Autograph letter signed : Utrecht, to The Duke of Leeds, 1709 November 1.

Writing that his two charges are working hard to catch up on their lessons; reporting that the Earl of Danby has made great progress in fencing, and also that they have encountered two young Englishmen: "My Lord Derwentwater & Mr. Ratclif his Brother, who are here at present, being come to the Academy to try their skill with My Lord Danby about fencing, have had no reason to boast of their success in the tryal, thô they had learnt seven or eight years of Paris, having been forced to Confess that they ought to yield the Palm to Lord Danby. This Lord Derwentwater is come hither to stay till the Parliament sits, & to endeavour to gett, by the means of his friends in England, the free Injoyment of his Estate. He's much more a frenchman then an Englishman; having been bred up at Paris & having most forgotten his English"; mentioning that "the Ring of Dannemark has lately made great preparations both by Sea & Land to Invade Schonen [Skåne]", but "both the Minister of England & Holland having signifyed to Monsr. Rosencrantz, the Danish Minister, that their Masters would be forced to side with the Swedes, if he should attempt anything in that respect, we hear that their preparations begin to slacken"; adding that it appears to be in the interests both of England and Holland that the two fortresses that command the strait of Øresund/Öresund not be controlled by a northern king: "Your Grace knows the Consequences of it better than my Self."