The House of Commons is still very unanimous.  There was a little popular squib let off this week, in a motion of Sir John Glynne’s, seconded by Sir John Philips, for annual parliaments.  It was a very cold scent, and put an end to by a division of 190 to 70.

Good-night.  Work hard, that you may divert yourself well.

LETTER CCXVIII

London, March 4, 1758.

My dear friend:  I should have been much more surprised at the contents of your letter of the 17th past, if I had not happened to have seen Sir C. W., about three or four hours before I received it.  I thought he talked in an extraordinary manner; he engaged that the King of Prussia should be master of Vienna in the month of May; and he told me that you were very much in love with his daughter.  Your letter explained all this to me; and next day, Lord and Lady E-----gave me innumerable instances of his frenzy, with which I shall not trouble you.  What inflamed it the more (if it did not entirely occasion it) was a great quantity of cantharides, which, it seems, he had taken at Hamburgh, to recommend himself, I suppose, to Mademoiselle John.  He was let blood four times on board the ship, and has been let blood four times since his arrival here; but still the inflammation continues very high.  He is now under the care of his brothers, who do not let him go abroad.  They have written to this same Mademoiselle John, to prevent if they can, her coming to England, and told her the case; which, when she hears she must be as mad as he is, if she takes the journey.  By the way, she must be ‘une dame aventuriere’, to receive a note for 10,000 roubles from a man whom she had known but three days! to take a contract of marriage, knowing he was married already; and to engage herself to follow him to England.  I suppose this is not the first adventure of the sort which she has had.

After the news we received yesterday, that the French had evacuated Hanover, all but Hamel, we daily expect much better.  We pursue them, we cut them off ‘en detail’, and at last we destroy their whole army.  I wish it may happen; and, moreover, I think it not impossible.

My head is much out of order, and only allows me to wish you good-night.

LETTER CCXIX

London, March 22, 1758

My dear friend:  I have now your letter of the 8th lying before me, with the favorable account of our progress in Lower Saxony, and reasonable prospect of more decisive success.  I confess I did not expect this, when my friend Munchausen took his leave of me, to go to Stade, and break the neutrality; I thought it at least a dangerous, but rather a desperate undertaking; whereas, hitherto, it has proved a very fortunate one.  I look upon the French army as ‘fondue’; and, what with desertion, deaths, and epidemical distempers, I dare say not a third of it will ever return to France.  The great object is now, what the Russians can or will do; and whether the King of Prussia can hinder their junction with the Austrians, by beating either, before they join.  I will trust him for doing all that can be done.