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<h2> LETTER CCXIX </h2>
<h3> LONDON, March 22, 1758 </h3>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>I have no news to send you, as things here are extremely quiet; so,
good-night.</p>
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<h2> LETTER CCXX </h2>
<h3> LONDON, April 25, 1758. </h3>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Mr. Pitt gains ground in the closet, and yet does not lose it in the
public. That is new.</p>
<p>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 be like him: it is in your power.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
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