Tth Life and Adventures of Joseph Emin

XI. 1761.

[Letters of introduction for Petersburgh - A reception at Lady Yarmouth’s two years previously - Lord Huntingdon - Emin’s description of Frederick of Prussia - Lord Huntingdon’s dinner - Suggests that Emin shall establish a new religion - Emin’s rebuke - Reported to Prince of Wales, who wants to help Emin - Lord Northumberland objects – "too much money will do him no good" - Ready to live upon air to please his lordship - Sixty days, London to Riga - Mutiny on board - Emin pacifies sailors - Emin’s praise of British navy - Devotion of Miller the German to Emin at Riga – Petersburg - Mr. Keith - Count Vorontsov - Empress’s kind thoughts for Armenians - Her death a misfortune for Emin - Letter to Lord Lyttelton from Russia. ]

He staid in London about eight months, very busy all the time to find ways and means for going to Petersburgh. The late earl of Bath, after dinner at Mr. Montagu’s, saw Emin much dejected. Mr. Mantagu said to his lordship, "Our friend Emin cannot get a letter of recommendation from any gentleman to Russia. " His lordship immediately answered, that he would give him one to Mr. Keith, envoy to that court. Mr. Jonas Hanway, author of the History of Nadir Shah, procured him a pass from prince Gallitzin the Russian minister, to whom Emin had before the honour of being introduced by the late lady Yarmouth. Dr. Secker, then archbishop of Canterbury, wrote a letter to Doctor Dumaresque, chaplain to the factory; Miss Talbot to the princess of Georgia; and Dr. Mounsey of Chelsea-hospital, to Dr. Mounsey, unseen; his relation, chief physician to the late empress Elizabeth. When he had secured all these letters, he waited upon his patron the duke, who was much surprized and equally glad of the success he had met with.

Two years before his proceeding on this journey, it happened one day, that the foreign ministers, after waiting on his Majesty, came to lady Yarmouth’s apartment, to pay their respects to her ladyship, and among them was lord Huntingdon. In conversation, the king of Prussia became the subject. His lordship said, "It is singular that we cannot have an exact likeness of his majesty painted, nor can I discover the reason of it?" Emin said, "My lord, the reason is very plain, a child may know it very easily by looking at his face about half an hour. " His lordship smiled, and the rest of the gentlemen were somehow startled; they had taken but very little notice of him before; they asked him if he could tell the reason? He said, "Yes, " and added, that the king was not made like the rest of mankind; that he changed his complexion with every thought that passed in his mind; that sometimes he looked pale, and at another time fresh-coloured, white, black, yellow, in short he answered all sorts of colours like a camelion; wherefore it would be impossible for a painter to draw a true picture of him. " On this solution, every one of the company cried out, "that is the very reason - well said! this is Asiatic penetration: " then they took proper notice of him; and this pleased lady Yarmouth as much, who took that opportunity to introduce him to all of them in form; and among the rest, to Prince Gallitzin. His lordship putting a second question, "What is the cause of his assuming those different colours?" Emin answered; "When he looks fresh, he thinks he is sure of conquest; when pale as ashes, he is afraid of being crushed by the united powers of Europe; when yellow, he fears Voltaire will publish a scandalous book again to smite his mind, and so forth. " On the second explanation, his lordship with both hands moved his chair, and sat close to him, and invited him to dinner that day, if he was not otherways engaged. The foreign ministers spoke in French to lady Yarmouth, with a satisfied pleasing countenance; and said, "Although we thought before he was not worthy of the notice taken of him by the nobility of England, now we are very well convinced that he deserves to have honours conferred upon him, and that his Royal Highness the duke, and the earl of Northumberland, had really great merit in patronizing him. The levee broke up; the gentlemen went away; and though Emin understood what they said, yet lady Yarmouth took pains, with great good-nature and satisfaction, to express it to him.

According to his promise, he went to lord Huntingdon’s; at dinner there were two brothers, doctor and captain Hamilton, the second of whom was equerry to his present Majesty, at that time Prince of Wales, and lord Huntingdon was then his master of the horse.

