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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Letters to His Son, 1756-1758
+by The Earl of Chesterfield
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Letters to His Son, 1756-1758
+
+Author: The Earl of Chesterfield
+
+Release Date: December 1, 2004 [EBook #3358]\
+[Last updated on February 14, 2007]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS TO HIS SON, 1756-1758 ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by David Widger
+
+
+
+
+
+              LETTERS TO HIS SON
+                  1756-58
+
+           By the EARL OF CHESTERFIELD
+
+          on the Fine Art of becoming a
+
+               MAN OF THE WORLD
+
+                   and a
+
+                 GENTLEMAN
+
+
+
+LETTER CCIII
+
+BATH, November 15, 1756
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I received yours yesterday morning together with the
+Prussian, papers, which I have read with great attention. If courts could
+blush, those of Vienna and Dresden ought, to have their falsehoods so
+publicly, and so undeniably exposed. The former will, I presume, next
+year, employ an hundred thousand men, to answer the accusation; and if
+the Empress of the two Russias is pleased to argue in the same cogent
+manner, their logic will be too strong for all the King of Prussia's
+rhetoric. I well remember the treaty so often referred to in those
+pieces, between the two Empresses, in 1746. The King was strongly pressed
+by the Empress Queen to accede to it. Wassenaer communicated it to me for
+that purpose. I asked him if there were no secret articles; suspecting
+that there were some, because the ostensible treaty was a mere harmless,
+defensive one. He assured me that there were none. Upon which I told him,
+that as the King had already defensive alliances with those two
+Empresses, I did not see of what use his accession to this treaty, if
+merely a defensive one, could be, either to himself or the other
+contracting parties; but that, however, if it was only desired as an
+indication of the King's good will, I would give him an act by which his
+Majesty should accede to that treaty, as far, but no further, as at
+present he stood engaged to the respective Empresses by the defensive
+alliances subsisting with each. This offer by no means satisfied him;
+which was a plain proof of the secret articles now brought to light, and
+into which the court of Vienna hoped to draw us. I told Wassenaer so, and
+after that I heard no more of his invitation.
+
+I am still bewildered in the changes at Court, of which I find that all
+the particulars are not yet fixed. Who would have thought, a year ago,
+that Mr. Fox, the Chancellor, and the Duke of Newcastle, should all three
+have quitted together? Nor can I yet account for it; explain it to me if
+you can. I cannot see, neither, what the Duke of Devonshire and Fox, whom
+I looked upon as intimately united, can have quarreled about, with
+relation to the Treasury; inform me, if you know. I never doubted of the
+prudent versatility of your Vicar of Bray: But I am surprised at O'Brien
+Windham's going out of the Treasury, where I should have thought that the
+interest of his brother-in-law, George Grenville, would have kept him.
+
+Having found myself rather worse, these two or three last days, I was
+obliged to take some ipecacuanha last night; and, what you will think
+odd, for a vomit, I brought it all up again in about an hour, to my great
+satisfaction and emolument, which is seldom the case in restitutions.
+
+You did well to go to the Duke of Newcastle, who, I suppose, will have no
+more levees; however, go from time to time, and leave your name at his
+door, for you have obligations to him. Adieu.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCIV
+
+BATH, December 14, 1756.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: What can I say to you from this place, where EVERY DAY IS
+STILL BUT AS THE FIRST, though by no means so agreeably passed, as
+Anthony describes his to have been? The same nothings succeed one another
+every day with me, as, regularly and uniformly as the hours of the day.
+You will think this tiresome, and so it is; but how can I help it? Cut
+off from society by my deafness, and dispirited by my ill health, where
+could I be better? You will say, perhaps, where could you be worse? Only
+in prison, or the galleys, I confess. However, I see a period to my stay
+here; and I have fixed, in my own mind, a time for my return to London;
+not invited there by either politics or pleasures, to both which I am
+equally a stranger, but merely to be at home; which, after all, according
+to the vulgar saying, is home, be it ever so homely.
+
+The political settlement, as it is called, is, I find, by no means
+settled; Mr. Fox, who took this place in his way to his brother's, where
+he intended to pass a month, was stopped short by an express, which he
+received from his connection, to come to town immediately; and
+accordingly he set out from hence very early, two days ago. I had a very
+long conversation with him, in which he was, seemingly at least, very
+frank and communicative; but still I own myself in the dark. In those
+matters, as in most others, half knowledge (and mine is at most that) is
+more apt to lead one into error, than to carry one to truth; and our own
+vanity contributes to the seduction. Our conjectures pass upon us for
+truths; we will know what we do not know, and often, what we cannot know:
+so mortifying to our pride is the bare suspicion of ignorance!
+
+It has been reported here that the Empress of Russia is dying; this would
+be a fortunate event indeed for the King of Prussia, and necessarily
+produce the neutrality and inaction, at least, of that great power; which
+would be a heavy weight taken out of the opposite scale to the King of
+Prussia. The 'Augustissima' must, in that case, do all herself; for
+though France will, no doubt, promise largely, it will, I believe,
+perform but scantily; as it desires no better than that the different
+powers of Germany should tear one another to pieces.
+
+I hope you frequent all the courts: a man should make his face familiar
+there. Long habit produces favor insensibly; and acquaintance often does
+more than friendship, in that climate where 'les beaux sentimens' are not
+the natural growth.
+
+Adieu! I am going to the ball, to save my eyes from reading, and my mind
+from thinking.
+
+
+
+
+LETTERS TO HIS SON
+
+LETTER CCV
+
+BATH, January 12, 1757
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I waited quietly, to see when either your leisure, or
+your inclinations, would al low you to honor me with a letter; and at
+last I received one this morning, very near a fortnight after you went
+from hence. You will say, that you had no news to write me; and that
+probably may be true; but, without news, one has always something to say
+to those with whom one desires to have anything to do.
+
+Your observation is very just with regard to the King of Prussia, whom
+the most august House of Austria would most unquestionably have poisoned
+a century or two ago. But now that 'terras Astraea reliquit', kings and
+princes die of natural deaths; even war is pusillanimously carried on in
+this degenerate age; quarter is given; towns are taken, and the people
+spared: even in a storm, a woman can hardly hope for the benefit of a
+rape. Whereas (such was the humanity of former days) prisoners were
+killed by thousands in cold blood, and the generous victors spared
+neither man, woman, nor child. Heroic actions of this kind were performed
+at the taking of Magdebourg. The King of Prussia is certainly now in a
+situation that must soon decide his fate, and make him Caesar or nothing.
+Notwithstanding the march of the Russians, his great danger, in my mind,
+lies westward. I have no great notions of Apraxin's abilities, and I
+believe many a Prussian colonel would out-general him. But Brown,
+Piccolomini, Lucchese, and many other veteran officers in the Austrian
+troops, are respectable enemies.
+
+Mr. Pitt seems to me to have almost as many enemies to encounter as his
+Prussian Majesty. The late Ministry, and the Duke's party, will, I
+presume, unite against him and his Tory friends; and then quarrel among
+themselves again. His best, if not his only chance of supporting himself
+would be, if he had credit enough in the city, to hinder the advancing of
+the money to any administration but his own; and I have met with some
+people here who think that he has.
+
+I have put off my journey from hence for a week, but no longer. I find I
+still gain some strength and some flesh here, and therefore I will not
+cut while the run is for me.
+
+By a letter which I received this morning from Lady Allen, I observe that
+you are extremely well with her; and it is well for you to be so, for she
+is an excellent and warm puff.
+
+'A propos' (an expression which is commonly used to introduce whatever is
+unrelative to it) you should apply to some of Lord Holderness's people,
+for the perusal of Mr. Cope's letters. It would not be refused you; and
+the sooner you have them the better. I do not mean them as models for
+your manner of writing, but as outlines of the matter you are to write
+upon.
+
+If you have not read Hume's "Essays" read them; they are four very small
+volumes; I have just finished, and am extremely pleased with them. He
+thinks impartially, deep, often new; and, in my mind, commonly just.
+Adieu.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCVI
+
+BLACKHEATH, September 17, 1757
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: Lord Holderness has been so kind as to communicate to me
+all the letters which he has received from you hitherto, dated the 15th,
+19th, 23d, and 26th August; and also a draught of that which he wrote to
+you the 9th instant. I am very well pleased with all your letters; and,
+what is better, I can tell you that the King is so too; and he said, but
+three days ago, to Monsieur Munchausen, HE (meaning you) SETS OUT VERY
+WELL, AND I LIKE HIS LETTERS; PROVIDED THAT, LIKE MOST OF MY ENGLISH
+MINISTERS ABROAD, HE DOES NOT GROW IDLE HEREAFTER. So that here is both
+praise to flatter, and a hint to warn you. What Lord Holderness
+recommends to you, being by the King's order, intimates also a degree of
+approbation; for the BLACKER INK, AND THE LARGER CHARACTER, show, that
+his Majesty, whose eyes are grown weaker, intends to read all your
+letters himself. Therefore, pray do not neglect to get the blackest ink
+you can; and to make your secretary enlarge his hand, though 'd'ailleurs'
+it is a very good one.
+
+Had I been to wish an advantageous situation for you, and a good debut in
+it, I could not have wished you either better than both have hitherto
+proved. The rest will depend entirely upon yourself; and I own I begin to
+have much better hopes than I had; for I know, by my own experience, that
+the more one works, the more willing one is to work. We are all, more or
+less, 'des animaux d'habitude'. I remember very well, that when I was in
+business, I wrote four or five hours together every day, more willingly
+than I should now half an hour; and this is most certain, that when a man
+has applied himself to business half the day, the other half, goes off
+the more cheerfully and agreeably. This I found so sensibly, when I was
+at The Hague, that I never tasted company so well nor was so good company
+myself, as at the suppers of my post days. I take Hamburg now to be 'le
+centre du refuge Allemand'. If you have any Hanover 'refugies' among
+them, pray take care to be particularly attentive to them. How do you
+like your house? Is it a convenient one? Have the 'Casserolles' been
+employed in it yet? You will find 'les petits soupers fins' less
+expensive, and turn to better account, than large dinners for great
+companies.
+
+I hope you have written to the Duke of Newcastle; I take it for granted
+that you have to all your brother ministers of the northern department.
+For God's sake be diligent, alert, active, and indefatigable in your
+business. You want nothing but labor and industry to be, one day,
+whatever you please, in your own way.
+
+We think and talk of nothing here but Brest, which is universally
+supposed to be the object of our great expedition. A great and important
+object it is. I suppose the affair must be brusque, or it will not do. If
+we succeed, it will make France put some water to its wine. As for my own
+private opinion, I own I rather wish than hope success. However, should
+our expedition fail, 'Magnis tamen excidit ausis', and that will be
+better than our late languid manner of making war.
+
+To mention a person to you whom I am very indifferent about, I mean
+myself, I vegetate still just as I did when we parted; but I think I
+begin to be sensible of the autumn of the year; as well as of the autumn
+of my own life. I feel an internal awkwardness, which, in about three
+weeks, I shall carry with me to the Bath, where I hope to get rid of it,
+as I did last year. The best cordial I could take, would be to hear, from
+time to time, of your industry and diligence; for in that case I should
+consequently hear of your success. Remember your own motto, 'Nullum numen
+abest si sit prudentia'. Nothing is truer. Yours.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCVII
+
+BLACKHEATH, September 23, 1757
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I received but the day before yesterday your letter of
+the 3d, from the headquarters at Selsingen; and, by the way, it is but
+the second that I have received from you since your arrival at Hamburg.
+Whatever was the cause of your going to the army, I approve of the
+effect; for I would have you, as much as possible, see everything that is
+to be seen. That is the true useful knowledge, which informs and improves
+us when we are young, and amuses us and others when we are old; 'Olim
+haec meminisse juvabit'. I could wish that you would (but I know you will
+not) enter in a book, a short note only, of whatever you see or hear,
+that is very remarkable: I do not mean a German ALBUM stuffed with
+people's names, and Latin sentences; but I mean such a book, as, if you
+do not keep now, thirty years hence you would give a great deal of money
+to have kept. 'A propos de bottes', for I am told he always wears his;
+was his Royal Highness very gracious to you, or not? I have my doubts
+about it. The neutrality which he has concluded with Marechal de
+Richelieu, will prevent that bloody battle which you expected; but what
+the King of Prussia will say to it is another point. He was our only
+ally; at present, probably we have not one in the world. If the King of
+Prussia can get at Monsieur de Soubize's, and the Imperial army, before
+other troops have joined them, I think he will beat them but what then?
