letters to his son, 1756-58-第8节

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LETTER　CCXVIII

LONDON；　March　4；　1758。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　should　have　been　much　more　surprised　at　the　contents　of　your　letter　of　the　17th　past；　if　I　had　not　happened　to　have　seen　Sir　C。　W。；　about　three　or　four　hours　before　I　received　it。　　I　thought　he　talked　in　an　extraordinary　manner；　he　engaged　that　the　King　of　Prussia　should　be　master　of　Vienna　in　the　month　of　May；　and　he　told　me　that　you　were　very　much　in　love　with　his　daughter。　　Your　letter　explained　all　this　to　me；　and　next　day；　Lord　and　Lady　E…　gave　me　innumerable　instances　of　his　frenzy；　with　which　I　shall　not　trouble　you。　　What　inflamed　it　the　more　（if　it　did　not　entirely　occasion　it）　was　a　great　quantity　of　cantharides；　which；　it　seems；　he　had　taken　at　Hamburgh；　to　recommend　himself；　I　suppose；　to　Mademoiselle　John。　　He　was　let　blood　four　times　on　board　the　ship；　and　has　been　let　blood　four　times　since　his　arrival　here；　but　still　the　inflammation　continues　very　high。　　He　is　now　under　the　care　of　his　brothers；　who　do　not　let　him　go　abroad。　　They　have　written　to　this　same　Mademoiselle　John；　to　prevent　if　they　can；　her　coming　to　England；　and　told　her　the　case；　which；　when　she　hears　she　must　be　as　mad　as　he　is；　if　she　takes　the　journey。　　By　the　way；　she　must　be　'une　dame　aventuriere'；　to　receive　a　note　for　10；000　roubles　from　a　man　whom　she　had　known　but　three　days！　to　take　a　contract　of　marriage；　knowing　he　was　married　already；　and　to　engage　herself　to　follow　him　to　England。　　I　suppose　this　is　not　the　first　adventure　of　the　sort　which　she　has　had。

After　the　news　we　received　yesterday；　that　the　French　had　evacuated　Hanover；　all　but　Hamel；　we　daily　expect　much　better。　　We　pursue　them；　we　cut　them　off　'en　detail'；　and　at　last　we　destroy　their　whole　army。　　I　wish　it　may　happen；　and；　moreover；　I　think　it　not　impossible。

My　head　is　much　out　of　order；　and　only　allows　me　to　wish　you　good…night。




LETTER　CCXIX

LONDON；　March　22；　1758

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　have　now　your　letter　of　the　8th　lying　before　me；　with　the　favorable　account　of　our　progress　in　Lower　Saxony；　and　reasonable　prospect　of　more　decisive　success。　　I　confess　I　did　not　expect　this；　when　my　friend　Munchausen　took　his　leave　of　me；　to　go　to　Stade；　and　break　the　neutrality；　I　thought　it　at　least　a　dangerous；　but　rather　a　desperate　undertaking；　whereas；　hitherto；　it　has　proved　a　very　fortunate　one。　I　look　upon　the　French　army　as　'fondue'；　and；　what　with　desertion；　deaths；　and　epidemical　distempers；　I　dare　say　not　a　third　of　it　will　ever　return　to　France。　　The　great　object　is　now；　what　the　Russians　can　or　will　do；　and　whether　the　King　of　Prussia　can　hinder　their　junction　with　the　Austrians；　by　beating　either；　before　they　join。　　I　will　trust　him　for　doing　all　that　can　be　done。

