Autograph letter signed : London, to the Earl of Orrery 1712 May 8.

Apologizing that he did not have the "instructions which her Majesty has order'd to be prepar'd for y'r Lordship" ready before he left for the country; saying "It is certainly true my Lord that our affairs are & have been in great [illegible]. those who are most employ'd feel sufficiently the Load & burden of it. but they ought to be the less in organizing when it is consider'd what an entire change has been wrought this winter in the System of the war, & in the measures of all our foreign negociations. I hope we See daylight and I make no doubt but we shall extricate our Country from the difficultys which She groans under. after that is done I shall be of y'r Lordships mind, & chuse to retire much rather than to action a publick Station. I have done [illegible] good offices in my power, but I must Say that the Duke of Ormond & my Lord Lansdowne must be helpful in matters of the army, which are entirely out of my province;" adding that he will try to do what he can to help Mr. Fenton.