+He has three hundred thousand men to encounter afterward. He must submit;
+but he may say with truth, 'Si Pergama dextra defendi potuissent'. The
+late action between the Prussians and Russians has only thinned the human
+species, without giving either party a victory; which is plain by each
+party's claiming it. Upon my word, our species will pay very dear for the
+quarrels and ambition of a few, and those by no means the most valuable
+part of it. If the many were wiser than they are, the few must be
+quieter, and would perhaps be juster and better than they are.
+
+Hamburg, I find, swarms with Grafs, Graffins, Fursts, and Furstins,
+Hocheits, and Durchlaugticheits. I am glad of it, for you must
+necessarily be in the midst of them; and I am still more glad, that,
+being in the midst of them, you must necessarily be under some constraint
+of ceremony; a thing which you do not love, but which is, however, very
+useful.
+
+I desired you in my last, and I repeat it again in this, to give me an
+account of your private and domestic life.
+
+How do you pass your evenings? Have they, at Hamburg, what are called at
+Paris 'des Maisons', where one goes without ceremony, sups or not, as one
+pleases? Are you adopted in any society? Have you any rational brother
+ministers, and which? What sort of things are your operas? In the tender,
+I doubt they do not excel; for 'mein lieber schatz', and the other
+tendernesses of the Teutonic language, would, in my mind, sound but
+indifferently, set to soft music; for the bravura parts, I have a great
+opinion of them; and 'das, der donner dich erschlage', must no doubt,
+make a tremendously fine piece of 'recitativo', when uttered by an angry
+hero, to the rumble of a whole orchestra, including drums, trumpets, and
+French horns. Tell me your whole allotment of the day, in which I hope
+four hours, at least, are sacred to writing; the others cannot be better
+employed than in LIBERAL pleasures. In short, give me a full account of
+yourself, in your un-ministerial character, your incognito, without your
+'fiocchi'. I love to see those, in whom I interest myself, in their
+undress, rather than in gala; I know them better so. I recommend to you,
+'etiam atque etiam', method and order in everything you undertake. Do you
+observe it in your accounts? If you do not, you will be a beggar, though
+you were to receive the appointments of a Spanish Ambassador
+extraordinary, which are a thousand pistoles a month; and in your
+ministerial business, if you have no regular and stated hours for such
+and such parts of it, you will be in the hurry and confusion of the Duke
+of N-----, doing everything by halves, and nothing well, nor soon. I
+suppose you 'have been feasted through the Corps diplomatique at Hamburg,
+excepting Monsieur Champeaux; with whom, however, I hope you live
+'poliment et galamment', at all third places.
+
+Lord Loudon is much blamed here for his 'retraite des dix milles', for it
+is said that he had above that number, and might consequently have acted
+offensively, instead of retreating; especially as his retreat was
+contrary to the unanimous opinion (as it is now said) of the council of
+war. In our Ministry, I suppose, things go pretty quietly, for the D. of
+N. has not plagued me these two months. When his Royal Highness comes
+over, which I take it for granted he will do very soon, the great push
+will, I presume, be made at his Grace and Mr. Pitt; but without effect if
+they agree, as it is visibly their interest to do; and, in that case,
+their parliamentary strength will support them against all attacks. You
+may remember, I said at first, that the popularity would soon be on the
+side of those who opposed the popular Militia Bill; and now it appears so
+with a vengeance, in almost every county in England, by the tumults and
+insurrections of the people, who swear that they will not be enlisted.
+That silly scheme must therefore be dropped, as quietly as may be. Now
+that I have told you all that I know, and almost all that I think, I wish
+you a good supper and a good-night.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCVIII
+
+BLACKHEATH, September 30, 1757
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I have so little to do, that I am surprised how I can
+find time to write to you so often. Do not stare at the seeming paradox;
+for it is an undoubted truth, that the less one has to do, the less time
+one finds to do it in. One yawns, one procrastinates, one can do it when
+one will, and therefore one seldom does it at all; whereas those who have
+a great deal of business, must (to use a vulgar expression) buckle to it;
+and then they always find time enough to do it in. I hope your own
+experience has by this time convinced you of this truth.
+
+I received your last of the 8th. It is now quite over with a very great
+man, who will still be a very great man, though a very unfortunate one.
+He has qualities of the mind that put him above the reach of these
+misfortunes; and if reduced, as perhaps he may, to the 'marche' of
+Brandenburg, he will always find in himself the comfort, and with all the
+world the credit, of a philosopher, a legislator, a patron, and a
+professor of arts and sciences. He will only lose the fame of a
+conqueror; a cruel fame, that arises from the destruction of the human
+species. Could it be any satisfaction to him to know, I could tell him,
+that he is at this time the most popular man in this kingdom; the whole
+nation being enraged at that neutrality which hastens and completes his
+ruin. Between you and me, the King was not less enraged at it himself,
+when he saw the terms of it; and it affected his health more than all
+that had happened before. Indeed it seems to me a voluntary concession of
+the very worst that could have happened in the worst event. We now begin
+to think that our great and secret expedition is intended for Martinico
+and St. Domingo; if that be true, and we succeed in the attempt, we shall
+recover, and the French lose, one of the most valuable branches of
+commerce--I mean sugar. The French now supply all the foreign markets in
+Europe with that commodity; we only supply ourselves with it. This would
+make us some amends for our ill luck, or ill conduct in North America;
+where Lord Loudon, with twelve thousand men, thought himself no match for
+the French with but seven; and Admiral Holborne, with seventeen ships of
+the line, declined attacking the French, because they had eighteen, and a
+greater weight of METAL, according to the new sea-phrase, which was
+unknown to Blake. I hear that letters have been sent to both with very
+severe reprimands. I am told, and I believe it is true, that we are
+negotiating with the Corsican, I will not say rebels, but asserters of
+their natural rights; to receive them, and whatever form of government
+they think fit to establish, under our protection, upon condition of
+their delivering up to us Port Ajaccio; which may be made so strong and
+so good a one, as to be a full equivalent for the loss of Port Mahon.
+This is, in my mind, a very good scheme; for though the Corsicans are a
+parcel of cruel and perfidious rascals, they will in this case be tied
+down to us by their own interest and their own danger; a solid security
+with knaves, though none with fools. His Royal Highness the Duke is
+hourly expected here: his arrival will make some bustle; for I believe it
+is certain that he is resolved to make a push at the Duke of N., Pitt and
+Co.; but it will be ineffectual, if they continue to agree, as, to my
+CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE, they do at present. This parliament is theirs,
+'caetera quis nescit'?
+
+Now that I have told you all that I know or have heard, of public
+matters, let us talk of private ones that more nearly and immediately
+concern us. Admit me to your fire-side, in your little room; and as you
+would converse with me there, write to me for the future from thence. Are
+you completely 'nippe' yet? Have you formed what the world calls
+connections? that is, a certain number of acquaintances whom, from
+accident or choice, you frequent more than others: Have you either fine
+or well-bred women there? 'Y a-t-il quelque bon ton'? All fat and fair, I
+presume; too proud and too cold to make advances, but, at the same time,
+too well-bred and too warm to reject them, when made by 'un honnete homme
+avec des manieres'.
+
+Mr.------is to be married, in about a month, to Miss------. I am very
+glad of it; for, as he will never be a man of the world, but will always
+lead a domestic and retired life, she seems to have been made on purpose
+for him. Her natural turn is as grave and domestic as his; and she seems
+to have been kept by her aunts 'a la grace', instead of being raised in a
+hot bed, as most young ladies are of late. If, three weeks hence, you
+write him a short compliment of congratulation upon the occasion, he, his
+mother, and 'tutti quanti', would be extremely pleased with it. Those
+attentions are always kindly taken, and cost one nothing but pen, ink,
+and paper. I consider them as draughts upon good-breeding, where the
+exchange is always greatly in favor of the drawer. 'A propos' of
+exchange; I hope you have, with the help of your secretary, made yourself
+correctly master of all that sort of knowledge--Course of Exchange,
+'Agie, Banco, Reiche-Thalers', down to 'Marien Groschen'. It is very
+little trouble to learn it; it is often of great use to know it.
+Good-night, and God bless you!
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCIX
+
+BLACKHEATH, October 10, 1757
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: It is not without some difficulty that I snatch this
+moment of leisure from my extreme idleness, to inform you of the present
+lamentable and astonishing state of affairs here, which you would know
+but imperfectly from the public papers, and but partially from your
+private correspondents. 'Or sus' then--Our in vincible Armada, which cost
+at least half a million, sailed, as you know, some weeks ago; the object
+kept an inviolable secret: conjectures various, and expectations great.
+Brest was perhaps to be taken; but Martinico and St. Domingo, at least.
+When lo! the important island of Aix was taken without the least
+resistance, seven hundred men made prisoners, and some pieces of cannon
+carried off. From thence we sailed toward Rochfort, which it seems was
+our main object; and consequently one should have supposed that we had
+pilots on board who knew all the soundings and landing places there and
+thereabouts: but no; for General M-----t asked the Admiral if he could
+land him and the troops near Rochfort? The Admiral said, with great ease.
+To which the General replied, but can you take us on board again? To
+which the Admiral answered, that, like all naval operations, will depend
+upon the wind. If so, said the General, I'll e'en go home again. A
+Council of War was immediately called, where it was unanimously resolved,
+that it was ADVISABLE to return; accordingly they are returned. As the
+expectations of the whole nation had been raised to the highest pitch,
+the universal disappointment and indignation have arisen in proportion;
+and I question whether the ferment of men's minds was ever greater.
+Suspicions, you may be sure, are various and endless, but the most
+prevailing one is, that the tail of the Hanover neutrality, like that of
+a comet, extended itself to Rochfort. What encourages this suspicion is,
+that a French man of war went unmolested through our whole fleet, as it
+lay near Rochfort. Haddock's whole story is revived; Michel's
+representations are combined with other circumstances; and the whole
+together makes up a mass of discontent, resentment, and even fury,
+greater than perhaps was ever known in this country before. These are the
+facts, draw your own conclusions from them; for my part, I am lost in
+astonishment and conjectures, and do not know where to fix. My experience
+has shown me, that many things which seem extremely probable are not
+true: and many which seem highly improbable are true; so that I will
+conclude this article, as Josephus does almost every article of his
+history, with saying, BUT OF THIS EVERY MAN WILL BELIEVE AS HE THINKS
+PROPER. What a disgraceful year will this be in the annals of this
+country! May its good genius, if ever it appears again, tear out those
+sheets, thus stained and blotted by our ignominy!
+
+Our domestic affairs are, as far as I know anything of them, in the same
+situation as when I wrote to you last; but they will begin to be in
+motion upon the approach of the session, and upon the return of the Duke,
+whose arrival is most impatiently expected by the mob of London; though
+not to strew flowers in his way.
+
+I leave this place next Saturday, and London the Saturday following, to
+be the next day at Bath. Adieu.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCX
+
+LONDON, October 17, 1757.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: Your last, of the 30th past, was a very good letter; and
+I will believe half of what you assure me, that you returned to the
+Landgrave's civilities. I cannot possibly go farther than half, knowing
+that you are not lavish of your words, especially in that species of
+eloquence called the adulatory. Do not use too much discretion in
+profiting of the Landgrave's naturalization of you; but go pretty often
+and feed with him. Choose the company of your superiors, whenever you can
+have it; that is the right and true pride. The mistaken and silly pride
+is, to PRIMER among inferiors.
+
+Hear, O Israel! and wonder. On Sunday morning last, the Duke gave up his
+commission of Captain General and his regiment of guards. You will ask me
+why? I cannot tell you, but I will tell you the causes assigned; which,
+perhaps, are none of them the true ones. It is said that the King
+reproached him with having exceeded his powers in making the Hanover
+Convention, which his R. H. absolutely denied, and threw up thereupon.
+This is certain, that he appeared at the drawing-room at Kensington, last
+Sunday, after having quitted, and went straight to Windsor; where, his
+people say, that he intends to reside quietly, and amuse himself as a
+private man. But I conjecture that matters will soon be made up again,
+and that he will resume his employments. You will easily imagine the
+speculations this event has occasioned in the public; I shall neither
+trouble you nor myself with relating them; nor would this sheet of paper,
+or even a quire more, contain them. Some refine enough to suspect that it
+is a concerted quarrel, to justify SOMEBODY TO SOMEBODY, with regard to
+the Convention; but I do not believe it.
