letters to his son, 1756-58-第12部分

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Monsieur　Munchausen　embarked　yesterday；　as　he　said；　for　Prince　Ferdinand's　army；　but　as　it　is　not　generally　thought　that　his　military　skill　can　be　of　any　great　use　to　that　prince；　people　conjecture　that　his　business　must　be　of　a　very　different　nature；　and　suspect　separate　negotiations；　neutralities；　and　what　not。　　Kniphausen　does　not　relish　it　in　the　least；　and　is　by　no　means　satisfied　with　the　reasons　that　have　been　given　him　for　it。　　Before　he　can　arrive　there；　I　reckon　that　something　decisive　will　have　passed　in　Saxony；　if　to　the　disadvantage　of　the　King　of　Prussia；　he　is　crushed；　but　if；　on　the　contrary；　he　should　get　a　complete　victory　（and　he　does　not　get　half　victories）　over　the　Austrians；　the　winter　may　probably　produce　him　and　us　a　reasonable　peace。　I　look　upon　Russia　as　'hors　de　combat'　for　some　time；　France　is　certainly　sick　of　the　war；　under　an　unambitious　King；　and　an　incapable　Ministry；　if　there　is　one　at　all：　and；　unassisted　by　those　two　powers；　the　Empress　Queen　had　better　be　quiet。　　Were　any　other　man　in　the　situation　of　the　King　of　Prussia；　I　should　not　hesitate　to　pronounce　him　ruined；　but　he　is　such　a　prodigy　of　a　man；　that　I　will　only　say；　I　fear　he　will　be　ruined。　It　is　by　this　time　decided。

Your　Cassel　court　at　Bremen　is；　I　doubt；　not　very　splendid；　money　must　be　wanting：　but；　however；　I　dare　say　their　table　is　always　good；　for　the　Landgrave　is　a　gourmand；　and　as　you　are　domestic　there；　you　may　be　so　too；　and　recruit　your　loss　of　flesh　from　your　fever：　but　do　not　recruit　too　fast。　　Adieu。




LETTER　CCXXXII

LONDON；　September　26；　1758

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　am　sorry　to　find　that　you　had　a　return　of　your　fever；　but　to　say　the　truth；　you　in　some　measure　deserved　it；　for　not　carrying　Dr。　Middleton's　bark　and　prescription　with　you。　　I　foresaw　that　you　would　think　yourself　cured　too　soon；　and　gave　you　warning　of　it；　but　BYGONES　are　BYGONES；　as　Chartres；　when　he　was　dying；　said　of　his　sins；　let　us　look　forward。　　You　did　very　prudently　to　return　to　Hamburg；　to　good　bark；　and；　I　hope；　a　good　physician。　　Make　all　sure　there　before　you　stir　from　thence；　notwithstanding　the　requests　or　commands　of　all　the　princesses　in　Europe：　I　mean　a　month　at　least；　taking　the　bark　even　to　supererogation；　that　is；　some　time　longer　than　Dr。　Middleton　requires；　for；　I　presume；　you　are　got　over　your　childishness　about　tastes；　and　are　sensible　that　your　health　deserves　more　attention　than　your　palate。　　When　you　shall　be　thus　re…established；　I　approve　of　your　returning　to　Bremen；　and　indeed　you　cannot　well　avoid　it；　both　with　regard　to　your　promise；　and　to　the　distinction　with　which　you　have　been　received　by　the　Cassel　family。

Now　to　the　other　part　of　your　letter。　　Lord　Holdernesse　has　been　extremely　civil　to　you；　in　sending　you；　all　under　his　own　hand；　such　obliging　offers　of　his　service。　　The　hint　is　plain；　that　he　will　（in　case　you　desire　it）　procure　you　leave　to　come　home　for　some　time；　so　that　the　single　question　is；　whether　you　should　desire　it　or　not；　NOW。　　It　will　be　two　months　before　you　can　possibly　undertake　the　journey；　whether　by　sea　or　by　land；　and　either　way　it　would　be　a　troublesome　and　dangerous　one　for　a　convalescent　in　the　rigor　of　the　month　of　November；　you　could　drink　no　mineral　waters　here　in　that　season；　nor　are　any　mineral　waters　proper　in　your　case；　being　all　of　them　heating；　except　Seltzer's；　then；　what　would　do　you　more　harm　than　all　medicines　could　do　you　good；　would　be　the　pestilential　vapors　of　the　House　of　Commons；　in　long　and　crowded　days；　of　which　there　will　probably　be　many　this　session；　where　your　attendance；　if　here；　will　necessarily　be　required。　　I　compare　St。　Stephen's　Chapel；　upon　those　days；　to　'la　Grotta　del　Cane'。

Whatever　may　be　the　fate　of　the　war　now；　negotiations　will　certainly　be　stirring　all　the　winter；　and　of　those；　the　northern　ones；　you　are　sensible；　are　not　the　least　important；　in　these；　if　at　Hamburg；　you　will　probably　have　your　share；　and　perhaps　a　meritorious　one。　　Upon　the　whole；　therefore；　I　would　advise　you　to　write　a　very　civil　letter　to　Lord　Holdernesse　；　and　to　tell　him　that　though　you　cannot　hope　to　be　of　any　use　to　his　Majesty's　affairs　anywhere；　yet；　in　the　present　unsettled　state　of　the　North；　it　is　possible　that　unforeseen　accidents　may　throw　in　your　way　to　be　of　some　little　service；　and　that　you　would　not　willingly　be　out　of　the　way　of　those　accidents；　but　that　you　shall　be　most　extremely　obliged　to　his　Lordship；　if　he　will　procure　you　his　Majesty's　gracious　permission　to　return　for　a　few　months　in　the　spring；　when　probably　affairs　will　be　more　settled　one　way　or　another。　　When　things　tend　nearer　to　a　settlement；　and　that　Germany；　from　the　want　of　money　or　men；　or　both；　breathes　peace　more　than　war；　I　shall　solicit　Burrish's　commission　for　you；　which　is　one　of　the　most　agreeable　ones　in　his　Majesty's　gift；　and　I　shall　by　no　means　despair　of　success。　　Now　I　have　given　you　my　opinion　upon　this　affair；　which　does　not　make　a　difference　of　above　three　months；　or　four　at　most；　I　would　not　be　understood　to　mean　to　force　your　own；　if　it　should　happen　to　be　different　from　mine；　but　mine；　I　think；　is　more　both　for　your　health　and　your　interest。　　However；　do　as　you　please：　may　you　in　this；　and　everything　else；　do　for　the　best！　So　God　bless　you！




