Lady Rich is happy in dear Sir Robert's absence, and the polite Mr.Holt's return to his allegiance, who, though in a treaty of marriage with one of the prettiest girls in town (Lady Jane Wharton), appears better with her than ever.

Lady Betty Manners is on the brink of matrimony with a Yorkshire Mr.Monckton of L3,000 per annum: it is a match of the young duchess's making, and she thinks matter of great triumph over the two coquette beauties, who can get nobody to have and to hold; they are decayed to a piteous degree and so neglected that they are grown constant and particular to the two ugliest fellows in London.

Mrs.Pulteney condescends to be publicly kept by the noble Earl of Cadogan; whether Mr.Pulteney has a pad nag deducted out of the profits for his share I cannot tell, but he appears very well satisfied with it.

This is, I think, the whole state of love; as to that of wit, it splits itself into ten thousand branches; poets increase and multiply to that stupendous degree, you see them at every turn, even in embroidered coats and pink-coloured top-knots; making verses is almost as common as taking snuff, and God can tell what miserable stuff people carry about in their pockets, and offer to their acquaintances, and you know one cannot refuse reading and taking a pinch.

This is a very great grievance, and so particularly shocking to me, that I think our wise lawgivers should take it into consideration, and appoint a fast-day to beseech Heaven to put a stop to this epidemical disease, as they did last year for the plague with great success." Another typical letter from Lady Mary contains a story of the class that strongly appealed to her: "The most diverting story about town at present is in relation to Edgcombe; though your not knowing the people concerned so well as I do, will, I fear hinder you from being so much entertained by it.