Sir　C。　W。　is　still　in　confinement；　and；　I　fear；　will　always　be　so；　for　he　seems　'cum　ratione　insanire'；　the　physicians　have　collected　all　he　has　said　and　done　that　indicated　an　alienation　of　mind；　and　have　laid　it　before　him　in　writing；　he　has　answered　it　in　writing　too；　and　justifies　himself　in　the　most　plausible　arguments　than　can　possibly　be　urged。　　He　tells　his　brother；　and　the　few　who　are　allowed　to　see　him；　that　they　are　such　narrow　and　contracted　minds　themselves；　that　they　take　those　for　mad　who　have　a　great　and　generous　way　of　thinking；　as；　for　instance；　when　he　determined　to　send　his　daughter　over　to　you　in　a　fortnight；　to　be　married；　without　any　previous　agreement　or　settlements；　it　was　because　he　had　long　known　you；　and　loved　you　as　a　man　of　sense　and　honor；　and　therefore　would　not　treat　with　you　as　with　an　attorney。　　That　as　for　Mademoiselle　John；　he　knew　her　merit　and　her　circumstances；　and　asks；　whether　it　is　a　sign　of　madness　to　have　a　due　regard　for　the　one；　and　a　just　compassion　for　the　other。　　I　will　not　tire　you　with　enumerating　any　more　instances　of　the　poor　man's　frenzy；　but　conclude　this　subject　with　pitying　him；　and　poor　human　nature；　which　holds　its　reason　by　so　precarious　a　tenure。　　The　lady；　who　you　tell　me　is　set　out；　'en　sera　pour　la　seine　et　les　fraix　du　voyage'；　for　her　note　is　worth　no　more　than　her　contract。　　By　the　way；　she　must　be　a　kind　of　'aventuriere'；　to　engage　so　easily　in　such　an　adventure　with　a　man　whom　she　had　not　known　above　a　week；　and　whose　'debut'　of　10；000　roubles　showed　him　not　to　be　in　his　right　senses。

You　will　probably　have　seen　General　Yorke；　by　this　time；　in　his　way　to　Berlin　or　Breslau；　or　wherever　the　King　of　Prussia　may　be。　　As　he　keeps　his　commission　to　the　States　General；　I　presume　he　is　not　to　stay　long　with　his　Prussian　Majesty；　but；　however；　while　he　is　there；　take　care　to　write　to　him　very　constantly；　and　to　give　all　the　information　you　can。　His　father；　Lord　Hardwicke；　is　your　great　puff：　he　commends　your　office　letters；　exceedingly。　　I　would　have　the　Berlin　commission　your　object；　in　good　time；　never　lose　view　of　it。　　Do　all　you　can　to　recommend　yourself　to　the　King　of　Prussia　on　your　side　of　the　water；　and　to　smooth　your　way　for　that　commission　on　this；　by　the　turn　which　things　have　taken　of　late；　it　must　always　be　the　most　important　of　all　foreign　commissions　from　hence。

I　have　no　news　to　send　you；　as　things　here　are　extremely　quiet；　so；　good…　night。




LETTER　CCXX

LONDON；　April　25；　1758。

DEAR　FRIEND：　I　am　now　two　letters　in　your　debt；　which　I　think　is　the　first　time　that　ever　I　was　so；　in　the　long　course　of　our　correspondence。　But；　besides　that　my　head　has　been　very　much　out　of　order　of　late；　writing　is　by　no　means　that　easy　thing　that　it　was　to　me　formerly。　I　find　by　experience；　that　the　mind　and　the　body　are　more　than　married；　for　they　are　most　intimately　united；　and　when　the　one　suffers；　the　other　sympathizes。　　'Non　sum　qualis　eram'：　neither　my　memory　nor　my　invention　are　now　what　they　formerly　were。　　It　is　in　a　great　measure　my　own　fault；　I　cannot　accuse　Nature；　for　I　abused　her；　and　it　is　reasonable　I　should　suffer　for　it。

I　do　not　like　the　return　of　the　impression　upon　your　lungs；　but　the　rigor　of　the　cold　may　probably　have　brought　it　upon　you；　and　your　lungs　not　in　fault。　　Take　care　to　live　very　cool；　and　let　your　diet　be　rather　low。

