, and 
 opening myself fully to you. I received 
 your letter of November 8, from mademoi- 
 selle La Vallerie ; and it is the only one I 
 have received unopened. I waited till last 
 week for the subsequent letter you pro- 
 mised me : but that not arriving, I con- 
 cluded that your cruel gout still kept pos- 
 session of his old quarters; and in the 
 greatest uncertainty I wrote to Mr. Fitz- 
 herbVrt. I had two letters from Heaton ; 
 but they were too obscure as to the offers
 
 JOHTf WILKES, ESS. %If 
 
 inade mc, than to be any guide to me. I 
 have yet no answer from Mr. Fitzherbert. 
 I am the only Englishman here who \i 
 visited by Mr. Walpole, the banker. He 
 corresponds with Pitt, which is a most 
 unusual grace to him, from the best orator 
 and the worst letter-writer of our age. I 
 grieve at the coldness between lord Tem- 
 ple and Pitt. I wish that, like most bosoni 
 friendships, it does not end in an invete- 
 rate hatred. George Grenville had better 
 have continued as he was ****#****#**, 
 I foresee all the consequences of a disunion 
 between lord Temple and Mr. Pitt ; and 
 there is nothing I desire so earnestly to 
 hear of as their reconciliation. United they 
 were too weak against the favourite. Se- 
 parated I fear both will be undone. I beg 
 you to tell lord Temple from me how 
 much I am devoted to him ; and that my 
 mean faculties shall ever be exerted in any 
 manner he wishes, and will vouchsafe to 
 prescribe. 
 
 VOL. II. Cr
 
 2l8 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 Nothing can so effectually do the busi- 
 ness of the favourite as tire quarrel of the 
 two brothers. Pitt's application of the 
 lines from Virgil, Extincti te, neque, &c. 
 went to my heart, and seemed prophetic. 
 ' < I begin to think that I am doomed to 
 an eternal exile, or that I must force my 
 way home. Suppose I return immediately ? 
 Will this ministry dare to let the law take 
 place ? A pillory in my case would be 
 worse than the business of the weavers, 
 which so much alarmed the first persons 
 of the nation. If the ministers do not find 
 employment for me, I am disposed to lind 
 employment for them. As the term does 
 not open till the end of January, Mans- 
 field in no case could pass sentence before 
 that time, and the spirit cf the people is 
 too high to let me suffer in a cause of 
 their own. I am much inclined to this 
 step of coming over directly, yet certa ; nly 
 not against the op-nion of my best friends. 
 I wish they would weigh the case, and give 
 me their opinion.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 21$ 
 
 I am got into lodgings of my own, and 
 will endeavour to i>e as good an cecono- 
 mist as my villainous nature will let me. 
 It is time to take up and grow inde- 
 pendent: but one thing is necessary for 
 you and me. I have waited to hear from 
 you on the subject of my private affairs, 
 and to know if you could send me a letter 
 of credit, or in what manner Wood's 
 business was settled, or Fitzherbert's of- 
 fer, or any other plan. Living here not 
 in an hotel garnie and privately, icool. a 
 year would soon make me easy and inde- 
 pendent, as well as pay my debts in time ; 
 and you may imagine I have some here, 
 which I should be very glad to settle. 
 Such is the state of my exile and out- 
 lawry. 
 
 I went to pay my duty to the duke of 
 Richmond, and had the most kind recep- 
 tion from his grace and the duchess. 
 The duke and lord George Lenox have 
 been, since that time, to return my visit. 
 l %
 
 A20 MEMOIRS OP 
 
 I have a very long note on that passage 
 of my ever honoured Churchill, 
 
 " She could not starve, if there was only Clive;" 
 I have laboured it much, but it will re- 
 main locked up among my papers, from 
 the fear of hurting Jack * I have sent 
 you a variety of MSS. and printed papers. 
 I know not what you have received. Have 
 you that about Calcraft which is done with 
 much care ? If you have not, I will send 
 it to you. If I wanted money, colonel 
 Keene hinted to me, that I might have 
 what I would from him : that is, he would 
 buy me off. I have nobly served him up. 
 How pleased is the dear shade of our 
 friend with all I have done ! I am sure 
 of it. 
 
