letters to his son, 1756-58-第2节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ell　you　that　the　King　is　so　too；　and　he　said；　but　three　days　ago；　to　Monsieur　Munchausen；　HE　（meaning　you）　SETS　OUT　VERY　WELL；　AND　I　LIKE　HIS　LETTERS；　PROVIDED　THAT；　LIKE　MOST　OF　MY　ENGLISH　MINISTERS　ABROAD；　HE　DOES　NOT　GROW　IDLE　HEREAFTER。　　So　that　here　is　both　praise　to　flatter；　and　a　hint　to　warn　you。　　What　Lord　Holderness　recommends　to　you；　being　by　the　King's　order；　intimates　also　a　degree　of　approbation；　for　the　BLACKER　INK；　AND　THE　LARGER　CHARACTER；　show；　that　his　Majesty；　whose　eyes　are　grown　weaker；　intends　to　read　all　your　letters　himself。　　Therefore；　pray　do　not　neglect　to　get　the　blackest　ink　you　can；　and　to　make　your　secretary　enlarge　his　hand；　though　'd'ailleurs'　it　is　a　very　good　one。

Had　I　been　to　wish　an　advantageous　situation　for　you；　and　a　good　debut　in　it；　I　could　not　have　wished　you　either　better　than　both　have　hitherto　proved。　　The　rest　will　depend　entirely　upon　yourself；　and　I　own　I　begin　to　have　much　better　hopes　than　I　had；　for　I　know；　by　my　own　experience；　that　the　more　one　works；　the　more　willing　one　is　to　work。　　We　are　all；　more　or　les；　'des　animaux　d'habitude'。　　I　remember　very　well；　that　when　I　was　in　business；　I　wrote　four　or　five　hours　together　every　day；　more　willingly　than　I　should　now　half　an　hour；　and　this　is　most　certain；　that　when　a　man　has　applied　himself　to　business　half　the　day；　the　other　half；　goes　off　the　more　cheerfully　and　agreeably。　　This　I　found　so　sensibly；　when　I　was　at　The　Hague；　that　I　never　tasted　company　so　well　nor　was　so　good　company　myself；　as　at　the　suppers　of　my　post　days。　　I　take　Hamburg　now　to　be　'le　centre　du　refuge　Allemand'。　　If　you　have　any　Hanover　'refugies'　among　them；　pray　take　care　to　be　particularly　attentive　to　them。　　How　do　you　like　your　house？　　Is　it　a　convenient　one？　　Have　the　'Casserolles'　been　employed　in　it　yet？　　You　will　find　'les　petits　soupers　fins'　less　expensive；　and　turn　to　better　account；　than　large　dinners　for　great　companies。

I　hope　you　have　written　to　the　Duke　of　Newcastle；　I　take　it　for　granted　that　you　have　to　all　your　brother　ministers　of　the　northern　department。　For　God's　sake　be　diligent；　alert；　active；　and　indefatigable　in　your　business。　　You　want　nothing　but　labor　and　industry　to　be；　one　day；　whatever　you　please；　in　your　own　way。

We　think　and　talk　of　nothing　here　but　Brest；　which　is　universally　supposed　to　be　the　object　of　our　great　expedition。　　A　great　and　important　object　it　is。　　I　suppose　the　affair　must　be　brusque；　or　it　will　not　do。　If　we　succeed；　it　will　make　France　put　some　water　to　its　wine。　　As　for　my　own　private　opinion；　I　own　I　rather　wish　than　hope　success。　　However；　should　our　expedition　fail；　'Magnis　tamen　excidit　ausis'；　and　that　will　be　better　than　our　late　languid　manner　of　making　war。