+
+His R. H.'s people load the Hanover Ministers, and more particularly our
+friend Munchausen here, with the whole blame; but with what degree of
+truth I know not. This only is certain, that the whole negotiation of
+that affair was broached and carried on by the Hanover Ministers and
+Monsieur Stemberg at Vienna, absolutely unknown to the English Ministers,
+till it was executed. This affair combined (for people will combine it)
+with the astonishing return of our great armament, not only 're infecta',
+but even 'intentata', makes such a jumble of reflections, conjectures,
+and refinements, that one is weary of hearing them. Our Tacituses and
+Machiavels go deep, suspect the worst, and, perhaps, as they often do,
+overshoot the mark. For my own part, I fairly confess that I am
+bewildered, and have not certain 'postulata' enough, not only to found
+any opinion, but even to form conjectures upon: and this is the language
+which I think you should hold to all who speak to you, as to be sure all
+will, upon that subject. Plead, as you truly may, your own ignorance; and
+say, that it is impossible to judge of those nice points, at such a
+distance, and without knowing all circumstances, which you cannot be
+supposed to do. And as to the Duke's resignation; you should, in my
+opinion, say, that perhaps there might be a little too much vivacity in
+the case, but that, upon the whole, you make no doubt of the thing's
+being soon set right again; as, in truth, I dare say it will. Upon these
+delicate occasions, you must practice the ministerial shrugs and
+'persiflage'; for silent gesticulations, which you would be most inclined
+to, would not be sufficient: something must be said, but that something,
+when analyzed, must amount to nothing. As for instance, 'Il est vrai
+qu'on s'y perd, mais que voulez-vous que je vous dise?--il y a bien du
+pour et du contre; un petit Resident ne voit gueres le fond du sac.--Il
+faut attendre.--Those sort of expletives are of infinite use; and nine
+people in ten think they mean something. But to the Landgrave of Hesse I
+think you would do well to say, in seeming confidence, that you have good
+reason to believe that the principal objection of his Majesty to the
+convention was that his Highness's interests, and the affair of his
+troops, were not sufficiently considered in it. To the Prussian Minister
+assert boldly that you know 'de science certaine', that the principal
+object of his Majesty's and his British Ministry's intention is not only
+to perform all their present engagements with his Master, but to take new
+and stronger ones for his support; for this is true--AT LEAST AT PRESENT.
+
+You did very well in inviting Comte Bothmar to dine with you. You see how
+minutely I am informed of your proceedings, though not from yourself.
+Adieu.
+
+I go to Bath next Saturday; but direct your letters, as usual, to London.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXI
+
+BATH, October 26, 1757.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I arrived here safe, but far from sound, last Sunday. I
+have consequently drunk these waters but three days, and yet I find
+myself something better for them. The night before I left London. I was
+for some hours at Newcastle House, where the letters, which came that
+morning, lay upon the table: and his Grace singled out yours with great
+approbation, and, at the same time, assured me of his Majesty's
+approbation, too. To these two approbations I truly add my own, which,
+'sans vanite', may perhaps be near as good as the other two. In that
+letter you venture 'vos petits raisonnemens' very properly, and then as
+properly make an excuse for doing so. Go on so, with diligence, and you
+will be, what I began to despair of your ever being, SOMEBODY. I am
+persuaded, if you would own the truth, that you feel yourself now much
+better satisfied with yourself than you were while you did nothing.
+
+Application to business, attended with approbation and success, flatters
+and animates the mind: which, in idleness and inaction, stagnates and
+putrefies. I could wish that every rational man would, every night when
+he goes to bed, ask himself this question, What have I done to-day? Have
+I done anything that can be of use to myself or others? Have I employed
+my time, or have I squandered it? Have I lived out the day, or have I
+dozed it away in sloth and laziness? A thinking being must be pleased or
+confounded, according as he can answer himself these questions. I observe
+that you are in the secret of what is intended, and what Munchausen is
+gone to Stade to prepare; a bold and dangerous experiment in my mind, and
+which may probably end in a second volume to the "History of the
+Palatinate," in the last century. His Serene Highness of Brunswick has,
+in my mind, played a prudent and saving game; and I am apt to believe
+that the other Serene Highness, at Hamburg, is more likely to follow his
+example than to embark in the great scheme.
+
+I see no signs of the Duke's resuming his employments; but on the
+contrary I am assured that his Majesty is coolly determined to do as well
+as he can without him. The Duke of Devonshire and Fox have worked hard to
+make up matters in the closet, but to no purpose. People's self-love is
+very apt to make them think themselves more necessary than they are: and
+I shrewdly suspect, that his Royal Highness has been the dupe of that
+sentiment, and was taken at his word when he least suspected it; like my
+predecessor, Lord Harrington, who when he went into the closet to resign
+the seals, had them not about him: so sure he thought himself of being
+pressed to keep them.
+
+The whole talk of London, of this place, and of every place in the whole
+kingdom, is of our great, expensive, and yet fruitless expedition; I have
+seen an officer who was there, a very sensible and observing man: who
+told me that had we attempted Rochfort, the day after we took the island
+of Aix, our success had been infallible; but that, after we had sauntered
+(God knows why) eight or ten days in the island, he thinks the attempt
+would have been impracticable, because the French had in that time got
+together all the troops in that neighborhood, to a very considerable
+number. In short, there must have been some secret in that whole affair
+that has not yet transpired; and I cannot help suspecting that it came
+from Stade. WE had not been successful there; and perhaps WE were not
+desirous that an expedition, in which WE had neither been concerned nor
+consulted, should prove so; M----t was OUR creature, and a word to the
+wise will sometimes go a great way. M----t is to have a public trial,
+from which the public expects great discoveries--Not I.
+
+Do you visit Soltikow, the Russian Minister, whose house, I am told, is
+the great scene of pleasures at Hamburg? His mistress, I take for
+granted, is by this time dead, and he wears some other body's shackles.
+Her death comes with regard to the King of Prussia, 'comme la moutarde
+apres diner'. I am curious to see what tyrant will succeed her, not by
+divine, but by military right; for, barbarous as they are now, and still
+more barbarous as they have been formerly, they have had very little
+regard to the more barbarous notion of divine, indefeasible, hereditary
+right.
+
+The Praetorian bands, that is, the guards, I presume, have been engaged
+in the interests of the Imperial Prince; but still I think that little
+John of Archangel will be heard upon this occasion, unless prevented by a
+quieting draught of hemlock or nightshade; for I suppose they are not
+arrived to the politer and genteeler poisons of Acqua Tufana,--[Acqua
+Tufana, a Neapolitan slow poison, resembling clear water, and invented by
+a woman at Naples, of the name of Tufana.]--sugar-plums, etc.
+
+Lord Halifax has accepted his old employment, with the honorary addition
+of the Cabinet Council. And so we heartily wish you a goodnight.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXII
+
+BATH, November 4, 1757
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: The Sons of Britain, like those of Noah, must cover their
+parent's shame as well as they can; for to retrieve its honor is now too
+late. One would really think that our ministers and generals were all as
+drunk as the Patriarch was. However, in your situation, you must not be
+Cham; but spread your cloak over our disgrace, as far as it will go.
+M----t calls aloud for a public trial; and in that, and that only, the
+public agree with him. There will certainly be one, but of what kind is
+not yet fixed. Some are for a parliamentary inquiry, others for a martial
+one; neither will, in my opinion, discover the true secret; for a secret
+there most unquestionably is. Why we stayed six whole days in the island
+of Aix, mortal cannot imagine; which time the French employed, as it was
+obvious they would, in assembling their troops in the neighborhood of
+Rochfort, and making our attempt then really impracticable. The day after
+we had taken the island of Aix, your friend, Colonel Wolf, publicly
+offered to do the business with five hundred men and three ships only. In
+all these complicated political machines there are so many wheels, that
+it is always difficult, and sometimes im possible, to guess which of them
+gives direction to the whole. Mr. Pitt is convinced that the principal
+wheels, or, if you will, the spoke in his wheel, came from Stade. This is
+certain, at least that M----t was the man of confidence with that person.
+Whatever be the truth of the case, there is, to be sure, hitherto an
+'hiatus valde deflendus'.
+
+The meeting of the parliament will certainly be very numerous, were it
+only from curiosity: but the majority on the side of the Court will, I
+dare say, be a great one. The people of the late Captain-general, however
+inclined to oppose, will be obliged to concur. Their commissions, which
+they have no desire to lose, will make them tractable; for those
+gentlemen, though all men of honor, are of Sosia's mind, 'que le vrai
+Amphitrion est celui ou l'on dine'. The Tories and the city have engaged
+to support Pitt; the Whigs, the Duke of Newcastle; the independent and
+the impartial, as you well know, are not worth mentioning. It is said
+that the Duke intends to bring the affair of his Convention into
+parliament, for his own justification; I can hardly believe it; as I
+cannot conceive that transactions so merely electoral can be proper
+objects of inquiry or deliberation for a British parliament; and,
+therefore, should such a motion be made, I presume it will be immediately
+quashed. By the commission lately given to Sir John Ligonier, of General
+and Commander-in-chief of all his Majesty's forces in Great Britain, the
+door seems to be not only shut, but bolted, against his Royal Highness's
+return; and I have good reason to be convinced that that breach is
+irreparable. The reports of changes in the Ministry, I am pretty sure,
+are idle and groundless. The Duke of Newcastle and Mr. Pitt really agree
+very well; not, I presume, from any sentimental tenderness for each
+other, but from a sense that it is their mutual interest: and, as the
+late Captain-general's party is now out of the question, I do not see
+what should produce the least change.
+
+The visit made lately to Berlin was, I dare say, neither a friendly nor
+an inoffensive one. The Austrians always leave behind them pretty lasting
+monuments of their visits, or rather visitations: not so much, I believe,
+from their thirst of glory, as from their hunger of prey.
+
+This winter, I take for granted, must produce a piece of some kind or
+another; a bad one for us, no doubt, and yet perhaps better than we
+should get the year after. I suppose the King of Prussia is negotiating
+with France, and endeavoring by those means to get out of the scrape with
+the loss only of Silesia, and perhaps Halberstadt, by way of
+indemnification to Saxony; and, considering all circumstances, he would
+be well off upon those terms. But then how is Sweden to be satisfied?
+Will the Russians restore Memel? Will France have been at all this
+expense 'gratis'? Must there be no acquisition for them in Flanders? I
+dare say they have stipulated something of that sort for themselves, by
+the additional and secret treaty, which I know they made, last May, with
+the Queen of Hungary. Must we give up whatever the French please to
+desire in America, besides the cession of Minorca in perpetuity? I fear
+we must, or else raise twelve millions more next year, to as little
+purpose as we did this, and have consequently a worse peace afterward. I
+turn my eyes away, as much as I can, from this miserable prospect; but,
+as a citizen and member of society, it recurs to my imagination,
+notwithstanding all my endeavors to banish it from my thoughts. I can do
+myself nor my country no good; but I feel the wretched situation of both;
+the state of the latter makes me better bear that of the former; and,
+when I am called away from my station here, I shall think it rather (as
+Cicero says of Crassus) 'mors donata quam vita erepta'.
+
+I have often desired, but in vain, the favor of being admitted into your
+private apartment at, Hamburg, and of being informed of your private life
+there. Your mornings, I hope and believe, are employed in business; but
+give me an account of the remainder of the day, which I suppose is, and
+ought to be, appropriated to amusements and pleasures. In what houses are
+you domestic? Who are so in yours? In short, let me in, and do not be
+denied to me.
+
+Here I am, as usual, seeing few people, and hearing fewer; drinking the
+waters regularly to a minute, and am something the better for them. I
+read a great deal, and vary occasionally my dead company. I converse with
+grave folios in the morning, while my head is clearest and my attention
+strongest: I take up less severe quartos after dinner; and at night I
+choose the mixed company and amusing chit-chat of octavos and duodecimos.
+'Ye tire parti de tout ce gue je puis'; that is my philosophy; and I
+mitigate, as much as I can, my physical ills by diverting my attention to
+other objects.
+
+Here is a report that Admiral Holborne's fleet is destroyed, in a manner,
+by a storm: I hope it is not true, in the full extent of the report; but
+I believe it has suffered. This would fill up the measure of our
+misfortunes. Adieu.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXIII
+
+BATH, November 20, 1757
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I write to you now, because I love to write to you; and
+hope that my letters are welcome to you; for otherwise I have very little
+to inform you of. The King of Prussia's late victory you are better
+informed, of than we are here. It has given infinite joy to the
+unthinking public, who are not aware that it comes too late in the year
+and too late in the war, to be attended with any very great consequences.