When they had dined, the conversation turned upon various subjects, and his lordship in a bantering good-natured way, said to Emin, "Your best method will be to compose a new sort of religion like Mohamed, and reform your countrymen to your way of thinking; otherwise the religion they have now, will never suffer them to follow your example, so as to become a free nation. I dare to say, you know of the reformation among the English; who if they had continued papists, might have been retained slaves to this day. " This preposition, though delivered in jest, agitated him not a little, by mentioning the polluted name of that Arabian impostor; and he said, "If your lordship will not be displeased with my boldness, I will tell my opinion on that head?" His lordship said, "Not in the least. " Then Emin began with his rough comparison, proceeding thus: "My lord, it appears to me that you are very learned, and your elegant conversation is most improving to the minds of every hearer; but you seem exactly like a surloin of beef turning upon a spit, and roasting before a very large fire in a chop-house; where the customers coming in one after another, the master of the house, with a sharp carving knife in his hand, like a Turkish executioner, cries out, What will you please to have gentlemen? Roasted beef, master, they say: he cuts the outside and inside of it, where it is best done, serving his customers; who being satisfied, and the reckoning paid, the beef still going round on the spit by the help of the jack, till at last it is eaten up, and reduced to the very bone, without the least benefit to itself. Now, one may look upon you just in the same light; and nothing surprises one so much as to find her ladyship, your mother, so very religious, and your lordship so irreligious. Several free speakers like you, have brought down the true Christian character of the most noble English nation to the lowest degree of heathenism; and even propagated a notion all over the eastern quarter of the world, that (which God forbid) the English are not Christians. " This grave repartee made his lordship hang down his head, and both the brothers cried out laughing, "He serves you right, my lord, upon our honour; we will acquaint his Royal Highness with every word Mr. Emin has said to you. " Some days after captain Hamilton sent for him, and acquainted him, that he had been very industrious in giving an account to his Royal Highness, of every syllable, that passed at dinner, between him and lord Huntingdon; that his Royal Highness was greatly pleased, and said to his lordship, "I am very glad you have at last met with your match. " He graciously inquired, if it was the Emin who had been in the late compaign in our service, and whether he was rewarded for his trouble or not? "We said, " added the captain, "that we believed not; and now, my friend, it is high time for you to inform your patron, that the prince is much interested in your behalf; so that his lordship, who attends every levee day, may agree with his Royal Highness to do something for you. "

Emin mentioned this to the duke, who went to the prince; his Royal Highness favourably inquired about the matter, and expressed himself very ready to assist Emin. The duke said, "He is already provided for, " meaning by his Grace; and added, "He shall have any sum of money he chuses. " The duke told Emin what his Royal Highness had said; adding, "It is not proper you should have more money than is necessary; you came hither without any; without language or friends; and, by your own activity, made yourself known to the greatest princes in Europe: you have letters of recommendation to the court of Russia, who will certainly write to prince Hetaclius, and he immediately will employ you in his service; by which means you will be as rich as any prince in Asia. " Emin said, "My lord, your advice is excellent, but I shall never be able to compass my design without money, or being independent; at least that country is very well known to be poor; if not, prince Heraclius’ father would not have gone to Russia, to solicit like a beggar for assistance. " The duke said, "No, my dear Emin, you are mistaken; he is gone for some greater affair unknown to us. " Emin said, "My lord, when I was in Armenia at Etzmiatzin, the archbishop of Teffiz told me, that king Tahmuras of Georgia, through mere necessity being at variance with his son, was sent to Moscow to be maintained by the Russians. Has not your lordship read of Sir John Chardin’s Travels, which say, that the Georgians are the handsomest, the worst, and the poorest of mankind?"

"No, no Mr. Emin, you will do very well with prince Heraclius. " "Yes, my lord, if I were independent, I should do better with all the world; but since your lordship has that great opinion of your humble servant, that he can live upon air, he shall say no more about it; he is ready to obey your command in gratitude, even if you order him, he is ready to shoot himself at the feet of your lordship; that the world may have the pleasure to say, Emin behaved obediently and gratefully to his last breath, to his princely patron. "

TO MRS. MONTAGU

( July 1761 )

To the Queen of Universe

I have an Oppointement to see at my own Cottage one of my Countryman from the City, at ten oClock. If I shou’d be able to get him away, about eleveven I shall obey your Orders. b ut if not you will I hope forgive me, and wish you all the Health, and Happyness immaginable. I dined with Miss Talbot Yesterday, she has told me what your great Soul wish to tell. I cannot part with you forever, therefore let me not see you any more, it will hurt me to the very Soul. If it be worth your while, write to your distracted Slave from the Country! Don’t you be uneasey about me at all, if you hear me not successful, I am resolv’d to die for my Country, I will do all to help towards it. àdieu

my dearest Madam

Tuesday morning

July 7 1761.

