letters to his son, 1766-71-第3章

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for　about　three　weeks；　the　complaint　absolutely　ceased；　and　I　have　never
had　the　least　swelling　in　them　since。　　After　what　I　have　said；　I　must
caution　you　not　to　use　the　same　remedy　rashly；　and　without　the　most
skillful　advice　you　can　find；　where　you　are；　for　if　your　swelling
proceeds　from　a　gouty；　or　rheumatic　humor；　there　may　be　great　danger　in
applying　so　powerful　an　astringent；　and　perhaps　REPELLANT　as　brine。　　So
go　piano；　and　not　without　the　best　advice；　upon　a　view　of　the　parts。

I　shall　direct　all　my　letters　to　you　'Chez　Monsieur　Sarraxin'；　who　by　his
trade　is；　I　suppose；　'sedentaire'　at　Basle；　while　it　is　not　sure　that　you
will　be　at　any　one　place　in　the　south　of　France。　　Do　you　know　that　he　is
a　descendant　of　the　French　poet　Sarrazin？

Poor　Harte；　whom　I　frequently　go　to　see　here；　out　of　compassion；　is　in　a
most　miserable　way；　he　has　had　a　stroke　of　the　palsy；　which　has　deprived
him　of　the　use　of　his　right　leg；　affected　his　speech　a　good　deal；　and
perhaps　his　head　a　little。　　Such　are　the　intermediate　tributes　that　we
are　forced　to　pay；　in　some　shape　or　other；　to　our　wretched　nature；　till
we　pay　the　last　great　one　of　all。　　May　you　pay　this　very　late；　and　as　few
intermediate　tributes　as　possible；　and　so　'jubeo　te　bene　valere'。　　God
bless　you！




LETTER　CCXCIV

BATH；　December　9；　1766。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　received；　two　days　ago；　your　letter　of　the　26th　past。
I　am　very　glad　that　you　begin　to　feel　the　good　effects　of　the　climate
where　you　are；　I　know　it　saved　my　life；　in　1741；　when　both　the　skillful
and　the　unskillful　gave　me　over。　　In　that　ramble　I　stayed　three　or　four
days　at　Nimes；　where　there　are　more　remains　of　antiquity；　I　believe；　than
in　any　town　in　Europe；　Italy　excepted。　　What　is　falsely　called　'la　maison
quarree'；　is；　in　my　mind；　the　finest　piece　of　architecture　that　I　ever
saw；　and　the　amphitheater　the　clumsiest　and　the　ugliest：　if　it　were　in
England；　everybody　would　swear　it　had　been　built　by　Sir　John　Vanbrugh。

This　place　is　now；　just　what　you　have　seen　it　formerly；　here　is　a　great
crowd　of　trifling　and　unknown　people；　whom　I　seldom　frequent；　in　the
public　rooms；　so　that　I　may　pass　my　time　'tres　uniment'；　in　taking　the
air　in　my　post…chaise　every　morning；　and　in　reading　of　evenings。
And　'a　propos'　of　the　latter；　I　shall　point　out　a　book；　which　I　believe
will　give　you　some　pleasure；　at　least　it　gave　me　a　great　deal。　　I　never
read　it　before。　　It　is　'Reflexions　sur　la　Poesie　et　la　Peinture；　par
l'Abbee　de　Bos'；　in　two　octavo　volumes；　and　is；　I　suppose；　to　be　had　at
every　great　town　in　France。　　The　criticisms　and　the　reflections　are　just
and　lively。

It　may　be　you　expect　some　political　news　from　me：　but　I　can　tell　you　that
you　will　have　none；　for　no　mortal　can　comprehend　the　present　state　of
affairs。　　Eight　or　nine　people　of　some　consequence　have　resigned　their
employments；　upon　which　Lord　C…　made　overtures　to　the　Duke　of　B…
and　his　people；　but　they　could　by　no　means　agree；　and　his　Grace　went；
the　next　day；　full　of　wrath；　to　Woburn；　so　that　negotiation　is　entirely
at　an　end。　　People　wait　to　see　who　Lord　C…　will　take　in；　for　some　he
must　have；　even　HE　cannot　be　alone；　'contra　mundum'。　　Such　a　state　of
affairs；　to　be　sure；　was　never　seen　before；　in　this　or　in　any　other
country。　　When　this　Ministry　shall　be　settled；　it　will　be　the　sixth
Ministry　in　six　years'　time。

Poor　Harte　is　here；　and　in　a　most　miserable　condition；　those　who　wish　him
the　best；　as　I　do；　must　wish　him　dead。　　God　bless　you！




