letters to his son, 1756-58-第7节

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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　uninterrupted　connection　between　France　and　Sweden；　the　inveterate　enemy　of　Russia。　　Many　other　arguments　will　naturally　occur　to　you　in　such　a　conversation；　if　you　have　it。　　In　this　case；　there　is　a　piece　of　ministerial　art；　which　is　sometimes　of　use；　and　that　is；　to　sow　jealousies　among　one's　enemies；　by　a　seeming　preference　shown　to　some　one　of　them。　　Monsieur　Hecht's　reveries　are　reveries　indeed。　　How　should　his　Master　have　made　the　GOLDEN　ARRANGEMENTS　which　he　talks　of；　and　which　are　to　be　forged　into　shackles　for　General　Fermor？　　The　Prussian　finances　are　not　in　a　condition　now　to　make　such　expensive　arrangements。　　But　I　think　you　may　tell　Monsieur　Hecht；　in　confidence；　that　you　hope　the　instructions　with　which　you　know　that　Mr。　Keith　is　gone　to　Petersburg；　may　have　some　effect　upon　the　measures　of　that　Court。

I　would　advise　you　to　live　with　that　same　Monsieur　Hecht　in　all　the　confidence；　familiarity；　and　connection；　which　prudence　will　allow。　I　mean　it　with　regard　to　the　King　of　Prussia　himself；　by　whom　I　could　wish　you　to　be　known　and　esteemed　as　much　as　possible。　　It　may　be　of　use　to　you　some　day　or　other。　　If　man；　courage；　conduct；　constancy；　can　get　the　better　of　all　the　difficulties　which　the　King　of　Prussia　has　to　struggle　with；　he　will　rise　superior　to　them。　　But　still；　while　his　alliance　subsists　against　him；　I　dread　'les　gros　escadrons'。　　His　last　victory；　of　the　5th；　was　certainly　the　completest　that　has　been　heard　of　these　many　years。　　I　heartily　wish　the　Prince　of　Brunswick　just　such　a　one　over　Monsieur　de　Richelieu's　army；　and　that　he　may　take　my　old　acquaintance　the　Marechal；　and　send　him　over　here　to　polish　and　perfume　us。

I　heartily　wish　you；　in　the　plain；　home…spun　style；　a　great　number　of　happy　new　years；　well　employed　in　forming　both　your　mind　and　your　manners；　to　be　useful　and　agreeable　to　yourself；　your　country；　and　your　friends！　　That　these　wishes　are　sincere；　your　secretary's　brother　will；　by　the　time　of　your　receiving　this；　have　remitted　you　a　proof；　from　Yours。




LETTERS　TO　HIS　SON

LETTER　CCXVI

LONDON；　February　8；　1758。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　received　by　the　same　post　your　two　letters　of　the　13th　and　17th　past；　and　yesterday　that　of　the　27th；　with　the　Russian　manifesto　inclosed；　in　which　her　Imperial　Majesty　of　all　the　Russias　has　been　pleased　to　give　every　reason；　except　the　true　one；　for　the　march　of　her　troops　against　the　King　of　Prussia。　　The　true　one；　I　take　it　to　be；　that　she　has　just　received　a　very　great　sum　of　money　from　France；　or　the　Empress　queen；　or　both；　for　that　purpose。　　'Point　d'argent；　point　de　Russe'；　is　now　become　a　maxim。　　Whatever　may　be　the　motive　of　their　march；　the　effects　must　be　bad；　and；　according　to　my　speculations；　those　troops　will　replace　the　French　in　Hanover　and　Lower　Saxony；　and　the　French　will　go　and　join　the　Austrian　army。　　You　ask　me　if　I　still　despond？　　Not　so　much　as　I　did　after　the　battle　of　Colen：　the　battles　of　Rosbach　and　Lissa　were　drams　to　me；　and　gave　me　some　momentary　spirts：　but　though　I　do　not　absolutely　despair；　I　own　I　greatly　distrust。　I　readily　allow　the　King　of　Prussia　to　be　'nec　pluribus　impar'；　but　still；　when　the　'plures'　amount　to　a　certain　degree　of　plurality；　courage　and　abilities　must　yield　at　last。　　Michel　here　assures　me　that　he　does　not　mind　the　Russians；　but；　as　I　have　it　from　the　gentleman's　own　mouth；　I　do　not　believe　him。　　We　shall　very　soon　send　a　squadron　to　the　Baltic　to　entertain　the　Swedes；　which　I　believe　will　put　an　end　to　their　operations　in　Pomerania；　so　that　I　have　no　great　apprehensions　from　that　quarter；　but　Russia；　I　confess；　sticks　in　my　stomach。

Everything　goes　smoothly　in　parliament；　the　King　of　Prussia　has　united　all　our　parties　in　his　support；　and　the　Tories　have　declared　that　they　will　give　Mr。　Pitt　unlimited　credit　for　this　session；　there　has　not　been　one　single　division　yet　upon　public　points；　and　I　believe　will　not。　　Our　American　expedition　is　preparing　to　go　soon；　the　dis　position　of　that　affair　seems　to　me　a　little　extraordinary。　　Abercrombie　is　to　be　the　sedantary；　and　not　the　acting　commander；　Amherst；　Lord　Howe；　and　Wolfe；　are　to　be　the　acting；　and　I　hope　the　active　officers。　　I　wish　they　may　agree。　　Amherst；　who　is　the　oldest　officer；　is　under　the　influence　of　the　same　great　person　who　influenced　Mordaunt；　so　much　to　honor　and　advantage　of　this　country。　　This　is　most　certain；　that　we　have　force　enough　in　America　to　eat　up　the　French　alive　in　Canada；　Quebec；　and　Louisburg；　if　we　have　but　skill　and　spirit　enough　to　exert　it　properly；　but　of　that　I　am　modest　enough　to　doubt。

