letters to his son, 1766-71-第3节

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Alpine　winds。　　I　also　earnestly　recommend　to　you；　for　your　complaint　upon
your　breast；　to　take；　twice　a…day；　asses'　or　（what　is　better　mares'　milk；
and　that　for　these　six　months　at　least。　　Mingle　turnips；　as　much　as　you
can；　with　your　diet。

I　have　written；　as　you　desired；　to　Mr。　Secretary　Conway；　but　I　will
answer　for　it　that　there　will　be　no　difficulty　to　obtain　the　leave　you
ask。

There　is　no　new　event　in　the　political　world　since　my　last；　so　God　bless
you！




LETTER　CCXCII

LONDON；　October　29；　7766。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　The　last　mail　brought　me　your　letter　of　the　17th。　　I　am
glad　to　hear　that　your　breast　is　so　much　better。　　You　will　find　both
asses'　and　mares'　milk　enough　in　the　south　of　France；　where　it　was　much
drank　when　I　was　there。　　Guy　Patin　recommends　to　a　patient　to　have　no
doctor　but　a　horse；　and　no　apothecary　but　an　ass。　　As　for　your　pains　and
weakness　in　your　limbs；　'je　vous　en　offre　autant'；　I　have　never　been　free
from　them　since　my　last　rheumatism。　　I　use　my　legs　as　much　as　I　can；　and
you　should　do　so　too；　for　disuse　makes　them　worse。　　I　cannot　now　use　them
long　at　a　time；　because　of　the　weakness　of　old　age；　but　I　contrive　to
get；　by　different　snatches；　at　least　two　hours'　walking　every　day；　either
in　my　garden　or　within　doors；　as　the　weather　permits。　　I　set　out　to…
morrow　for　Bath；　in　hopes　of　half　repairs；　for　Medea's　kettle　could　not
give　me　whole　ones；　the　timbers　of　my　wretched　vessel　are　too　much
decayed　to　be　fitted　out　again　for　use。　　I　shall　see　poor　Harte　there；
who；　I　am　told；　is　in　a　miserable　way；　between　some　real　and　some
imaginary　distempers。

I　send　you　no　political　news；　for　one　reason；　among　others；　which　is　that
I　know　none。　　Great　expectations　are　raised　of　this　session；　which　meets
the　11th　of　next　month；　but　of　what　kind　nobody　knows；　and　consequently
everybody　conjectures　variously。　　Lord　Chatham　comes　to　town　to…morrow
from　Bath；　where　he　has　been　to　refit　himself　for　the　winter　campaign；　he
has　hitherto　but　an　indifferent　set　of　aides…decamp；　and　where　he　will
find　better；　I　do　not　know。　　Charles　Townshend　and　he　are　already　upon
ill　terms。　　'Enfin　je　n'y　vois　goutte'；　and　so　God　bless　you！




