letters to his son, 1748-第7章

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Do　not　apprehend　that　my　being　out　of　employment　may　be　any　prejudice　to　you。　　Many　things　will　happen　before　you　can　be　fit　for　business；　and　when　you　are　fit；　whatever　my　situation　may　be；　it　will　always　be　in　my　power　to　help　you　in　your　first　steps；　afterward　you　must　help　yourself　by　your　own　abilities。　　Make　yourself　necessary；　and；　instead　of　soliciting；　you　will　be　solicited。　　The　thorough　knowledge　of　foreign　affairs；　the　interests；　the　views；　and　the　manners　of　the　several　courts　in　Europe；　are　not　the　common　growth　of　this　country。　　It　is　in　your　power　to　acquire　them；　you　have　all　the　means。　　Adieu！　　　Yours。




LETTERS　TO　HIS　SON

LETTER　XXXV

LONDON；　April　1；　O。　S。　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　have　not　received　any　letter；　either　from　you　or　from　Mr；　Harte；　these　three　posts；　which　I　impute　wholly　to　accidents　between　this　place　and　Leipsig；　and　they　are　distant　enough　to　admit　of　many。　　I　always　take　it　for　granted　that　you　are　well；　when　I　do　not　hear　to　the　contrary；　besides；　as　I　have　often　told　you；　I　am　much　more　anxious　about　your　doing　well；　than　about　your　being　well；　and；　when　you　do　not　write；　I　will　suppose　that　you　are　doing　something　more　useful。　　Your　health　will　continue；　while　your　temperance　continues；　and　at　your　age　nature　takes　sufficient　care　of　the　body；　provided　she　is　left　to　herself；　and　that　intemperance　on　one　hand；　or　medicines　on　the　other；　do　not　break　in　upon　her。　　But　it　is　by　no　means　so　with　the　mind；　which；　at　your　age　particularly；　requires　great　and　constant　care；　and　some　physic。　　Every　quarter　of　an　hour；　well　or　ill　employed；　will　do　it　essential　and　lasting　good　or　harm。　　It　requires　also　a　great　deal　of　exercise；　to　bring　it　to　a　state　of　health　and　vigor。　　Observe　the　difference　there　is　between　minds　cultivated；　and　minds　uncultivated；　and　you　will；　I　am　sure；　think　that　you　cannot　take　too　much　pains；　nor　employ　too　much　of　your　time　in　the　culture　of　your　own。　　A　drayman　is　probably　born　with　as　good　organs　as　Milton；　Locke；　or　Newton；　but；　by　culture；　they　are　as　much　more　above　him　as　he　is　above　his　horse。　　Sometimes；　indeed；　extraordinary　geniuses　have　broken　out　by　the　force　of　nature；　without　the　assistance　of　education；　but　those　instances　are　too　rare　for　anybody　to　trust　to；　and　even　they　would　make　a　much　greater　figure；　if　they　had　the　advantage　of　education　into　the　bargain。　　If　Shakespeare's　genius　had　been　cultivated；　those　beauties；　which　we　so　justly　admire　in　him；　would　have　been　undisgraced　by　those　extravagancies；　and　that　nonsense；　with　which　they　are　frequently　accompanied。　　People　are；　in　general；　what　they　are　made；　by　education　and　company；　from　fifteen　to　five…and…twenty；　consider　well；　therefore；　the　importance　of　your　next　eight　or　nine　years；　your　whole　depends　upon　them。　　I　will　tell　you　sincerely；　my　hopes　and　my　fears　concerning　you。　　I　think　you　will　be　a　good　scholar；　and　that　you　will　acquire　a　considerable　stock　of　knowledge　of　various　kinds；　but　I　fear　that　you　neglect　what　are　called　little；　though；　in　truth；　they　are　very　material　things；　I　mean；　a　gentleness　of　manners；　an　engaging　address；　and　an　insinuating　behavior；　they　are　real　and　solid　advantages；　and　none　but　those　who　do　not　know　the　world；　treat　them　as　trifles。　　I　am　told　that　you　speak　very　quick；　and　not　distinctly；　this　is　a　most　ungraceful　and　disagreeable　trick；　which　you　know　I　have　told　you　of　a　thousand　times；　pray　attend　carefully　to　the　correction　of　it。　An　agreeable　and；　distinct　manner　of　speaking　adds　greatly　to　the　matter；　and　I　have　known　many　a　very　good　speech　unregarded；　upon　account　of　the　disagreeable　manner　in　which　it　has　been　delivered；　and　many　an　indifferent　one　applauded；　from　the　contrary　reason。　　Adieu！




