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<h2> LETTER CCXXIV </h2>
<h3> BLACKHEATH, June 27, 1758. </h3>
<p>MY DEAR FRIEND: You either have received already, or will very soon
receive, a little case from Amsterdam, directed to you at Hamburg. It is
for Princess Ameba, the King of Prussia's sister, and contains some books
which she desired Sir Charles Hotham to procure her from England, so long
ago as when he was at Berlin: he sent for them immediately; but, by I do
not know what puzzle, they were recommended to the care of Mr. Selwyn, at
Paris, who took such care of them, that he kept them near three years in
his warehouse, and has at last sent them to Amsterdam, from whence they
are sent to you. If the books are good for anything, they must be
considerably improved, by having seen so much of the world; but, as I
believe they are English books, perhaps they may, like English travelers,
have seen nobody, but the several bankers to whom they were consigned: be
that as it will, I think you had best deliver them to Monsieur Hecht, the
Prussian Minister at Hamburg, to forward to her Royal Highness, with a
respectful compliment from you, which you will, no doubt, turn in the best
manner, and 'selon le bon ton de la parfaitement bonne compagnie'.</p>
<p>You have already seen, in the papers, all the particulars of our St.
Malo's expedition, so I say no more of that; only that Mr. Pitt's friends
exult in the destruction of three French ships of war, and one hundred and
thirty privateers and trading ships; and affirm that it stopped the march
of threescore thousand men, who were going to join the Comte de Clermont's
army. On the other hand, Mr. Fox and company call it breaking windows with
guineas; and apply the fable of the Mountain and the Mouse. The next
object of our fleet was to be the bombarding of Granville, which is the
great 'entrepot' of their Newfoundland fishery, and will be a considerable
loss to them in that branch of their trade. These, you will perhaps say,
are no great matters, and I say so too; but, at least, they are signs of
life, which we had not given them for many years before; and will show the
French, by our invading them, that we do not fear their invading us. Were
those invasions, in fishing-boats from Dunkirk, so terrible as they were
artfully represented to be, the French would have had an opportunity of
executing them, while our fleet, and such a considerable part of our army,
were employed upon their coast. BUT MY LORD LIGONIER DOES NOT WANT AN ARMY
AT HOME.</p>
<p>The parliament is prorogued by a most gracious speech neither by nor from
his Majesty, who was TOO ILL to go to the House; the Lords and Gentlemen
are, consequently, most of them, gone to their several counties, to do (to
be sure) all the good that is recommended to them in the speech. London, I
am told, is now very empty, for I cannot say so from knowledge. I vegetate
wholly here. I walk and read a great deal, ride and scribble a little,
according as my lead allows, or my spirits prompt; to write anything
tolerable, the mind must be in a natural, proper disposition;
provocatives, in that case, as well as in another, will only produce
miserable, abortive performances.</p>
<p>Now that you have (as I suppose) full leisure enough, I wish you would
give yourself the trouble, or rather pleasure, to do what I hinted to you
some time ago; that is, to write short memoirs of those affairs which have
either gone through your hands, or that have come to your certain
knowledge, from the inglorious battle of Hastenbeck, to the still more
scandalous Treaty of Neutrality. Connect, at least, if it be by ever so
short notes, the pieces and letters which you must necessarily have in
your hands, and throw in the authentic anecdotes that you have probably
heard. You will be glad when you have done it: and the reviving past
ideas, in some order and method, will be an infinite comfort to you
hereafter. I have a thousand times regretted not having done so; it is at
present too late for me to begin; this is the right time for you, and your
life is likely to be a busy one. Would young men avail themselves of the
advice and experience of their old friends, they would find the utility in
their youth, and the comfort of it in their more advanced age; but they
seldom consider that, and you, less than anybody I ever knew. May you soon
grow wiser! Adieu.</p>
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<h2> LETTER CCXXV </h2>
<h3> BLACKHEATH, June 30, 1758. </h3>
<p>MY DEAR FRIEND: This letter follows my last very close; but I received
yours of the 15th in the short interval. You did very well not to buy any
Rhenish, at the exorbitant price you mention, without further directions;
for both my brother and I think the money better than the wine, be the
wine ever so good. We will content our selves with our stock in hand of
humble Rhenish, of about three shillings a-bottle. However, 'pour la
rarity du fait, I will lay out twelve ducats', for twelve bottles of the
wine of 1665, by way of an eventual cordial, if you can obtain a 'senatus
consultum' for it. I am in no hurry for it, so send it me only when you
can conveniently; well packed up 's'entend'.</p>
<p>You will, I dare say, have leave to go to Cassel; and if you do go, you
will perhaps think it reasonable, that I, who was the adviser of the
journey, should pay the expense of it. I think so too; and therefore, if
you go, I will remit the L100 which you have calculated it at. You will
find the House of Cassel the house of gladness; for Hanau is already, or
must be soon, delivered of its French guests.</p>
<p>The Prince of Brunswick's victory is, by all the skillful, thought a 'chef
d'oeuvre', worthy of Turenne, Conde, or the most illustrious human
butchers. The French behaved better than at Rosbach, especially the
Carabiniers Royaux, who could not be 'entames'. I wish the siege of Olmutz
well over, and a victory after it; and that, with good news from America,
which I think there is no reason to doubt of, must procure us a good peace
at the end of the year. The Prince of Prussia's death is no public
misfortune: there was a jealousy and alienation between the King and him,
which could never have been made up between the possessor of the crown and
the next heir to it. He will make something of his nephew, 's'il est du
bois don't on en fait'. He is young enough to forgive, and to be forgiven,
the possession and the expectative, at least for some years.</p>
<p>Adieu! I am UNWELL, but affectionately yours.</p>
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