332 THE WENTWORTH PAPERS.
first speech and came off very well. There were some re- parties between him and My Lord Sunderland, for upon his saying- that a malicious faction had stirr'd up everything to hinder the peace, and when it was made, to run it down, the other said there might be faction in a ministr}' with as much more danger as they had more power in their hands.
[Peter Wextworth.]
London, May 8, 1713. Dear Brother,
- * * *
We have no news here but of the Duke D'Omond's {sic) Ball last night, and Masquerade. The entertainment was very fine, but the masquers very dirty and shaby, for most of them were the Duke's own family, and the English are not enough used to the thing, nor had not timely notice to have any habits. There's a gentleman came to see me yesterday to tell me of the finest purchase in England, a noble seat cost above twenty thousand pounds, and will be thrown in for nothing, the whole purchase is but forty thousand pounds, and may be your half way house into Yorkshire, lying near Northampton ; and he hears the mony you have with my Lady is to be laid out in land
[Lady Wextworth.]
May 12, 17 13.
.... What would I give to see Statt5Ta and Roxseany together.* My neic Pye and her husband and children goes to day to Twitnam, they have taken a hous thear, and soe my
ncaphew Pecter Batthurst has dun Did I ever tel you
the church is fallen down, and the fat minister is dead and Docter Pratt, he that taught the Duke of Gloster, is minister .? Soe before it fel he preached one sarment in it, but would
- Lady Strafford had just joined her husband at the Hague. On
April 10 Lady Wentworth wrote that she had sent to Ireland for a wolf's tooth, for her granddaughter Lady Anne — " none ever breeds their teeth ill that has a wolfs tooth. I had one for all you."
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