To: Sir William Wyndham. 1 Aix-la-Chapelle. 2 October [n.s.] 1723. Text: MS, Petworth House Archives 19, fols 10–13.

your letter of the 7^th of y^e last month releiv’d me from the greatest anxiety of mind which I have felt this long time, for I was not, my dear friend, so happy as to hear of Lady Kat:[’s] ² illness and of her recovery att y^e same time. the Gazette ³ first and after that a letter from y^e Bath spoke of her being dangerously ill, but mention’d no other circumstance. we were waiting with great impatience for some further account, when y^r most welcome letter arriv’d, and gave the Marq:[uise] and me as much joy as it is possible ^{to conceive} and much more than it is possible to express. receive both our congratulations on this happy occasion. you will receive none more sincere. may the same good providence which has restor’d Lady Kat: to you, preserve you long in health & prosperity, and render you mutually a blessing to one another. I observe that you call the fits apoplectick, but I hope that they are not to be look’d upon like other apoplexys. M^e de Surville a daughter of y^e late Marshal d’Humieres, ⁴ is now very old, & very healthful, and she many years ago fell into the very same case, in which Lady Kat: has been, imediately after being brought to bed. I most earnestly hope that the parallel will hold in every part. 31my heart makes no difference between your good or bad fortune and my own, and you are too closely united to me not to be the object even of my self love. ⁵ I partook of y^r affliction, my Dear friend, and I partake of y^r joy in all its extent, for I know the full value of the present which Heaven has renew’d to you. let me desire you to say something from me to Lady K:, you can never err in saying from me what y^r own heart indites. yours may always answer for mine. we are drinking the waters, which both of us wanted extreamly. I cannot say that we feel hitherto much advantage from y^e use of them, but that advantage may perhaps be the effect of time. one effect they have had on me. they gave me the gout almost as soon as I began to drink them. my foot is still swell’d, & now & then a little painful. if it grows no worse, and helps to consume that humour which has brought so many agues upon me, I shall make no unlucky composition. I am coming apace to that age of when few men live without infirmitys, subeunt morbi tristisque senectus. ⁶ they are happy who compound for such as give the least pain, and take away y^e least part of y^e pleasures of human life. many thanks to you for the care w^ch you take of y^e two Commissions I troubled you about. I reckon that it will be time to send for them towards y^e end of this month, and that will fall out luckily enough, since I shall be returning to Paris in about three weeks. let me desire you to have a particular attention about y^e four hounds which are for Nointel. ⁷ he is a brother sportsman, and one whom you would like in a very singular character. I hope y^r spaniel is made by this time. as soon as he is steady he shall be sent you. there is not in all France a finer dog, nor a better breed. let me hear from you as soon as you can. my stay here will be long enough to receive the answer to this before I remove, if you write by the first post, & I trust to y^r friendship that you will do so. direct to M^r Tewis Marchand à Aix la chappelle, ⁸ & put y^r letter under y^e cover. adieu my Dearest Friend, I am faithfully and most unalterably yours./ ⁹