letters to his son, 1766-71-第4部分

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expect　that　they　will　be　restored　to　their　original　strength　and
activity；　after　so　many　rheumatic　attacks　as　you　have　had。　　I　know　that
my　limbs；　besides　the　natural　debility　of　old　age；　have　never　recovered
the　severe　attack　of　rheumatism　that　plagued　me　five　or　six　years　ago。
I　cannot　now　walk　above　half　an　hour　at　a　time　and　even　that　in　a
hobbling　kind　of　way。

I　can　give　you　no　account　of　our　political　world；　which　is　in　a　situation
that　I　never　saw　in　my　whole　life。　　Lord　Chatham　has　been　so　ill；　these
last　two　months；　that　he　has　not　been　able　（some　say　not　willing）　to　do
or　hear　of　any　business；　and　for　his　'sous　Ministres'；　they　either
cannot；　or　dare　not；　do　any；　without　his　directions；　so　everything　is　now
at　a　stand。　　This　situation；　I　think；　cannot　last　much　longer；　and　if
Lord　Chatham　should　either　quit　his　post；　or　the　world；　neither　of　which
is　very　improbable；　I　conjecture；　that　which　is　called　the　Rockingham
Connection　stands　the　fairest　for　the　Ministry。　　But　this　is　merely　my
conjecture；　for　I　have　neither　'data'　nor　'postulata'　enough　to　reason
upon。

When　you　get　to　Dresden；　which　I　hope　you　will　not　do　till　next　month；
our　correspondence　will　be　more　regular。　　God　bless　you！




LETTER　CCXCVIII

LONDON；　May　5；　1767；

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　By　your　letter　of　the　25th　past；　from　Basle；　I　presume
this　will　find　you　at　Dresden；　and　accordingly　I　direct　to　you　there。
When　you　write　me　word　that　you　are　at　Dresden；　I　will　return　you　an
answer；　with　something　better　than　the　answer　itself。

If　you　complain　of　the　weather；　north　of　Besancon；　what　would　you　say　to
the　weather　that　we　have　had　here　for　these　last　two　months；
uninterruptedly？　　Snow　often；　northeast　wind　constantly；　and　extreme
cold。　　I　write　this　by　the　side　of　a　good　fire；　and　at　this　moment　it
snows　very　hard。　　All　my　promised　fruit　at　Blackheath　is　quite　destroyed；
and；　what　is　worse；　many　of　my　trees。

I　cannot　help　thinking　that　the　King　of　Poland；　the　Empress　of　Russia；
and　the　King　of　Prussia；　's'entendent　comme　larrons　en　foire'；　though　the
former　must　not　appear　in　it　upon　account　of　the　stupidity；　ignorance；
and　bigotry　of　his　Poles。　　I　have　a　great　opinion　of　the　cogency　of　the
controversial　arguments　of　the　Russian　troops；　in　favor　of　the
Dissidents：　I　am　sure　I　wish　them　success；　for　I　would　have　all
intoleration　intolerated　in　its　turn。　　We　shall　soon　see　more　clearly
into　this　matter；　for　I　do　not　think　that　the　Autocratrice　of　all　the
Russias　will　be　trifled　with　by　the　Sarmatians。

What　do　you　think　of　the　late　extraordinary　event　in　Spain？　　Could　you
have　ever　imagined　that　those　ignorant　Goths　would　have　dared　to　banish
the　Jesuits？　　There　must　have　been　some　very　grave　and　important　reasons
for　so　extraordinary　a　measure：　but　what　they　were　I　do　not　pretend　to
guess；　and　perhaps　I　shall　never　know；　though　all　the　coffeehouses　here
do。

Things　are　here　in　exactly　the　same　situation；　in　which　they　were　when　I
wrote　to　you　last。　　Lord　Chatham　is　still　ill；　and　only　goes　abroad　for
an　hour　in　a　day；　to　take　the　air；　in　his　coach。　　The　King　has；　to　my
certain　knowledge；　sent　him　repeated　messages；　desiring　him　not　to　be
concerned　at　his　confinement；　for　that　he　is　resolved　to　support　him；
'pour　et　contre　tous'。　　God　bless　you！




