letters to his son, 1748-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


t　be　conscious；　will　convince　you；　that　you　want　advice；　and　that　your　good　sense　will　incline　you　to　follow　it。

Tell　me　how　you　pass　your　leisure　hours　at　Leipsig；　I　know　you　have　not　many；　and　I　have　too　good　an　opinion　of　you　to　think；　that；　at　this　age；　you　would　desire　more。　　Have　you　assemblies；　or　public　spectacles？　and　of　what　kind　are　they？　　Whatever　they　are；　see　them　all；　seeing　everything；　is　the　only　way　not　to　admire　anything　too　much。

If　you　ever　take　up　little　tale…books；　to　amuse　you　by　snatches；　I　will　recommend　two　French　books；　which　I　have　already　mentioned；　they　will　entertain　you；　and　not　without　some　use　to　your　mind　and　your　manners。　One　is；　'La　Maniere　de　bien　penser　dans　les　Ouvrages　d'Esprit'；　written　by　Pere　Bouhours；　I　believe　you　read　it　once　in　England；　with　Monsieur　Coderc；　but　I　think　that　you　will　do　well　to　read　it　again；　as　I　know　of　no　book　that　will　form　your　taste　better。　　The　other　is；　'L'Art　de　plaire　dans　la　Conversation'；　by　the　Abbe　de　Bellegarde；　and　is　by　no　means　useless；　though　I　will　not　pretend　to　say；　that　the　art　of　pleasing　can　be　reduced　to　a　receipt；　if　it　could；　I　am　sure　that　receipt　would　be　worth　purchasing　at　any　price。　　Good　sense；　and　good　nature；　are　the　principal　ingredients；　and　your　own　observation；　and　the　good　advice　of　others；　must　give　the　right　color　and　taste　to　it。　　Adieu！　I　shall　always　love　you　as　you　shall　deserve。




LETTER　XXVII

LONDON；　February　9；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　You　will　receive　this　letter；　not　from　a　Secretary　of　State　but　from　a　private　man；　for　whom；　at　his　time　of　life；　quiet　was　as　fit；　and　as　necessary；　as　labor　and　activity　are　for　you　at　your　age；　and　for　many　years　yet　to　come。　　I　resigned　the　seals；　last　Saturday；　to　the　King；　who　parted　with　me　most　graciously；　and　（I　may　add；　for　he　said　so　himself）　with　regret。　　As　I　retire　from　hurry　to　quiet；　and　to　enjoy；　at　my　ease；　the　comforts　of　private　and　social　life；　you　will　easily　imagine　that　I　have　no　thoughts　of　opposition；　or　meddling　with　business。　　'Otium　cum　dignitate'　is　my　object。　　The　former　I　now　enjoy；　and　I　hope　that　my　conduct　and　character　entitle　me　to　some　share　of　the　latter。　　In　short；　I　am　now　happy：　and　I　found　that　I　could　not　be　so　in　my　former　public　situation。

As　I　like　your　correspondence　better　than　that　of　all　the　kings；　princes；　and　ministers；　in　Europe；　I　shall　now　have　leisure　to　carry　it　on　more　regularly。　　My　letters　to　you　will　be　written；　I　am　sure；　by　me；　and；　I　hope；　read　by　you；　with　pleasure；　which；　I　believe；　seldom　happens；　reciprocally；　to　letters　written　from　and　to　a　secretary's　office。

Do　not　apprehend　that　my　retirement　from　business　may　be　a　hindrance　to　your　advancement　in　it；　at　a　proper　time：　on　the　contrary；　it　will　promote　it；　for；　having　nothing　to　ask　for　myself；　I　shall　have　the　better　title　to　ask　for　you。　　But　you　have　still　a　surer　way　than　this　of　rising；　and　which　is　wholly　in　your　own　power。　　Make　yourself　necessary；　which；　with　your　natural　parts；　you　may；　by　application；　do。　　We　are　in　general；　in　England；　ignorant　of　foreign　affairs：　and　of　the　interests；　views；　pretensions；　and　policy　of　other　courts。　　That　part　of　knowledge　never　enters　into　our　thoughts；　nor　makes　part　of　our　education；　for　which　reason；　we　have　fewer　proper　subjects　for　foreign　commissions；　than　any　other　country　in　Europe；　and；　when　foreign　affairs　happen　to　be　debated　in　Parliament；　it　is　incredible　with　how　much　ignorance。　　The　harvest　of　foreign　affairs　being　then　so　great；　and　the　laborers　so　few；　if　you　make　yourself　master　of　them；　you　will　make　yourself　necessary；　first　as　a　foreign；　and　then　as　a　domestic　minister　for　that　department。

I　am　extremely　well　pleased　with　the　account　which　you　give　me　of　the　allotment　of　your　time。　　Do　but　go　on　so；　for　two　years　longer；　and　I　will　ask　no　more　of　you。　　Your　labors　will　be　their　own　reward；　but　if　you　desire　any　other；　that　I　can　add；　you　may　depend　upon　it。

I　am　glad　that　you　perceive　the　indecency　and　turpitude　of　those　of　your　'Commensaux'；　who　disgrace　and　foul　themselves　with　dirty　ws　and　scoundrel　gamesters。　　And　the　light　in　which；　I　am　sure；　you　see　all　reasonable　and　decent　people　consider　them；　will　be　a　good　warning　to　you。　　Adieu。




