surtout le secret à M. de Valori ; il ne faut publier ni les faveurs des femmes ni celles des rois.
Permettez-moi seulement de me vanter des vôtres, et de m’honorer toute ma vie de vos bontés.
Les personnes[1] qui vous ont ôté le ministère protègent Catilina, cela est juste.
Brûlez ma lettre, et daignez continuer à m’aimer.
Dear sir, I have received your new favours, and those of milord Chersterfield. There are many good accounts in the Annals of Europe, as well as in the History of the late Insurrection in Scotland, though intermixed with a great number of errors. I wish I could find in every country such materials from whence my duty is to separate the wheat from the chaff ; but all seems to me but chaff in tbe pamphlets : ’is great pity that your nation is overrun with such prodigious lumbers of scandal and scurrilities ! However one ought to look upon them as the bad fruits of a very good tree called liberty.
I have been disturbed these two months and kept from writing my history, which I hope will be the work of the historiografer of the honest man, rather than that of tbe historiografer to a king. I think truth may be told, when it is wisely told, and I know my master loves it, I am neither a flaterer, nor a writer of satires, I am confident my candour and our old friendship will persuade you to help me with all the materials you can find in your way,
You will to me the greatest favour if you can send me tbe relation of admiral Anson’s voyage, and the Ample Disquisition about the proper means to civilise tbe Highlanders and to improve that country. I don’t know the exact title of that little book, which, they say, is very curious and well written ; but it begins with these words, Ample Disquisition. Pray, my dear sir, give orders to one of your men to come at it.
If you know any thing worth notice concerning the late general war, transactions, maritime expeditions, etc., I intreat you to favour me with them.
