letters to his son, 1756-58-第13节

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ody　to　London；　which　is　the　most　convenient　place　either　to　live　or　die　in。

I　cannot　expect　active　health　anywhere；　you　may；　with　common　care　and　prudence；　effect　it　everywhere；　and　God　grant　that　you　may　have　it！　Adieu。




LETTER　CCXXXV

LONDON；　November　21；　1758。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　You　did　well　to　think　of　Prince　Ferdinand's　ribband；　which　I　confess　I　did　not；　and　I　am　glad　to　find　you　thinking　so　far　beforehand。　　It　would　be　a　pretty　commission；　and　I　will　'accingere　me'　to　procure　it　to　you。　　The　only　competition　I　fear；　is　that　of　General　Yorke；　in　case　Prince　Ferdinand　should　pass　any　time　with　his　brother　at　The　Hague；　which　is　not　unlikely；　since　he　cannot　go　to　Brunswick　to　his　eldest　brother；　upon　account　of　their　simulated　quarrel。

I　fear　the　piece　is　at　an　end　with　the　King　of　Prussia；　and　he　may　say　'ilicet'；　I　am　sure　he　may　personally　say　'plaudite'。　　Warm　work　is　expected　this　session　of　parliament；　about　continent　and　no　continent；　some　think　Mr。　Pitt　too　continent；　others　too　little　so；　but　a　little　time；　as　the　newspapers　most　prudently　and　truly　observe；　will　clear　up　these　matters。

The　King　has　been　ill；　but　his　illness　is　terminated　in　a　good　fit　of　the　gout；　with　which　he　is　still　confined。　　It　was　generally　thought　that　he　would　have　died；　and　for　a　very　good　reason；　for　the　oldest　lion　in　the　Tower；　much　about　the　King's　age；　died　a　fortnight　ago。　　This　extravagancy；　I　can　assure　you；　was　believed　by　many　above　peuple。　　So　wild　and　capricious　is　the　human　mind！

Take　care　of　your　health　as　much　as　you　can；　for；　To　BE；　or　NOT　To　BE；　is　a　question　of　much　less　importance；　in　my　mind；　than　to　be　or　not　to　be　well。　　Adieu。





LETTER　CCXXXVI

LONDON；　December　15；　1758。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　It　is　a　great　while　since　I　heard　from　you；　but　I　hope　that　good；　not　ill　health；　has　been　the　occasion　of　this　silence：　I　will　suppose　you　have　been；　or　are　still　at　Bremen；　and　engrossed　by　your　Hessian　friends。

Prince　Ferdinand　of　Brunswick　is　most　certainly　to　have　the　Garter；　and　I　think　I　have　secured　you　the　honor　of　putting　it　on。　　When　I　say　SECURED；　I　mean　it　in　the　sense　in　which　that　word　should　always　be　understood　at　courts；　and　that　is；　INSECURELY；　I　have　a　promise；　but　that　is　not　'caution　bourgeoise'。　　In　all　events；　do　not　mention　it　to　any　mortal；　because　there　is　always　a　degree　of　ridicule　that　attends　a　disappointment；　though　often　very　unjustly；　if　the　expectation　was　reasonably　grounded；　however；　it　is　certainly　most　prudent　not　to　communicate；　prematurely；　one's　hopes　or　one's　fears。　　I　cannot　tell　you　when　Prince　Ferdinand　will　have　it；　though　there　are　so　many　candidates　for　the　other　two　vacant　Garters；　that　I　believe　he　will　have　his　soon；　and　by　himself；　the　others　must　wait　till　a　third；　or　rather　a　fourth　vacancy。　　Lord　Rockingham　and　Lord　Holdernesse　are　secure。　　Lord　Temple　pushes　strongly；　but；　I　believe；　is　not　secure。　　This　commission　for　dubbing　a　knight；　and　so　distinguished　a　one；　will　be　a　very　agreeable　and　creditable　one　for　you；　'et　il　faut　vous　en　acquitter　galamment'。　In　the　days　of　ancient　chivalry；　people　were　very　nice　who　they　would　be　knighted　by　and；　if　I　do　not　mistake；　Francis　the　First　would　only　be　knighted　by　the　Chevalier　Bayard；　'qui　etoit　preux　Chevalier　et　sans　reproche'；　and　no　doubt　but　it　will　be　recorded；　'dans　les　archives　de　la　Maison　de　Brunswick'；　that　Prince　Ferdinand　received　the　honor　of　knighthood　from　your　hands。

The　estimates　for　the　expenses　of　the　year　1759　are　made　up；　I　have　seen　them；　and　what　do　you　think　they　amount　to？　　No　less　than　twelve　millions　three　hundred　thousand　pounds：　a　most　incredible　sum；　and　yet　already　subscribed；　and　even　more　offered！　　The　unanimity　in　the　House　of　Commons；　in　voting　such　a　sum；　and　such　forces；　both　by　sea　and　land；　is　not　the　less　astonishing。　　This　is　Mr。　Pitt's　doing；　AND　IT　IS　MARVELOUS　IN　OUR　EYES。

The　King　of　Prussia　has　nothing　more　to　do　this　year；　and；　the　next；　he　must　begin　where　he　has　left　off。　　I　wish　he　would　employ　this　winter　in　concluding　a　separate　peace　with　the　Elector　of　Saxony；　which　would　give　him　more　elbowroom　to　act　against　France　and　the　Queen　of　Hungary；　and　put　an　end　at　once　to　the　proceedings　of　the　Diet；　and　the　army　of　the　empire；　for　then　no　estate　of　the　empire　would　be　invaded　by　a　co…estate；　and　France；　the　faithful　and　disinterested　guarantee　of　the　Treaty　of　Westphalia；　would　have　no　pretense　to　continue　its　armies　there。　I　should　think　that　his　Polish　Majesty；　and　his　Governor；　Comte　Bruhl；　must　be　pretty　weary　of　being　fugitives　in　Poland；　where　they　are　hated；　and　of　being　ravaged　in　Saxony。　　This　reverie　of　mine；　I　hope　will　be　tried；　and　I　wish　it　may　succeed。　　Good…night；　and　God　bless　you！









End