We　have　had　a　second　winter　here；　more　severe　than　the　first；　at　least　it　seemed　so；　from　a　premature　summer　that　we　had；　for　a　fortnight；　in　March；　which　brought　everything　forward；　only　to　be　destroyed。　　I　have　experienced　it　at　Blackheath；　where　the　promise　of　fruit　was　a　most　flattering　one；　and　all　nipped　in　the　bud　by　frost　and　snow；　in　April。　I　shall　not　have　a　single　peach　or　apricot。

I　have　nothing　to　tell　you　from　hence　concerning　public　affairs；　but　what　you　read　in　the　newspapers。　　This　only　is　extraordinary：　that　last　week；　in　the　House　of　Commons；　above　ten　millions　were　granted；　and　the　whole　Hanover　army　taken　into　British　pay；　with　but　one　single　negative；　which　was　Mr。　Viner's。

Mr。　Pitt　gains　ground　in　the　closet；　and　yet　does　not　lose　it　in　the　public。　　That　is　new。

Monsieur　Kniphausen　has　dined　with　me；　he　is　one　of　the　prettiest　fellows　I　have　seen；　he　has；　with　a　great　deal　of　life　and　fire；　'les　manieres　d'un　honnete　homme；　et　le　ton　de　la　Parfaitement　bonne　compagnie'。　　You　like　him　yourself　；　try　to　he　like　him：　it　is　in　your　power。

I　hear　that　Mr。　Mitchel　is　to　be　recalled；　notwithstanding　the　King　of　Prussia's　instances　to　keep　him。　　But　why；　is　a　secret　that　I　cannot　penetrate。

You　will　not　fail　to　offer　the　Landgrave；　and　the　Princess　of　Hesse　（who　I　find　are　going　home）；　to　be　their　agent　and　commissioner　at　Hamburg。

I　cannot　comprehend　the　present　state　of　Russia；　nor　the　motions　of　their　armies。　　They　change　their　generals　once　a　week；　sometimes　they　march　with　rapidity；　and　now　they　lie　quiet　behind　the　Vistula。　　We　have　a　thousand　stories　here　of　the　interior　of　that　government；　none　of　which　I　believe。　　Some　say；　that　the　Great　Duke　will　be　set　aside。

Woronzoff　is　said　to　be　entirely　a　Frenchman；　and　that　Monsieur　de　l'Hopital　governs　both　him　and　the　court。　　Sir　C。　　W。　　is　said；　by　his　indiscretions；　to　have　caused　the　disgrace　of　Bestuchef；　which　seems　not　impossible。　　In　short；　everything　of　every　kind　is　said；　because；　I　believe；　very　little　is　truly　known。　　'A　propos'　of　Sir　C。　W。；　he　is　out　of　confinement；　and　gone　to　his　house　in　the　country　for　the　whole　summer。　　They　say　he　is　now　very　cool　and　well。　　I　have　seen　his　Circe；　at　her　window　in　Pall…Mall；　she　is　painted；　powdered；　curled；　and　patched；　and　looks　'l'aventure'。　　She　has　been　offered；　by　Sir　C。　W's　friends；　L500　in　full　of　all　demands；　but　will　not　accept　of　it。　　'La　comtesse　veut　plaider'；　and　I　fancy　'faire　autre　　chose　si　elle　peut。　Jubeo　to　bene　valere。




LETTER　CCXXI

BLACKHEATH；　May　18；　O。　S。　　1758。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　have　your　letter　of　the　9th　now　　before　me；　and　condole　with　you　upon　the　present　solitude　and　inaction　of　Hamburg。　　You　are　now　shrunk　from　the　dignity　and　importance　of　a　consummate　minister；　to　be　but；　as　it　were；　a　common　man。　　But　this　　has；　at　one　time　or　another；　been　the　case　of　most　great　men；　who　have　not　always　had　equal　opportunities　of　exerting　their　talents。　　The　greatest　must　submit　to　the　capriciousness　of　fortune；　though　they　can；　better　than　others；　improve　the　favorable　moments。　　For　instance；　who　could　have　thought；　two　years　ago；　tha