LONDON, December 15, 1758.
MY DEAR FRIEND: It is a great while since I heard from you, but I hope
that good, not ill health, has been the occasion of this silence: I will
suppose you have been, or are still at Bremen, and engrossed by your
Hessian friends.
Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick is most certainly to have the Garter, and I
think I have secured you the honor of putting it on. When I say SECURED,
I mean it in the sense in which that word should always be understood at
courts, and that is, INSECURELY; I have a promise, but that is not
‘caution bourgeoise’. In all events, do not mention it to any mortal,
because there is always a degree of ridicule that attends a
disappointment, though often very unjustly, if the expectation was
reasonably grounded; however, it is certainly most prudent not to
communicate, prematurely, one’s hopes or one’s fears. I cannot tell you
when Prince Ferdinand will have it; though there are so many candidates
for the other two vacant Garters, that I believe he will have his soon,
and by himself; the others must wait till a third, or rather a fourth
vacancy. Lord Rockingham and Lord Holdernesse are secure. Lord Temple
pushes strongly, but, I believe, is not secure. This commission for
dubbing a knight, and so distinguished a one, will be a very agreeable
and creditable one for you, ‘et il faut vous en acquitter galamment’. In
the days of ancient chivalry, people were very nice who they would be
knighted by and, if I do not mistake, Francis the First would only be
knighted by the Chevalier Bayard, ‘qui etoit preux Chevalier et sans
reproche’; and no doubt but it will be recorded, ‘dans les archives de la
Maison de Brunswick’, that Prince Ferdinand received the honor of
knighthood from your hands.
The estimates for the expenses of the year 1759 are made up; I have seen
them; and what do you think they amount to? No less than twelve millions
three hundred thousand pounds: a most incredible sum, and yet already
subscribed, and even more offered! The unanimity in the House of Commons,
in voting such a sum, and such forces, both by sea and land, is not the
less astonishing. This is Mr. Pitt’s doing, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR
EYES.
The King of Prussia has nothing more to do this year; and, the next, he
must begin where he has left off. I wish he would employ this winter in
concluding a separate peace with the Elector of Saxony; which would give
him more elbowroom to act against France and the Queen of Hungary, and
put an end at once to the proceedings of the Diet, and the army of the
empire; for then no estate of the empire would be invaded by a co-estate,
and France, the faithful and disinterested guarantee of the Treaty of
Westphalia, would have no pretense to continue its armies there. I should
think that his Polish Majesty, and his Governor, Comte Bruhl, must be
pretty weary of being fugitives in Poland, where they are hated, and of
being ravaged in Saxony. This reverie of mine, I hope will be tried, and
I wish it may succeed. Good-night, and God bless you!
LETTERS TO HIS SON
1759-65