letters to his son, 1756-58-第4部分

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　are　none　of　them　the　true　ones。　　It　is　said　that　the　King　reproached　him　with　having　exceeded　his　powers　in　making　the　Hanover　Convention；　which　his　R。　H。　　absolutely　denied；　and　threw　up　thereupon。　This　is　certain；　that　he　appeared　at　the　drawing…room　at　Kensington；　last　Sunday；　after　having　quitted；　and　went　straight　to　Windsor；　where；　his　people　say；　that　he　intends　to　reside　quietly；　and　amuse　himself　as　a　private　man。　　But　I　conjecture　that　matters　will　soon　be　made　up　again；　and　that　he　will　resume　his　employments。　　You　will　easily　imagine　the　speculations　this　event　has　occasioned　in　the　public；　I　shall　neither　trouble　you　nor　myself　with　relating　them；　nor　would　this　sheet　of　paper；　or　even　a　quire　more；　contain　them。　　Some　refine　enough　to　suspect　that　it　is　a　concerted　quarrel；　to　justify　SOMEBODY　TO　SOMEBODY；　with　regard　to　the　Convention；　but　I　do　not　believe　it。

His　R。　H。's　people　load　the　Hanover　Ministers；　and　more　particularly　our　friend　Munchausen　here；　with　the　whole　blame；　but　with　what　degree　of　truth　I　know　not。　　This　only　is　certain；　that　the　whole　negotiation　of　that　affair　was　broached　and　carried　on　by　the　Hanover　Ministers　and　Monsieur　Stemberg　at　Vienna；　absolutely　unknown　to　the　English　Ministers；　till　it　was　executed。　　This　affair　combined　（for　people　will　combine　it）　with　the　astonishing　return　of　our　great　armament；　not　only　're　infecta'；　but　even　'intentata'；　makes　such　a　jumble　of　reflections；　conjectures；　and　refinements；　that　one　is　weary　of　hearing　them。　　Our　Tacituses　and　Machiavels　go　deep；　suspect　the　worst；　and；　perhaps；　as　they　often　do；　overshoot　the　mark。　　For　my　own　part；　I　fairly　confess　that　I　am　bewildered；　and　have　not　certain　'postulata'　enough；　not　only　to　found　any　opinion；　but　even　to　form　conjectures　upon：　and　this　is　the　language　which　I　think　you　should　hold　to　all　who　speak　to　you；　as　to　be　sure　all　will；　upon　that　subject。　　Plead；　as　you　truly　may；　your　own　ignorance；　and　say；　that　it　is　impossible　to　judge　of　those　nice　points；　at　such　a　distance；　and　without　knowing　all　circumstances；　which　you　cannot　be　supposed　to　do。　　And　as　to　the　Duke's　resignation；　you　should；　in　my　opinion；　say；　that　perhaps　there　might　be　a　little　too　much　vivacity　in　the　case；　but　that；　upon　the　whole；　you　make　no　doubt　of　the　thing's　being　soon　set　right　again；　as；　in　truth；　I　dare　say　it　will。　　Upon　these　delicate　occasions；　you　must　practice　the　ministerial　shrugs　and　'persiflage'；　for　silent　gesticulations；　which　you　would　be　most　inclined　to；　would　not　be　sufficient：　something　must　be　said；　but　that　something；　when　analyzed；　must　amount　to　nothing。　　As　for　instance；　'Il　est　vrai　qu'on　s'y　perd；　mais　que　voulez…vous　que　je　vous　dise？il　y　a　bien　du　pour　et　du　contre；　un　petit　Resident　ne　voit　gueres　le　fond　du　sac。Il　faut　attendre。　　Those　sort　of　expletives　are　of　infinite　use；　and　nine　people　in　ten　think　they　mean　something。　　But　to　the　Landgrave　of　Hesse　I　think　you　would　do　well　to　say；　in　seeming　confidence；　that　you　have　good　reason　to　believe　that　the　principal　objection　of　his　Majesty　to　the　convention　was　that　his　Highness's　interests；　and　the　affair　of　his　troops；　were　not　sufficiently　considered　in　it。　　To　the　Prussian　Minister　assert　boldly　that　you　know　'de　science　certaine'；　that　the　principal　object　of　his　Majesty's　and　his　British　Ministry's　intention　is　not　only　to　perform　all　their　present　engagements　with　his　Master；　but　to　take　new　and　stronger　ones　for　his　support；　for　this　is　trueAT　LEAST　AT　PRESENT。

