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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/3358.txt b/3358.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5ec9096 --- /dev/null +++ b/3358.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2509 @@ +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 + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LETTERS TO HIS SON, 1756-1758 *** + +***** This file should be named 3358.txt or 3358.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/3/5/3358/ + +Produced by David Widger + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.12.12.00*END* + + + + + +This etext was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net> + + + + + +Letters to His Son, 1756-58 +by The Earl of Chesterfield + + + + + LETTERS TO HIS SON + 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 false hoods +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 les, '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 he 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 this Project Gutenberg Etext of Letters to His Son, 1756-58 +by The Earl of Chesterfield + diff --git a/old/lc08s10.zip b/old/lc08s10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..380a940 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/lc08s10.zip diff --git a/old/lc08s11.txt b/old/lc08s11.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b29ec6e --- /dev/null +++ b/old/lc08s11.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2516 @@ +The Project Gutenberg Etext of Letters to His Son, 1756-58 +#8 in our series by The Earl of Chesterfield + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the laws for your country before redistributing these files!!!!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. + +Please do not remove this. + +This should be the first thing seen when anyone opens the book. +Do not change or edit it without written permission. 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If courts +could blush, those of Vienna and Dresden ought, to have their false hoods +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 this Project Gutenberg Etext of Letters to His Son, 1756-58 +by The Earl of Chesterfield + diff --git a/old/lc08s11.zip b/old/lc08s11.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..7908529 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/lc08s11.zip |