+There are six or seven thousand of the human species less than there were
+a month ago, and that seems to me to be all. However, I am glad of it,
+upon account of the pleasure and the glory which it gives the King of
+Prussia, to whom I wish well as a man, more than as a king. And surely he
+is so great a man, that had he lived seventeen or eighteen hundred years
+ago, and his life been transmitted to us in a language that we could not
+very well understand--I mean either Greek or Latin--we should have talked
+of him as we do now of your Alexanders, your Caesars, and others; with
+whom, I believe, we have but a very slight acquaintance. 'Au reste', I do
+not see that his affairs are much mended by this victory. The same
+combination of the great Powers of Europe against him still subsists, and
+must at last prevail. I believe the French army will melt away, as is
+usual, in Germany; but this army is extremely diminished by battles,
+fatigues, and desertion: and he will find great difficulties in
+recruiting it from his own already exhausted dominions. He must
+therefore, and to be sure will, negotiate privately with the French, and
+get better terms that way than he could any other.
+
+The report of the three general officers, the Duke of Marlborough, Lord
+George Sackville, and General Waldegrave, was laid before the King last
+Saturday, after their having sat four days upon M----t's affair: nobody
+yet knows what it is; but it is generally believed that M----t will be
+brought to a court-martial. That you may not mistake this matter, as MOST
+people here do, I must explain to you, that this examination before the
+three above-mentioned general officers, was by no means a trial; but only
+a previous inquiry into his conduct, to see whether there was, or was
+not, cause to bring him to a regular trial before a court-martial. The
+case is exactly parallel to that of a grand jury; who, upon a previous
+and general examination, find, or do not find, a bill to bring the matter
+before the petty jury; where the fact is finally tried. For my own part,
+my opinion is fixed upon that affair: I am convinced that the expedition
+was to be defeated; and nothing that can appear before a court-martial
+can make me alter that opinion. I have been too long acquainted with
+human nature to have great regard for human testimony; and a very great
+degree of probability, supported by various concurrent circumstances,
+conspiring in one point, will have much greater weight with me, than
+human testimony upon oath, or even upon honor; both which I have
+frequently seen considerably warped by private views.
+
+The parliament, which now stands prorogued to the first of next month, it
+is thought will be put off for some time longer, till we know in what
+light to lay before it the state of our alliance with Prussia, since the
+conclusion of the Hanover neutrality; which, if it did not quite break
+it, made at least a great flaw in it.
+
+The birth-day was neither fine nor crowded; and no wonder, since the King
+was that day seventy-five. The old Court and the young one are much
+better together since the Duke's retirement; and the King has presented
+the Prince of Wales with a service of plate.
+
+I am still UNWELL, though I drink these waters very regularly. I will
+stay here at least six weeks longer; where I am much quieter than I
+should be allowed to be in town. When things are in such a miserable
+situation as they are at present, I desire neither to be concerned nor
+consulted, still less quoted. Adieu!
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXIV
+
+BATH, November 26, 1757
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I received by the last mail your short account of the
+King of Prussia's victory; which victory, contrary to custom, turns out
+more complete than it was at first reported to be. This appears by an
+intercepted letter from Monsieur de St. Germain to Monsieur d'Affry, at
+The Hague, in which he tells him, 'Cette arme est entierement fondue',
+and lays the blame, very strongly, upon Monsieur de Soubize. But, be it
+greater or be it less, I am glad of it; because the King of Prussia (whom
+I honor and almost adore) I am sure is. Though 'd'ailleurs', between you
+and me, 'ou est-ce que cela mene'? To nothing, while that formidable
+union of three great Powers of Europe subsists against him, could that be
+any way broken, something might be done; without which nothing can. I
+take it for granted that the King of Prussia will do all he can to detach
+France. Why should not we, on our part, try to detach Russia? At least,
+in our present distress, 'omnia tentanda', and sometimes a lucky and
+unexpected hit turns up. This thought came into my head this morning; and
+I give it to you, not as a very probable scheme, but as a possible one,
+and consequently worth trying. The year of the Russian subsidies
+(nominally paid by the Court of Vienna, but really by France) is near
+expired. The former probably cannot, and perhaps the latter will not,
+renew them. The Court of Petersburg is beggarly, profuse, greedy, and by
+no means scrupulous. Why should not we step in there, and out-bid them?
+If we could, we buy a great army at once; which would give an entire new
+turn to the affairs of that part of the world at least. And if we bid
+handsomely, I do not believe the 'bonne foi' of that Court would stand in
+the way. Both our Court and our parliament would, I am very sure, give a
+very great sum, and very cheerfully, for this purpose. In the next place,
+Why should not you wriggle yourself, if possible, into so great a scheme?
+You are, no doubt, much acquainted with the Russian Resident, Soltikow;
+Why should you not sound him, as entirely from yourself, upon this
+subject? You may ask him, What, does your Court intend to go on next year
+in the pay of France, to destroy the liberties of all Europe, and throw
+universal monarchy into the hands of that already great and always
+ambitious Power? I know you think, or at least call yourselves, the
+allies of the Empress Queen; but is it not plain that she will be, in the
+first place, and you in the next, the dupes of France? At this very time
+you are doing the work of France and Sweden: and that for some miserable
+subsidies, much inferior to those which I am sure you might have, in a
+better cause, and more consistent with the true interest of Russia.
+Though not empowered, I know the manner of thinking of my own Court so
+well upon this subject, that I will venture to promise you much better
+terms than those you have now, without the least apprehensions of being
+disavowed. Should he listen to this, and what more may occur to you to
+say upon this subject, and ask you, 'En ecrirai je d ma cour? Answer him,
+'Ecrivez, ecrivex, Monsieur hardiment'. Je prendrai tout cela sur moi'.
+Should this happen, as perhaps, and as I heartily wish it may, then write
+an exact relation of it to your own Court. Tell them that you thought the
+measure of such great importance, that you could not help taking this
+little step toward bringing it about; but that you mentioned it only as
+from yourself, and that you have not in the least committed them by it.
+If Soltikow lends himself in any degree to this, insinuate that, in the
+present situation of affairs, and particularly of the King's Electoral
+dominions, you are very sure that his Majesty would have 'une
+reconnoissance sans bornes' for ALL those by whose means so desirable a
+revival of an old and long friendship should be brought about. You will
+perhaps tell me that, without doubt, Mr. Keith's instructions are to the
+same effect: but I will answer you, that you can, IF YOU PLEASE, do it
+better than Mr. Keith; and in the next place that, be all that as it
+will, it must be very advantageous to you at home, to show that you have
+at least a contriving head, and an alertness in business.
+
+I had a letter by the last post, from the Duke of Newcastle, in which he
+congratulates me, in his own name and in Lord Hardwicke's, upon the
+approbation which your dispatches give, not only to them two, but to
+OTHERS. This success, so early, should encourage your diligence and rouse
+your ambition if you have any; you may go a great way, if you desire it,
+having so much time before you.
+
+I send you here inclosed the copy of the Report of the three general
+officers, appointed to examine previously into the conduct of General
+M----t; it is ill written, and ill spelled, but no matter; you will
+decipher it. You will observe, by the tenor of it, that it points
+strongly to a court-martial; which, no doubt, will soon be held upon him.
+I presume there will be no shooting in the final sentence; but I do
+suppose there will be breaking, etc.
+
+I have had some severe returns of my old complaints last week, and am
+still unwell; I cannot help it.
+
+A friend of yours arrived here three days ago; she seems to me to be a
+serviceable strong-bodied bay mare, with black mane and tail; you easily
+guess who I mean. She is come with mamma, and without 'caro sposo'.
+
+Adieu! my head will not let me go on longer.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXV
+
+BATH, December 31, 1757
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I have this moment received your letter of the 18th, with
+the inclosed papers. I cannot help observing that, till then, you never
+acknowledged the receipt of any one of my letters.
+
+I can easily conceive that party spirit, among your brother ministers at
+Hamburg, runs as high as you represent it, because I can easily believe
+the errors of the human mind; but at the same time I must observe, that
+such a spirit is the spirit of little minds and subaltern ministers, who
+think to atone by zeal for their want of merit and importance. The
+political differences of the several courts should never influence the
+personal behavior of their several ministers toward one another. There is
+a certain 'procede noble et galant', which should always be observed
+among the ministers of powers even at war with each other, which will
+always turn out to the advantage of the ablest, who will in those
+conversations find, or make, opportunities of throwing out, or of
+receiving useful hints. When I was last at The Hague, we were at war with
+both France and Spain; so that I could neither visit, nor be visited by,
+the Ministers of those two Crowns; but we met every day, or dined at
+third places, where we embraced as personal friends, and trifled, at the
+same time, upon our being political enemies; and by this sort of badinage
+I discovered some things which I wanted to know. There is not a more
+prudent maxim than to live with one's enemies as if they may one day
+become one's friends; as it commonly happens, sooner or later, in the
+vicissitudes of political affairs.
+
+To your question, which is a rational and prudent one, Whether I was
+authorized to give you the hints concerning Russia by any people in power
+here, I will tell you that I was not: but, as I had pressed them to try
+what might be done with Russia, and got Mr. Keith to be dispatched there
+some months sooner than otherwise, I dare say he would, with the proper
+instructions for that purpose. I wished that, by the hints I gave you,
+you might have got the start of him, and the merit, at least, of having
+'entame' that matter with Soltikow. What you have to do with him now,
+when you meet with him at any third place, or at his own house (where you
+are at liberty to go, while Russia has a Minister in London, and we a
+Minister at Petersburg), is, in my opinion, to say to him, in an easy
+cheerful manner, 'He bien, Monsieur, je me flatte que nous serons bientot
+amis publics, aussi bien qu'amis personels'. To which he will probably
+ask, Why, or how? You will reply, Because you know that Mr. Keith is gone
+to his Court with instructions, which you think must necessarily be
+agreeable there. And throw out to him that nothing but a change of their
+present system can save Livonia to Russia; for that he cannot suppose
+that, when the Swedes shall have recovered Pomerania they will long leave
+Russia in quiet possession of Livonia.
+
+If he is so much a Frenchman as you say, he will make you some weak
+answers to this; but, as you will have the better of the argument on your
+side, you may remind him of the old and almost uninterrupted connection
+between France and Sweden, the inveterate enemy of Russia. Many other
+arguments will naturally occur to you in such a conversation, if you have
+it. In this case, there is a piece of ministerial art, which is sometimes
+of use; and that is, to sow jealousies among one's enemies, by a seeming
+preference shown to some one of them. Monsieur Hecht's reveries are
+reveries indeed. How should his Master have made the GOLDEN ARRANGEMENTS
+which he talks of, and which are to be forged into shackles for General
+Fermor? The Prussian finances are not in a condition now to make such
+expensive arrangements. But I think you may tell Monsieur Hecht, in
+confidence, that you hope the instructions with which you know that Mr.
+Keith is gone to Petersburg, may have some effect upon the measures of
+that Court.
+
+I would advise you to live with that same Monsieur Hecht in all the
+confidence, familiarity, and connection, which prudence will allow. I
+mean it with regard to the King of Prussia himself, by whom I could wish
+you to be known and esteemed as much as possible. It may be of use to you
+some day or other. If man, courage, conduct, constancy, can get the
+better of all the difficulties which the King of Prussia has to struggle
+with, he will rise superior to them. But still, while his alliance
+subsists against him, I dread 'les gros escadrons'. His last victory, of
+the 5th, was certainly the completest that has been heard of these many
+years. I heartily wish the Prince of Brunswick just such a one over
+Monsieur de Richelieu's army; and that he may take my old acquaintance
+the Marechal, and send him over here to polish and perfume us.
+
+I heartily wish you, in the plain, home-spun style, a great number of
+happy new years, well employed in forming both your mind and your
+manners, to be useful and agreeable to yourself, your country, and your
+friends! That these wishes are sincere, your secretary's brother will, by
+the time of your receiving this, have remitted you a proof, from Yours.
+
+
+
+
+LETTERS TO HIS SON
+
+LETTER CCXVI
+
+LONDON, February 8, 1758.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I received by the same post your two letters of the 13th
+and 17th past; and yesterday that of the 27th, with the Russian manifesto
+inclosed, in which her Imperial Majesty of all the Russias has been
+pleased to give every reason, except the true one, for the march of her
+troops against the King of Prussia. The true one, I take it to be, that
+she has just received a very great sum of money from France, or the
+Empress queen, or both, for that purpose. 'Point d'argent, point de
+Russe', is now become a maxim. Whatever may be the motive of their march,
+the effects must be bad; and, according to my speculations, those troops
+will replace the French in Hanover and Lower Saxony; and the French will
+go and join the Austrian army. You ask me if I still despond? Not so much
+as I did after the battle of Colen: the battles of Rosbach and Lissa were
+drams to me, and gave me some momentary spirts: but though I do not
+absolutely despair, I own I greatly distrust. I readily allow the King of
+Prussia to be 'nec pluribus impar'; but still, when the 'plures' amount
+to a certain degree of plurality, courage and abilities must yield at
+last. Michel here assures me that he does not mind the Russians; but, as
+I have it from the gentleman's own mouth, I do not believe him. We shall
+very soon send a squadron to the Baltic to entertain the Swedes; which I
+believe will put an end to their operations in Pomerania; so that I have
+no great apprehensions from that quarter; but Russia, I confess, sticks
+in my stomach.
