letters to his son, 1756-58-第11节

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　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