letters to his son, 1756-58-第3部分

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；　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　knowledgeCourse　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'　thenOur　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；