( On the back off the letter )

Mrs. Montagu.

This consultation being over, the duke gave him a hundred guineas, and promised him two hundred more, to remit after him a hundred each year, and to continue for three years and no longer. What could Emin do, but make much of a little. Mrs. Montague, Lady Sophia Egerton, and Miss Talbot, made up about sixty pounds; Lady Anson, his valuable friend, was dead; he was therefore worth 160 l. deducting 30 l. for fitting himself out; paid five guineas to the captain of the ship; took leave of his friends, and set out on the I5th of October 1761. He arrived with moderate wind in eight days at Elsinore, a sea-port town in Denmark, where he stayed two days; on the third day setting sail, on the fourth a storm arose with such fury, that nothing could equal it; in a few days more made the Island of Bornholm. Here the sailors embracing the opportunity, (which was very near proving fatal to the ship, and all who were in it, ) half a dozen of them got drunk, set the whole place in an uproar, and did not care a pin for the captain. Emin had much ado to quiet them. At last every one of them got on board; and no sooner was the anchor weighed, than a contrary wind began to blow three times stronger than before; half of the crew mutinied, and laid a scheme to kill Emin (the only passenger) and the captain, because they advised them not to drink more than was necessary, and then to carry the ship to France, at that time engaged in war with England. Emin finding no other remedy, to quiet them, he, with the captain, resolved to shoot the ringleader, a very stout young man, a deserter from a man of war; the rest seeing what was going on, submitted to join Emin’s and the captain’s party, and with much ado the young lion was secured in irons. The captain drew up an affidavit of their unruly behaviour, and the poor fellows every one of them signed a paper, confessing themselves guilty of a conspiracy. Exactly in fifty days they with great difficulty came to an anchor at Riga.

It may not be unpleasant to say something of the passage. The ship being a prize from the enemy, which, when in their own possession, carried fifty guns, with 600 French sailors in it, was bought by the Russia merchants in London, and converted into a timber ship. In that hard weather (in the month of November), on the terrible Baltic, where the buntings froze up to the thickness of three inches, and all the ropes in proportion, the ship like a snowy mountain sailing upon the water, there were no more than eight men to take in, reef, or furl the mainsail, when there was occasion. This shewed the difference between the English and the French, for the whole ship’s crew, with the captain, mate and passengers, were no more than twenty-four hands. These are the brave men to be admired with awe - who are ruled by the wisdom of Old England - the very bulwark of that famous nation - who maintain the liberty of it in the midst of so many malignant jealous princes of Europe! - Brave fellows! what hardships they go through! how unsparingly do they work for a livelihood! to the shame of many Jew-like Christians in the East, who live and loll in a slavish idle life, like so many beasts!

When the captain was going on shore, he took the bloody affidavit to punish them all by the Russian law. Emin snatched the paper out of his hands, and tore it to pieces; saying to the captain, "How can you be so cruel, and act so rashly? Who will work your ship back? Do not you know the severity of the law of Russia? Yourself must remain in the place before the bloody affair is decided. Come, come, be quiet; forgive them; they are all honest fellows. " They came all on the gangway, crying out, "God bless you, noble stranger! Excuse us, we do not know your honor’s name: we are in duty bound to acknowledge, if you had not been with us on the passage, we might have perished through our own foolishness. It was owing to the brandy we bought in that Danish island. We beg the captain’s pardon; since you have made peace between us and our commander, we pray God to prosper you in all your undertakings. " Here every thing ended amicably. The captain and Emin went on shore at Riga, where the captain was not a little sensible of his passenger’s good behaviour; did not fail to inform several gentlemen of his acquaintance, a few English, and many Swedes and Germans, who all came and thanked him.

