<p><SPAN name="link2H_4_0234" id="link2H_4_0234"></SPAN></p>
<h2> LETTER CCXXXII </h2>
<h3> LONDON, September 26, 1758 </h3>
<p>MY DEAR FRIEND: I am sorry to find that you had a return of your fever;
but to say the truth, you in some measure deserved it, for not carrying
Dr. Middleton's bark and prescription with you. I foresaw that you would
think yourself cured too soon, and gave you warning of it; but BYGONES are
BYGONES, as Chartres, when he was dying, said of his sins; let us look
forward. You did very prudently to return to Hamburg, to good bark, and, I
hope, a good physician. Make all sure there before you stir from thence,
notwithstanding the requests or commands of all the princesses in Europe:
I mean a month at least, taking the bark even to supererogation, that is,
some time longer than Dr. Middleton requires; for, I presume, you are got
over your childishness about tastes, and are sensible that your health
deserves more attention than your palate. When you shall be thus
re-established, I approve of your returning to Bremen; and indeed you
cannot well avoid it, both with regard to your promise, and to the
distinction with which you have been received by the Cassel family.</p>
<p>Now to the other part of your letter. Lord Holdernesse has been extremely
civil to you, in sending you, all under his own hand, such obliging offers
of his service. The hint is plain, that he will (in case you desire it)
procure you leave to come home for some time; so that the single question
is, whether you should desire it or not, NOW. It will be two months before
you can possibly undertake the journey, whether by sea or by land, and
either way it would be a troublesome and dangerous one for a convalescent
in the rigor of the month of November; you could drink no mineral waters
here in that season, nor are any mineral waters proper in your case, being
all of them heating, except Seltzer's; then, what would do you more harm
than all medicines could do you good, would be the pestilential vapors of
the House of Commons, in long and crowded days, of which there will
probably be many this session; where your attendance, if here, will
necessarily be required. I compare St. Stephen's Chapel, upon those days,
to 'la Grotta del Cane'.</p>
<p>Whatever may be the fate of the war now, negotiations will certainly be
stirring all the winter, and of those, the northern ones, you are
sensible, are not the least important; in these, if at Hamburg, you will
probably have your share, and perhaps a meritorious one. Upon the whole,
therefore, I would advise you to write a very civil letter to Lord
Holdernesse; and to tell him that though you cannot hope to be of any use
to his Majesty's affairs anywhere, yet, in the present unsettled state of
the North, it is possible that unforeseen accidents may throw in your way
to be of some little service, and that you would not willingly be out of
the way of those accidents; but that you shall be most extremely obliged
to his Lordship, if he will procure you his Majesty's gracious permission
to return for a few months in the spring, when probably affairs will be
more settled one way or another. When things tend nearer to a settlement,
and that Germany, from the want of money or men, or both, breathes peace
more than war, I shall solicit Burrish's commission for you, which is one
of the most agreeable ones in his Majesty's gift; and I shall by no means
despair of success. Now I have given you my opinion upon this affair,
which does not make a difference of above three months, or four at most, I
would not be understood to mean to force your own, if it should happen to
be different from mine; but mine, I think, is more both for your health
and your interest. However, do as you please: may you in this, and
everything else, do for the best! So God bless you!</p>
<p><SPAN name="link2H_4_0235" id="link2H_4_0235"></SPAN></p>
<h2> LETTER CCXXXIII </h2>
<h3> BATH, October 18, 1758. </h3>
<p>MY DEAR FRIEND: I received by the same post your two letters of the 29th
past, and of the 3d instant.</p>
<p>The last tells me that you are perfectly recovered; and your resolution of
going to Bremen in three or four days proves it; for surely you would not
undertake that journey a second time, and at this season of the year,
without feeling your health solidly restored; however, in all events, I
hope you have taken a provision of good bark with you. I think your
attention to her Royal Highness may be of use to you here; and indeed all
attentions, to all sorts, of people, are always repaid in some way or
other; though real obligations are not. For instance, Lord Titchfield, who
has been with you at Hamburg, has written an account to the Duke and
Duchess of Portland, who are here, of the civilities you showed him, with
which he is much pleased, and they delighted. At this rate, if you do not
take care, you will get the unmanly reputation of a well-bred man; and
your countryman, John Trott, will disown you.</p>
<p>I have received, and tasted of your present; which is a 'tres grand vin',
but more cordial to the stomach than pleasant to the palate. I keep it as
a physic, only to take occasionally, in little disorders of my stomach;
and in those cases, I believe it is wholsomer than stronger cordials.</p>
<p>I have been now here a fortnight; and though I am rather better than when
I came, I am still far from well.</p>
<p>My head is giddier than becomes a head of my age; and my stomach has not
recovered its retentive faculty. Leaning forward, particularly to write,
does not at present agree with, Yours.</p>
<div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />
1 of 2
2 of 2
Previous
Next
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.