LETTER　CCXCIII

BATH；　November　15；　1766。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　have　this　moment　received　your　letter　of　the　5th
instant　from　Basle。　　I　am　very　glad　to　find　that　your　breast　is　relieved；
though　perhaps　at　the　expense　of　your　legs：　for；　if　the　humor　be　either
gouty　or　rheumatic；　it　had　better　be　in　your　legs　than　anywhere　else。
I　have　consulted　Moisy；　the　great　physician　of　this　place；　upon　it；　who
says；　that　at　this　distance　he　dares　not　prescribe　anything；　as　there　may
be　such　different　causes　for　your　complaint；　which　must　be　well　weighed
by　a　physician　upon　the　spot；　that　is；　in　short；　that　he　knows　nothing　of
the　matter。　　I　will　therefore　tell　you　my　own　case；　in　1732；　which　may　be
something　parallel　to　yours。　　I　had　that　year　been　dangerously　ill　of　a
fever　in　Holland；　and　when　I　was　recovered　of　it；　the　febrific　humor　fell
into　my　legs；　and　swelled　them　to　that　degree；　and　chiefly　in　the
evening；　that　it　was　as　painful　to　me　as　it　was　shocking　to　others。
I　came　to　England　with　them　in　this　condition；　and　consulted　Mead；
Broxholme；　and　Arbuthnot；　who　none　of　them　did　me　the　least　good；　but；
on　the　contrary；　increased　the　swelling；　by　applying　poultices　and
emollients。　　In　this　condition　I　remained　near　six　months；　till　finding
that　the　doctors　could　do　me　no　good；　I　resolved　to　consult　Palmer；　the
most　eminent　surgeon　of　St。　Thomas's　Hospital。　　He　immediately　told　me
that　the　physicians　had　pursued　a　very　wrong　method；　as　the　swelling　of
my　legs　proceeded　only　from　a　relaxation　and　weakness　of　the　cutaneous
vessels；　and　he　must　apply　strengtheners　instead　of　emollients。
Accordingly；　he　ordered　me　to　put　my　legs　up　to　the　knees　every　morning
in　brine　from　the　salters；　as　hot　as　I　could　bear　it；　the　brine　must　have
had　meat　salted　in　it。　　I　did　so；　and　after　having　thus　pickled　my　legs
for　about　three　weeks；　the　complaint　absolutely　ceased；　and　I　have　never
had　the　least　swelling　in　them　since。　　After　what　I　have　said；　I　must
caution　you　not　to　use　the　same　remedy　rashly；　and　without　the　most
skillful　advice　you　can　find；　where　you　are；　for　if　your　swelling
proceeds　from　a　gouty；　or　rheumatic　humor；　there　may　be　great　danger　in
applying　so　powerful　an　astringent；　and　perhaps　REPELLANT　as　brine。　　So
go　piano；　and　not　without　the　best　advice；　upon　a　view　of　the　parts。

I　shall　direct　all　my　letters　to　you　'Chez　Monsieur　Sarraxin'；　who　by　his
trade　is；　I　suppose；　'sedentaire'　at　Basle；　while　it　is　not　sure　that　you
will　be　at　any　one　place　in　the　south　of　France。　　Do　you　know　that　he　is
a　descendant　of　the　French　poet　Sarrazin？

Poor　Harte；　whom　I　frequently　go　to　see　here；　out　of　compassion；　is　in　a
most　miserable　way；　he　has　had　a　stroke　of　the　palsy；　which　has　deprived
him　of　the　use　of　his　right　leg；　affected　his　speech　a　good　deal；　and
perhaps　his　head　a　little。　　Such　are　the　intermediate　tributes　that　we
are　forced　to　pay；　in　some　shape　or　other；　to　our　wretched　nature；　till
we　pay　the　last　great　one　of　all。　　May　you　pay　this　very　late；　and　as　few
intermediate　tributes　as　possible；　and　so　'jubeo　te　bene　valere'。　　God
bless　you！




LETTER　CCXCIV

BATH；　December　9；　1766。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　received；　two　days　ago；　your　letter　of　the　26th　past。
I　am　very　glad　that　you　begin　to　feel　the　good　effects　of　the　climate
where　you　are；　I　know　it　saved　my　life；　in　1741；　when　both　the　skillful
and　the　unskillful　gave　me　over。　　In　that　ramble　I　stayed　three　or　four
days　at　Nimes；　where　there　are　more　remains　of　antiquity；　I　believe；　than
in　any　town　in　Europe；　Italy　excepted。　　What　is　falsely　called　'la　maison
quarree'；　is；　in　my　mind；　the　finest　piece　of　architecture　that　I　ever
saw；　and　the　amphitheater　the　clumsiest　and　the　ugliest：　if　it　were　in
England；　everybody　would　swear　it　had　been　built　by　Sir　John　Vanbrugh。