LETTER　XXVIII

LONDON；　February　13；　O。　S。　　1748

DEAR　BOY：　your　last　letter　gave　me　a　very　satisfactory　account　of　your　manner　of　employing　your　time　at　Leipsig。　　Go　on　so　but　for　two　years　more；　and；　I　promise　you；　that　you　will　outgo　all　the　people　of　your　age　and　time。　　I　thank　you　for　your　explanation　of　the　'Schriftsassen'；　and　'Amptsassen'；　and　pray　let　me　know　the　meaning　of　the　'Landsassen'。　　I　am　very　willing　that　you　should　take　a　Saxon　servant；　who　speaks　nothing　but　German；　which　will　be　a　sure　way　of　keeping　up　your　German；　after　you　leave　Germany。　　But　then；　I　would　neither　have　that　man；　nor　him　whom　you　have　already；　put　out　of　livery；　which　makes　them　both　impertinent　and　useless。　　I　am　sure；　that　as　soon　as　you　shall　have　taken　the　other　servant；　your　present　man　will　press　extremely　to　be　out　of　livery；　and　valet　de　chambre；　which　is　as　much　as　to　say；　that　he　will　curl　your　hair　and　shave　you；　but　not　condescend　to　do　anything　else。　　I　therefore　advise　you；　never　to　have　a　servant　out　of　livery；　and；　though　you　may　not　always　think　proper　to　carry　the　servant　who　dresses　you　abroad　in　the　rain　and　dirt；　behind　a　coach　or　before　a　chair；　yet　keep　it　in　your　power　to　do　so；　if　you　please；　by　keeping　him　in　livery。

I　have　seen　Monsieur　and　Madame　Flemming；　who　gave　me　a　very　good　account　of　you；　and　of　your　manners；　which　to　tell　you　the　plain　truth；　were　what　I　doubted　of　the　most。　　She　told　me；　that　you　were　easy；　and　not　ashamed：　which　is　a　great　deal　for　an　Englishman　at　your　age。

I　set　out　for　Bath　to…morrow；　for　a　month；　only　to　be　better　than　well；　and　enjoy；　in；　quiet；　the　liberty　which　I　have　acquired　by　the　resignation　of　the　seals。　　You　shall　hear　from　me　more　at　large　from　thence；　and　now　good　night　to　you。




LETTER　XXIX

BATH；　February　18；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　The　first　use　that　I　made　of　my　liberty　was　to　come　here；　where　I　arrived　yesterday。　　My　health；　though　not　fundamentally　bad　yet；　for　want　of　proper　attention　of　late；　wanted　some　repairs；　which　these　waters　never　fail　giving　it。　　I　shall　drink　them　a　month；　and　return　to　London；　there　to　enjoy　the　comforts　of　social　life；　instead　of　groaning　under　the　load　of　business。　　I　have　given　the　description　of　the　life　that　I　propose　to　lead　for　the　future；　in　this　motto；　which　I　have　put　up　in　the　frize　of　my　library　in　my　new　house：

　　　　　　　　　　Nunc　veterum　libris；　nunc　somno；　et　inertibus　horis　　　　　　　　　　　Ducere　sollicitae　jucunda　oblivia　vitas。

I　must　observe　to　you　upon　this　occasion；　that　the　uninterrupted　satisfaction　which　I　expect　to　find　in　that　library；　will　be　chiefly　owing　to　my　having　employed　some　part　of　my　life　well　at　your　age。　　I　wish　I　had　employed　it　better；　and　my　satisfaction　would　now　be　complete；　but；　however；　I　planted　while　young；　that　degree　of　knowledge　which　is　now　my　refuge　and　my　shelter。　　Make　your　plantations　still　more　extensive；　they　will　more　than　pay　you　for　your　trouble。　　I　do　not　regret　the　time　that　I　passed　in　pleasures；　they　were　seasonable；　they　were　the　pleasures　of　youth；　and　I　enjoyed　them　while　young。　　If　I　had　not；　I　should　probably　have　overvalued　them　now；　as　we　are　very　apt　to　do　what　we　do　not　know；　but；　knowing　them　as　I　do；　I　know　their　real　value；　and　how　much　they　are　generally　overrated。　　Nor　do　I　regret　the　time　that　I　have　passed　in　business；　for　the　same　reason；　those　who　see　only　the　outside　of　it；　imagine　it　has　hidden　charms；　which　they　pant　after；　and　nothing　but　acquaintance　can　undeceive　them。　　I；　who　have　been　behind　the　scenes；　both　of　pleasure　and　business；　and　have　seen　all　the　springs　and　pullies　of　those　decorations　which　astonish　and　dazzle　the　audience；　retire；　not　only　without　regret；　but　with　contentment　and　satisfaction。　But　what　I　do；　and　ever　shall　regret；　is　the　time　which；　while　young；　I　lost　in　mere　idleness；　and　in　doing　nothing。　　This　is　the　common　effect　of　the　inconsideracy　of　youth；　against　which　I　beg　you　will　be　most　carefully　upon　y