letters to his son, 1756-58-第6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！


h；　if　it　did　not　quite　break　it；　made　at　least　a　great　flaw　in　it。

The　birth…day　was　neither　fine　nor　crowded；　and　no　wonder；　since　the　King　was　that　day　seventy…five。　　The　old　Court　and　the　young　one　are　much　better　together　since　the　Duke's　retirement；　and　the　King　has　presented　the　Prince　of　Wales　with　a　service　of　plate。

I　am　still　UNWELL；　though　I　drink　these　waters　very　regularly。　　I　will　stay　here　at　least　six　weeks　longer；　where　I　am　much　quieter　than　I　should　be　allowed　to　be　in　town。　　When　things　are　in　such　a　miserable　situation　as　they　are　at　present；　I　desire　neither　to　be　concerned　nor　consulted；　still　less　quoted。　　Adieu！




LETTER　CCXIV

BATH；　November　26；　1757

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　received　by　the　last　mail　your　short　account　of　the　King　of　Prussia's　victory；　which　victory；　contrary　to　custom；　turns　out　more　complete　than　it　was　at　first　reported　to　be。　　This　appears　by　an　intercepted　letter　from　Monsieur　de　St。　Germain　to　Monsieur　d'Affry；　at　The　Hague；　in　which　he　tells　him；　'Cette　arme　est　entierement　fondue'；　and　lays　the　blame；　very　strongly；　upon　Monsieur　de　Soubize。　　But；　be　it　greater　or　be　it　less；　I　am　glad　of　it；　because　the　King　of　Prussia　（whom　I　honor　and　almost　adore）　I　am　sure　is。　　Though　'd'ailleurs'；　between　you　and　me；　'ou　est…ce　que　cela　mene'？　　To　nothing；　while　that　formidable　union　of　three　great　Powers　of　Europe　subsists　against　him；　could　that　be　any　way　broken；　something　might　be　done；　without　which　nothing　can。　　I　take　it　for　granted　that　the　King　of　Prussia　will　do　all　he　can　to　detach　France。　　Why　should　not　we；　on　our　part；　try　to　detach　Russia？　　At　least；　in　our　present　distress；　'omnia　tentanda'；　and　sometimes　a　lucky　and　unexpected　hit　turns　up。　　This　thought　came　into　my　head　this　morning；　and　I　give　it　to　you；　not　as　a　very　probable　scheme；　but　as　a　possible　one；　and　consequently　worth　trying。　　The　year　of　the　Russian　subsidies　（nominally　paid　by　the　Court　of　Vienna；　but　really　by　France）　is　near　expired。　　The　former　probably　cannot；　and　perhaps　the　latter　will　not；　renew　them。　　The　Court　of　Petersburg　is　beggarly；　profuse；　greedy；　and　by　no　means　scrupulous。　　Why　should　not　we　step　in　there；　and　out…bid　them？　If　we　could；　we　buy　a　great　army　at　once；　which　would　give　an　entire　new　turn　to　the　affairs　of　that　part　of　the　world　at　least。　　And　if　we　bid　handsomely；　I　do　not　believe　the　'bonne　foi'　of　that　Court　would　stand　in　the　way。　　Both　our　Court　and　our　parliament　would；　I　am　very　sure；　give　a　very　great　sum；　and　very　cheerfully；　for　this　purpose。　　In　the　next　place；　Why　should　not　you　wriggle　yourself；　if　possible；　into　so　great　a　scheme？　　You　are；　no　doubt；　much　acquainted　with　the　Russian　Resident；　Soltikow；　Why　should　you　not　sound　him；　as　entirely　from　yourself；　upon　this　subject？　　You　may　ask　him；　What；　does　your　Court　intend　to　go　on　next　year　in　the　pay　of　France；　to　destroy　the　liberties　of　all　Europe；　and　throw　universal　monarchy　into　the　hands　of　that　already　great　and　always　ambitious　Power？　　I　know　you　think；　or　at　least　call　yourselves；　the　allies　of　the　Empress　Queen；　but　is　it　not　plain　that　she　will　be；　in　the　first　place；　and　you　in　the　next；　the　dupes　of　France？　　At　this　very　time　you　are　doing　the　work　of　France　and　Sweden：　and　that　for　some　miserable　subsidies；　much　inferior　to　those　which　I　am　sure　you　might　have；　in　a　better　cause；　and　more　consistent　with　the　true　interest　of　Russia。　　Though　not　empowered；　I　know　the　manner　of　thinking　of　my　own　Court　so　well　upon　this　subject；　that　I　will　venture　to　promise　you　much　better　terms　than　those　you　have　now；　without　the　least　apprehensions　of　being　disavowed。　　Should　he　listen　to　this；　and　what　more　may　occur　to　you　to　say　upon　this　subject；　and　ask　you；　'En　ecrirai　je　d　ma　cour？　Answer　him；　'Ecrivez；　ecrivex；　Monsieur　hardiment'。　　Je　prendrai　tout　cela　sur　moi'。　　Should　this　happen；　as　perhaps；　and　as　I　heartily　wish　it　may；　then　write　an　exact　relation　of　it　to　your　own　Court。　　Tell　them　that　you　thought　the　measure　of　such　great　importance；　that　you　could　not　help　taking　this　little　step　toward　bringing　it　about；　but　that　you　mentioned　it　only　as　from　yourself；　and　that　you　have　not　in　the　least　committed　them　by　it。　　If　Soltikow　lends　himself　in　any　degree　to　this；　insinuate　that；　in　the　present　situation　of　affairs；　and　particularly　of　the　King's　Electoral　dominions；　you　are　very　sure　that　his　Majesty　would　have　'une　reconnoissance　sans　bornes'　for　ALL　those　by　whose　means　so　desirable　a　revival　of　an　old　and　long　friendship　should　be　brought　about。　　You　will　perhaps　tell　me　that；　without　doubt；　Mr。　Keith's　instructions　are　to　the　same　effect：　but　I　will　answer　you；　that　you　can；　IF　YOU　PLEASE；　do　it　better　than　Mr。　Keith；　and　in　the　next　place　that；　be　all　that　as　it　will；　it　must　be　very　advantageous　to　you　at　home；　to　show　that　you　have　at　least　a　contriving　head；　and　an　alertness　in　business。


