letters to his son, 1749-第14章

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；　reglees　selon　toutes　les　loix　d'une　morale　exacte　et　sensee；　son　application　（that　is　what　I　like）　a　tout　ce　qui　s'appelle　etude　serieuse；　et　Belles　Lettres；　＇〃Notwithstanding　his　great　youth；　his　manners　are　regulated　by　the　most　unexceptionable　rules　of　sense　and　of　morality。　His　application　THAT　IS　WHAT　I　LIKE　to　every　kind　of　serious　study；　as　well　as　to　polite　literature；　without　even　the　least　appearance　of　ostentatious　pedantry；　render　him　worthy　of　your　most　tender　affection；　and　I　have　the　honor　of　assuring　you；　that　everyone　cannot　but　be　pleased　with　the　acquisition　of　his　acquaintance　or　of　his　friendship。　　I　have　profited　of　it；　both　here　and　at　Vienna；　and　shall　esteem　myself　very　happy　to　make　use　of　the　permission　he　has　given　me　of　continuing　it　by　letter。〃　　　Reputation；　like　health；　is　preserved　and　increased　by　the　same　means　by　which　it　is　acquired。　　Continue　to　desire　and　deserve　praise；　and　you　will　certainly　find　it。　　Knowledge；　adorned　by　manners；　will　infallibly　procure　it。　　Consider；　that　you　have　but　a　little　way　further　to　get　to　your　journey's　end；　therefore；　for　God's　sake；　do　not　slacken　your　pace；　one　year　and　a　half　more　of　sound　application；　Mr。　Harte　assures　me；　will　finish　this　work；　and　when　this　work　is　finished　well；　your　own　will　be　very　easily　done　afterward。　　'Les　Manieres　et　les　Graces'　are　no　immaterial　parts　of　that　work；　and　I　beg　that　you　will　give　as　much　of　your　attention。　　to　them　as　to　your　books。　　Everything　depends　upon　them；　'senza　di　noi　ogni　fatica　e　vana'。　　The　various　companies　you　now　go　into　will　procure　them　you；　if　you　will　carefully　observe；　and　form　yourself　upon　those　who　have　them。

Adieu！　God　bless　you！　and　may　you　ever　deserve　that　affection　with　which　I　am　now；　Yours。




LETTER　LXXX

LONDON；　September　5；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY　：　I　have　received　yours　from　Laubach；　of　the　17th　of　August；　N。　S。；　with　the　inclosed　for　Comte　Lascaris；　which　I　have　given　him；　and　with　which　he　is　extremely　pleased；　as　I　am　with　your　account　of　Carniola。　　I　am　very　glad　that　you　attend　to；　and　inform　yourself　of；　the　political　objects　of　the　country　you　go　through。　　Trade　and　manufactures　are　very　considerable；　not　to　say　the　most　important　ones；　for；　though　armies　and　navies　are　the　shining　marks　of　the　strength　of　countries；　they　would　be　very　ill　paid；　and　consequently　fight　very　ill；　if　manufactures　and　commerce　did　not　support　them。　　You　have　certainly　observed　in　Germany　the　inefficiency　of　great　powers；　with　great　tracts　of　country　and　swarms　of　men；　which　are　absolutely　useless；　if　not　paid　by　other　powers　who　have　the　resources　of　manufactures　and　commerce。　This　we　have　lately　experienced　to　be　the　case　of　the　two　empresses　of　Germany　and　Russia：　England；　France；　and　Spain；　must　pay　their　respective　allies；　or　they　may　as　well　be　without　them。

I　have　not　the　least　objection　to　your　taking；　into　the　bargain；　the　observation　of　natural　curiosities；　they　are　very　welcome；　provided　they　do　not　take　up　the　room　of　better　things。　　But　the　forms　of　government；　the　maxims　of　policy；　the　strength　or　weakness；　the　trade　and　commerce；　of　the　several　countries　you　see　or　hear　of　are　the　important　objects；　which　I　recommend　to　your　most　minute　inquiries；　and　most　serious　attention。　　I　thought　that　the　republic　of　Venice　had　by　this　time　laid　aside　that　silly　and　frivolous　piece　of　policy；　of　endeavoring　to　conceal　their　form　of　government；　which　anybody　may　know；　pretty　nearly；　by　taking　the　pains　to　read　four　or　five　books；　which　explain　all　the　great　parts　of　it；　and　as　for　some　of　the　little　wheels　of　that　machine；　the　knowledge　of　them　would　be　as　little　useful　to　others　as　dangerous　to　themselves。　　Their　best　policy　（I　can　tell　them）　is　to　keep　quiet；　and　to　offend　no　one　great　power；　by　joining　with　another。　　Their　escape；　after　the　Ligue　of　Cambray；　should　prove　a　useful　lesson　to　them。

I　am　glad　you　frequent　the　assemblies　at　Venice。　　Have　you　seen　Monsieur　and　Madame　Capello；　and　how　did　they　receive　you？　　Let　me　know　who　are　the　ladies　whose　houses　you　frequent　the　most。　　Have　you　seen　the　Comptesse　d'Orselska；　Princess　of　Holstein？　　Is　Comte　Algarotti；　who　was　the　TENANT　there；　at　Venice？

