BATH,November 4,1757
MY DEAR FRIEND:The Sons of Britain,like those of Noah,must cover their parent's shame as well as they can;for to retrieve its honor is now too late.One would really think that our ministers and generals were all as drunk as the Patriarch was.However,in your situation,you must not be Cham;but spread your cloak over our disgrace,as far as it will go.M----t calls aloud for a public trial;and in that,and that only,the public agree with him.There will certainly be one,but of what kind is not yet fixed.Some are for a parliamentary inquiry,others for a martial one;neither will,in my opinion,discover the true secret;for a secret there most unquestionably is.Why we stayed six whole days in the island of Aix,mortal cannot imagine;which time the French employed,as it was obvious they would,in assembling their troops in the neighborhood of Rochfort,and making our attempt then really impracticable.The day after we had taken the island of Aix,your friend,Colonel Wolf,publicly offered to do the business with five hundred men and three ships only.In all these complicated political machines there are so many wheels,that it is always difficult,and sometimes im possible,to guess which of them gives direction to the whole.Mr.Pitt is convinced that the principal wheels,or,if you will,the spoke in his wheel,came from Stade.This is certain,at least that M----t was the man of confidence with that person.Whatever be the truth of the case,there is,to be sure,hitherto an 'hiatus valde deflendus'.