LETTER　XXXVI

LONDON；　April　15；　O。　S。　　1748

DEAR　BOY：　Though　I　have　no　letters　from　you　to　acknowledge　since　my　last　to　you；　I　will　not　let　three　posts　go　from　hence　without　a　letter　from　me。　　My　affection　always　prompts　me　to　write　to　you；　and　I　am　encouraged　to　do　it；　by　the　hopes　that　my　letters　are　not　quite　useless。　　You　will　probably　receive　this　in　the　midst　of　the　diversions　of　Leipsig　fair；　at　which；　Mr。　Harte　tells　me；　that　you　are　to　shine　in　fine　clothes；　among　fine　folks。　　I　am　very　glad　of　it；　as　it　is　time　that　you　should　begin　to　be　formed　to　the　manners　of　the　world　in　higher　life。　　Courts　are　the　best　schools　for　that　sort　of　learning。　　You　are　beginning　now　with　the　outside　of　a　court；　and　there　is　not　a　more　gaudy　one　than　that　of　Saxony。　　Attend　to　it；　and　make　your　observations　upon　the　turn　and　manners　of　it；　that　you　may　hereafter　compare　it　with　other　courts　which　you　will　see；　And；　though　you　are　not　yet　able　to　be　informed；　or　to　judge　of　the　political　conduct　and　maxims　of　that　court；　yet　you　may　remark　the　forms；　the　ceremonies；　and　the　exterior　state　of　it。　　At　least　see　everything　that　you　can　see；　and　know　everything　that　you　can　know　of　it；　by　asking　questions。　　See　likewise　everything　at　the　fair；　from　operas　and　plays；　down　to　the　Savoyard's　raree…shows。

Everything　is　worth　seeing　once；　and　the　more　one　sees；　the　less　one　either　wonders　or　admires。

Make　my　compliments　to　Mr。　Harte；　and　tell　him　that　I　have　just　now　received　his　letter；　for　which　I　thank　him。　　I　am　called　away；　and　my　letter　is　therefore　very　much　shortened。　　Adieu。

I　am　impatient　to　receive　your　answers　to　the　many　questions　that　I　have　asked　you。




LETTER　XXXVII

LONDON；　April　26；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　am　extremely　pleased　with　your　continuation　of　the　history　of　the　Reformation；　which　is　one　of　those　important　eras　that　deserves　your　utmost　attention；　and　of　which　you　cannot　be　too　minutely　informed。　　You　have；　doubtless；　considered　the　causes　of　that　great　event；　and　observed　that　disappointment　and　resentment　had　a　much　greater　share　in　it；　than　a　religious　zeal　or　an　abhorrence　of　the　errors　and　abuses　of　popery。

Luther；　an　Augustine　monk；　enraged　that　his　order；　and　consequently　himself；　had　not　the　exclusive　privilege　of　selling　indulgences；　but　that　the　Dominicans　were　let　into　a　share　of　that　profitable　but　infamous　trade；　turns　reformer；　and　exclaims　against　the　abuses；　the　corruption；　and　the　idolatry；　of　the　church　of　Rome；　which　were　certainly　gross　enough　for　him　to　have　seen　long　before；　but　which　he　had　at　least　acquiesced　in；　till　what　he　called　the　rights；　that　is；　the　profit；　of　his　order　came　to　be　touched。　　It　is　true；　the　church　of　Rome　furnished　him　ample　matter　for　complaint　and　reformation；　and　he　laid　hold　of　it　ably。

This　seems　to　me　the　true　cause　of　that　great　and　necessary；　work；　but　whatever　the　cause　was；　the　effect　was　good；　and　the　Reformation　spread　itself　by　its　own　truth　and　fitness；　was　conscientiously　received　by　great　numbers　in　Germany；　and　other　countries；　and　was　soon　afterward　mixed　up　with　the　politics　of　princes；　and；　as　it　always　happens　in　religious　disputes；　became　the　specious　covering　of　injustice　and　ambition。

Under　the　pretense　of　crushing　heresy；　as　it　was　called；　the　House　of　Austria　meant　to　extend　and　establish　its　power　in　the　empire；　as；　on　the　other　hand；　many　Protestant　princes；　under　the　pretense　of　extirpating　idolatry；　or　at　least　of　securing　toleration；　meant　only　to　enlarge　their　own　dominions　or　privileges。　　These　views　respectively；　among　the　chiefs　on　both　sides；　much　more　than　true　religious　motives；　continued　what　were　called　the　religious　wars　in　Germany；　almost　uninterruptedly；　till　the　affairs　of　the　two　religions　were　finally　settled　by　the　treaty　of　Munster。

Were　most　historical　events　traced　up　to　their　true　causes；　I　fear　we　should　not　find　them　much　more　noble　or　disinterested　than　Luther's　disappointed　avarice；　and　therefore　I　look　with　some　contempt　upon　those　refining　and　sagacious　historians；　who　ascribe　all；　even　the　most　common　events；　to　some　deep　political　cause；　whereas　mankind　is　made　up　of　inconsistencies；　and　no　man　acts　invariably　up　to　his　predominant　character。　　The　wisest　man　sometimes　acts　weakly；　and　the　weakest　sometimes　wisely。　　Our　jarring　passions；　our　variable　humors；　nay；　our　greater　or　lesser　degree　of　health　and　spirits；　produce　such　contradictions　in　our　conduct；　that；　I　believe；　those　are　th