 Would it be allowed, if I asked it, to 
 teal over privately to see miss Wilkes, to 
 talk with you, lord Temple, Mr. Fitzher- 
 beir, &c. ? Nothing would alarm the pre- 
 
 * Hi. natural sou.
 
 JOHN WILKES, ES. 221 
 
 sent ministers so much as the idea of my 
 coming to London ; nothing perhaps would 
 so much advance my affairs. 
 
 You may always safely write to me 
 under the cover of Mademoiselle La Val~ 
 Jerky chez monsieur D'Espfly, a la croix d'or, 
 Rue St. Jacques', sometimes her other name, 
 mademoiselle La Prochasson, would be as 
 well. She brings me those letters without 
 Opening them. 
 
 I beg you to remember me with much 
 affection to Mrs. Cotes, and to all your 
 firmly. 
 
 I am ever, my dearest friend, 
 
 your moat affectionate and obliged 
 
 John WiLkes.
 
 Ill MEMOiftS Q 
 
 LETTER XI. 
 
 Paris, Rue de Sts. Peres, Jan. 1, 1766. 
 MY DEAREST FRIEND, 
 
 Your letter of the 20th of December I 
 received unopened. It has filled my heart 
 with anguish on your own account and 
 Mrs. Cotes's. I have a glimpse of hope for 
 you in the reconciliation of lord Temple 
 and Mr. Pitt, but 1 tremble for what I 
 hear of your excellent wife. I cannot go 
 on with such a subject. 
 
 I wait with much impatience for your 
 full v advice respecting myself and your 
 own destination. I shall take my resolu- 
 tions accordingly. I am here in a situation 
 which you may guess at. Mr. Fkzherbert 
 has not paid one shilling on my account to 
 Mr. Foley, nor to any man. As you have 
 received Wood's ioool. I beg you to send 
 me immediately some kind of remittance,
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ.. t4 
 
 and pay what you mention only in part* 
 just at present. What am I to do other- 
 wise ? I have not received, my dear Cotes, 
 one shilling the whole year 1765. Surely 
 you can manage something for me, and 
 directly. What am I otherwise to do ? 
 
 I have no answer from George Onslow* 
 Mr. Fitzherbert shewed my refusal to Mr. 
 Foley, and of consequence would not pay 
 him the draft I had given Foley, on the 
 supposition of the grant of 1000 1. being 
 in an honourable way according to the 
 former declarations, and the letter to Hea- 
 ton. I am in great distress, and Foley is 
 much out of humour. I beg to hear from 
 you on this too, by the return of the post* 
 
 If I can find any safe opportunity, you 
 shall hear fully from me. You have never 
 sent me the direction I desired. I beg you 
 to tell Mrs. Cotes her illness has given me 
 the sincerest concern, for she has no friend 
 who esteems her more, than I do. Fray 
 rememher me kindly in your letters ta
 
 *H MEMOIRS OF 
 
 Jack ; and be assured, rny dearest Hum- 
 phrey, that 1 wiii ever remain 
 
 your affectionate and 
 
 faithful friend, 
 
 John Wilkes* 
 
 LETTER. XII. 
 
 Paris, Rue de Sts. Peres, Feb. 15, tytffc 
 MY DEAREST COTES, 
 
 I hate not been favoured with one line 
 from you since the 8th of January, when 
 you were so good as to enclose me a copy of 
 Fitzherbert's letter to you, but yours to 
 Jiim I have not yet seen. I wrote to you 
 immediately after the death of our excel- 
 lent friend, but I have not had any answer 
 to that letter. I am never disposed ta 
 be peevish, but I cannot but more and 
 ihorc lament the cruel situation in which
 
 JOHN WILKES, E6Q. 525 
 
 I am ; entirely ignorant of what is most 
 necessary for me to know, and scarcely 
 one friendly star left to point out my way. 
 I have not received one shilling, nor 
 3Mr. Foley for me. I am in debt here, 
 and you know that the whole of last year 
 and this you have not sent me any thing 
 out of the management of my private 
 estates : I mean those for life. It was im- 
 possible for me to come to England with- 
 out a remittance at that time. You must 
 know Paris better. I borrowed sixty gui- 
 neas of Mr. Walpole, who lent them with 
 a good grace. I have frad great profes- 
 sions of friendship from several of the pre- 
 sent, or perhaps I ought to say of the late, 
 ministry ; but they have been no more 
 than professions. My pardon I believe has 
 never been asked, nor any thing else ; and 
 I find no man hardy enough to run great 
 risks for me. Mr. Fitzherbert and a few 
 more have it not in their power, though I 
 am satisfied it is warmly in their inclina-
 
 Il6 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 tion ; and if tlev could they would. not 
 hesitate to grant me the locol. per annum, 
 on the Irish estabii^iment for thirty years, 
 which I wrote you word Walpole pro- 
 posed. 
 