To　mention　a　person　to　you　whom　I　am　very　indifferent　about；　I　mean　myself；　I　vegetate　still　just　as　I　did　when　we　parted；　but　I　think　I　begin　to　be　sensible　of　the　autumn　of　the　year；　as　well　as　of　the　autumn　of　my　own　life。　　I　feel　an　internal　awkwardness；　which；　in　about　three　weeks；　I　shall　carry　with　me　to　the　Bath；　where　I　hope　to　get　rid　of　it；　as　I　did　last　year。　　The　best　cordial　I　could　take；　would　be　to　hear；　from　time　to　time；　of　your　industry　and　diligence；　for　in　that　case　I　should　consequently　hear　of　your　success。　　Remember　your　own　motto；　'Nullum　numen　abest　si　sit　prudentia'。　　Nothing　is　truer。　　Yours。




LETTER　CCVII

BLACKHEATH；　September　23；　1757

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　received　but　the　day　before　yesterday　your　letter　of　the　3d；　from　the　headquarters　at　Selsingen　；　and；　by　the　way；　it　is　but　the　second　that　I　have　received　from　you　since　your　arrival　at　Hamburg。　Whatever　was　the　cause　of　your　going　to　the　army；　I　approve　of　the　effect；　for　I　would　have　you；　as　much　as　possible；　see　everything　that　is　to　be　seen。　　That　is　the　true　useful　knowledge；　which　informs　and　improves　us　when　we　are　young；　and　amuses　us　and　others　when　we　are　old；　'Olim　haec　meminisse　juvabit'。　　I　could　wish　that　you　would　（but　I　know　you　will　not　enter　in　a　book；　a　short　note　only；　of　whatever　you　see　or　hear；　that　is　very　remarkable：　I　do　not　mean　a　German　ALBUM　stuffed　with　people's　names；　and　Latin　sentences；　but　I　mean　such　a　book；　as；　if　you　do　not　keep　now；　thirty　years　hence　you　would　give　a　great　deal　of　money　to　have　kept。　　'A　propos　de　bottes'；　for　I　am　told　he　always　wears　his；　was　his　Royal　Highness　very　gracious　to　you；　or　not？　　I　have　my　doubts　about　it。　　The　neutrality　which　he　has　concluded　with　Marechal　de　Richelieu；　will　prevent　that　bloody　battle　which　you　expected；　but　what　the　King　of　Prussia　will　say　to　it　is　another　point。　　He　was　our　only　ally；　at　present；　probably　we　have　not　one　in　the　world。　　If　the　King　of　Prussia　can　get　at　Monsieur　de　Soubize's；　and　the　Imperial　army；　before　other　troops　have　joined　them；　I　think　he　will　beat　them　but　what　then？　He　has　three　hundred　thousand　men　to　encounter　afterward。　　He　must　submit；　but　he　may　say　with　truth；　'Si　Pergama　dextra　defendi　potuissent'。　　The　late　action　between　the　Prussians　and　Russians　has　only　thinned　the　human　species；　without　giving　either　party　a　victory；　which　is　plain　by　each　party's　claiming　it。　　Upon　my　word；　our　species　will　pay　very　dear　for　the　quarrels　and　ambition　of　a　few；　and　those　by　no　means　the　most　valuable　part　of　it。　　If　the　many　were　wiser　than　they　are；　the　few　must　be　quieter；　and　would　perhaps　be　juster　and　better　than　they　are。

Hamburg；　I　find；　swarms　with　Grafs；　Graffins；　Fursts；　and　Furstins；　Hocheits；　and　Durchlaugticheits。　　I　am　glad　of　it；　for　you　must　necessarily　be　in　the　midst　of　them；　and　I　am　still　more　glad；　that；　being　in　the　midst　of　them；　you　must　necessarily　be　under　some　constraint　of　ceremony；　a　thing　which　you　do　not　love；　but　which　is；　however；　very　useful。

I　desired　you　in　my　last；　and　I　repeat　it　again　in　this；　to　give　me　an　account　of　your　private　and　domestic　life。