You　did　very　well　in　inviting　Comte　Bothmar　to　dine　with　you。　　You　see　how　minutely　I　am　informed　of　your　proceedings；　though　not　from　yourself。　Adieu。

I　go　to　Bath　next　Saturday；　but　direct　your　letters；　as　usual；　to　London。




LETTER　CCXI

BATH；　October　26；　1757。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　arrived　here　safe；　but　far　from　sound；　last　Sunday。　I　have　consequently　drunk　these　waters　but　three　days；　and　yet　I　find　myself　something　better　for　them。　　The　night　before　I　left　London。　　I　was　for　some　hours　at　Newcastle　House；　where　the　letters；　which　came　that　morning；　lay　upon　the　table：　and　his　Grace　singled　out　yours　with　great　approbation；　and；　at　the　same　time；　assured　me　of　his　Majesty's　approbation；　too。　　To　these　two　approbations　I　truly　add　my　own；　which；　'sans　vanite'；　may　perhaps　be　near　as　good　as　the　other　two。　　In　that　letter　you　venture　'vos　petits　raisonnemens'　very　properly；　and　then　as　properly　make　an　excuse　for　doing　so。　　Go　on　so；　with　diligence；　and　you　will　be；　what　I　began　to　despair　of　your　ever　being；　SOMEBODY。　　I　am　persuaded；　if　you　would　own　the　truth；　that　you　feel　yourself　now　much　better　satisfied　with　yourself　than　you　were　while　you　did　nothing。

Application　to　business；　attended　with　approbation　and　success；　flatters　and　animates　the　mind：　which；　in　idleness　and　inaction；　stagnates　and　putrefies。　　I　could　wish　that　every　rational　man　would；　every　night　when　he　goes　to　bed；　ask　himself　this　question；　What　have　I　done　to…day？　　Have　I　done　anything　that　can　be　of　use　to　myself　or　others？　　Have　I　employed　my　time；　or　have　I　squandered　it？　　Have　I　lived　out　the　day；　or　have　I　dozed　it　away　in　sloth　and　laziness？　　A　thinking　being　must　be　pleased　or　confounded；　according　as　he　can　answer　himself　these　questions。　I　observe　that　you　are　in　the　secret　of　what　is　intended；　and　what　Munchausen　is　gone　to　Stade　to　prepare；　a　bold　and　dangerous　experiment　in　my　mind；　and　which　may　probably　end　in　a　second　volume　to　the　〃History　of　the　Palatinate；〃　in　the　last　century。　　His　Serene　Highness　of　Brunswick　has；　in　my　mind；　played　a　prudent　and　saving　game；　and　I　am　apt　to　believe　that　the　other　Serene　Highness；　at　Hamburg；　is　more　likely　to　follow　his　example　than　to　embark　in　the　great　scheme。

I　see　no　signs　of　the　Duke's　resuming　his　employments；　but　on　the　contrary　I　am　assured　that　his　Majesty　is　coolly　determined　to　do　as　well　as　he　can　without　him。　　The　Duke　of　Devonshire　and　Fox　have　worked　hard　to　make　up　matters　in　the　closet；　but　to　no　purpose。　　People's　self…love　is　very　apt　to　make　them　think　themselves　more　necessary　than　they　are：　and　I　shrewdly　suspect；　that　his　Royal　Highness　has　been　the　dupe　of　that　sentiment；　and　was　taken　at　his　word　when　he　least　suspected　it；　like　my　predecessor；　Lord　Harrington；　who　when　he　went　into　the　closet　to　resign　the　seals；　had　them　not　about　him：　so　sure　he　thought　himself　of　being　pressed　to　keep　them。