LETTER　CCXXXIII

BATH；　October　18；　1758。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　received　by　the　same　post　your　two　letters　of　the　29th　past；　and　of　the　3d　instant。

The　last　tells　me　that　you　are　perfectly　recovered；　and　your　resolution　of　going　to　Bremen　in　three　or　four　days　proves　it；　for　surely　you　would　not　undertake　that　journey　a　second　time；　and　at　this　season　of　the　year；　without　feeling　your　health　solidly　restored；　however；　in　all　events；　I　hope　you　have　taken　a　provision　of　good　bark　with　you。　　I　think　your　attention　to　her　Royal　Highness　may　be　of　use　to　you　here；　and　indeed　all　attentions；　to　all　sorts；　of　people；　are　always　repaid　in　some　way　or　other；　though　real　obligations　are　not。　　For　instance；　Lord　Titchfield；　who　has　been　with　you　at　Hamburg；　has　written　an　account　to　the　Duke　and　Duchess　of　Portland；　who　are　here；　of　the　civilities　you　showed　him；　with　which　he　is　much　pleased；　and　they　delighted。　　At　this　rate；　if　you　do　not　take　care；　you　will　get　the　unmanly　reputation　of　a　well…bred　man；　and　your　countryman；　John　Trott；　will　disown　you。

I　have　received；　and　tasted　of　your　present；　which　is　a　'tres　grand　vin'；　but　more　cordial　to　the　stomach　than　pleasant　to　the　palate。　　I　keep　it　as　a　physic；　only　to　take　occasionally；　in　little　disorders　of　my　stomach；　and　in　those　cases；　I　believe　it　is　wholsomer　than　stronger　cordials。

I　have　been　now　here　a　fortnight；　and　though　I　am　rather　better　than　when　I　came；　I　am　still　far　from　well。

My　head　is　giddier　than　becomes　a　head　of　my　age；　and　my　stomach　has　not　recovered　its　retentive　faculty。　　Leaning　forward；　particularly　to　write；　does　not　at　present　agree　with；　Yours。




LETTER　CCXXXIV

BATH；　October　28；　1758。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　Your　letter　has　quieted　my　alarms；　for　I　find　by　it；　that　you　are　as　well　recovered　as　you　could　be　in　so　short　a　time。　　It　is　your　business　now　to　keep　yourself　well　by　scrupulously　following　Dr。　Middleton's　directions。　　He　seems　to　be　a　rational　and　knowing　man。　　Soap　and　steel　are；　unquestionably；　the　proper　medicines　for　your　case；　but　as　they　are　alteratives；　you　must　take　them　for　a　very　long　time；　six　months　at　least；　and　then　drink　chalybeate　waters。　　I　am　fully　persuaded；　that　this　was　your　original　complaint　in　Carniola；　which　those　ignorant　physicians　called；　in　their　jargon；　'Arthritis　vaga'；　and　treated　as　such。　　But　now　that　the　true　cause　of　your　illness　is　discovered；　I　flatter　myself　that；　with　time　and　patience　on　your　part；　you　will　be　radically　cured；　but；　I　repeat　it　again；　it　must　be　by　a　long　and　uninterrupted　course　of　those　alterative　medicines　above　mentioned。　　They　have　no　taste；　but　if　they　had　a　bad　one；　I　will　not　now　suppose　you　such　a　child；　as　to　let　the　frowardness　of　your　palate　interfere　in　the　least　with　the　recovery　or　enjoyment　of　health。　　The　latter　deserves　the　utmost　attention　of　the　most　rational　man；　the　former　is　the　only　proper　object　of　the　care　of　a　dainty；　frivolous　woman。

The　run　of　luck；　which　some　time　ago　we　were　in；　seems　now　to　be　turned　against　us。　　Oberg　is　completely　routed；　his　Prussian　Majesty　was　surprised　（which　I　am　surprised　at）；　and　had　rather　the　worst　of　it。　I　am　in　some　pain　for　Prince　Ferdinand；　as　I　take　it　for　granted　that　the　detachment　from　Marechal　de　Contade's　army；　which　enabled　Prince　Soubize　to　beat　Oberg；　will　immediately　return　to　the　grand　army；　and　then　it　will　be　infinitely　superior。

Nor　do　I　see　where　Prince　Ferdinand　can　take　his　winter　quarters；　unless　he　retires　to　Hanover；　and　that　I　do　not　take　to　be　at　present　the　land　of　Canaan。　　Our　second　expedition　to　St。　Malo　I　cannot　call　so　much　an　unlucky；　as　an　ill…conducted　one；　as　was　also　Abercrombie's　affair　in　America。　　'Mais　il　n'y　a　pas　de　petite　perte　qui　revient　souvent'：　and　all　these　accidents　put　together　make　a　considerable　sum　total。

I　have　found　so　little　good　by　these　waters；　that　I　do　not　intend　to　stay　here　above　a　week　longer；　and　then　remove　my　crazy　body　to　London；　which