letters to his son, 1766-71-第5部分

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brother　had　from　that　ancient　family；　to　a　cousin…german。　　He　has　left
two　hundred　thousand　pounds；　in　the　funds；　to　Lord　Darlington；　who　was
his　next　nearest　relation；　and　at　least　twenty　thousand　pounds　in　various
legacies。　　If　riches　alone　could　make　people　happy；　the　last　two
proprietors　of　this　immense　wealth　ought　to　have　been　so；　but　they　never
were。

God　bless　you；　and　send　you　good　health；　which　is　better　than　all　the
riches　of　the　world！




LETTER　CCCIII

LONDON；　November　3；　1767。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　Your　last　letter　brought　me　but　a　scurvy　account　of　your
health。　　For　the　headaches　you　complain　of；　I　will　venture　to　prescribe　a
remedy；　which；　by　experience；　I　found　a　specific；　when　I　was　extremely
plagued　with　them。　　It　is　either　to　chew　ten　grains　of　rhubarb　every
night　going　to　bed：　or；　what　I　think　rather　better；　to　take；　immediately
before　dinner；　a　couple　of　rhubarb　pills；　of　five　grains　each；　by　which
means　it　mixes　with　the　aliments；　and　will；　by　degrees；　keep　your　body
gently　open。　　I　do　it　to　this　day；　and　find　great　good　by　it。　　As　you
seem　to　dread　the　approach　of　a　German　winter；　I　would　advise　you　to
write　to　General　Conway；　for　leave　of　absence　for　the　three　rigorous
winter　months；　which　I　dare　say　will　not　be　refused。　　If　you　choose　a
worse　climate；　you　may　come　to　London；　but　if　you　choose　a　better　and　a
warmer；　you　may　go　to　Nice　en　Provence；　where　Sir　William　Stanhope　is
gone　to　pass　his　winter；　who；　I　am　sure；　will　be　extremely　glad　of　your
company　there。

I　go　to　the　Bath　next　Saturday。　　'Utinam　de　frustra'。　　God　bless　you！




LETTER　CCCIV

BATH；　September　19；　1767。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　Yesterday　I　received　your　letter　of　the　29th　past；　and　am
very　glad　to　find　that　you　are　well　enough　to　think　that　you　may　perhaps
stand　the　winter　at　Dresden；　but　if　you　do；　pray　take　care　to　keep　both
your　body　and　your　limbs　exceedingly　warm。

As　to　my　own　health；　it　is；　in　general；　as　good　as　I　could　expect　it；　at
my　age；　I　have　a　good　stomach；　a　good　digestion；　and　sleep　well；　but　find
that　I　shall　never　recover　the　free　use　of　my　legs；　which　are　now　full　as
weak　as　when　I　first　came　hither。

You　ask　me　questions　concerning　Lord　C；　which　neither　I；　nor；
I　believe；　anybody　but　himself　can　answer；　however；　I　will　tell　you　all
that　I　do　know；　and　all　that　I　guess；　concerning　him。　　This　time
twelvemonth　he　was　here；　and　in　good　health　and　spirits；　except　now　and
then　some　little　twinges　of　the　gout。　　We　saw　one　another　four　or　five
times；　at　our　respective　houses；　but　for　these　last　eight　months；　he　has
been　absolutely　invisible　to　his　most　intimate　friends；　'les　sous
Ministres'：　he　would　receive　no　letters；　nor　so　much　as　open　any　packet
about　business。