LETTER　CCXCIX

LONDON；　June　1；　1767。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　I　received　yesterday　your　letter　of　the　20th　past；　from
Dresden；　where　I　am　glad　to　find　that　you　are　arrived　safe　and　sound。
This　has　been　everywhere　an　'annus　mirabilis'　for　bad　weather；　and　it
continues　here　still。　　Everybody　has　fires；　and　their　winter　clothes；
as　at　Christmas。　　The　town　is　extremely　sickly；　and　sudden　deaths　have
been　very　frequent。

I　do　not　know　what　to　say　to　you　upon　public　matters；　things　remain　in
'statu　quo'；　and　nothing　is　done。　　Great　changes　are　talked　of；　and；
I　believe；　will　happen　soon；　perhaps　next　week；　but　who　is　to　be　changed；
for　whom；　I　do　not　know；　though　everybody　else　does。　　I　am　apt　to　think
that　it　will　be　a　mosaic　Ministry；　made　up　'de　pieces　rapportees'　from
different　connections。

Last　Friday　I　sent　your　subsidy　to　Mr。　Larpent；　who；　I　suppose；　has　given
you　notice　of　it。　　I　believe　it　will　come　very　seasonably；　as　all　places；
both　foreign　and　domestic；　are　so　far　in　arrears。　　They　talk　of　paying
you　all　up　to　Christmas。　　The　King's　inferior　servants　are　almost
starving。

I　suppose　you　have　already　heard；　at　Dresden；　that　Count　Bruhl　is　either
actually　married；　or　very　soon　to　be　so；　to　Lady　Egremont。　　She　has；
together　with　her　salary　as　Lady　of　the　Bed…chamber；　L2；500　a　year；
besides　ten　thousand　pounds　in　money　left　her；　at　her　own　disposal；　by
Lord　Egremont。　　All　this　will　sound　great　'en　ecus　d'Allemagne'。　　I　am
glad　of　it；　for　he　is　a　very　pretty　man。　　God　bless　you！

I　easily　conceive　why　Orloff　influences　the　Empress　of　all　the　Russias；
but　I　cannot　see　why　the　King　of　Prussia　should　be　influenced　by　that
motive。




LETTER　CCC

BLACKHEATH；　JULY　2；　1767。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　Though　I　have　had　no　letter　from　you　since　my　last；　and
though　I　have　no　political　news　to　inform　you　of；　I　write　this　to
acquaint　you　with　a　piece　of　Greenwich　news；　which　I　believe　you　will　be
very　glad　of；　I　am　sure　I　am。　　Know　then　that　your　friend　Miss　…　was
happily　married；　three　days　ago；　to　Mr。　…；　an　Irish　gentleman；
and　a　member　of　that　parliament；　with　an　estate　of　above　L2；000　a…year。
He　settles　upon　her　L600　jointure；　and　in　case　they　have　no　children；
L1；500。　　He　happened　to　be　by　chance　in　her　company　one　day　here；　and　was
at　once　shot　dead　by　her　charms；　but　as　dead　men　sometimes　walk；　he
walked　to　her　the　next　morning；　and　tendered　her　his　person　and　his
fortune；　both　which；　taking　the　one　with　the　other；　she　very　prudently
accepted；　for　his　person　is　sixty　years　old。

Ministerial　affairs　are　still　in　the　same　ridiculous　and　doubtful
situation　as　when　I　wrote　to　you　last。　　Lord　Chatham　will　neither　hear
of；　nor　do　any　business；　but　lives　at　Hampstead；　and　rides　about　the
heath。　　His　gout　is　said　to　be　fallen　upon　his　nerves。　　Your　provincial
secretary；　Conway；　quits　this　week；　and　returns　to　the　army；　for　which　he
languished。　　Two　Lords　are　talked　of　to　succeed　him；　Lord　Egmont　and　Lord
Hillsborough：　I　rather　hope　the　latter。　　Lord　Northington　certainly　quits
this　week；　but　nobody　guesses　who　is　to　succeed　him　as　President。　　A
thousand　other　changes　are　talked　of；　which　I　neither　believe　nor　reject。

Poor　Harte　is　in　a　most　miserable　condition：　He　has　lost　one　side　of
himself；　and　in　a　great　measure　his　speech；　notwithstanding　which；　he　is
going　to　publish　his　DIVINE　POEMS；　as　he　calls　them。　　I　am　sorry　for　it；
as　he　had　not　time　to　correct　them　before　this　stroke；　nor　abilities　to
do　it　since。　　God　bless　you！