+
+Everything goes smoothly in parliament; the King of Prussia has united
+all our parties in his support; and the Tories have declared that they
+will give Mr. Pitt unlimited credit for this session; there has not been
+one single division yet upon public points, and I believe will not. Our
+American expedition is preparing to go soon; the dis position of that
+affair seems to me a little extraordinary. Abercrombie is to be the
+sedantary, and not the acting commander; Amherst, Lord Howe, and Wolfe,
+are to be the acting, and I hope the active officers. I wish they may
+agree. Amherst, who is the oldest officer, is under the influence of the
+same great person who influenced Mordaunt, so much to honor and advantage
+of this country. This is most certain, that we have force enough in
+America to eat up the French alive in Canada, Quebec, and Louisburg, if
+we have but skill and spirit enough to exert it properly; but of that I
+am modest enough to doubt.
+
+When you come to the egotism, which I have long desired you to come to
+with me, you need make no excuses for it. The egotism is as proper and as
+satisfactory to one's friends, as it is impertinent and misplaced with
+strangers. I desire to see you in your every-day clothes, by your
+fireside, in your pleasures; in short, in your private life; but I have
+not yet been able to obtain this. Whenever you condescend to do it, as
+you promise, stick to truth; for I am not so uninformed of Hamburg as
+perhaps you may think.
+
+As for myself, I am very UNWELL, and very weary of being so; and with
+little hopes, at my age, of ever being otherwise. I often wish for the
+end of the wretched remnant of my life; and that wish is a rational one;
+but then the innate principle of self-preservation, wisely implanted in
+our natures for obvious purposes, opposes that wish, and makes us
+endeavor to spin out our thread as long as we can, however decayed and
+rotten it may be; and, in defiance of common sense, we seek on for that
+chymic gold, which beggars us when old.
+
+Whatever your amusements, or pleasures, may be at Hamburg, I dare say you
+taste them more sensibly than ever you did in your life, now that you
+have business enough to whet your appetite to them. Business, one-half of
+the day, is the best preparation for the pleasures of the other half. I
+hope, and believe, that it will be with you as it was with an apothecary
+whom I knew at Twickenham. A considerable estate fell to him by an
+unexpected accident; upon which he thought it decent to leave off his
+business; accordingly he generously gave up his shop and his stock to his
+head man, set up his coach, and resolved to live like a gentleman; but,
+in less than a month, the man, used to business, found, that living like
+a gentleman was dying of ennui; upon which he bought his shop and stock,
+resumed his trade, and lived very happily, after he had something to do.
+Adieu.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXVII
+
+LONDON, February 24, 1758
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I received yesterday your letter of the 2d instant, with
+the inclosed; which I return you, that there may be no chasm in your
+papers. I had heard before of Burrish's death, and had taken some steps
+thereupon; but I very soon dropped that affair, for ninety-nine good
+reasons; the first of which was, that nonody is to go in his room, and
+that, had he lived, he was to have been recalled from Munich. But another
+reason, more flattering for you, was, that you could not be spared from
+Hamburg. Upon the whole, I am not sorry for it, as the place where you
+are now is the great entrepot of business; and, when it ceases to be so,
+you will necessarily go to some of the courts in the neighborhood
+(Berlin, I hope and believe), which will be a much more desirable
+situation than to rush at Munich, where we can never have any business
+beyond a subsidy. Do but go on, and exert yourself were you are, and
+better things will soon follow.
+
+Surely the inaction of our army at Hanover continues too long. We
+expected wonders from it some time ago, and yet nothing is attempted. The
+French will soon receive reinforcements, and then be too strong for us;
+whereas they are now most certainly greatly weakened by desertion,
+sickness, and deaths. Does the King of Prussia send a body of men to our
+army or not? or has the march of the Russians cut him out work for all
+his troops? I am afraid it has. If one body of Russians joins the
+Austrian army in Moravia, and another body the Swedes in Pomerania, he
+will have his hands very full, too full, I fear. The French say they will
+have an army of 180,000 men in Germany this year; the Empress Queen will
+have 150,000; if the Russians have but 40,000, what can resist such a
+force? The King of Prussia may say, indeed, with more justice than ever
+any one person could before him, 'Moi. Medea superest'.
+
+You promised the some egotism; but I have received none yet. Do you
+frequent the Landgrave? 'Hantex vous les grands de la terre'? What are
+the connections of the evening? All this, and a great deal more of this
+kind, let me know in your next.
+
+The House of Commons is still very unanimous. There was a little popular
+squib let off this week, in a motion of Sir John Glynne's, seconded by
+Sir John Philips, for annual parliaments. It was a very cold scent, and
+put an end to by a division of 190 to 70.
+
+Good-night. Work hard, that you may divert yourself well.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXVIII
+
+LONDON, March 4, 1758.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I should have been much more surprised at the contents of
+your letter of the 17th past, if I had not happened to have seen Sir C.
+W., about three or four hours before I received it. I thought he talked
+in an extraordinary manner; he engaged that the King of Prussia should be
+master of Vienna in the month of May; and he told me that you were very
+much in love with his daughter. Your letter explained all this to me; and
+next day, Lord and Lady E-----gave me innumerable instances of his
+frenzy, with which I shall not trouble you. What inflamed it the more (if
+it did not entirely occasion it) was a great quantity of cantharides,
+which, it seems, he had taken at Hamburgh, to recommend himself, I
+suppose, to Mademoiselle John. He was let blood four times on board the
+ship, and has been let blood four times since his arrival here; but still
+the inflammation continues very high. He is now under the care of his
+brothers, who do not let him go abroad. They have written to this same
+Mademoiselle John, to prevent if they can, her coming to England, and
+told her the case; which, when she hears she must be as mad as he is, if
+she takes the journey. By the way, she must be 'une dame aventuriere', to
+receive a note for 10,000 roubles from a man whom she had known but three
+days! to take a contract of marriage, knowing he was married already; and
+to engage herself to follow him to England. I suppose this is not the
+first adventure of the sort which she has had.
+
+After the news we received yesterday, that the French had evacuated
+Hanover, all but Hamel, we daily expect much better. We pursue them, we
+cut them off 'en detail', and at last we destroy their whole army. I wish
+it may happen; and, moreover, I think it not impossible.
+
+My head is much out of order, and only allows me to wish you good-night.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXIX
+
+LONDON, March 22, 1758
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I have now your letter of the 8th lying before me, with
+the favorable account of our progress in Lower Saxony, and reasonable
+prospect of more decisive success. I confess I did not expect this, when
+my friend Munchausen took his leave of me, to go to Stade, and break the
+neutrality; I thought it at least a dangerous, but rather a desperate
+undertaking; whereas, hitherto, it has proved a very fortunate one. I
+look upon the French army as 'fondue'; and, what with desertion, deaths,
+and epidemical distempers, I dare say not a third of it will ever return
+to France. The great object is now, what the Russians can or will do; and
+whether the King of Prussia can hinder their junction with the Austrians,
+by beating either, before they join. I will trust him for doing all that
+can be done.
+
+Sir C. W. is still in confinement, and, I fear, will always be so, for he
+seems 'cum ratione insanire'; the physicians have collected all he has
+said and done that indicated an alienation of mind, and have laid it
+before him in writing; he has answered it in writing too, and justifies
+himself in the most plausible arguments than can possibly be urged. He
+tells his brother, and the few who are allowed to see him, that they are
+such narrow and contracted minds themselves, that they take those for mad
+who have a great and generous way of thinking; as, for instance, when he
+determined to send his daughter over to you in a fortnight, to be
+married, without any previous agreement or settlements, it was because he
+had long known you, and loved you as a man of sense and honor; and
+therefore would not treat with you as with an attorney. That as for
+Mademoiselle John, he knew her merit and her circumstances; and asks,
+whether it is a sign of madness to have a due regard for the one, and a
+just compassion for the other. I will not tire you with enumerating any
+more instances of the poor man's frenzy; but conclude this subject with
+pitying him, and poor human nature, which holds its reason by so
+precarious a tenure. The lady, who you tell me is set out, 'en sera pour
+la seine et les fraix du voyage', for her note is worth no more than her
+contract. By the way, she must be a kind of 'aventuriere', to engage so
+easily in such an adventure with a man whom she had not known above a
+week, and whose 'debut' of 10,000 roubles showed him not to be in his
+right senses.
+
+You will probably have seen General Yorke, by this time, in his way to
+Berlin or Breslau, or wherever the King of Prussia may be. As he keeps
+his commission to the States General, I presume he is not to stay long
+with his Prussian Majesty; but, however, while he is there, take care to
+write to him very constantly, and to give all the information you can.
+His father, Lord Hardwicke, is your great puff: he commends your office
+letters, exceedingly. I would have the Berlin commission your object, in
+good time; never lose view of it. Do all you can to recommend yourself to
+the King of Prussia on your side of the water, and to smooth your way for
+that commission on this; by the turn which things have taken of late, it
+must always be the most important of all foreign commissions from hence.
+
+I have no news to send you, as things here are extremely quiet; so,
+good-night.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXX
+
+LONDON, April 25, 1758.
+
+DEAR FRIEND: I am now two letters in your debt, which I think is the
+first time that ever I was so, in the long course of our correspondence.
+But, besides that my head has been very much out of order of late,
+writing is by no means that easy thing that it was to me formerly. I find
+by experience, that the mind and the body are more than married, for they
+are most intimately united; and when the one suffers, the other
+sympathizes. 'Non sum qualis eram': neither my memory nor my invention
+are now what they formerly were. It is in a great measure my own fault; I
+cannot accuse Nature, for I abused her; and it is reasonable I should
+suffer for it.
+
+I do not like the return of the impression upon your lungs; but the rigor
+of the cold may probably have brought it upon you, and your lungs not in
+fault. Take care to live very cool, and let your diet be rather low.
+
+We have had a second winter here, more severe than the first, at least it
+seemed so, from a premature summer that we had, for a fortnight, in
+March; which brought everything forward, only to be destroyed. I have
+experienced it at Blackheath, where the promise of fruit was a most
+flattering one, and all nipped in the bud by frost and snow, in April. I
+shall not have a single peach or apricot.
+
+I have nothing to tell you from hence concerning public affairs, but what
+you read in the newspapers. This only is extraordinary: that last week,
+in the House of Commons, above ten millions were granted, and the whole
+Hanover army taken into British pay, with but one single negative, which
+was Mr. Viner's.
+
+Mr. Pitt gains ground in the closet, and yet does not lose it in the
+public. That is new.
+
+Monsieur Kniphausen has dined with me; he is one of the prettiest fellows
+I have seen; he has, with a great deal of life and fire, 'les manieres
+d'un honnete homme, et le ton de la Parfaitement bonne compagnie'. You
+like him yourself; try to be like him: it is in your power.
+
+I hear that Mr. Mitchel is to be recalled, notwithstanding the King of
+Prussia's instances to keep him. But why, is a secret that I cannot
+penetrate.
+
+You will not fail to offer the Landgrave, and the Princess of Hesse (who
+I find are going home), to be their agent and commissioner at Hamburg.
+
+I cannot comprehend the present state of Russia, nor the motions of their
+armies. They change their generals once a week; sometimes they march with
+rapidity, and now they lie quiet behind the Vistula. We have a thousand
+stories here of the interior of that government, none of which I believe.
+Some say, that the Great Duke will be set aside.