His　physician；　Dr。　…　；　as　I　am　told；　had；　very　ignorantly；　checked
a　coming　fit　of　the　gout；　and　scattered　it　about　his　body；　and　it　fell
particularly　upon　his　nerves；　so　that　he　continues　exceedingly　vaporish；
and　would　neither　see　nor　speak　to　anybody　while　he　was　here。　　I　sent　him
my　compliments；　and　asked　leave　to　wait　upon　him；　but　he　sent　me　word
that　he　was　too　ill　to　see　anybody　whatsoever。　　I　met　him　frequently
taking　the　air　in　his　post…chaise；　and　he　looked　very　well。　　He　set　out
from　hence　for　London　last　Tuesday；　but　what　to　do；　whether　to　resume；　or
finally　to　resign　the　Administration；　God　knows；　conjectures　are　various。
In　one　of　our　conversations　here；　this　time　twelvemonth；　I　desired　him　to
secure　you　a　seat　in　the　new　parliament；　he　assured　me　that　he　would；
and；　I　am　convinced；　very　sincerely；　he　said　even　that　he　would　make　it
his　own　affair；　and　desired　that　I　would　give　myself　no　more　trouble
about　it。　　Since　that；　I　have　heard　no　more　of　it；　which　made　me　look　out
for　some　venal　borough　and　I　spoke　to　a　borough…jobber；　and　offered　five…
and…twenty　hundred　pounds　for　a　secure　seat　in　parliament；　but　he　laughed
at　my　offer；　and　said　that　there　was　no　such　thing　as　a　borough　to　be　had
now；　for　that　the　rich　East　and　West　Indians　had　secured　them　all；　at　the
rate　of　three　thousand　pounds　at　least；　but　many　at　four　thousand；　and
two　or　three　that　he　knew；　at　five　thousand。　　This；　I　confess；　has　vexed
me　a　good　deal；　and　made　me　the　more　impatient　to　know　whether　Lord　C
had　done　anything　in　it；　which　I　shall　know　when　I　go　to　town；　as　I
propose　to　do　in　about　a　fortnight；　and　as　soon　as　I　know　it　you　shall。
To　tell　you　truly　what　I　thinkI　doubt；　from　all　this　NERVOUS　DISORDER
that　Lord　C…　is　hors　de　combat；　as　a　Minister；　but　do　not　ever　hint
this　to　anybody。　　God　bless　you！




LETTER　CC

BATH；　December　27；　1767。　　'En　nova　progenies'！

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　The　outlines　of　a　new　Ministry　are　now　declared；　but　they
are　not　yet　quite　filled　up；　it　was　formed　by　the　Duke　of　Bedford。　　Lord
Gower　is　made　President　of　the　Council；　Lord　Sandwich；　Postmaster；　Lord
Hillsborough；　Secretary　of　State　for　America　only；　Mr。　Rigby；　Vice…
treasurer　of　Ireland。　　General　Canway　is　to　keep　the　seals　a　fortnight
longer；　and　then　to　surrender　them　to　Lord　Weymouth。　　It　is　very
uncertain　whether　the　Duke　of　Grafton　is　to　continue　at　the　head　of　the
Treasury　or　not；　but；　in　my　private　opinion；　George　Grenville　will　very
soon　be　there。　　Lord　Chatham　seems　to　be　out　of　the　question；　and　is　at
his　repurchased　house　at　Hayes；　where　he　will　not　see　a　mortal。　　It　is
yet　uncertain　whether　Lord　Shelburne　is　to　keep　his　place；　if　not；　Lord
Sandwich　they　say　is　to　succeed　him。　　All　the　Rockingham　people　are
absolutely　excluded。　　Many　more　changes　must　necessarily　be；　but　no　more
are　yet　declared。　　It　seems　to　be　a　resolution　taken　by　somebody　that
Ministers　are　to　be　annual。

Sir　George　Macartney　is　next　week　to　be　married　to　Lady　Jane　Stuart；　Lord
Bute's　second　daughter。

I　never　knew　it　so　cold　in　my　life　as　it　is　now；　and　with　a　very　deep
snow；　by　which；　if　it　continues；　I　may　be　snow…bound　here　for　God　knows
how　long；　though　I　proposed　leaving　this　place　the　latter　end　of　the
week。

Poor　Harte　is　very　ill　here；　he　mentions　you　often；　and　with　；great
affection。　　God　bless　you！

When　I　know　more　you　shall。




LETTER　CCCVI

LONDON；　January　29；　1768。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND　：　Two　days　ago　I　received　your　letter　of　the　8th。　　I　wish
you　had　gone　a　month　or　six　weeks　sooner　to　Basle；　that　you　might　have
escaped　the　excessive　cold　of　the　most　severe　winter　that　I　believe　　was
ever　known。　　It　congealed　both　my　body　and　my　mind；　and　scarcely　left　me
the　power　of　thinking。　　A　great　many　here；　both　in　town　and　country；　have
perished　by　the　frost；　and　been　lost　in　the　snow。