When　you　come　to　the　egotism；　which　I　have　long　desired　you　to　come　to　with　me；　you　need　make　no　excuses　for　it。　　The　egotism　is　as　proper　and　as　satisfactory　to　one's　friends；　as　it　is　impertinent　and　misplaced　with　strangers。　　I　desire　to　see　you　in　your　every…day　clothes；　by　your　fireside；　in　your　pleasures；　in　short；　in　your　private　life；　but　I　have　not　yet　been　able　to　obtain　this。　　Whenever　you　condescend　to　do　it；　as　you　promise；　stick　to　truth；　for　I　am　not　so　uninformed　of　Hamburg　as　perhaps　you　may　think。

As　for　myself；　I　am　very　UNWELL；　and　very　weary　of　being　so；　and　with　little　hopes；　at　my　age；　of　ever　being　otherwise。　　I　often　wish　for　the　end　of　the　wretched　remnant　of　my　life；　and　that　wish　is　a　rational　one；　but　then　the　innate　principle　of　self…preservation；　wisely　implanted　in　our　natures　for　obvious　purposes；　opposes　that　wish；　and　makes　us　endeavor　to　spin　out　our　thread　as　long　as　we　can；　however　decayed　and　rotten　it　may　be；　and；　in　defiance　of　common　sense；　we　seek　on　for　that　chymic　gold；　which　beggars　us　when　old。

Whatever　your　amusements；　or　pleasures；　may　be　at　Hamburg；　I　dare　say　you　taste　them　more　sensibly　than　ever　you　did　in　your　life；　now　that　you　have　business　enough　to　whet　your　appetite　to　them。　　Business；　one…half　of　the　day；　is　the　best　preparation　for　the　pleasures　of　the　other　half。　I　hope；　and　believe；　that　it　will　be　with　you　as　it　was　with　an　apothecary　whom　I　knew　at　Twickenham。　　A　considerable　estate　fell　to　him　by　an　unexpected　accident；　upon　which　he　thought　it　decent　to　leave　off　his　business；　accordingly　he　generously　gave　up　his　shop　and　his　stock　to　his　head　man；　set　up　his　coach；　and　resolved　to　live　like　a　gentleman；　but；　in　less　than　a　month；　the　man；　used　to　business；　found；　that　living　like　a　gentleman　was　dying　of　ennui；　upon　which　he　bought　his　shop　and　stock；　resumed　his　trade；　and　lived　very　happily；　after　he　had　something　to　do。　　Adieu。




LETTER　CCXVII

LONDON；　February　24；　1758

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　received　yesterday　your　letter　of　the　2d　instant；　with　the　inclosed；　which　I　return　you；　that　there　may　be　no　chasm　in　your　papers。　　I　had　heard　before　of　Burrish's　death；　and　had　taken　some　steps　thereupon；　but　I　very　soon　dropped　that　affair；　for　ninety…nine　good　reasons；　the　first　of　which　was；　that　nonody　is　to　go　in　his　room；　and　that；　had　he　lived；　he　was　to　have　been　recalled　from　Munich。　　But　another　reason；　more　flattering　for　you；　was；　that　you　could　not　be　spared　from　Hamburg。　　Upon　the　whole；　I　am　not　sorry　for　it；　as　the　place　where　you　are　now　is　the　great　entrepot　of　business；　and；　when　it　ceases　to　be　so；　you　will　necessarily　go　to　some　of　the　courts　in　the　neighborhood　（Berlin；　I　hope　and　believe）；　which　will　be　a　much　more　desirable　situation　than　to　rush　at　Munich；　where　we　can　never　have　any　business　beyond　a　subsidy。　　Do　but　go　on；　and　exert　yourself　were　you　are；　and　better　things　will　soon　follow。

Surely　the　inaction　of　our　army　at　Hanover　continues　too　long。　　We　expected　wonders　from　it　some　time　ago；　and　yet　nothing　is　attempted。　The　French　will　soon　receive　reinforcements；　and　then　be　too　strong　for　us；　whereas　they　are　now　most　certainly　greatly　weakened　by　desertion；　sickness；　and　deaths。　　Does　the　King　of　Prussia　send　a　body　of　men　to　our　army　or　not？　or　has　the　march　of　the　Russians　cut　him　out　work　for　all　his　troops？　　I　am　afraid　it　has。　　If　one　body　of　Russians　joins　the　Austrian　army　in　Moravia；　and　another　body　the　Swedes　in　Pomerania；　he　will　have　his　hands　very　full；　too　full；　I　fear。　　The　French　say　they　will　have　an　army　of　180；000　men　in　Germany　this　year；　the　Empress　Queen　will　have　150；000；　if　the　Russians　have　but　40；000；　what　can　resist　such　a　force？　　The　King　of　Prussia　may　say；　indeed；　with　more　justice　than　ever　any　one　person　could　before　him；　'Moi。　　Medea　superest'。

You　promised　the　some　egotism；　but　I　have　received　none　yet。　　Do　you　frequent　the　Landgrave？　　'Hantex　vous　les　grands　de　la　terre'？　　What　are　the　connections　of　the　evening？　　All　this；　and　a　great　deal　more　of　this　kind；　let　me　know　in　your　next。

The　House　of　Commons　is　still　very　unanimous。　　There　was　a　little　popular　squib　let　off　this　week；　in　a　motion　of　Sir　John　Glynne's；　seconded　by　Sir　John　Philips；　for　annual　parliaments。　　It　was　a　very　cold　scent；　and　put　an　end　to　by　a　division　of　190　to　70。

Good…night。　　Work　hard；　that　you　may　divert　yourself　well。




LETTER　CCXVIII

LONDON；　March　4；　1758。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　should　hav