letters to his son, 1749-第20章

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ican；　and　the　Pantheon；　are　the　principal　objects　of　your　curiosity。　　But　for　one　minute　that　you　bestow　upon　those；　employ　ten　days　in　informing　yourself　of　the　nature　of　that　government；　the　rise　and　decay　of　the　papal　power；　the　politics　of　that　court；　the　'Brigues'　of　the　cardinals；　the　tricks　of　the　Conclaves；　and；　in　general；　everything　that　relates　to　the　interior　of　that　extraordinary　government；　founded　originally　upon　the　ignorance　and　superstition　of　mankind；　extended　by　the　weakness　of　some　princes；　and　the　ambition　of　others；　declining　of　late　in　proportion　as　knowledge　has　increased；　and　owing　its　present　precarious　security；　not　to　the　religion；　the　affection；　or　the　fear　of　the　temporal　powers；　but　to　the　jealousy　of　each　other。　　The　Pope's　excommunications　are　no　longer　dreaded；　his　indulgences　little　solicited；　and　sell　very　cheap；　and　his　territories　formidable　to　no　power；　are　coveted　by　many；　and　will；　most　undoubtedly；　within　a　century；　be　scantled　out　among　the　great　powers；　who　have　now　a　footing　in　Italy；　whenever　they　can　agree　upon　the　division　of　the　bear's　skin。　　Pray　inform　yourself　thoroughly　of　the　history　of　the　popes　and　the　popedom；　which；　for　many　centuries；　is　interwoven　with　the　history　of　all　Europe。　　Read　the　best　authors　who　treat　of　these　matters；　and　especially　Fra　Paolo；　'De　Beneficiis'；　a　short；　but　very　material　book。　　You　will　find　at　Rome　some　of　all　the　religious　orders　in　the　Christian　world。　　Inform　yourself　carefully　of　their　origin；　their　founders；　their　rules；　their　reforms；　and　even　their　dresses：　get　acquainted　with　some　of　all　of　them；　but　particularly　with　the　Jesuits；　whose　society　I　look　upon　to　be　the　most　able　and　best　governed　society　in　the　world。　　Get　acquainted；　if　you　can；　with　their　General；　who　always　resides　at　Rome；　and　who；　though　he　has　no　seeming　power　out　of　his　own　society；　has　（it　may　be）　more　real　influence　over　the　whole　world；　than　any　temporal　prince　in　it。　　They　have　almost　engrossed　the　education　of　youth；　they　are；　in　general；　confessors　to　most　of　the　princes　of　Europe；　and　they　are　the　principal　missionaries　out　of　it；　which　three　articles　give　them　a　most　extensive　influence　and　solid　advantages；　witness　their　settlement　in　Paraguay。　　The　Catholics　in　general　declaim　against　that　society；　and　yet　are　all　governed　by　individuals　of　it。　　They　have；　by　turns；　been　banished；　and　with　infamy；　almost　every　country　in　Europe；　and　have　always　found　means　to　be　restored；　even　with　triumph。　　In　short；　I　know　no　government　in　the　world　that　is　carried　on　upon　such　deep　principles　of　policy；　I　will　not　add　morality。　　Converse　with　them；　frequent　them；　court　them；　but　know　them。

Inform　yourself；　too；　of　that　infernal　court；　the　Inquisition；　which；　though　not　so　considerable　at　Rome　as　in　Spain　and　Portugal；　will；　however；　be　a　good　sample　to　you　of　what　the　villainy　of　some　men　can　contrive；　the　folly　of　others　receive；　and　both　together　establish；　in　spite　of　the　first　natural　principles　of　reason；　justice；　and　equity。

These　are　the　proper　and　useful　objects　of　the　attention　of　a　man　of　sense；　when　he　travels；　and　these　are　the　objects　for　which　I　have　sent　you　abroad；　and　I　hope　you　will　return　thoroughly　informed　of　them。

I　receive　this　very　moment　Mr。　Harte's　letter　of　the　1st　October；　N。　S。；　but　I　never　received　his　former；　to　which　he　refers　in　this；　and　you　refer　in　your　last；　in　which　he　gave　me　the　reasons　for　your　leaving　Verona　so　soon；　nor　have　I　ever　received　that　letter　in　which　your　case　was　stated　by　your　physicians。　　Letters　to　and　from　me　have　worse　luck　than　other　people's；　for　you　have　written　to　me；　and　I　to　you；　for　these　last　three　months；　by　way　of　Germany；　with　as　little　success　as　before。

