We are come off but scurvily from our second attempt upon St. Malo; it is our last for this season; and, in my mind, should be our last forever, unless we were to send so great a sea and land force as to give us a moral certainty of taking some place of great importance, such as Brest, Rochefort, or Toulon.

Monsieur Munchausen embarked yesterday, as he said, for Prince Ferdinand’s army; but as it is not generally thought that his military skill can be of any great use to that prince, people conjecture that his business must be of a very different nature, and suspect separate negotiations, neutralities, and what not.  Kniphausen does not relish it in the least, and is by no means satisfied with the reasons that have been given him for it.  Before he can arrive there, I reckon that something decisive will have 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.