passed in Saxony; if to the disadvantage of the King of Prussia, he is crushed; but if, on the contrary, he should get a complete victory (and he does not get half victories) over the Austrians, the winter may probably produce him and us a reasonable peace.  I look upon Russia as ‘hors de combat’ for some time; France is certainly sick of the war; under an unambitious King, and an incapable Ministry, if there is one at all:  and, unassisted by those two powers, the Empress Queen had better be quiet.  Were any other man in the situation of the King of Prussia, I should not hesitate to pronounce him ruined; but he is such a prodigy of a man, that I will only say, I fear he will be ruined.  It is by this time decided.

Your Cassel court at Bremen is, I doubt, not very splendid; money must be wanting:  but, however, I dare say their table is always good, for the Landgrave is a gourmand; and as you are domestic there, you may be so too, and recruit your loss of flesh from your fever:  but do not recruit too fast.  Adieu.

LETTER CCXXXII

London, September 26, 1758

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.

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’.