I see and hear these storms from shore, ‘suave mari magno’, etc.  I enjoy my own security and tranquillity, together with better health than I had reason to expect at my age, and with my constitution:  however, I feel a gradual decay, though a gentle one; and I think that I shall not tumble, but slide gently to the bottom of the hill of life.  When that will be, I neither know nor care, for I am very weary.  God bless you!

Mallet died two days ago, of a diarrhoea, which he had carried with him to France, and brought back again hither.

LETTER CCLXXVI

Blackheath, July 2, 1765

My dear friend:  I have this moment received your letter of the 22d past; and I delayed answering your former in daily, or rather hourly expectation of informing you of the birth of a new Ministry; but in vain; for, after a thousand conferences, all things remain still in the state which I described to you in my last.  Lord S. has, I believe, given you a pretty true account of the present state of things; but my Lord is much mistaken, I am persuaded, when he says that the king has thought proper to re-establish his old servants in the management of his affairs; for he shows them all the public dislike possible; and, at his levee, hardly speaks to any of them; but speaks by the hour to anybody else.  Conferences, in the meantime, go on, of which it is easy to guess the main subject, but impossible, for me at least, to know the particulars; but this I will venture to prophesy, that the whole will soon centre in Mr. Pitt.

You seem not to know the character of the Queen:  here it is.  She is a good woman, a good wife, a tender mother; and an unmeddling Queen.  The King loves her as a woman; but, I verily believe, has never yet spoke one word to her about business.  I have now told you all that I know of these affairs; which, I believe, is as much as anybody else knows, who is not in the secret.  In the meantime, you easily guess that surmises, conjectures, and reports are infinite; and if, as they say, truth is but one, one million at least of these reports must be false; for they differ exceedingly.

You have lost an honest servant by the death of poor Louis; I would advise you to take a clever young Saxon in his room, of whose character you may get authentic testimonies, instead of sending for one to France, whose character you can only know from far.

When I hear more, I will write more; till when, God bless you!

LETTER CCLXXVII

Blackheath, July 15, 1765