282 THE WENTWORTH PAPERS.
could get noe labour, nor place to dwell, have slaughtered above twelve thousand sheep and other cattel. My Lord Northampton is made constable of the Tower, and this day the bill of recruits pass'd by commission with two private bills. The Duke of Ormond talks of going next week.*
��[Peter Wentworth.]
London, March 28, 1712. Dear Brother,
.... The Duke of Shrewsbury will be declar'd very soon Lieut, of Ireland. They have done with the talk of your being master of the horse, but make you lord chamber- Iain ; 'tis resolved on by the town some thing you must have. Isreel Feilding has had a complaint made of him by the Vice- chamberlain, for his giving out that his place was to be sold. He had got a bouble as he thought, who he told he had the disposal of that place for 7,000, two thousand was to be given to Mr. Cook, and the rest to a great [er T\ lady then my Lady Masham, that was to say more in favour with the Queen, for 'twas her majesty's foster sister, that's his wife. Upon this story's coming they tell of several places he has pretended to sell, and so pick up a little mony about them, and has had some sham or other to put the people off. 'Twas he they say sett the report about that Lord Portland was to sell.
You judge very right of our coffee houses, for they begin to report the Peace will certainly be all off, and that you and the Bishop are coming over, but I hope for better news before this happens.
[Lady Strafford.]
St, James's Square, April a,, 1712.
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Here is won Lunn a goldsmith brok with six thousand pound of Mr. St. Johns and as much of Lord Lansdown's
- On March 28 Lady Strafford writes : — " Lord Scarsdale is so angry
that he has noe place that he declares he'll turn whigg, and as a mark of that he led the Duchess of Marlborough out of the Opera."
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