The house where he took up his quarters belonged to a German, about fifty years of age, named Miller, who had been settled and married there for several years. He was originally a journeyman baker, and saved enough to make up a capital, so as to set up a sort of eating-house, which went on pretty briskly. He used to go to Poland, and buy horned cattle, providing ships with beef, by which he made a fortune of 60, 000 dollars. By his first wife, who was then dead, he had children, a girl and a boy; he married his daughter, and himself married a second time; and by his second wife he had four more. Emin made an agreement with him, to pay half-a-crown a-day both for his lodging and boarding, and stayed exactly ten days in the house. Miller the landlord became so fond of Emin, as to sit up and keep company with him every night till almost two in the morning; something more than common appearing in his countenance, which made Emin sensible he would speak it out; this he did at last, after many apologies; and said, "Sir, excuse the liberty I am going to take; I know you are going upon very great business; as far as I can learn, you have but little money, and I am worth many thousand dollars; I can spare 2000 of them, with perfect good-will, towards the expences of your journey: I shall be extremely happy, if you will be kind enough to accept of it; no soul in the world shall know of it and I will not even take notice of it to my wife. Please to take it here, or by a bill on a merchant at St. Petersburgh. " Emin thanked Mr. Miller for his generous offer, but would by no means accept of it; and said, "Your good-will is sufficient; you have an encreasing family; it is best that the money should remain where it is; as for my part, I am a single man, and can make a shift any how to live and manage for myself. " Mr. Miller was not in the least pleased with his refusal; he seemed in great pain, as if he had been stabbed with a dagger to the heart, and still continued urging, like an affectionate father, till at length he began crying like a child, and said, "Sir, if you do not accept of it, you will break my heart. " Yet all his expostulation was to no purpose. Mr. Miller, finding the impossibility of prevailing, stood up, and said, "Good Mr. Emin, since you will not consent to oblige me in this trifle, I give you my hand and heart to share your dangers; I will go and serve you with the half of my fortune, while the other half will very comfortably maintain my family; and my wife (thank God) has both sense and prudence enough to take care of them: my male children, when of a proper age, will come and find us out in any part of the world. " Having said these words, - he ran out, and brought the Bible to swear upon. Emin entreated him to put the sacred book; and, finding it impossible to dissuade him from his generous heroic resolution, he said to him, "My worthy friend, I am going upon an imaginary plan, exactly like that of making a solid figure of a man’s shadow; unless the Supreme Being shall please to turn it into something substantial. Should it happen to fail, I should never forgive myself if any accident should befall you, and I should be the occasion of ruin to your harmless lambs and family; I should consider myself then as a rogue, villain, or an impostor. But so far I give my word of honour, that if success favours me in my undertaking, you may depend upon it, my blunt pen will find you out in any part of Europe. I beg you will say no more about it; let us sit down half an hour longer, to enjoy the society of our true hearts, which the Great God has made under the same planet. " The poor man then shed tears bitterly, and said no more. This amiable conversation began at midnight, and ended at half-an-hour past two in the morning, when every one else was asleep in the house. Emin had a good mind to repeat to him his Grace’s prediction, That too much money would do him no good; but he thought proper to say not a word of it, lest he should hear a sarcastical answer. Mr. Miller then changed the subject, and told the history of his life, which was very entertaining, and equal in variety of hardships to that of Emin; who dares to declare, *that the German nation, by what he has seen in Westphalia, are equal in goodness both of heart and tongue to the English themselves. God seeing the plainness and honesty of their hearts* has given most of the sovereignty of Europe to that nation; as for example, the king of England, the empress of Russia, and the rest; and should any learned man be curious enough to trace the genealogies of other European princes, he will find their ancestors to be all of German extraction: *and this is a proof, * that simplicity is more acceptable to God, than cunning and artfulness: for instance, who is more cunning than the Jews, Hindoos, and others that are no better than they? Every one, according to his merits, is stationed by the invisible hand of the Almighty, so as to let his truth shine over all. The good Mr. Miller, and his friend Emin, at three in the morning parted, and each retired to his bed.

After two days more, he hired a covered cart for Emin, who took his leave, and proceeded towards St. Petersburgh, where he arrived in twelve days from Riga. He waited on the chaplain doctor, who received him with great politeness, and invited him to live in the house with him all the while he stayed in that place. The other letters introduced Emin to other gentlemen; the first, to Mr. Keith, the next, to count

Woronzoff, the Russian Imperial chancellor; then to doctor Mounsey; the fourth letter was from Miss Talbot to the princess of Georgia, her correspondent by the means of doctor Dumaresque, who, to Emin’s great misfortune, was then dead. She being married to prince Dolgorucky, the letter he gave to the prince her husband, who is uncle to prince Heraclius by the mother’s side. If this lady had lived, Emin might have succeeded in some points, as he owed so much of his success to the noble ladies in London. The gentlemen to whom he was recommended, divided Emin’s time so, that he could never dine at the doctor’s; who was very glad of his being taken so much notice of, and accompanied him wherever he went like a guardian and a father. A few days after, Emin’s character excited the curiosity of St. Petersburgh, like the dromedary brought over by a Greek, and exhibited in London.

