To: Sir William Wyndham. n.p. 21 July [n.s.] 1724. Text: MS, Petworth House Archives 19, fols 21–2.

The Marq:[uise] had already inform’d me that Lady Katherine was recover’d, & yet I took a very great pleasure in seeing it confirm’d by y^r letter of y^e 2^d of this month. I hope that the measures which are taking, & which must be frequently renew’d, will preserve her against these sudden & severe attacks, and that you will long enjoy so great a blessing. my best respects & wishes attend her. all your letters my Dear Friend have come safe to my hands, and I cannot sufficiently thank you for those repeated marks of y^r friendship which I receive from you in y^e person of one who is dearer to me than my self, or who is att least y^e best part of my self. the treatment she receives from that scoundrel ¹ is to y^e last degree provoking. but she is in the right to mange manage him gently till she is absolutely out of his power. after which I think he ought to be treated like the most stigmatiz’d villain. I shall be oblig’d to go to Paris in about 12 days, & I hope about that time to hear that y^e Marq:[uise] is on her Return. whenever she returns I will certainly go to Calais to meet her. she says that Bat:[hurst] ² has a mind to take a trip to this side. I should be heartily glad to have that opportunity of embracing him, but I dare not hope for it, no more than I dare hope to see you, and yet methinks the journey to Calais in y^e month of August is not an affair of more than four or five days. the opinion you entertain, & which in y^r last letter you say you are daily confirm’d in, is agreable to mine. I am going to commence Huntsman again, & the Marquise sends me word she has got some fox hounds for me. they are y^e most proper for this Country, & the only proper ones for fontainebleau, where y^e Mar:[quis] de Montmorin is Governour. ³ I thank you extreamly for y^e offer of y^r Hare hounds, but y^e others are enough for me. the Gentleman who has made y^r Dog desiring to have her again for a fortnight or three weeks, I have sent her to him that she may be a little better settled. she is fine, & a perfect Braque. ⁴ you will have another of y^e Spanish kind who is heavyer, but a dead Pointer. pray let me desire you to return my humble thanks to Lord Gore, who is so kind as to give me some hounds as the Mar: writes. adieu, I am my Dearest friend