LETTER　CCXCV

LONDON；　February　13；　1767。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　It　is　so　long　since　I　have　had　a　letter　from　you；　that　I
am　alarmed　about　your　health；　and　fear　that　the　southern　parts　of　France
have　not　done　so　well　by　you　as　they　did　by　me　in　the　year　1741；　when
they　snatched　me　from　the　jaws　of　death。　　Let　me　know；　upon　the　receipt
of　this　letter；　how　you　are；　and　where　you　are。

I　have　no　news　to　send　you　from　hence；　for　everything　seems　suspended；
both　in　the　court　and　in　the　parliament；　till　Lord　Chatham's　return　from
the　Bath；　where　he　has　been　laid　up　this　month；　by　a　severe　fit　of　the
gout；　and；　at　present；　he　has　the　sole　apparent　power。　　In　what　little
business　has　hitherto　been　done　in　the　House　of　Commons；　Charles
Townshend　has　given　himself　more　ministerial　airs　than　Lord　Chatham　will；
I　believe；　approve　of。　　However；　since　Lord　Chatham　has　thought　fit　to
withdraw　himself　from　that　House；　he　cannot　well　do　without　Charles'
abilities　to　manage　it　as　his　deputy。

I　do　not　send　you　an　account　of　weddings；　births；　and　burials；　as　I　take
it　for　granted　that　you　know　them　all　from　the　English　printed　papers；
some　of　which；　I　presume；　are　sent　after　you。　　Your　old　acquaintance；
Lord　Essex；　is　to　be　married　this　week　to　Harriet　Bladen；　who　has　L20；000
down；　besides　the　reasonable　expectation　of　as　much　at　the　death　of　her
father。　　My　kinsman；　Lord　Strathmore；　is　to　be　married　in　a　fortnight；
to　Miss　Bowes；　the　greatest　heiress　perhaps　in　Europe。　　In　short；　the
matrimonial　frenzy　seems　to　rage　at　present；　and　is　epidemical。　　The　men
marry　for　money；　and　I　believe　you　guess　what　the　women　marry　for。　　God
bless　you；　and　send　you　health！




LETTER　CCXCVI

LONDON；　March　3；　1767

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　Yesterday　I　received　two　letters　at　once　from　you；　both
dated　Montpellier；　one　of　the　29th　of　last　December；　and　the　other　the
12th　of　February：　but　I　cannot　conceive　what　became　of　my　letters　to　you；
for；　I　assure　you；　that　I　answered　all　yours　the　next　post　after　I
received　them；　and；　about　ten　days　ago；　I　wrote　you　a　volunteer；　because
you　had　been　so　long　silent；　and　I　was　afraid　that　you　were　not　well；
but　your　letter　of　the　12th　of　February　has　removed　all　my　fears　upon
that　score。　　The　same　climate　that　has　restored　your　health　so　far　will
probably；　in　a　little　more　time；　restore　your　strength　too；　though　you
must　not　expect　it　to　be　quite　what　it　was　before　your　late　painful
complaints。　　At　least　I　find　that；　since　my　late　great　rheumatism；
I　cannot　walk　above　half　an　hour　at　a　time；　which　I　do　not　place　singly
to　the　account　of　my　years；　but　chiefly　to　the　great　shock　given　then　to
my　limbs。　'D'ailleurs'　I　am　pretty　well　for　my　age　and　shattered
constitution。

As　I　told　you　in　my　last；　I　must　tell　you　again　in　this；　that　I　have　no
news　to　send。　　Lord　Chatham；　at　last；　came　to　town　yesterday；　full　of
gout；　and　is　not　able　to　stir　hand　or　foot。　　During　his　absence；　Charles
Townshend　has　talked　of　him；　and　at　him；　in　such　a　manner；　that
henceforward　they　must　be　either　much　worse　or　much　better　together　than
ever　they　were　in　their　lives。　　On　Friday　last；　Mr。　Dowdeswell　and　Mr。
Grenville　moved　to　have　one　shilling　in　the　pound　of　the　land　tax　taken
off；　which　was　opposed　by　the　Court；　but　the　Court　lost　it　by　eighteen。
The　Opposition　triumph　much　upon　this　victory；　though；　I　think；　without
reason；　for　it　is　plain　that　all　the　landed　gentlemen　bribed　themselves
with　this　shilling　in　the　pound。

The　Duke　of　Buccleugh　is　very　soon　to　be　married　to　Lady　Betty　Montague。
Lord　Essex　was　married　yesterday；　to　Harriet　Bladen　；　and　Lord
Strathmore；　last　week；　to　Miss　Bowes；　both　couples　went　directly　from　the
church　to　consummation　in　the　country；　from　an　unnecessary　fear　that　they
should　not　be　tired　of　each　other　if　they　stayed　in　town。　　And　now
'dixi'；　God　bless　you！