You　have　heard；　no　doubt；　of　the　changes　at　Court；　by　which　you　have　got
a　new　provincial；　Lord　Weymouth；　who　has　certainly　good　parts；　and；　as　I
am　informed；　speaks　very　well　in　the　House　of　Lords；　but　I　believe　he　has
no　application。　　Lord　Chatham　is　at　his　house　at　Hayes；　but　sees　no
mortal。　　Some　say　that　he　has　a　fit　of　the　gout；　which　would　probably　do
him　good；　but　many　think　that　his　worst　complaint　is　in　his　head；　which　I
am　afraid　is　too　true。　　Were　he　well；　I　am　sure　he　would　realize　the
promise　he　made　me　concerning　you；　but；　however；　in　that　uncertainty；
I　am　looking　out　for　any　chance　borough；　and　if　I　can　find　one；　I　promise
you　I　will　bid　like　a　chapman　for　it；　as　I　should　be　very　sorry　that　you
were　not　in　the　next　parliament。　　I　do　not　see　any　probability　of　any
vacancy　in　a　foreign　commission　in　a　better　climate；　Mr。　Hamilton　at
Naples；　Sir　Horace　Mann　at　Florence；　and　George　Pitt　at　Turin；　do　not
seem　likely　to　make　one。　　And　as　for　changing　your　foreign　department　for
a　domestic　one；　it　would　not　be　in　my　power　to　procure　you　one；　and　you
would　become　'd'eveque　munier'；　and　gain　nothing　in　point　of　climate；　by
changing　a　bad　one　for　another　full　as　bad；　if　not　worse；　and　a　worse　I
believe　is　not　than　ours。　　I　have　always　had　better　health　abroad　than　at
home；　and　if　the　tattered　remnant　of　my　wretched　life　were　worth　my　care；
I　would　have　been　in　the　south　of　France　long　ago。　　I　continue　very　lame
and　weak；　and　despair　of　ever　recovering　any　strength　in　my　legs。　　I　care
very　little　about　it。　　At　my　age　every　man　must　have　his　share　of
physical　ills　of　one　kind　or　another；　and　mine；　thank　God；　are　not　very
painful。　　God　bless　you！




LETTER　CCCVII

LONDON；　March　12；　1768。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　The　day　after　I　received　your　letter　of　the　21st　past；
I　wrote　to　Lord　Weymouth；　as　you　desired；　and　I　send　you　his　answer
inclosed；　from　which　（though　I　have　not　heard　from　him　since）　I　take　it
for　granted；　and　so　may　you；　that　his　silence　signifies　his　Majesty's
consent　to　your　request。　　Your　complicated　complaints　give　me　great
uneasiness；　and　the　more；　as　I　am　convinced　that　the　Montpellier
physicians　have　mistaken　a　material　part　of　your　case；　as　indeed　all　the
physicians　here　did；　except　Dr。　Maty。　　In　my　opinion；　you　have　no　gout；
but　a　very　scorbutic　and　rheumatic　habit　of　body；　which　should　be　treated
in　a　very　different　manner　from　the　gout；　and；　as　I　pretend　to　be　a　very
good　quack　at　least；　I　would　prescribe　to　you　a　strict　milk　diet；　with
the　seeds；　such　as　rice；　sago；　barley；　millet；　etc。；　for　the　three　summer
months　at　least；　and　without　ever　tasting　wine。　　If　climate　signifies
anything　（in　which；　by　the　way；　I　have　very　little　faith）；　you　are；　in　my
mind；　in　the　finest　climate　in　the　world；　neither　too　hot　nor　too　cold；
and　always　clear；　you　are　with　the　gayest　people　living；　be　gay　with
them；　and　do　not　wear　out　your　eyes　with　reading　at　home。　　'L'ennui'　is
the　English　distemper：　and　a　very　bad　one　it　is；　as　I　find　by　every　day's
experience；　for　my　deafness　deprives　me　of　the　only　rational　pleasure
that　I　can　have　at　my　age；　which　is　society；　so　that　I　read　my　eyes　out
every　day；　that　I　may　not　hang　myself。

You　will　not　be　in　this　parliament；　at　least　not　at　the　beginning　of　it。
I　relied　too　much　upon　Lord　C…'s　promise　above　a　year　ago　at　Bath。
He　desired　that　I　would　leave　it　to　him；　that　he　would　make　it　his　own
affair；　and　give　it　in　charge　to　the　Duke　of　G；　whose　province　it　was
to　make　the　parliamentary　arrangement。　　This　I　depended　upon；　and　I　think
with　reason；　but；　since　that；　Lord　C　has　neither　seen　nor　spoken　to
anybod