I was going to ask you how you passed your time now at Hamburg, since it is no longer the seat of strangers and of business; but I will not, because I know it is to no purpose.  You have sworn not to tell me.

Sir William Stanhope told me that you promised to send him some Old Hock from Hamburg, and so you did not.  If you meet with any superlatively good, and not else, pray send over a ‘foudre’ of it, and write to him.  I shall have a share in it.  But unless you find some, either at Hamburg or at Bremen, uncommonly and almost miracuously good, do not send any.  Dixi.  Yours.

LETTER CCXXIII

Blackheath, June 13, 1758.

My dear friend:  The secret is out:  St. Malo is the devoted place.  Our troops began to land at the Bay of Cancale the 5th, without any opposition.  We have no further accounts yet, but expect some every moment.  By the plan of it, which I have seen, it is by no means a weak place; and I fear there will be many hats to be disposed of, before it is taken.  There are in the port above thirty privateers; about sixteen of their own, and about as many taken from us. 237

Now for Africa, where we have had great success.  The French have been driven out of all their forts and settlements upon the Gum coast, and upon the river Senegal.  They had been many years in possession of them, and by them annoyed our African trade exceedingly; which, by the way, ‘toute proportion gardee’, is the most lucrative trade we have.  The present booty is likewise very considerable, in gold dust, and gum Seneca; which is very valuable, by being a very necessary commodity, for all our stained and printed linens.

Now for America.  The least sanguine people here expect, the latter end of this month or the beginning of the next, to have the account of the taking of Cape Breton, and of all the forts with hard names in North America.

Captain Clive has long since settled Asia to our satisfaction; so that three parts of the world look very favorable for us.  Europe, I submit to the care of the King of Prussia and Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick; and I think they will give a good account of it.  France is out of luck, and out of courage; and will, I hope, be enough out of spirits to submit to a reasonable peace.  By reasonable, I mean what all people call reasonable in their own case; an advantageous one for us.

I have set all right with Munchausen; who would not own that he was at all offended, and said, as you do, that his daughter did not stay long enough, nor appear enough at Hamburg, for you possibly to know that she was there.  But people are always ashamed to own the little weaknesses of self-love, which, however, all people feel more or less.  The excuse, I saw, pleased.

I will send you your quadrille tables by the first opportunity, consigned to the care of Mr. Mathias here.  ’Felices faustaeque sint!  May you win upon them, when you play with men; and when you play with women, either win or know why you lose.