I　had　a　letter　by　the　last　post；　from　the　Duke　of　Newcastle；　in　which　he　congratulates　me；　in　his　own　name　and　in　Lord　Hardwicke's；　upon　the　approbation　which　your　dispatches　give；　not　only　to　them　two；　but　to　OTHERS。　　This　success；　so　early；　should　encourage　your　diligence　and　rouse　your　ambition　if　you　have　any；　you　may　go　a　great　way；　if　you　desire　it；　having　so　much　time　before　you。

I　send　you　here　inclosed　the　copy　of　the　Report　of　the　three　general　officers；　appointed　to　examine　previously　into　the　conduct　of　General　Mt；　it　is　ill　written；　and　ill　spelled；　but　no　matter；　you　will　decipher　it。　　You　will　observe；　by　the　tenor　of　it；　that　it　points　strongly　to　a　court…martial；　which；　no　doubt；　will　soon　be　held　upon　him。　I　presume　there　will　be　no　shooting　in　the　final　sentence；　but　I　do　suppose　there　will　be　breaking；　etc。

I　have　had　some　severe　returns　of　my　old　complaints　last　week；　and　am　still　unwell；　I　cannot　help　it。

A　friend　of　yours　arrived　here　three　days　ago；　she　seems　to　me　to　be　a　serviceable　strong…bodied　bay　mare；　with　black　mane　and　tail；　you　easily　guess　who　I　mean。　　She　is　come　with　mamma；　and　without　'caro　sposo'。