You　will；　in　many　parts　of　Italy；　meet　with　numbers　of　the　Pretender's　people　（English；　Scotch；　and　Irish　fugitives）；　especially　at　Rome；　probably　the　Pretender　himself。　　It　is　none　of　your　business　to　declare　war　to　these　people；　as　little　as　it　is　your　interest；　or；　I　hope；　your　inclination；　to　connect　yourself　with　them；　and　therefore　I　recommend　to　you　a　perfect　neutrality。　　Avoid　them　as　much　as　you　can　with　decency　and　good　manners；　but　when　you　cannot；　avoid　any　political　conversation　or　debates　with　them；　tell　them　that　you　do　not　concern　yourself　with　political　matters：　that　you　are　neither　maker　nor　a　deposer　of　kings；　that　when　you　left　England；　you　left　a　king　in　it；　and　have　not　since　heard　either　of　his　death；　or　of　any　revolution　that　has　happened；　and　that　you　take　kings　and　kingdoms　as　you　find　them；　but　enter　no　further　into　matters　with　them；　which　can　be　of　no　use；　and　might　bring　on　heats　and　quarrels。　　When　you　speak　of　the　old　Pretender；　you　will　call　him　only　the　Chevalier　de　St。　George；but　mention　him　as　seldom　as　possible。　Should　he　chance　to　speak　to　you　at　any　assembly　（as；　I　am　told；　he　sometimes　does　to　the　English）；　be　sure　that　you　seem　not　to　know　him；　and　answer　him　civilly；　but　always　either　in　French　or　in　Italian；　and　give　him；　in　the　former；　the　appellation　of　Monsieur；　and　in　the　latter；　of　Signore。　　Should　you　meet　with　the　Cardinal　of　York；　you　will　be　under　no　difficulty；　for　he　has；　as　Cardinal；　an　undoubted　right　to　'Eminenza'。　Upon　the　whole；　see　any　of　those　people　as　little　as　possible；　when　you　do　see　them；　be　civil　to　them；　upon　the　footing　of　strangers；　but　never　be　drawn　into　any　altercations　with　them　about　the　imaginary　right　of　their　king；　as　they　call　him。

It　is　to　no　sort　of　purpose　to　talk　to　those　people　of　the　natural　rights　of　mankind；　and　the　particular　constitution　of　this　country。　　Blinded　by　prejudices；　soured　by　misfortunes；　and　tempted　by　their　necessities；　they　are　as　incapable　of　reasoning　rightly；　as　they　have　hitherto　been　of　acting　wisely。　　The　late　Lord　Pembroke　never　would　know　anything　that　he　had　not　a　mind　to　know；　and；　in　this　case；　I　advise　you　to　follow　his　example。　　Never　know　either　the　father　or　the　two　sons；　any　otherwise　than　as　foreigners；　and　so；　not　knowing　their　pretensions；　you　have　no　occasion　to　dispute　them。

I　can　never　help　recommending　to　you　the　utmost　attention　and　care；　to　acquire　'les　Manieres；　la　Tournure；　et　les　Graces；　d'un　galant　homme；　et　d'un　homme　de　cour'。　　They　should　appear　in　every　look；　in　every　action；　in　your　address；　and　even　in　your　dress；　if　you　would　either　please　or　rise　in　the　world。　　That　you　may　do　both　（and　both　are　in　your　power）　is　most　ardently　wished　you；　by　Yours。

P。　S。　　I　made　Comte　Lascaris　show　me　your　letter；　which　I　liked　very　well；　the　style　was　easy　and　natural；　and　the　French　pretty　correct。　There　were　so　few　faults　in　the　orthography；　that　a　little　more　observation　of　the　best　French　authors　would　make　you　a　correct　master　of　that　necessary　language。

I　will　not　conceal　from　you；　that　I　have　lately　had　extraordinary　good　accounts　of　you；　from　an　unexpected　and　judicious　person；　who　promises　me　that；　with　a　little　more　of　the　world；　your　manners　and　address　will　equal　your　knowledge。　　This　is　the　more　pleasing　to　me；　as　those　were　the　two　articles　of　which　I　was　the　most　doubtful。　　These　commendations　will　not；　I　am　persuaded；　make　you　vain　and　coxcomical；　but　only　encourage　you　to　go　on　in　the　right　way。




LETTER　LXXXI

LONDON；　September　12；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　It　seems　extraordinary；　but　it　is　very　true；　that　my　anxiety　for　you　increases　in　proportion　to　the　good　accounts　which　I　receive　of　you　from　all　hands。　　I　promise　myself　so　much　from　you；　that　I　dread　the　least　disappointment。　　You　are　now　so　near　the　port；　which　I　have　so　long　wished　and　labored　to　bring　you　safe　into；　that　my　concern　would　be　doubled；　should　you　be　shipwrecked　within　sight　of　it。　　The　object；　therefore；　of　this　letter　is　（laying　aside　all　th