 I hear from every quarter that lord 
 Temple and Mr. Pitt are entirely sepa- 
 rated ; and that when Mr. Pitt made the 
 American speech, lord Temple was in the 
 house under the gallery, and made use of 
 the same expressions against his brother- 
 in-law, which he used against his brother 
 George in the same place three years ago. 
 I hear that Bedford, Sandwich, Halifax, 
 &c. are united with lord Temple and 
 George Grenville. 
 
 I conversed with the duke of Richmond 
 for two hours on Tuesday at lady Berkeley's, 
 who confirmed this to me. Judge of my 
 impatience to hear the truth of these 
 strange reports from you. I am told that 
 a resolution was formed that Mansfield 
 would confine me for life on account of
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 11^ 
 
 the Essay on Woman, besides a pillory. I 
 do not wish to mix that cause with the 
 other. 
 
 You have never mentioned what de- 
 tached parts of the notes of our ever dear 
 Churchill you have received. I have print- 
 ed a great deal separately. Several of the 
 notes no one person has seen ; others I have 
 given to a very few. Let me know what 
 you have. 
 
 Pray let me hear fully from you, my 
 dear friend, and believe me, with the ut- 
 most warmth of friendship and gratitude,. 
 
 ever yours, 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 I beg you to assure lord and lady Tent- 
 pie of my highest regards.
 
 228 'MEMOIRS OF 
 
 LETTER XIII. 
 
 Paris, Rue de Sts. Peres, July 6, 176^ 
 MY DEAR COTES, 
 
 I have waited with much impatience 
 the accomplishment of the promise you 
 gave me in Holies-street of being very 
 soon at Parjs. Your ten days are ten days 
 worthy of Daniel himself, yet I trust you 
 did not mean weeks. 
 
 I am exactly in the same situation a> 
 when I left England, only more disagree- 
 ably as to my private affairs. It is high 
 time every tiling was settled as well as we 
 can, and I wish to set my shoulders to so 
 necessary a work. I shewed you in Holies- 
 street what I h:;d done ; and I earnestly 
 beg you, if your own business does not 
 bring you directly into this kingdom, to 
 send me an account of what has passed 
 through your hands, and I will settle alt
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ. 2Q 
 
 to our mutual satisfaction. Neither of us 
 mean any more indiscretions ; we will be 
 prudent, and laugh at all our enemies. 
 
 I am very ill treated in the History of 
 the Minority. I am sure Almon has had a 
 hand in it : but he has had great helps. 
 Every thing is offered up to the shrine of 
 Stowe. I will not however be a passive 
 victim; 1 will do myself justice in print, 
 and contradict the gross falshoods respect- 
 ing me in that history. I will try to 
 make some of your new friends smart. I 
 love lord Temple, and I will suppose he is 
 not concerned in the injuries done me in 
 the History ; though it could not be wrote 
 without his connivance, at least ; I hear, 
 indeed, that it comes out by his order. I 
 beg you to explain all this to me, and as 
 goon as you can. 
 
 Your letters had better be directed under 
 cover A monsieur D'Espilly, Ubraire^ a la 
 croix cCcr, Rue St. jfu^ues, a Paris ; or they 
 will be opened-
 
 $3 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 My dear daughter is perfectly well, and 
 desires her compliments to you. 
 
 I am yours most sincerely 
 
 and affectionately, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 LETTER XIV. 
 