+
+Woronzoff is said to be entirely a Frenchman, and that Monsieur de
+l'Hopital governs both him and the court. Sir C. W. is said, by his
+indiscretions, to have caused the disgrace of Bestuchef, which seems not
+impossible. In short, everything of every kind is said, because, I
+believe, very little is truly known. 'A propos' of Sir C. W.; he is out
+of confinement, and gone to his house in the country for the whole
+summer. They say he is now very cool and well. I have seen his Circe, at
+her window in Pall-Mall; she is painted, powdered, curled, and patched,
+and looks 'l'aventure'. She has been offered, by Sir C. W----'s friends,
+L500 in full of all demands, but will not accept of it. 'La comtesse veut
+plaider', and I fancy 'faire autre chose si elle peut. Jubeo to bene
+valere.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXXI
+
+BLACKHEATH, May 18, O. S. 1758.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I have your letter of the 9th now before me, and condole
+with you upon the present solitude and inaction of Hamburg. You are now
+shrunk from the dignity and importance of a consummate minister, to be
+but, as it were, a common man. But this has, at one time or another, been
+the case of most great men; who have not always had equal opportunities
+of exerting their talents. The greatest must submit to the capriciousness
+of fortune; though they can, better than others, improve the favorable
+moments. For instance, who could have thought, two years ago, that you
+would have been the Atlas of the Northern Pole; but the Good Genius of
+the North ordered it so; and now that you have set that part of the globe
+right, you return to 'otium cum dignitate'. But to be serious: now that
+you cannot have much office business to do, I could tell you what to do,
+that would employ you, I should think, both usefully and agreeably. I
+mean, that you should write short memoirs of that busy scene, in which
+you have been enough concerned, since your arrival at Hamburg, to be able
+to put together authentic facts and anecdotes. I do not know whether you
+will give yourself the trouble to do it or not; but I do know, that if
+you will, 'olim hcec meminisse juvabit'. I would have them short, but
+correct as to facts and dates.
+
+I have told Alt, in the strongest manner, your lamentations for the loss
+of the House of Cassel, 'et il en fera rapport a son Serenissime Maitre'.
+When you are quite idle (as probably you may be, some time this summer),
+why should you not ask leave to make a tour to Cassel for a week? which
+would certainly be granted you from hence, and which would be looked upon
+as a 'bon procede' at Cassel.
+
+The King of Prussia is probably, by this time, at the gates of Vienna,
+making the Queen of Hungary really do what Monsieur de Bellisle only
+threatened; sign a peace upon the ramparts of her capital. If she is
+obstinate, and will not, she must fly either to Presburg or to Inspruck,
+and Vienna must fall. But I think he will offer her reasonable conditions
+enough for herself; and I suppose, that, in that case, Caunitz will be
+reasonable enough to advise her to accept of them. What turn would the
+war take then? Would the French and Russians carry it on without her? The
+King of Prussia, and the Prince of Brunswick, would soon sweep them out
+of Germany. By this time, too, I believe, the French are entertained in
+America with the loss of Cape Breton; and, in consequence of that,
+Quebec; for we have a force there equal to both those undertakings, and
+officers there, now, that will execute what Lord L------never would so
+much as attempt. His appointments were too considerable to let him do
+anything that might possibly put an end to the war. Lord Howe, upon
+seeing plainly that he was resolved to do nothing, had asked leave to
+return, as well as Lord Charles Hay.
+
+We have a great expedition preparing, and which will soon be ready to
+sail from the Isle of Wight; fifteen thousand good troops, eighty
+battering cannons, besides mortars, and every other thing in abundance,
+fit for either battle or siege. Lord Anson desired, and is appointed, to
+command the fleet employed upon this expedition; a proof that it is not a
+trifling one. Conjectures concerning its destination are infinite; and
+the most ignorant are, as usual, the boldest conjecturers. If I form any
+conjectures, I keep them to myself, not to be disproved by the event;
+but, in truth, I form none: I might have known, but would not.
+
+Everything seems to tend to a peace next winter: our success in America,
+which is hardly doubtful, and the King of Prussia's in Germany, which is
+as little so, will make France (already sick of the expense of the war)
+very tractable for a peace. I heartily wish it: for though people's heads
+are half turned with the King of Prussia's success, and will be quite
+turned, if we have any in America, or at sea, a moderate peace will suit
+us better than this immoderate war of twelve millions a year.
+
+Domestic affairs go just as they did; the Duke of Newcastle and Mr. Pitt
+jog on like man and wife; that is, seldom agreeing, often quarreling; but
+by mutual interest, upon the whole, not parting. The latter, I am told,
+gains ground in the closet; though he still keeps his strength in the
+House, and his popularity in the public; or, perhaps, because of that.
+
+Do you hold your resolution of visiting your dominions of Bremen and
+Lubeck this summer? If you do, pray take the trouble of informing
+yourself correctly of the several constitutions and customs of those
+places, and of the present state of the federal union of the Hanseatic
+towns: it will do you no harm, nor cost you much trouble; and it is so
+much clear gain on the side of useful knowledge.
+
+I am now settled at Blackheath for the summer; where unseasonable frost
+and snow, and hot and parching east winds, have destroyed all my fruit,
+and almost my fruit-trees. I vegetate myself little better than they do;
+I crawl about on foot and on horseback; read a great deal, and write a
+little; and am very much yours.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXXII
+
+BLACKHEATH, May 30, 1758.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I have no letter from you to answer, so this goes to you
+unprovoked. But 'a propos' of letters; you have had great honor done you,
+in a letter from a fair and royal hand, no less than that of her Royal
+Highness the Princess of Cassel; she has written your panegyric to her
+sister, Princess Amelia, who sent me a compliment upon it. This has
+likewise done you no harm with the King, who said gracious things upon
+that occasion. I suppose you had for her Royal Highness those attentions
+which I wish to God you would have, in due proportions, for everybody.
+You see, by this instance, the effects of them; they are always repaid
+with interest. I am more confirmed by this in thinking, that, if you can
+conveniently, you should ask leave to go for a week to Cassel, to return
+your thanks for all favors received.
+
+I cannot expound to myself the conduct of the Russians. There must be a
+trick in their not marching with more expedition. They have either had a
+sop from the King of Prussia, or they want an animating dram from France
+and Austria. The King of Prussia's conduct always explains itself by the
+events; and, within a very few days, we must certainly hear of some very
+great stroke from that quarter. I think I never in my life remember a
+period of time so big with great events as the present: within two months
+the fate of the House of Austria will probably be decided: within the
+same space of time, we shall certainly hear of the taking of Cape Breton,
+and of our army's proceeding to Quebec within a few days we shall know
+the good or ill success of our great expedition; for it is sailed; and it
+cannot be long before we shall hear something of the Prince of
+Brunswick's operations, from whom I also expect good things. If all these
+things turn out, as there is good reason to believe they will, we may
+once, in our turn, dictate a reasonable peace to France, who now pays
+seventy per cent insurance upon its trade, and seven per cent for all the
+money raised for the service of the year.
+
+Comte Bothmar has got the small-pox, and of a bad kind. Kniphausen
+diverts himself much here; he sees all places and all people, and is
+ubiquity itself. Mitchel, who was much threatened, stays at last at
+Berlin, at the earnest request of the King of Prussia. Lady is safely
+delivered of a son, to the great joy of that noble family. The
+expression, of a woman's having brought her husband a son, seems to be a
+proper and cautious one; for it is never said from whence.
+
+I was going to ask you how you passed your time now at Hamburg, since it
+is no longer the seat of strangers and of business; but I will not,
+because I know it is to no purpose. You have sworn not to tell me.
+
+Sir William Stanhope told me that you promised to send him some Old Hock
+from Hamburg, and so you did not. If you meet with any superlatively
+good, and not else, pray send over a 'foudre' of it, and write to him. I
+shall have a share in it. But unless you find some, either at Hamburg or
+at Bremen, uncommonly and almost miracuously good, do not send any. Dixi.
+Yours.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXXIII
+
+BLACKHEATH, June 13, 1758.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: The secret is out: St. Malo is the devoted place. Our
+troops began to land at the Bay of Cancale the 5th, without any
+opposition. We have no further accounts yet, but expect some every
+moment. By the plan of it, which I have seen, it is by no means a weak
+place; and I fear there will be many hats to be disposed of, before it is
+taken. There are in the port above thirty privateers; about sixteen of
+their own, and about as many taken from us. 237
+
+Now for Africa, where we have had great success. The French have been
+driven out of all their forts and settlements upon the Gum coast, and
+upon the river Senegal. They had been many years in possession of them,
+and by them annoyed our African trade exceedingly; which, by the way,
+'toute proportion gardee', is the most lucrative trade we have. The
+present booty is likewise very considerable, in gold dust, and gum
+Seneca; which is very valuable, by being a very necessary commodity, for
+all our stained and printed linens.
+
+Now for America. The least sanguine people here expect, the latter end of
+this month or the beginning of the next, to have the account of the
+taking of Cape Breton, and of all the forts with hard names in North
+America.
+
+Captain Clive has long since settled Asia to our satisfaction; so that
+three parts of the world look very favorable for us. Europe, I submit to
+the care of the King of Prussia and Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick; and I
+think they will give a good account of it. France is out of luck, and out
+of courage; and will, I hope, be enough out of spirits to submit to a
+reasonable peace. By reasonable, I mean what all people call reasonable
+in their own case; an advantageous one for us.
+
+I have set all right with Munchausen; who would not own that he was at
+all offended, and said, as you do, that his daughter did not stay long
+enough, nor appear enough at Hamburg, for you possibly to know that she
+was there. But people are always ashamed to own the little weaknesses of
+self-love, which, however, all people feel more or less. The excuse, I
+saw, pleased.
+
+I will send you your quadrille tables by the first opportunity, consigned
+to the care of Mr. Mathias here. 'Felices faustaeque sint! May you win
+upon them, when you play with men; and when you play with women, either
+win or know why you lose.
+
+Miss------marries Mr.-------next week. WHO PROFFERS LOVE, PROFFERS DEATH,
+says Weller to a dwarf: in my opinion, the conclusion must instantly
+choak the little lady. Admiral marries Lady; there the danger, if danger
+is, will be on the other side. The lady has wanted a man so long, that
+she now compounds for half a one. Half a loaf--
+
+I have been worse since my last letter; but am now, I think, recovering;
+'tant va la cruche a l'eau';--and I have been there very often.
+
+Good-night. I am faithfully and truly yours.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXXIV
+
+BLACKHEATH, June 27, 1758.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: You either have received already, or will very soon
+receive, a little case from Amsterdam, directed to you at Hamburg. It is
+for Princess Ameba, the King of Prussia's sister, and contains some books
+which she desired Sir Charles Hotham to procure her from England, so long
+ago as when he was at Berlin: he sent for them immediately; but, by I do
+not know what puzzle, they were recommended to the care of Mr. Selwyn, at
+Paris, who took such care of them, that he kept them near three years in
+his warehouse, and has at last sent them to Amsterdam, from whence they
+are sent to you. If the books are good for anything, they must be
+considerably improved, by having seen so much of the world; but, as I
+believe they are English books, perhaps they may, like English travelers,
+have seen nobody, but the several bankers to whom they were consigned: be
+that as it will, I think you had best deliver them to Monsieur Hecht, the
+Prussian Minister at Hamburg, to forward to her Royal Highness, with a
+respectful compliment from you, which you will, no doubt, turn in the
+best manner, and 'selon le bon ton de la parfaitement bonne compagnie'.
+
+You have already seen, in the papers, all the particulars of our St.
+Malo's expedition, so I say no more of that; only that Mr. Pitt's friends
+exult in the destruction of three French ships of war, and one hundred
+and thirty privateers and trading ships; and affirm that it stopped the
+march of threescore thousand men, who were going to join the Comte de
+Clermont's army. On the other hand, Mr. Fox and company call it breaking
+windows with guineas; and apply the fable of the Mountain and the Mouse.
+The next object of our fleet was to be the bombarding of Granville, which
+is the great 'entrepot' of their Newfoundland fishery, and will be a
+considerable loss to them in that branch of their trade. These, you will
+perhaps say, are no great matters, and I say so too; but, at least, they
+are signs of life, which we had not given them for many years before; and
+will show the French, by our invading them, that we do not fear their
+invading us. Were those invasions, in fishing-boats from Dunkirk, so
+terrible as they were artfully represented to be, the French would have
+had an opportunity of executing them, while our fleet, and such a
+considerable part of our army, were employed upon their coast. BUT MY
+LORD LIGONIER DOES NOT WANT AN ARMY AT HOME.
+
+The parliament is prorogued by a most gracious speech neither by nor from
+his Majesty, who was TOO ILL to go to the House; the Lords and Gentlemen
+are, consequently, most of them, gone to their several counties, to do
+(to be sure) all the good that is recommended to them in the speech.
+London, I am told, is now very empty, for I cannot say so from knowledge.
+I vegetate wholly here. I walk and read a great deal, ride and scribble a
+little, according as my lead allows, or my spirits prompt; to write
+anything tolerable, the mind must be in a natural, proper disposition;
+provocatives, in that case, as well as in another, will only produce
+miserable, abortive performances.
