Your late secretary has been with me three or four times; he wants something or another, and it seems all one to him what, whether civil or military; in plain English, he wants bread.  He has knocked at the doors of some of the ministers, but to no purpose.  I wish with all my heart that I could help him:  I told him fairly that I could not, but advised him to find some channel to Lord B-----, which, though a Scotchman, he told me he could not.  He brought a packet of letters from the office to you, which I made him seal up; and keep it for you, as I suppose it makes up the series of your Ratisbon letters.

As for me, I am just what I was when you left me, that is, nobody.  Old age steals upon me insensibly.  I grow weak and decrepit, but do not suffer, and so I am content.

Forbes brought me four books of yours, two of which were Bielefeldt’s “Letters,” in which, to my knowledge, there are many notorious lies.

Make my compliments to Comte Einsiedel, whom I love and honor much; and so good-night to ‘seine Excellentz’.

Now our correspondence may be more regular, and I expect a letter from you every fortnight.  I will be regular on my part:  but write oftener to your mother, if it be but three lines.

LETTER CCLXVIII

Blackheath, July 27,1764

My dear friend:  I received, two days ago, your letter of the 11th from Dresden, where I am very glad that, you are safely arrived at last.  The prices of the necessaries of life are monstrous there; and I do not conceive how the poor natives subsist at all, after having been so long and so often plundered by their own as well as by other sovereigns.

As for procuring you either the title or the appointments of Plenipotentiary, I could as soon procure them from the Turkish as from the English Ministry; and, in truth, I believe they have it not to give.

Now to come to your civil list, if one may compare small things with great:  I think I have found out a better refreshment for it than you propose; for to-morrow I shall send to your cashier, Mr. Larpent, five hundred pounds at once, for your use, which, I presume, is better than by quarterly payments; and I am very apt to think that next midsummer day, he will have the same sum, and for the same use, consigned to him.

It is reported here, and I believe not without some foundation, that the queen of Hungary has acceded to the Family Compact between France and Spain:  if so, I am sure it behooves us to form in time a counter alliance, of at least equal strength; which I could easily point out, but which, I fear, is not thought of here.

The rage of marrying is very prevalent; so that there will be probably a great crop of cuckolds next winter, who are at present only ’cocus en herbs’.  It will contribute to population, and so far must be allowed to be a public benefit.  Lord G------, Mr. B-------, and Mr. D-------, are, in this respect, very meritorious; for they have all married handsome women, without one shilling fortune.  Lord must indeed take some pains to arrive at that dignity:  but I dare say he will bring it about, by the help of some young Scotch or Irish officer.  Good-night, and God bless you!