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<h2> LETTER CCLXXI </h2>
<h3> BLACKHEATH, October 4, 1764. </h3>
<p>MY DEAR FRIEND: I have now your last letter, of the 16th past, lying
before me, and I gave your inclosed to Grevenkop, which has put him into a
violent bustle to execute your commissions, as well and as cheap as
possible. I refer him to his own letter. He tells you true as to Comtesse
Cosel's diamonds, which certainly nobody will buy here, unsight unseen, as
they call it; so many minutiae concurring to increase or lessen the value
of a diamond. Your Cheshire cheese, your Burton ale and beer, I charge
myself with, and they shall be sent you as soon as possible. Upon this
occasion I will give you a piece of advice, which by experience I know to
be useful. In all commissions, whether from men or women, 'point de
galanterie', bring them in your account, and be paid to the uttermost
farthing; but if you would show them 'une galanterie', let your present be
of something that is not in your commission, otherwise you will be the
'Commissionaire banal' of all the women of Saxony. 'A propos', Who is your
Comtesse de Cosel? Is she daughter, or grand-daughter, of the famous
Madame de Cosel, in King Augustus's time? Is she young or old, ugly or
handsome?</p>
<p>I do not wonder that people are wonderfully surprised at our tameness and
forbearance, with regard to France and Spain. Spain, indeed, has lately
agreed to our cutting log wood, according to the treaty, and sent strict
orders to their governor to allow it; but you will observe too, that there
is not one word of reparation for the losses we lately sustained there.
But France is not even so tractable; it will pay but half the money due,
upon a liquidated account, for the maintenance of their prisoners. Our
request, to have the Comte d'Estaing recalled and censured, they have
absolutely rejected, though, by the laws of war, he might be hanged for
having twice broke his parole. This does not do France honor: however, I
think we shall be quiet, and that at the only time, perhaps this century,
when we might, with safety, be otherwise: but this is nothing new, nor the
first time, by many, when national honor and interest have been sacrificed
to private. It has always been so: and one may say, upon this occasion,
what Horace says upon another, 'Nam fuit ante Helenam'.</p>
<p>I have seen 'les Contes de Guillaume Vade', and like most of them so
little, that I can hardly think them Voltaire's, but rather the scraps
that have fallen from his table, and been worked up by inferior workmen,
under his name. I have not seen the other book you mention, the
'Dictionnaire Portatif'. It is not yet come over.</p>
<p>I shall next week go to take my winter quarters in London, the weather
here being very cold and damp, and not proper for an old, shattered, and
cold carcass, like mine. In November I will go to the Bath, to careen
myself for the winter, and to shift the scene. Good-night.</p>
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<h2> LETTER CCLXXII </h2>
<h3> LONDON, October 19, 1764. </h3>
<p>MY DEAR FRIEND: Yesterday morning Mr.——-came to me, from Lord
Halifax, to ask me whether I thought you would approve of vacating your
seat in parliament, during the remainder of it, upon a valuable
consideration, meaning MONEY. My answer was, that I really did not know
your disposition upon that subject: but that I knew you would be very
willing, in general, to accommodate them, so far as lay in your power:
that your election, to my knowledge, had cost you two thousand pounds;
that this parliament had not sat above half its time; and that, for my
part, I approved of the measure well enough, provided you had an equitable
equivalent. I take it for granted that you will have a letter from———,
by this post, to that effect, so that you must consider what you will do.
What I advise is this: Give them a good deal of 'Galbanum' in the first
part of your letter. 'Le Galbanum ne coute rien'; and then say that you
are willing to do as they please; but that you hope an equitable
consideration will be had to the two thousand pounds, which your seat cost
you in the present parliament, of which not above half the term is
expired. Moreover, that you take the liberty to remind them, that your
being sent from Ratisbon, last session, when you were just settled there,
put you to the expense of three or four hundred pounds, for which you were
allowed nothing; and that, therefore, you hope they will not think one
thousand pounds too much, considering all these circumstances: but that,
in all events, you will do whatever they desire. Upon the whole, I think
this proposal advantageous to you, as you probably will not make use of
your seat this parliament; and, further, as it will secure you from
another unpaid journey from Dresden, in case they meet, or fear to meet,
with difficulties in any ensuing session of the present parliament.
Whatever one must do, one should do 'de bonne grace'. 'Dixi'. God bless
you!</p>
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