letters to his son, 1756-58-第4部分

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n　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　trueAT　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；　Mt　was　OUR　creature；　and　a　word　to　the　wise　will　sometimes　go　a　great　way。　　Mt　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。　　Mt　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　Mt　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　a