How　do　you　pass　your　evenings？　　Have　they；　at　Hamburg；　what　are　called　at　Paris　'des　Maisons'；　where　one　goes　without　ceremony；　sups　or　not；　as　one　pleases？　　Are　you　adopted　in　any　society？　　Have　you　any　rational　brother　ministers；　and　which？　　What　sort　of　things　are　your　operas？　　In　the　tender；　I　doubt　they　do　not　excel；　for　'mein　lieber　schatz'；　and　the　other　tendernesses　of　the　Teutonic　language；　would；　in　my　mind；　sound　but　indifferently；　set　to　soft　music；　for　the　bravura　parts；　I　have　a　great　opinion　of　them；　and　'das；　der　donner　dich　erschlage'；　must　no　doubt；　make　a　tremendously　fine　piece　of　'recitativo'；　when　uttered　by　an　angry　hero；　to　the　rumble　of　a　whole　orchestra；　including　drums；　trumpets；　and　French　horns。　　Tell　me　your　whole　allotment　of　the　day；　in　which　I　hope　four　hours；　at　least；　are　sacred　to　writing；　the　others　cannot　be　better　employed　than　in　LIBERAL　pleasures。　　In　short；　give　me　a　full　account　of　yourself；　in　your　un…ministerial　character；　your　incognito；　without　your　'fiocchi'。　　I　love　to　see　those；　in　whom　I　interest　myself；　in　their　undress；　rather　than　in　gala；　I　know　them　better　so。　　I　recommend　to　you；　'etiam　atque　etiam'；　method　and　order　in　everything　you　undertake。　　Do　you　observe　it　in　your　accounts？　　If　you　do　not；　you　will　be　a　beggar；　though　you　were　to　receive　the　appointments　of　a　Spanish　Ambassador　extraordinary；　which　are　a　thousand　pistoles　a　month；　and　in　your　ministerial　business；　if　you　have　no　regular　and　stated　hours　for　such　and　such　parts　of　it；　you　will　be　in　the　hurry　and　confusion　of　the　Duke　of　N…；　doing　everything　by　halves；　and　nothing　well；　nor　soon。　　I　suppose　you　'have　been　feasted　through　the　Corps　diplomatique　at　Hamburg；　excepting　Monsieur　Champeaux；　with　whom；　however；　I　hope　you　live　'poliment　et　galamment'；　at　all　third　places。

Lord　Loudon　is　much　blamed　here　for　his　'retraite　des　dix　milles'；　for　it　is　said　that　he　had　above　that　number；　and　might　consequently　have　acted　offensively；　instead　of　retreating；　especially　as　his　retreat　was　contrary　to　the　unanimous　opinion（as　it　is　now　said）　of　the　council　of　war。　　In　our　Ministry；　I　suppose；　things　go　pretty　quietly；　for　the　D。　of　N。　has　not　plagued　me　these　two　months。　　When　his　Royal　Highness　comes　over；　which　I　take　it　for　granted　he　will　do　very　soon；　the　great　push　will；　I　presume；　be　made　at　his　Grace　and　Mr。　Pitt；　but　without　effect　if　they　agree；　as　it　is　visibly　their　interest　to　do；　and；　in　that　case；　their　parliamentary　strength　will　support　them　against　all　attacks。　　You　may　remember；　I　said　at　first；　that　the　popularity　would　soon　be　on　the　side　of　those　who　opposed　the　popular　Militia　Bill；　and　now　it　appears　so　with　a　vengeance；　in　almost　every　county　in　England；　by　the　tumults　and　insurrections　of　the　people；　who　swear　that　they　will　not　be　enlisted。　That　silly　scheme　must　therefore　be　dropped；　as　quietly　as　may　be。　　Now　that　I　have　told　you　all　that　I　know；　and　almost　all　that　I　think；　I　wish　you　a　good　supper　and　a　good…night。




LETTER　CCVIII

BLACKHEATH；　September　30；　1757

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　have　so　little　to　do；　that　I　am　surprised　how　I　can　find　time　to　write　to　you　so　often。　　Do　not　stare　at　the　seeming　paradox；　for　it　is　an　undoubted　truth；　that　the　less　one　has　to　do；　the　less　time　one　finds　to　do　it　in。　　One　yawns；　one　procrastinates；　one　can　do　it　when　one　will；　and　therefore　one　seldom