08 Dec 1796: Edward James Eliot to Mrs. Stapleton

[In a later hand (spidery, as if written by an aged person), written in faded ink or pencil: Dec[embe]r 8, 1796]

My Dear Mrs Stapleton

Tonights Papers will satisfy you that yesterdays Business went off as triumphantly as could be desired. It will I trust have its proper effect in France as well as the Rest of Europe. The Finance part of the subject was attempted more feebly and ineffectually than usual by Mr Grey; who was follow'd by Mr Fox upon a constitutional point which would have afforded him a better style of attack than He avail'd himself of: however he made what the Irish call a noisy 'blothering' speech with more appearance of force and spirit than has happen'd to him often of late: and accordingly he is trying it again today, but it will come to nothing.

I saw Lord Chatham very well yesterday, rejoicing in having got a Holyday from the Levee.

There is no news of any post, the west winds keeping the mails, as I believe, still due, in the mean while we ought to hear something by those very winds from Sir John Jervis, whose Corsican Garrison I should wish to be in Gibralter [Gibraltar], to be used as ????? might require. The ??? however are satisfied the combined Fleets will not have obstructed his Course, as he has only, they say, to put to sea in a gale of wind and none of them will ??? after him.

I am glad to hear Lady Chatham does not suffer from the sudden cold and am

My Dear Madam
Y[ou]r Affectionate H[umbl]e Serv[an]t
Ed J Eliot

*Original letter is part of the Eliot collection at the Cornwall Record Office.
Catalog reference: EL/B/4/3/13