You　are　in　the　right　to　go　to　see　the　assembly　of　the　states　of；
Languedoc；　though　they　are　but　the　shadow　of　the　original　Etats；　while
there　was　some　liberty　subsisting　in　France。




LETTER　CCXCVII

LONDON；　April　6；　1767。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　Yesterday　I　received　your　letter　from　Nimes；　by　which　I
find　that　several　of　our　letters　have　reciprocally　miscarried。　　This　may
probably　have　the　same　fate；　however；　if　it　reaches　Monsieur　Sarrazin；　I
presume　he　will　know　where　to　take　his　aim　at　you；　for　I　find　you　are　in
motion；　and　with　a　polarity　to　Dresden。　　I　am　very　glad　to　find　by　it；
that　your　meridional　journey　has　perfectly　recovered　you；　as　to　your
general　state　of　health；　for　as　to　your　legs　and　thighs；　you　must　never
expect　that　they　will　be　restored　to　their　original　strength　and
activity；　after　so　many　rheumatic　attacks　as　you　have　had。　　I　know　that
my　limbs；　besides　the　natural　debility　of　old　age；　have　never　recovered
the　severe　attack　of　rheumatism　that　plagued　me　five　or　six　years　ago。
I　cannot　now　walk　above　half　an　hour　at　a　time　and　even　that　in　a
hobbling　kind　of　way。

I　can　give　you　no　account　of　our　political　world；　which　is　in　a　situation
that　I　never　saw　in　my　whole　life。　　Lord　Chatham　has　been　so　ill；　these
last　two　months；　that　he　has　not　been　able　（some　say　not　willing）　to　do
or　hear　of　any　business；　and　for　his　'sous　Ministres'；　they　either
cannot；　or　dare　not；　do　any；　without　his　directions；　so　everything　is　now
at　a　stand。　　This　situation；　I　think；　cannot　last　much　longer；　and　if
Lord　Chatham　should　either　quit　his　post；　or　the　world；　neither　of　which
is　very　improbable；　I　conjecture；　that　which　is　called　the　Rockingham
Connection　stands　the　fairest　for　the　Ministry。　　But　this　is　merely　my
conjecture；　for　I　have　neither　'data'　nor　'postulata'　enough　to　reason
upon。

When　you　get　to　Dresden；　which　I　hope　you　will　not　do　till　next　month；
our　correspondence　will　be　more　regular。　　God　bless　you！




LETTER　CCXCVIII

LONDON；　May　5；　1767；

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　By　your　letter　of　the　25th　past；　from　Basle；　I　presume
this　will　find　you　at　Dresden；　and　accordingly　I　direct　to　you　there。
When　you　write　me　word　that　you　are　at　Dresden；　I　will　return　you　an
answer；　with　something　better　than　the　answer　itself。

If　you　complain　of　the　weather；　north　of　Besancon；　what　would　you　say　to
the　weather　that　we　have　had　here　for　these　last　two　months；
uninterruptedly？　　Snow　often；　northeast　wind　constantly；　and　extreme
cold。　　I　write　this　by　the　side　of　a　good　fire；　and　at　this　moment　it
snows　very　hard。　　All　my　promised　fruit　at　Blackheath　is　quite　destroyed；
and；　what　is　worse；　many　of　my　trees。

I　cannot　help　thinking　that　the　King　of　Poland；　the　Empress　of　Russia；
and　the　King　of　Prussia；　's'entendent　comme　larrons　en　foire'；　though　the
former　must　not　appear　in　it　upon　account　of　the　stupidity；　ignorance；
and　bigotry　of　his　Poles。　　I　have　a　great　opinion　of　the　cogency　of　the
controversial　arguments　of　the　Russian　troops；　in　favor　of　the
Dissidents：　I　am　sure　I　wish　them　success；　for　I　would　have　all
intoleration　intolerated　in　its　turn。　　We　shall　soon　see　more　clearly
into　this　matter；　for　I　do　not　think　that　the　Autocratrice　of　all　the
Russias　will　be　trifled　with　by　the　Sarmatians。

What　do　you　think　of　the　late　extraordinary　event　in　Spain？　　Could　you
have　ever　imagined　that　those　ignorant　Goths　would　have　dared　to　banish
the　Jesuits？　　There　must　have　been　some　very　grave　and　important　reasons
for　so　extraordinary　a　measure：　but　what　they　were　I　do　not　pretend　to
guess；　and　perhaps　I　shall　never　know；　though　all　the　coffeehouses　here
do。

Things　are　here　in　exactly　the　same　situation；　in　which　they　were　when　I
wrote　to　you　last。　　Lord　Chatham　is　still　ill；　and　only　goes　abroad　for
an　hour　in　a　day；　to　take　the　air；　in　his　coach。　　The　King　has；　to　my
certain　knowledge；　sent　him