This　place　is　now；　just　what　you　have　seen　it　formerly；　here　is　a　great
crowd　of　trifling　and　unknown　people；　whom　I　seldom　frequent；　in　the
public　rooms；　so　that　I　may　pass　my　time　'tres　uniment'；　in　taking　the
air　in　my　post…chaise　every　morning；　and　in　reading　of　evenings。
And　'a　propos'　of　the　latter；　I　shall　point　out　a　book；　which　I　believe
will　give　you　some　pleasure；　at　least　it　gave　me　a　great　deal。　　I　never
read　it　before。　　It　is　'Reflexions　sur　la　Poesie　et　la　Peinture；　par
l'Abbee　de　Bos'；　in　two　octavo　volumes；　and　is；　I　suppose；　to　be　had　at
every　great　town　in　France。　　The　criticisms　and　the　reflections　are　just
and　lively。

It　may　be　you　expect　some　political　news　from　me：　but　I　can　tell　you　that
you　will　have　none；　for　no　mortal　can　comprehend　the　present　state　of
affairs。　　Eight　or　nine　people　of　some　consequence　have　resigned　their
employments；　upon　which　Lord　C…　made　overtures　to　the　Duke　of　B…
and　his　people；　but　they　could　by　no　means　agree；　and　his　Grace　went；
the　next　day；　full　of　wrath；　to　Woburn；　so　that　negotiation　is　entirely
at　an　end。　　People　wait　to　see　who　Lord　C…　will　take　in；　for　some　he
must　have；　even　HE　cannot　be　alone；　'contra　mundum'。　　Such　a　state　of
affairs；　to　be　sure；　was　never　seen　before；　in　this　or　in　any　other
country。　　When　this　Ministry　shall　be　settled；　it　will　be　the　sixth
Ministry　in　six　years'　time。

Poor　Harte　is　here；　and　in　a　most　miserable　condition；　those　who　wish　him
the　best；　as　I　do；　must　wish　him　dead。　　God　bless　you！




LETTER　CCXCV

LONDON；　February　13；　1767。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　It　is　so　long　since　I　have　had　a　letter　from　you；　that　I
am　alarmed　about　your　health；　and　fear　that　the　southern　parts　of　France
have　not　done　so　well　by　you　as　they　did　by　me　in　the　year　1741；　when
they　snatched　me　from　the　jaws　of　death。　　Let　me　know；　upon　the　receipt
of　this　letter；　how　you　are；　and　where　you　are。

I　have　no　news　to　send　you　from　hence；　for　everything　seems　suspended；
both　in　the　court　and　in　the　parliament；　till　Lord　Chatham's　return　from
the　Bath；　where　he　has　been　laid　up　this　month；　by　a　severe　fit　of　the
gout；　and；　at　present；　he　has　the　sole　apparent　power。　　In　what　little
business　has　hitherto　been　done　in　the　House　of　Commons；　Charles
Townshend　has　given　himself　more　ministerial　airs　than　Lord　Chatham　will；
I　believe；　approve　of。　　However；　since　Lord　Chatham　has　thought　fit　to
withdraw　himself　from　that　House；　he　cannot　well　do　without　Charles'
abilities　to　manage　it　as　his　deputy。

I　do　not　send　you　an　account　of　weddings；　births；　and　burials；　as　I　take
it　for　granted　that　you　know　them　all　from　the　English　printed　papers；
some　of　which；　I　presume；　are　sent　after　you。　　Your　old　acquaintance；
Lord　Essex；　is　to　be　married　this　week　to　Harriet　Bladen；　who　has　L20；000
down；　besides　the　reasonable　expectation　of　as　much　at　the　death　of　her
father。　　My　kinsman；　Lord　Strathmore；　is　to　be　married　in　a　fortnight；
to　Miss　Bowes；　the　greatest　heiress　perhaps　in　Europe。　　In　short；　the
matrimonial　frenzy　seems　to　rage　at　present；　and　is　epidemical。　　The　men
marry　for　money；　and　I　believe　you　guess　what　the　women　marry　for。　　God
bless　you；　and　send　you　health！




LETTER　CCXCVI