The　whole　talk　of　London；　of　this　place；　and　of　every　place　in　the　whole　kingdom；　is　of　our　great；　expensive；　and　yet　fruitless　expedition；　I　have　seen　an　officer　who　was　there；　a　very　sensible　and　observing　man：　who　told　me　that　had　we　attempted　Rochfort；　the　day　after　we　took　the　island　of　Aix；　our　success　had　been　infallible；　but　that；　after　we　had　sauntered　（God　knows　why）　eight　or　ten　days　in　the　island；　he　thinks　the　attempt　would　have　been　impracticable；　because　the　French　had　in　that　time　got　together　all　the　troops　in　that　neighborhood；　to　a　very　considerable　number。　　In　short；　there　must　have　been　some　secret　in　that　whole　affair　that　has　not　yet　transpired；　and　I　cannot　help　suspecting　that　it　came　from　Stade。　　WE　had　not　been　successful　there；　and　perhaps　WE　were　not　desirous　that　an　expedition；　in　which　WE　had　neither　been　concerned　nor　consulted；　should　prove　so；　Mt　was　OUR　creature；　and　a　word　to　the　wise　will　sometimes　go　a　great　way。　　Mt　is　to　have　a　public　trial；　from　which　the　public　expects　great　discoveries　Not　I。

Do　you　visit　Soltikow；　the　Russian　Minister；　whose　house；　I　am　told；　is　the　great　scene　of　pleasures　at　Hamburg？　　His　mistress；　I　take　for　granted；　is　by　this　time　dead；　and　he　wears　some　other　body's　shackles。　Her　death　comes　with　regard　to　the　King　of　Prussia；　'comme　la　moutarde　apres　diner'。　　I　am　curious　to　see　what　tyrant　will　succeed　her；　not　by　divine；　but　by　military　right；　for；　barbarous　as　they　are　now；　and　still　more　barbarous　as　they　have　been　formerly；　they　have　had　very　little　regard　to　the　more　barbarous　notion　of　divine；　indefeasible；　hereditary　right。

The　Praetorian　bands；　that　is；　the　guards；　I　presume；　have　been　engaged　in　the　interests　of　the　Imperial　Prince；　but　still　I　think　that　little　John　of　Archangel　will　be　heard　upon　this　occasion；　unless　prevented　by　a　quieting　draught　of　hemlock　or　nightshade；　for　I　suppose　they　are　not　arrived　to　the　politer　and　genteeler　poisons　of　Acqua　Tufana；　＇Acqua　Tufana；　a　Neapolitan　slow　poison；　resembling　clear　water；　and　invented　by　a　woman　at　Naples；　of　the　name　of　Tufana。＇　sugar…plums；　etc。

Lord　Halifax　has　accepted　his　old　employment；　with　the　honorary　addition　of　the　Cabinet　Council。　　And　so　we　heartily　wish　you　a　goodnight。




LETTER　CCXII

BATH；　November　4；　1757

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　The　Sons　of　Britain；　like　those　of　Noah；　must　cover　their　parent's　shame　as　well　as　they　can；　for　to　retrieve　its　honor　is　now　too　late。　　One　would　really　think　that　our　ministers　and　generals　were　all　as　drunk　as　the　Patriarch　was。　　However；　in　your　situation；　you　must　not　be　Cham；　but　spread　your　cloak　over　our　disgrace；　as　far　as　it　will　go。　　Mt　calls　aloud　for　a　public　trial；　and　in　that；　and　that　only；　the　public　agree　with　him。　　There　will　certainly　be　one；　but　of　what　kind　is　not　yet　fixed。　　Some　are　for　a　parliame