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<h2> LETTER CCIX </h2>
<h3> BLACKHEATH, October 10, 1757 </h3>
<p>MY DEAR FRIEND: It is not without some difficulty that I snatch this
moment of leisure from my extreme idleness, to inform you of the present
lamentable and astonishing state of affairs here, which you would know but
imperfectly from the public papers, and but partially from your private
correspondents. 'Or sus' then—Our in vincible Armada, which cost at
least half a million, sailed, as you know, some weeks ago; the object kept
an inviolable secret: conjectures various, and expectations great. Brest
was perhaps to be taken; but Martinico and St. Domingo, at least. When lo!
the important island of Aix was taken without the least resistance, seven
hundred men made prisoners, and some pieces of cannon carried off. From
thence we sailed toward Rochfort, which it seems was our main object; and
consequently one should have supposed that we had pilots on board who knew
all the soundings and landing places there and thereabouts: but no; for
General M——-t asked the Admiral if he could land him and the
troops near Rochfort? The Admiral said, with great ease. To which the
General replied, but can you take us on board again? To which the Admiral
answered, that, like all naval operations, will depend upon the wind. If
so, said the General, I'll e'en go home again. A Council of War was
immediately called, where it was unanimously resolved, that it was
ADVISABLE to return; accordingly they are returned. As the expectations of
the whole nation had been raised to the highest pitch, the universal
disappointment and indignation have arisen in proportion; and I question
whether the ferment of men's minds was ever greater. Suspicions, you may
be sure, are various and endless, but the most prevailing one is, that the
tail of the Hanover neutrality, like that of a comet, extended itself to
Rochfort. What encourages this suspicion is, that a French man of war went
unmolested through our whole fleet, as it lay near Rochfort. Haddock's
whole story is revived; Michel's representations are combined with other
circumstances; and the whole together makes up a mass of discontent,
resentment, and even fury, greater than perhaps was ever known in this
country before. These are the facts, draw your own conclusions from them;
for my part, I am lost in astonishment and conjectures, and do not know
where to fix. My experience has shown me, that many things which seem
extremely probable are not true: and many which seem highly improbable are
true; so that I will conclude this article, as Josephus does almost every
article of his history, with saying, BUT OF THIS EVERY MAN WILL BELIEVE AS
HE THINKS PROPER. What a disgraceful year will this be in the annals of
this country! May its good genius, if ever it appears again, tear out
those sheets, thus stained and blotted by our ignominy!</p>
<p>Our domestic affairs are, as far as I know anything of them, in the same
situation as when I wrote to you last; but they will begin to be in motion
upon the approach of the session, and upon the return of the Duke, whose
arrival is most impatiently expected by the mob of London; though not to
strew flowers in his way.</p>
<p>I leave this place next Saturday, and London the Saturday following, to be
the next day at Bath. Adieu.</p>
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<h2> LETTER CCX </h2>
<h3> LONDON, October 17, 1757. </h3>
<p>MY DEAR FRIEND: Your last, of the 30th past, was a very good letter; and I
will believe half of what you assure me, that you returned to the
Landgrave's civilities. I cannot possibly go farther than half, knowing
that you are not lavish of your words, especially in that species of
eloquence called the adulatory. Do not use too much discretion in
profiting of the Landgrave's naturalization of you; but go pretty often
and feed with him. Choose the company of your superiors, whenever you can
have it; that is the right and true pride. The mistaken and silly pride
is, to PRIMER among inferiors.</p>
<p>Hear, O Israel! and wonder. On Sunday morning last, the Duke gave up his
commission of Captain General and his regiment of guards. You will ask me
why? I cannot tell you, but I will tell you the causes assigned; which,
perhaps, 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.</p>
<p>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 true—AT LEAST AT PRESENT.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>I go to Bath next Saturday; but direct your letters, as usual, to London.</p>
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