LETTER　CCCI

BLACKHEATH；　July　9；　1767。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　have　received　yours　of　the　21st　past；　with　the　inclosed
proposal　from　the　French　'refugies；　for　a　subscription　toward　building
them　'un　temple'。　　I　have　shown　it　to　the　very　few　people　I　see；　but
without　the　least　success。　　They　told　me　（and　with　too　much　truth）　that
while　such　numbers　of　poor　were　literally　starving　here　from　the　dearness
of　all　provisions；　they　could　not　think　of　sending　their　money　into
another　country；　for　a　building　which　they　reckoned　useless。　　In　truth；
I　never　knew　such　misery　as　is　here　now；　and　it　affects　both　the　hearts
and　the　purses　of　those　who　have　either；　for　my　own　part；　I　never　gave　to
a　building　in　my　life；　which　I　reckon　is　only　giving　to　masons　and
carpenters；　and　the　treasurer　of　the　undertaking。

Contrary　to　the　expectations　of　all　mankind　here；　everything　still
continues　in　'statu　quo'。　　General　Conway　has　been　desired　by　the　King
to　keep　the　seals　till　he　has　found　a　successor　for　him；　and　the　Lord
President　the　same。　　Lord　Chatham　is　relapsed；　and　worse　than　ever：　he
sees　nobody；　and　nobody　sees　him：　it　is　said　that　a　bungling　physician
has　checked　his　gout；　and　thrown　it　upon　his　nerves；　which　is　the　worst
distemper　that　a　minister　or　a　lover　can　have；　as　it　debilitates　the　mind
of　the　former　and　the　body　of　the　latter。　　Here　is　at　present　an
interregnum。　　We　must　soon　see　what　order　will　be　produced　from　this
chaos。

The　Electorate；　I　believe；　will　find　the　want　of　Comte　Flemming；　for　he
certainly　had　abilities；　and　was　as　sturdy　and　inexorable　as　a　Minister
at　the　head　of　the　finances　ought　always　to　be。　　When　you　see　Comtesse
Flemming；　which　I　suppose　cannot　be　for　some　time；　pray　make　her　Lady
Chesterfield's　and　my　compliments　of　condolence。

You　say　that　Dresden　is　very　sickly；　I　am　sure　London　is　at　least　as
sickly　now；　for　there　reigns　an　epidemical　distemper；　called　by　the
genteel　name　of　'l'influenza'。　　It　is　a　little　fever；　of　which　scarcely
anybody　dies；　and　it　generally　goes　off　with　a　little　looseness。　　I　have
escaped　it；　I　believe；　by　being　here。　　God　keep　you　from　all　distempers；
and　bless　you！




LETTER　CCCII

LONDON；　October　30；　1767。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　have　now　left　Blackheath；　till　the　next　summer；　if　I
live　till　then；　and　am　just　able　to　write；　which　is　all　I　can　say；　for　I
am　extremely　weak；　and　have　in　a　great　measure　lost　the　use　of　my　legs；
I　hope　they　will　recover　both　flesh　and　strength；　for　at　present　they
have　neither。　　I　go　to　the　Bath　next　week；　in　hopes　of　half　repairs　at
most；　for　those　waters；　I　am　sure；　will　not　prove　Medea's　kettle；　nor
'les　eaux　de　Jouvence'　to　me；　however；　I　shall　do　as　good　courtiers　do；
and　get　what　I　can；　if　I　cannot　get　what　I　will。　　I　send　you　no　politics；
for　here　are　neither　politics　nor　ministers；　Lord　Chatham　is　quiet　at
Pynsent；　in　Somersetshire；　and　his　former　subalterns　do　nothing；　so　that
nothing　is　done。　　Whatever　places　or　preferments　are　disposed　of；　come
evidently　from　Lord　…；　who　affects　to　be　invisible；　and　who；　like　a
woodcock；　thinks　that　if　his　head　is　but　hid；　he　is　not　seen　at　all。

General　Pulteney　is　at　last　dead；　last　week；　worth　above　thirteen　hundred
thousand　pounds。　　He　has　left　all　his　landed　estate；　which　is　eight　and
twenty　thousand　pounds　a…year；　including　the　Bradford　estate；　which　his
brother　had　from　that　ancient　family；　to　a　cousin…g