 Paris, Rue de Sts. Peres, July ao, 1766. 
 MY DEAR COTES, 
 
 I cannot express to you the satisfac- 
 tion your letter of the 15th has given me, 
 and I am persuaded all our friends in the 
 city partake it, for I suppose there are 
 gloomy faces enough in the western parts 
 of the metropolis. I beg you to make my 
 best compliments to lord Temple on this 
 occasion. His lordship knows so well my 
 Way of thinking, relative to the public, 
 that I have not one word to add, but that
 
 50HN WILKES, ESG. 23 I 
 
 I am sure I shall now have justice done to 
 myself, as well as to the great cause in 
 which I have been so deeply embarked,' 
 and for which I have been so long and so 
 great a sufferer. I hope a full and free 
 pardon will immediately be granted me, 
 and that I shall have leave to return to Eng- 
 land by the nrst post. I shall wait, my 
 dear Cotes, for your directions, and I 
 think we now can neither of us fail of 
 being happy : you merit it I am sure from 
 every intrinsic good quality of your own; 
 I from having been so long unhappy, un- 
 happy too from my love of liberty and my 
 country. 
 
 I am exceedingly pleased with the eclair- 
 cis semens you give me as to the History of 
 the Minority. I wonder after all how the 
 author got at some secrets; and I am sure 
 he has had good helps, and many addi- 
 tional touches *. 
 
 * He never had one he p, nor any additional 
 
 touches.
 
 23* MEMOIRS OF 
 
 You may guess my impatience for the 
 letter you kindly promise me by the next 
 post. Lord Temple may now make me 
 happy : perhaps he cannot at home, till 
 things are more firmly settled. I wished 
 to have gone to Constantinople, I would 
 go to Quebec, and perhaps, in the mean 
 way, I might be useful there. If I am to 
 be left to my ill-starred fate, pray let me 
 know it ; and I will never be troublesome 
 to those I love. I beg your letters may 
 come in the way your last did. 
 
 Believe me ever, my dear friend, with 
 true affection, 
 
 yours most sincerely, 
 
 John Wilkes.
 
 XOHtf- WILKES, ESQ* 233 
 
 LETTER 3tV. 
 
 Paris, Rue dc Sts. Peres, Nov. 27, 1766.; 
 DEAR COTES, 
 
 I wrote you a long letter on my ar- 
 rival at Calais, and hoped before this to 
 have heard from you about the public, 
 about our worthy friends, about yourself, 
 about me, &c. I find by Heaton, who had 
 it from Beardmore, that lord Temple is 
 extremely pleased that I did not write to 
 lord Chatham. I have the same satisfaction 
 from the public at large ; and I am so far 
 happy, that my conduct is warmly ap- 
 proved by all the true friends of liberty. 
 I trust that my restoration will soon follow 
 the applause I have met with from many 
 quarters. 
 
 Can you assist me, my dear friend, in 
 my private affairs ? I would not impor- 
 tune you if I could avoid it. I endeavour 
 
 vol. 11. *x
 
 234 MEMOIRS OF 
 
 to manage as well as I can, and keep up a 
 kind of dignity, looking forwards for my 
 dear daughter. In a year or two that will 
 be a most serious business ; and she is all 
 I wish her. I am very easy about her 
 from the Red-lion-court family, for she 
 has no rival there. I have, as well as you, 
 struggled through many difficulties, and I 
 hope we shall at last ride both triumphant. 
 I am entirely in the dark as to all proceed- 
 ings since I left England; I beg to know 
 the state of them minutely, that I may- 
 bring every thing into order as well as I 
 can. 
 
 I wish to know what passed at the be- 
 ginning of the session. Will the three bro- 
 ihers be reconciled ? Such is the expecta- 
 tion of the public here. Perhaps it is the 
 only way of securing stability to any 
 administration. 
 
 Pray tell me the sentiments of the pub- 
 lic about the present set of ministers, about 
 Use return of one Mr. Wilkes to Paris,
 
 JOHN WILKES, ESQ,. 235 
 
 about the conduct of the duke of Grafton 
 to him, &c. &c. 
 
 My sincere respects attend the good 
 earl and countess. 
 
 I am ever, dear Cotes *, your friend, 
 
 John Wilkes. 
 
 * In February 1767 Mr. Cotes became a bank- 
 rupt. 
 
 END OF THE SECOND VOLUME.
 
 Nichols and Sok, Printers, 
 Eed-Lion-Paflage, Fleet-Street. 
 
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