Adieu！　　my　head　will　not　let　me　go　on　longer。




LETTER　CCXV

BATH；　December　31；　1757

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　have　this　moment　received　your　letter　of　the　18th；　with　the　inclosed　papers。　　I　cannot　help　observing　that；　till　then；　you　never　acknowledged　the　receipt　of　any　one　of　my　letters。

I　can　easily　conceive　that　party　spirit；　among　your　brother　ministers　at　Hamburg；　runs　as　high　as　you　represent　it；　because　I　can　easily　believe　the　errors　of　the　human　mind；　but　at　the　same　time　I　must　observe；　that　such　a　spirit　is　the　spirit　of　little　minds　and　subaltern　ministers；　who　think　to　atone　by　zeal　for　their　want　of　merit　and　importance。　　The　political　differences　of　the　several　courts　should　never　influence　the　personal　behavior　of　their　several　ministers　toward　one　another。　　There　is　a　certain　'procede　noble　et　galant'；　which　should　always　be　observed　among　the　ministers　of　powers　even　at　war　with　each　other；　which　will　always　turn　out　to　the　advantage　of　the　ablest；　who　will　in　those　conversations　find；　or　make；　opportunities　of　throwing　out；　or　of　receiving　useful　hints。　　When　I　was　last　at　The　Hague；　we　were　at　war　with　both　France　and　Spain；　so　that　I　could　neither　visit；　nor　be　visited　by；　the　Ministers　of　those　two　Crowns；　but　we　met　every　day；　or　dined　at　third　places；　where　we　embraced　as　personal　friends；　and　trifled；　at　the　same　time；　upon　our　being　political　enemies；　and　by　this　sort　of　badinage　I　discovered　some　things　which　I　wanted　to　know。　　There　is　not　a　more　prudent　maxim　than　to　live　with　one's　enemies　as　if　they　may　one　day　become　one's　friends；　as　it　commonly　happens；　sooner　or　later；　in　the　vicissitudes　of　political　affairs。

To　your　question；　which　is　a　rational　and　prudent　one；　Whether　I　was　authorized　to　give　you　the　hints　concerning　Russia　by　any　people　in　power　here；　I　will　tell　you　that　I　was　not：　but；　as　I　had　pressed　them　to　try　what　might　be　done　with　Russia；　and　got　Mr。　Keith　to　be　dispatched　there　some　months　sooner　than　otherwise；　I　dare　say　he　would；　with　the　proper　instructions　for　that　purpose。　　I　wished　that；　by　the　hints　I　gave　you；　you　might　have　got　the　start　of　him；　and　the　merit；　at　least；　of　having　'entame'　that　matter　with　Soltikow。　　What　you　have　to　do　with　him　now；　when　you　meet　with　him　at　any　third　place；　or　at　his　own　house　（where　you　are　at　liberty　to　go；　while　Russia　has　a　Minister　in　London；　and　we　a　Minister　at　Petersburg）；　is；　in　my　opinion；　to　say　to　him；　in　an　easy　cheerful　manner；　'He　bien；　Monsieur；　je　me　flatte　que　nous　serons　bientot　amis　publics；　aussi　bien　qu'amis　personels'。　　To　which　he　will　probably　ask；　Why；　or　how？　　You　will　reply；　Because　you　know　that　Mr。　Keith　is　gone　to　his　Court　with　instructions；　which　you　think　must　necessarily　be　agreeable　there。　　And　throw　out　to　him　that　nothing　but　a　change　of　their　present　system　can　save　Livonia　to　Russia；　for　that　he　cannot　suppose　that；　when　the　Swedes　shall　have　recovered　Pomerania　they　will　long　leave　Russia　in　quiet　possession　of　Livonia。


If　he　is　so　much　a　Frenchman　as　you　say；　he　will　make　you　some　weak　answers　to　this；　but；　as　you　will　have　the　better　of　the　argument　on　your　side；　you　may　remind　him　of　the　old　and　almost　un