+
+Now that you have (as I suppose) full leisure enough, I wish you would
+give yourself the trouble, or rather pleasure, to do what I hinted to you
+some time ago; that is, to write short memoirs of those affairs which
+have either gone through your hands, or that have come to your certain
+knowledge, from the inglorious battle of Hastenbeck, to the still more
+scandalous Treaty of Neutrality. Connect, at least, if it be by ever so
+short notes, the pieces and letters which you must necessarily have in
+your hands, and throw in the authentic anecdotes that you have probably
+heard. You will be glad when you have done it: and the reviving past
+ideas, in some order and method, will be an infinite comfort to you
+hereafter. I have a thousand times regretted not having done so; it is at
+present too late for me to begin; this is the right time for you, and
+your life is likely to be a busy one. Would young men avail themselves of
+the advice and experience of their old friends, they would find the
+utility in their youth, and the comfort of it in their more advanced age;
+but they seldom consider that, and you, less than anybody I ever knew.
+May you soon grow wiser! Adieu.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXXV
+
+BLACKHEATH, June 30, 1758.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: This letter follows my last very close; but I received
+yours of the 15th in the short interval. You did very well not to buy any
+Rhenish, at the exorbitant price you mention, without further directions;
+for both my brother and I think the money better than the wine, be the
+wine ever so good. We will content our selves with our stock in hand of
+humble Rhenish, of about three shillings a-bottle. However, 'pour la
+rarity du fait, I will lay out twelve ducats', for twelve bottles of the
+wine of 1665, by way of an eventual cordial, if you can obtain a 'senatus
+consultum' for it. I am in no hurry for it, so send it me only when you
+can conveniently; well packed up 's'entend'.
+
+You will, I dare say, have leave to go to Cassel; and if you do go, you
+will perhaps think it reasonable, that I, who was the adviser of the
+journey, should pay the expense of it. I think so too; and therefore, if
+you go, I will remit the L100 which you have calculated it at. You will
+find the House of Cassel the house of gladness; for Hanau is already, or
+must be soon, delivered of its French guests.
+
+The Prince of Brunswick's victory is, by all the skillful, thought a
+'chef d'oeuvre', worthy of Turenne, Conde, or the most illustrious human
+butchers. The French behaved better than at Rosbach, especially the
+Carabiniers Royaux, who could not be 'entames'. I wish the siege of
+Olmutz well over, and a victory after it; and that, with good news from
+America, which I think there is no reason to doubt of, must procure us a
+good peace at the end of the year. The Prince of Prussia's death is no
+public misfortune: there was a jealousy and alienation between the King
+and him, which could never have been made up between the possessor of the
+crown and the next heir to it. He will make something of his nephew,
+'s'il est du bois don't on en fait'. He is young enough to forgive, and
+to be forgiven, the possession and the expectative, at least for some
+years.
+
+Adieu! I am UNWELL, but affectionately yours.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXXVI
+
+BLACKHEATH, July 18, 1758.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: Yesterday I received your letter of the 4th; and my last
+will have informed you that I had received your former, concerning the
+Rhenish, about which I gave you instructions. If 'vinum Mosellanum est
+omni tempore sanum', as the Chapter of Treves asserts, what must this
+'vinum Rhenanum' be, from its superior strength and age? It must be the
+universal panacea.
+
+Captain Howe is to sail forthwith somewhere or another, with about 8,000
+land forces on board him; and what is much more, Edward the White Prince.
+It is yet a secret where they are going; but I think it is no secret,
+that what 16,000 men and a great fleet could not do, will not be done by
+8,000 men and a much smaller fleet. About 8,500 horse, foot, and
+dragoons, are embarking, as fast as they can, for Embden, to reinforce
+Prince Ferdinand's army; late and few, to be sure, but still better than
+never, and none. The operations in Moravia go on slowly, and Olmutz seems
+to be a tough piece of work; I own I begin to be in pain for the King of
+Prussia; for the Russians now march in earnest, and Marechal Dann's army
+is certainly superior in number to his. God send him a good delivery!
+
+You have a Danish army now in your neighborhood, and they say a very fine
+one; I presume you will go to see it, and, if you do, I would advise you
+to go when the Danish Monarch comes to review it himself; 'pour prendre
+langue de ce Seigneur'. The rulers of the earth are all worth knowing;
+they suggest moral reflections: and the respect that one naturally has
+for God's vicegerents here on earth, is greatly increased by acquaintance
+with them.
+
+Your card-tables are gone, and they inclose some suits of clothes, and
+some of these clothes inclose a letter.
+
+Your friend Lady------is gone into the country with her Lord, to
+negotiate, coolly and at leisure, their intended separation. My Lady
+insists upon my Lord's dismissing the------, as ruinous to his fortune;
+my Lord insists, in his turn, upon my Lady's dismissing Lord----------;
+my Lady replies, that that is unreasonable, since Lord creates no expense
+to the family, but rather the contrary. My Lord confesses that there is
+some weight in this argument: but then pleads sentiment: my Lady says, a
+fiddlestick for sentiment, after having been married so long. How this
+matter will end, is in the womb of time, 'nam fuit ante Helenam'.
+
+You did very well to write a congratulatory letter to Prince Ferdinand;
+such attentions are always right, and always repaid in some way or other.
+
+I am glad you have connected your negotiations and anecdotes; and, I
+hope, not with your usual laconism. Adieu! Yours.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXXVII
+
+BLACKHEATH, August 1, 1758
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I think the Court of Cassel is more likely to make you a
+second visit at Hamburg, than you are to return theirs at Cassel; and
+therefore, till that matter is clearer, I shall not mention it to Lord
+Holderness.
+
+By the King of Prussia's disappointment in Moravia, by the approach of
+the Russians, and the intended march of Monsieur de Soubize to Hanover,
+the waters seem to me to be as much troubled as ever. 'Je vois tres noir
+actuellement'; I see swarms of Austrians, French, Imperialists, Swedes,
+and Russians, in all near four hundred thousand men, surrounding the King
+of Prussia and Prince Ferdinand, who have about a third of that number.
+Hitherto they have only buzzed, but now I fear they will sting.
+
+The immediate danger of this country is being drowned; for it has not
+ceased raining these three months, and withal is extremely cold. This
+neither agrees with me in itself, nor in its consequences; for it hinders
+me from taking my necessary exercise, and makes me very unwell. As my
+head is always the part offending, and is so at present, I will not do,
+like many writers, write without a head; so adieu.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXXVIII
+
+BLACKHEATH, August 29, 1758.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: Your secretary's last letter brought me the good news
+that the fever had left you, and I will believe that it has: but a
+postscript to it, of only two lines, under your own hand, would have
+convinced me more effectually of your recovery. An intermitting fever, in
+the intervals of the paroxysms, would surely have allowed you to have
+written a few lines with your own hand, to tell me how you were; and till
+I receive a letter (as short as you please) from you yourself, I shall
+doubt of the exact truth of any other accounts.
+
+I send you no news, because I have none; Cape Breton, Cherbourg, etc.,
+are now old stories; we expect a new one soon from Commodore Howe, but
+from whence we know not. From Germany we hope for good news: I confess I
+do not, I only wish it. The King of Prussia is marched to fight the
+Russians, and I believe will beat them, if they stand; but what then?
+What shall he do next, with the three hundred and fourscore thousand men
+now actually at work upon him? He will do all that man can do, but at
+last 'il faut succomber'.
+
+Remember to think yourself less well than you are, in order to be quite
+so; be very regular, rather longer than you need; and then there will be
+no danger of a relapse. God bless you.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXXIX
+
+BLACKHEATH, September 5, 1758
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I received, with great pleasure, your letter of the 22d
+August; for, by not having a line from you in your secretary's two
+letters, I suspect that you were worse than he cared to tell me; and so
+far I was in the right, that your fever was more malignant than
+intermitting ones generally are, which seldom confines people to their
+bed, or at most, only the days of the paroxysms. Now that, thank God, you
+are well again, though weak, do not be in too much haste to be better and
+stronger: leave that to nature, which, at your age, will restore both
+your health and strength as soon as she should. Live cool for a time, and
+rather low, instead of taking what they call heartening things: Your
+manner of making presents is noble, 'et sent la grandeur d'ame d'un preux
+Chevalier'. You depreciate their value to prevent any returns; for it is
+impossible that a wine which has counted so many Syndicks, that can only
+be delivered by a 'senatus consultum', and is the PANACEA Of the North,
+should be sold for a ducat a bottle. The 'sylphium' of the Romans, which
+was stored up in the public magazines, and only distributed by order of
+the magistrate, I dare say, cost more; so that I am convinced, your
+present is much more valuable than you would make it.
+
+Here I am interrupted, by receiving your letter of the 25th past. I am
+glad that you are able to undertake your journey to Bremen: the motion,
+the air, the new scene, the everything, will do you good, provided you
+manage yourself discreetly.
+
+Your bill for fifty pounds shall certainly be accepted and paid; but, as
+in conscience I think fifty pounds is too little, for seeing a live
+Landgrave, and especially at Bremen, which this whole nation knows to be
+a very dear place, I shall, with your leave, add fifty more to it. By the
+way, when you see the Princess Royal of Cassel, be sure to tell her how
+sensible you are of the favorable and too partial testimony, which you
+know she wrote of you to Princess Amelia.
+
+The King of Prussia has had the victory, which you in some measure
+foretold; and as he has taken 'la caisse militaire', I presume 'Messieurs
+les Russes sont hors de combat pour cette campagne'; for 'point d'argent,
+point de Suisse', is not truer of the laudable Helvetic body, than 'point
+d'argent, point de Russe', is of the savages of the Two Russias, not even
+excepting the Autocratrice of them both. Serbelloni, I believe, stands
+next in his Prussian Majesty's list to be beaten; that is, if he will
+stand; as the Prince de Soubize does in Prince Ferdinand's, upon the same
+condition. If both these things happen, which is by no means improbable,
+we may hope for a tolerable peace this winter; for, 'au bout du compte',
+the King of Prussia cannot hold out another year; and therefore he should
+make the best of these favorable events, by way negotiation.
+
+I think I have written a great deal, with an actual giddiness of head
+upon me. So adieu.
+
+I am glad you have received my letter of the Ides of July.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXXX
+
+BLACKHEATH, September 8, 1758.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: This letter shall be short, being only an explanatory
+note upon my last; for I am not learned enough, nor yet dull enough, to
+make my comment much longer than my text. I told you then, in my former
+letter, that, with your leave (which I will suppose granted), I would add
+fifty pounds to your draught for that sum; now, lest you should
+misunderstand this, and wait for the remittance of that additional fifty
+from hence, know then my meaning was, that you should likewise draw upon
+me for it when you please; which I presume, will be more convenient to
+you.
+
+Let the pedants, whose business it is to believe lies, or the poets,
+whose trade it is to invent them, match the King of Prussia With a hero
+in ancient or modern story, if they can. He disgraces history, and makes
+one give some credit to romances. Calprenede's Juba does not now seem so
+absurd as formerly.
+
+I have been extremely ill this whole summer; but am now something better.
+However, I perceive, 'que l'esprit et le corps baissent'; the former is
+the last thing that anybody will tell me; or own when I tell it them; but
+I know it is true. Adieu.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXXXI
+
+BLACKHEATH, September 22, 1758
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I have received no letter from you since you left
+Hamburg; I presume that you are perfectly recovered, but it might not
+have been improper to have told me so. I am very far from being
+recovered; on the contrary, I am worse and worse, weaker and weaker every
+day; for which reason I shall leave this place next Monday, and set out
+for Bath a few days afterward. I should not take all this trouble merely
+to prolong the fag end of a life, from which I can expect no pleasure,
+and others no utility; but the cure, or at least the mitigation, of those
+physical ills which make that life a load while it does last, is worth
+any trouble and attention.
+
+We are come off but scurvily from our second attempt upon St. Malo; it is
+our last for this season; and, in my mind, should be our last forever,
+unless we were to send so great a sea and land force as to give us a
+moral certainty of taking some place of great importance, such as Brest,
+Rochefort, or Toulon.
+
+Monsieur Munchausen embarked yesterday, as he said, for Prince
+Ferdinand's army; but as it is not generally thought that his military
+skill can be of any great use to that prince, people conjecture that his
+business must be of a very different nature, and suspect separate
+negotiations, neutralities, and what not. Kniphausen does not relish it
+in the least, and is by no means satisfied with the reasons that have
+been given him for it. Before he can arrive there, I reckon that
+something decisive will have passed in Saxony; if to the disadvantage of
+the King of Prussia, he is crushed; but if, on the contrary, he should
+get a complete victory (and he does not get half victories) over the
+Austrians, the winter may probably produce him and us a reasonable peace.
