speculations, those troops
will replace the French in Hanover and Lower Saxony; and the French will
go and join the Austrian army. You ask me if I still despond? Not so much
as I did after the battle of Colen: the battles of Rosbach and Lissa were
drams to me, and gave me some momentary spirts: but though I do not
absolutely despair, I own I greatly distrust. I readily allow the King of
Prussia to be 'nec pluribus impar'; but still, when the 'plures' amount
to a certain degree of plurality, courage and abilities must yield at
last. Michel here assures me that he does not mind the Russians; but, as
I have it from the gentleman's own mouth, I do not believe him. We shall
very soon send a squadron to the Baltic to entertain the Swedes; which I
believe will put an end to their operations in Pomerania; so that I have
no great apprehensions from that quarter; but Russia, I confess, sticks
in my stomach.

Everything goes smoothly in parliament; the King of Prussia has united
all our parties in his support; and the Tories have declared that they
will give Mr. Pitt unlimited credit for this session; there has not been
one single division yet upon public points, and I believe will not. Our
American expedition is preparing to go soon; the dis position of that
affair seems to me a little extraordinary. Abercrombie is to be the
sedantary, and not the acting commander; Amherst, Lord Howe, and Wolfe,
are to be the acting, and I hope the active officers. I wish they may
agree. Amherst, who is the oldest officer, is under the influence of the
same great person who influenced Mordaunt, so much to honor and advantage
of this country. This is most certain, that we have force enough in
America to eat up the French alive in Canada, Quebec, and Louisburg, if
we have but skill and spirit enough to exert it properly; but of that I
am modest enough to doubt.

When you come to the egotism, which I have long desired you to come to
with me, you need make no excuses for it. The egotism is as proper and as
satisfactory to one's friends, as it is impertinent and misplaced with
strangers. I desire to see you in your every-day clothes, by your
fireside, in your pleasures; in short, in your private life; but I have
not yet been able to obtain this. Whenever you condescend to do it, as
you promise, stick to truth; for I am not so uninformed of Hamburg as
perhaps you may think.

As for myself, I am very UNWELL, and very weary of being so; and with
litt