Mr. Keith, doctor Mounsey, and doctor Dumaresque, by the desire of count Worronzoff the chancellor, took Emin along with them to the house of that nobleman, who asked him several questions, doctor Dumaresque acting as interpreter between them. "Your intention, " said he, "as I understand by the letter from prince Gallitzin, is to go to prince Heraclius in Georgia. He is very poor, and his father king Tahmuras is come hither, to beg our assistance both in money and troops; what can you do there in a prince’s service, where those two great articles are wanting?" Emin answered, saying, "May it please your Excellency, neither of the two are in fact wanting, with sense and proper management; the country is one of the richest upon earth, and produces two very valuable articles of commerce, silk and cotton. As for eatables and grains of all kinds, no country is so plentifully supplied with them; and great part of the people perhaps have hardly tasted water, for wine is their common drink; they have good meat, and all sorts of grain and honey in abundance: so that, with a little European management, that country may flourish and be happy, without being obliged to depend upon any other nation; when, in the mean time, the Armenians will join with a good will to expel, as they easily may, the Mahomedans out of their country. Therefore I am sorry for king Tahmuras, who at the age of sixty-five years, almost worn out in his wars against the Lazgi mountaineers, comes so far for succour. God, when he created man, gave him a head, with two hands to take care of it; but if those hands are not sufficient to help that head, they deserve to be cut off. A little smattering of a Turkish education will make a poor Georgian slave-boy, when he grows up, created a basha or grand vizir; while a naked mountaineer Armenian, at the head of 200 men, will be able to beat a whole Turkish army. Another goes to Constantinople, and becomes a head banker of the Grand Signior; a third works for his passage as a groom, with some horses from Basra, on board of an English ship, becomes master of some lacks in Calcutta, where he domineers over his countrymen like Nadir Shah; while your Excellency’s humble servant, who now has the honour of standing before you, ran away from his father in Bengal, without shoes; and having worked on board of an Indiaman, became a porter in London for almost five years, and rushed through thick and thin, till he made himself worthy to be taken notice of at present by your Excellency. Therefore, why may not the Armenians or Georgians be as enterprizing in their own country, as they have shewn themselves by frequent examples? The difficulty lies in the beginning of it. When they have once opened their eyes from the slumber of ignorance, they will go on as well as their neighbours. " This speech of Emin pleased his Excellency the chancellor so much, that he became his friend as warmly as Mr. Pitt in London; and with inexpressible cheerfulness said to Dr. Mounsey, "Prává aschen khóróshá gávárial v ètá dobri chállavéte; - that is, Well spoken, he is an honest man. " He then ordered one of his attendants to go with his compliments, to call king Tahmuras. When he came, the chancellor took Emin by the hand, and put it into the king’s, saying, "This is the only man recommended to us strongly by our noble friends in England. We can with great security present him to your majesty. Bestow him upon your poor country as a treasure who will, we are in great hopes, rise with artillery, ammunition, and every thing necessary, provided you will hear him. "

Upon this sudden scene, the mighty king was surprised as if in a dream; he stared about five minutes at so small a body, the Georgians generally being tall and stately; thanked his Excellency for his great present, and with humility and cheerfulness lifted up his hand and head, praying to God, and hoping that his son Heraclius would concur with Emin, and hearken to his counsel; and he declared that in reality they were more in want of men of knowledge than of any thing else; and that, if it pleased God that he should live, Emin should be his second son, and esteemed next to prince Heraclius. Emin, upon this, with great respect kissed his majesty’s hand, and was honoured with being kissed by him on the forehead. His Excellency ordered dinner. The king was placed between Mr. Keith and the chancellor, with an interpreter standing behind the chairs: the rest of the company sat at the same table; and during dinner, the English envoy was giving an account of Emin’s transactions to the chancellor in French, and he, by the Georgian interpreter, explained it to the king.