+I look upon Russia as 'hors de combat' for some time; France is certainly
+sick of the war; under an unambitious King, and an incapable Ministry, if
+there is one at all: and, unassisted by those two powers, the Empress
+Queen had better be quiet. Were any other man in the situation of the
+King of Prussia, I should not hesitate to pronounce him ruined; but he is
+such a prodigy of a man, that I will only say, I fear he will be ruined.
+It is by this time decided.
+
+Your Cassel court at Bremen is, I doubt, not very splendid; money must be
+wanting: but, however, I dare say their table is always good, for the
+Landgrave is a gourmand; and as you are domestic there, you may be so
+too, and recruit your loss of flesh from your fever: but do not recruit
+too fast. Adieu.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXXXII
+
+LONDON, September 26, 1758
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I am sorry to find that you had a return of your fever;
+but to say the truth, you in some measure deserved it, for not carrying
+Dr. Middleton's bark and prescription with you. I foresaw that you would
+think yourself cured too soon, and gave you warning of it; but BYGONES
+are BYGONES, as Chartres, when he was dying, said of his sins; let us
+look forward. You did very prudently to return to Hamburg, to good bark,
+and, I hope, a good physician. Make all sure there before you stir from
+thence, notwithstanding the requests or commands of all the princesses in
+Europe: I mean a month at least, taking the bark even to supererogation,
+that is, some time longer than Dr. Middleton requires; for, I presume,
+you are got over your childishness about tastes, and are sensible that
+your health deserves more attention than your palate. When you shall be
+thus re-established, I approve of your returning to Bremen; and indeed
+you cannot well avoid it, both with regard to your promise, and to the
+distinction with which you have been received by the Cassel family.
+
+Now to the other part of your letter. Lord Holdernesse has been extremely
+civil to you, in sending you, all under his own hand, such obliging
+offers of his service. The hint is plain, that he will (in case you
+desire it) procure you leave to come home for some time; so that the
+single question is, whether you should desire it or not, NOW. It will be
+two months before you can possibly undertake the journey, whether by sea
+or by land, and either way it would be a troublesome and dangerous one
+for a convalescent in the rigor of the month of November; you could drink
+no mineral waters here in that season, nor are any mineral waters proper
+in your case, being all of them heating, except Seltzer's; then, what
+would do you more harm than all medicines could do you good, would be the
+pestilential vapors of the House of Commons, in long and crowded days, of
+which there will probably be many this session; where your attendance, if
+here, will necessarily be required. I compare St. Stephen's Chapel, upon
+those days, to 'la Grotta del Cane'.
+
+Whatever may be the fate of the war now, negotiations will certainly be
+stirring all the winter, and of those, the northern ones, you are
+sensible, are not the least important; in these, if at Hamburg, you will
+probably have your share, and perhaps a meritorious one. Upon the whole,
+therefore, I would advise you to write a very civil letter to Lord
+Holdernesse; and to tell him that though you cannot hope to be of any use
+to his Majesty's affairs anywhere, yet, in the present unsettled state of
+the North, it is possible that unforeseen accidents may throw in your way
+to be of some little service, and that you would not willingly be out of
+the way of those accidents; but that you shall be most extremely obliged
+to his Lordship, if he will procure you his Majesty's gracious permission
+to return for a few months in the spring, when probably affairs will be
+more settled one way or another. When things tend nearer to a settlement,
+and that Germany, from the want of money or men, or both, breathes peace
+more than war, I shall solicit Burrish's commission for you, which is one
+of the most agreeable ones in his Majesty's gift; and I shall by no means
+despair of success. Now I have given you my opinion upon this affair,
+which does not make a difference of above three months, or four at most,
+I would not be understood to mean to force your own, if it should happen
+to be different from mine; but mine, I think, is more both for your
+health and your interest. However, do as you please: may you in this, and
+everything else, do for the best! So God bless you!
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXXXIII
+
+BATH, October 18, 1758.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: I received by the same post your two letters of the 29th
+past, and of the 3d instant.
+
+The last tells me that you are perfectly recovered; and your resolution
+of going to Bremen in three or four days proves it; for surely you would
+not undertake that journey a second time, and at this season of the year,
+without feeling your health solidly restored; however, in all events, I
+hope you have taken a provision of good bark with you. I think your
+attention to her Royal Highness may be of use to you here; and indeed all
+attentions, to all sorts, of people, are always repaid in some way or
+other; though real obligations are not. For instance, Lord Titchfield,
+who has been with you at Hamburg, has written an account to the Duke and
+Duchess of Portland, who are here, of the civilities you showed him, with
+which he is much pleased, and they delighted. At this rate, if you do not
+take care, you will get the unmanly reputation of a well-bred man; and
+your countryman, John Trott, will disown you.
+
+I have received, and tasted of your present; which is a 'tres grand vin',
+but more cordial to the stomach than pleasant to the palate. I keep it as
+a physic, only to take occasionally, in little disorders of my stomach;
+and in those cases, I believe it is wholsomer than stronger cordials.
+
+I have been now here a fortnight; and though I am rather better than when
+I came, I am still far from well.
+
+My head is giddier than becomes a head of my age; and my stomach has not
+recovered its retentive faculty. Leaning forward, particularly to write,
+does not at present agree with, Yours.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXXXIV
+
+BATH, October 28, 1758.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: Your letter has quieted my alarms; for I find by it, that
+you are as well recovered as you could be in so short a time. It is your
+business now to keep yourself well by scrupulously following Dr.
+Middleton's directions. He seems to be a rational and knowing man. Soap
+and steel are, unquestionably, the proper medicines for your case; but as
+they are alteratives, you must take them for a very long time, six months
+at least; and then drink chalybeate waters. I am fully persuaded, that
+this was your original complaint in Carniola, which those ignorant
+physicians called, in their jargon, 'Arthritis vaga', and treated as
+such. But now that the true cause of your illness is discovered, I
+flatter myself that, with time and patience on your part, you will be
+radically cured; but, I repeat it again, it must be by a long and
+uninterrupted course of those alterative medicines above mentioned. They
+have no taste; but if they had a bad one, I will not now suppose you such
+a child, as to let the frowardness of your palate interfere in the least
+with the recovery or enjoyment of health. The latter deserves the utmost
+attention of the most rational man; the former is the only proper object
+of the care of a dainty, frivolous woman.
+
+The run of luck, which some time ago we were in, seems now to be turned
+against us. Oberg is completely routed; his Prussian Majesty was
+surprised (which I am surprised at), and had rather the worst of it. I am
+in some pain for Prince Ferdinand, as I take it for granted that the
+detachment from Marechal de Contade's army, which enabled Prince Soubize
+to beat Oberg, will immediately return to the grand army, and then it
+will be infinitely superior.
+
+Nor do I see where Prince Ferdinand can take his winter quarters, unless
+he retires to Hanover; and that I do not take to be at present the land
+of Canaan. Our second expedition to St. Malo I cannot call so much an
+unlucky, as an ill-conducted one; as was also Abercrombie's affair in
+America. 'Mais il n'y a pas de petite perte qui revient souvent': and all
+these accidents put together make a considerable sum total.
+
+I have found so little good by these waters, that I do not intend to stay
+here above a week longer; and then remove my crazy body to London, which
+is the most convenient place either to live or die in.
+
+I cannot expect active health anywhere; you may, with common care and
+prudence, effect it everywhere; and God grant that you may have it!
+Adieu.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXXXV
+
+LONDON, November 21, 1758.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: You did well to think of Prince Ferdinand's ribband,
+which I confess I did not; and I am glad to find you thinking so far
+beforehand. It would be a pretty commission, and I will 'accingere me' to
+procure it to you. The only competition I fear, is that of General Yorke,
+in case Prince Ferdinand should pass any time with his brother at The
+Hague, which is not unlikely, since he cannot go to Brunswick to his
+eldest brother, upon account of their simulated quarrel.
+
+I fear the piece is at an end with the King of Prussia, and he may say
+'ilicet'; I am sure he may personally say 'plaudite'. Warm work is
+expected this session of parliament, about continent and no continent;
+some think Mr. Pitt too continent, others too little so; but a little
+time, as the newspapers most prudently and truly observe, will clear up
+these matters.
+
+The King has been ill; but his illness is terminated in a good fit of the
+gout, with which he is still confined. It was generally thought that he
+would have died, and for a very good reason; for the oldest lion in the
+Tower, much about the King's age, died a fortnight ago. This
+extravagancy, I can assure you, was believed by many above peuple. So
+wild and capricious is the human mind!
+
+Take care of your health as much as you can; for, To BE, or NOT To BE, is
+a question of much less importance, in my mind, than to be or not to be
+well. Adieu.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER CCXXXVI
+
+LONDON, December 15, 1758.
+
+MY DEAR FRIEND: It is a great while since I heard from you, but I hope
+that good, not ill health, has been the occasion of this silence: I will
+suppose you have been, or are still at Bremen, and engrossed by your
+Hessian friends.
+
+Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick is most certainly to have the Garter, and I
+think I have secured you the honor of putting it on. When I say SECURED,
+I mean it in the sense in which that word should always be understood at
+courts, and that is, INSECURELY; I have a promise, but that is not
+'caution bourgeoise'. In all events, do not mention it to any mortal,
+because there is always a degree of ridicule that attends a
+disappointment, though often very unjustly, if the expectation was
+reasonably grounded; however, it is certainly most prudent not to
+communicate, prematurely, one's hopes or one's fears. I cannot tell you
+when Prince Ferdinand will have it; though there are so many candidates
+for the other two vacant Garters, that I believe he will have his soon,
+and by himself; the others must wait till a third, or rather a fourth
+vacancy. Lord Rockingham and Lord Holdernesse are secure. Lord Temple
+pushes strongly, but, I believe, is not secure. This commission for
+dubbing a knight, and so distinguished a one, will be a very agreeable
+and creditable one for you, 'et il faut vous en acquitter galamment'. In
+the days of ancient chivalry, people were very nice who they would be
+knighted by and, if I do not mistake, Francis the First would only be
+knighted by the Chevalier Bayard, 'qui etoit preux Chevalier et sans
+reproche'; and no doubt but it will be recorded, 'dans les archives de la
+Maison de Brunswick', that Prince Ferdinand received the honor of
+knighthood from your hands.
+
+The estimates for the expenses of the year 1759 are made up; I have seen
+them; and what do you think they amount to? No less than twelve millions
+three hundred thousand pounds: a most incredible sum, and yet already
+subscribed, and even more offered! The unanimity in the House of Commons,
+in voting such a sum, and such forces, both by sea and land, is not the
+less astonishing. This is Mr. Pitt's doing, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR
+EYES.
+
+The King of Prussia has nothing more to do this year; and, the next, he
+must begin where he has left off. I wish he would employ this winter in
+concluding a separate peace with the Elector of Saxony; which would give
+him more elbowroom to act against France and the Queen of Hungary, and
+put an end at once to the proceedings of the Diet, and the army of the
+empire; for then no estate of the empire would be invaded by a co-estate,
+and France, the faithful and disinterested guarantee of the Treaty of
+Westphalia, would have no pretense to continue its armies there. I should
+think that his Polish Majesty, and his Governor, Comte Bruhl, must be
+pretty weary of being fugitives in Poland, where they are hated, and of
+being ravaged in Saxony. This reverie of mine, I hope will be tried, and
+I wish it may succeed. Good-night, and God bless you!
+
+
+
+
+ETEXT EDITORS BOOKMARKS:
+
+Am still unwell; I cannot help it
+Apt to make them think themselves more necessary than they are
+BUT OF THIS EVERY MAN WILL BELIEVE AS HE THINKS PROPER
+Conjectures pass upon us for truths
+Despair of your ever being, SOMEBODY
+Enemies as if they may one day become one's friends
+Have I employed my time, or have I squandered it?
+Home, be it ever so homely
+Jog on like man and wife; that is, seldom agreeing
+Josephus
+Less one has to do, the less time one finds to do it in
+Many things which seem extremely probable are not true
+More one works, the more willing one is to work
+Most ignorant are, as usual, the boldest conjecturers
+Nipped in the bud
+No great regard for human testimony
+Not to communicate, prematurely, one's hopes or one's fears
+Person to you whom I am very indifferent about, I mean myself
+Petty jury
+Something must be said, but that something must be nothing
+Sow jealousies among one's enemies
+Think to atone by zeal for their want of merit and importance
+Think yourself less well than you are, in order to be quite so
+What have I done to-day?
+Will pay very dear for the quarrels and ambition of a few
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Letters to His Son, 1756-1758
+by The Earl of Chesterfield
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