Introduction—Birth and Parentage—Education—Appointments—Travels—Parliamentary Career—Retirement—Fortune—Strawberry Hill—Collections—Writings—Printing Press—Accession to Title—Death—Character—Political Conduct and Opinions—The Slave Trade—Strikes—Views of Literature—Friendships—Charities—Chatterton—Letters
Country Life—Ranelagh Gardens—The Rebel Lords—The Earthquake—A Frolic at Vauxhall—Capture of a Housebreaker—Strawberry Hill—The Beautiful Gunnings—Sterne
General Taste for Pleasure—Entertainments at Twickenham and Esher—Miss Chudleigh’s Ball—Masquerade at Richmond House—The Gallery at Strawberry Hill—Balls—The Duchess of Queensberry—Petition of the Periwig-makers—Ladies’ Head-gear—Almack’s—“The Castle of Otranto”—Plans for a Bower—A late Dinner—Walpole’s Idle Life—Social Usages
The Gout—Visits to Paris—Bath—John Wesley—Bad Weather—English Summers—Quitting Parliament—Madame du Deffand—Human Vanity—The Banks of the Thames—A Subscription Masquerade—Extravagance of the Age—The Pantheon—Visiting Stowe with Princess Amelia—George Montagu—The Countess of Ossory—Powder-Mills Blown up at Hounslow—Distractions of Business and Pleasure
Lord Nuneham—Madame de SÉvignÉ—Charles Fox—Mrs. Clive and Cliveden—Goldsmith and Garrick—Dearth of News—Madame de Trop—A Bunch of Grapes—General Election—Perils by Land and Water—Sir Horace Mann—Lord Clive—The History of Manners—A Traveller from Lima—The SÇavoir Vivre Club—Reflections on Life—The Pretender’s Happiness—Paris Fashions—Madame du Deffand ill—Growth of London—Sir Joshua Reynolds—Change in Manners—Our Climate
The American War—Irish Discontent—Want of Money—The Houghton Pictures sold—Removal to Berkeley Square—Ill-health—A Painting by Zoffani—The Rage for News—The Duke of Gloucester—Wilkes—Fashions, Old and New—Mackerel News—Pretty Stories—Madame de SÉvignÉ’s Cabinet—Picture of his Waldegrave Nieces—The Gordon Riots—Death of Madame du Deffand—The Blue Stockings
Walpole in his Sixty-fourth Year—The Royal Academy—Tonton—Charles Fox—William Pitt—Mrs. Hobart’s Sans Souci—Improvements at Florence—Walpole’s Dancing Feats—No Feathers at Court—Highwaymen—Loss of the Royal George—Mrs. Siddons—Peace—Its Social Consequences—The Coalition—The Rivals—Political Excitement—The Westminster Election—Political Caricatures—Conway’s Retirement—Lady Harrington—Balloons—Illness—Recovery
Lady Correspondents—Madame de Genlis—Miss Burney and Hannah More—Deaths of Mrs. Clive and Sir Horace Mann—Story of Madame de Choiseul—Richmond—Queensberry House—Warren Hastings—Genteel Comedy—St. Swithin—Riverside Conceits—Lord North—The Theatre again—Gibbon’s History—Sheridan—Conway’s comedy—A Turkish War—Society Newspapers—The Misses Berry—Bonner’s Ghost—The Arabian Nights—King’s College Chapel—Richmond Society—New Arrivals—The Berrys visit Italy—A Farewell Letter
Walpole’s Love of English Scenery—Richmond Hill—Burke on the French Revolution—The Berrys at Florence—Death of George Selwyn—London Solitude—Repairs at Cliveden—Burke and Fox—The Countess of Albany—Journal of a Day—Mrs. Hobart’s Party—Ancient Trade with India—Lady Hamilton—A Boat Race—Return of the Berrys—Horace succeeds to the Peerage—Epitaphium Vivi Auctoris—His Wives—Mary Berry—Closing Years—Love of Moving Objects—Visit from Queen Charlotte—Death of Conway—Final Illness of Horace—His last Letter