When dinner was over, Tahmuras took Emin in his chariot to the house where he lived; delighted much in his conversation; gave him great hopes that they should succeed in defending their country from the encroachments of the Mahomedans; and said, "He did not in the least doubt that, by the means of Emin, the Armenians would soon unite with the Georgians to shake off entirely the yoke of subjection, " not knowing thoroughly the jealous disposition of his son Heraclius. After a conversation of two hours, Emin took his leave, when the king desired him to make the house his own, and come there as often as he pleased. He went thither constantly every day, and dined several times with Tahmuras at the chancellor’s, but more commonly at Mr. Keith’s, who was to him as kind as ten fathers. Doctor Mounsey in particular, and his lady, were equally polite: he told Emin twenty times, that the late empress Elizabeth, who was then sick and inaccessible, had declared that if Emin was fortunate enough, and she should recover from her illness, "he shall be taken, " said she, "better care of, and properly sent to Armenia, so as not to be much indebted to the Georgian prince. The Armenians are an honest and faithful people, for whom my dear father Peter the Great had taken considerable pains; and had he lived longer, would have delivered them from the slavery of the Mahometans. Poor Emin! who without either a real friend, or money, treads the same steps with equal zeal of patriotism, shall not want help or a friend, if I can but recover from this disorder. " But, alas! to the great misfortune of Emin, and to all the Armenians, she died in the month of December; and exactly a fortnight after, died king Tahmuras of Georgia. Emin was left again fatherless and motherless.

Doctor Dumaresque, during the time, used to come home very late sometimes at one, sometimes at two o’clock in the morning, and found Emin always up in his room, where they talked another hour before they went to bed. He generally happened to have been sitting with the present empress Catherina, at that time duchess of Holstein, whose celebrated character is known to the world, and her very name a terror to the proud Turks. She hearing of Emin’s motives, often signified to the doctor her opinion, that if there was a sort of government or principality in Armenia, it would be of great consequence to the empire of Russia, especially in time of war, since they would harrass the Turks pretty smartly; and as they are an industrious nation, not in the least wicked nor treacherous like the Georgians, they might thrive better, so as to become a free and flourishing people. (Her late achievements in the past war against the Osmanlus justified her sentiments. )

To prevent Emin from being too vain of himself, Dr. Dumaresque said to him, "Before you came to this place, or were taken notice of by the English nobility, her Imperial majesty hardly missed in conversation mentioning Armenia, when he happened to speak of the Persians or Turks. " He must not forget, in gratitude to his German friend, Mr. Miller of Riga, that unknown to him he had wrote a letter to his correspondent a German gentleman, and an eminent merchant in Petersburgh, to offer him the same 2000 dollars which he refused at Riga. Emin thanked him again, without accepting the generous offer, which surprized the merchant, who was well acquainted with many English great men, and knew Emin’s narrow circumstances as well as they did, but was not thoroughly acquainted with the pride of his heart, who would by no means be beholden to any nation but the English; nor, like some mean-spirited persons, scrape the rust of the world from different people. As for his beloved English, they are both father and mother to him; and from them, whatever favour he has received, it is his principal ambition (though they by no means expect it) to return it tenfold when able; but if he continue poor, which cannot be helped, it ever shall be as it has been, his duty to remember their goodness all the days of his life, and record it from generation to generation.

LETTER TO LORD LYTTELTON FROM PETERSBURGH.

My Lord

What will your Lordship think of me, not writing to you for this long time, I hope not ungrateful. If I am not mistaken your Lordship did order me expressly by the word of mouth, that except I had a particular business or I should have found myself at a loss of an advice for which I was to apply there by Lines to your Lordship, who had always been my counsellor, and brisk spurer on. This order of your Lordship has deprived me of the Happiness of corresponding with your Lordship which makes me extremely unhappy. It seems your Lordship is tired of me, nor can I go on rightly when I reflect suspiciously thereupon. I am now realy for want of your serious and good advice, concerning a distressed country, which I shall question, and explain in as few words, as my none Education will permitt, as follows. 1. In what manner can be a country maintained, and depended against a warlike nation. 2. How is to raise money of such country which is totally rained nor has any sort of Revenue. 3. What method he is to take with the people of such Country to reason with and bring them to Industry who are as obstinate as Bares. These are the obstacles before me, if I should be the help of God overcome all, will your Lordship then think me worthy of your friendship, or say that any body else could do the same? I have wrote everything concerning my present situation to Madam Montagu, she will acquaint you, at your Leisure or when your Lordship pleases. But at present I have nothing else to say but beg your Lordship’s permission to subscribe myself my Lord your Lordship’s

St. Petersburgh,

the 14th January 1762 and 30th.

( On the back of the letter. )