LETTER CXCII

London, December 25, 1753

My dear friend:  Yesterday again I received two letters at once from you, the one of the 7th, the other of the 15th, from Manheim.

You never had in your life so good a reason for not writing, either to me or to anybody else, as your sore finger lately furnished you.  I believe it was painful, and I am glad it is cured; but a sore finger, however painful, is a much less evil than laziness, of either body or mind, and attended by fewer ill consequences.

I am very glad to hear that you were distinguished at the court of Manheim from the rest of your countrymen and fellow-travelers:  it is a sign that you had better manners and address than they; for take it for granted, the best-bred people will always be the best received wherever they go.  Good manners are the settled medium of social, as specie is of commercial life; returns are equally expected for both; and people will no more advance their civility to a bear, than their money to a bankrupt.  I really both hope and believe, that the German courts will do you a great deal of good; their ceremony and restraint being the proper correctives and antidotes for your negligence and inattention.  I believe they would not greatly relish your weltering in your own laziness, and an easy chair; nor take it very kindly, if, when they spoke to you or you to them, you looked another way, as much as to say, kiss my b——­h.  As they give, so they require attention; and, by the way, take this maxim for an undoubted truth, That no young man can possibly improve in any company, for which he has not respect enough to be under some degree of restraint.

I dare not trust to Meyssonier’s report of his Rhenish, his Burgundy not having answered either his account or my expectations.  I doubt, as a wine merchant, he is the ‘perfidus caupo’, whatever he may be as a banker.  I shall therefore venture upon none of his wine; but delay making my provision of Old Hock, till I go abroad myself next spring:  as I told you in the utmost secrecy, in my last, that I intend to do; and then probably I may taste some that I like, and go upon sure ground.  There is commonly very good, both at Aix-la-Chapelle and Liege, where I formerly got some excellent, which I carried with me to Spa, where I drank no other wine.

As my letters to you frequently miscarry, I will repeat in this that part of my last which related to your future motions.  Whenever you shall be tired of Berlin, go to Dresden; where Sir Charles Williams will be, who will receive you with open arms.  He dined with me to-day, and sets out for Dresden in about six weeks.  He spoke of you with great kindness and impatience to see you again.  He will trust and employ you in business (and he is now in the whole secret of importance) till we fix our place to meet in:  which probably will be Spa.  Wherever