I　am　edified　with　your　morning　applications；　and　your　evening　gallantries　at　Venice；　of　which　Mr。　Harte　gives　me　an　account。　　Pray　go　on　with　both　there；　and　afterward　at　Rome；　where；　provided　you　arrive　in　the　beginning　of　December；　you　may　stay　at　Venice　as　much　longer　as　you　please。

Make　my　compliments　to　Sir　James　Gray　and　Mr。　Smith；　with　my　acknowledgments　for　the　great　civilities　they　show　you。

I　wrote　to　Mr。　Harte　by　the　last　post；　October　the　6th；　O。　S。；　and　will　write　to　him　in　a　post　or　two　upon　the　contents　of　his　last。　　Adieu！　'Point　de　distractions'；　and　remember　the　GRACES。




LETTER　LXXXVI

LONDON；　October　17；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　I　have　at　last　received　Mr。　Harte's　letter　of　the　19th　September；　N。　S。；　from　Verona。　　Your　reasons　for　leaving　that　place　were　very　good　ones；　and　as　you　stayed　there　long　enough　to　see　what　was　to　be　seen；　Venice　（as　a　capital）　is；　in　my　opinion；　a　much　better　place　for　your　residence。　　Capitals　are　always　the　seats　of　arts　and　sciences；　and　the　best　companies。　　I　have　stuck　to　them　all　my　lifetime；　and　I　advise　you　to　do　so　too。

You　will　have　received　in　my　three　or　four　last　letters　my　directions　for　your　further　motions　to　another　capital；　where　I　propose　that　your　stay　shall　be　pretty　considerable。　　The　expense；　I　am　well　aware；　will　be　so　too；　but　that；　as　I　told　you　before；　will　have　no　weight　when　your　improvement　and　advantage　are　in　the　other　scale。　　I　do　not　care　a　groat　what　it　is；　if　neither　vice　nor　folly　are　the　objects　of　it；　and　if　Mr。　Harte　gives　his　sanction。

I　am　very　well　pleased　with　your　account　of　Carniola；　those　are　the　kind　of　objects　worthy　of　your　inquiries　and　knowledge。　　The　produce；　the　taxes；　the　trade；　the　manufactures；　the　strength；　the　weakness；　the　government　of　the　several　countries　which　a　man　of　sense　travels　through；　are　the　material　points　to　which　he　attends；　and　leaves　the　steeples；　the　market…places；　and　the　signs；　to　the　laborious　and　curious　researches　of　Dutch　and　German　travelers。

Mr。　Harte　tells　me；　that　he　intends　to　give　you；　by　means　of　Signor　Vicentini；　a　general　notion　of　civil　and　military　architecture；　with　which　I　am　very　well　pleased。　　They　are　frequent　subjects　of　conversation；　and　it　is　very　right　that　you　should　have　some　idea　of　the　latter；　and　a　good　taste　of　the　former；　and　you　may　very　soon　learn　as　much　as　you　need　know　of　either。　　If　you　read　about　one…third　of　Palladio's　book　of　architecture　with　some　skillful　person；　and　then；　with　that　person；　examine　the　best　buildings　by　those　rules；　you　will　know　the　different　proportions　of　the　different　orders；　the　several　diameters　of　their　columns；　their　intercolumniations；　their　several　uses；　etc。　　The　Corinthian　Order　is　chiefly　used　in　magnificent　buildings；　where　ornament　and　decoration　are　the　principal　objects；　the　Doric　is　calculated　for　strength；　and　the　Ionic　partakes　of　the　Doric　strength；　and　of　the　Corinthian　ornaments。　　The　Composite　and　the　Tuscan　orders　are　more　modern；　and　were　unknown　to　the　Greeks；　the　one　is　too　light；　the　other　too　clumsy。　　You　may　soon　be　acquainted　with　the　considerable　parts　of　civil　architecture；　and　for　the　minute　and　mechanical　parts　of　it；　leave　them　to　masons；　bricklayers；　and　Lord　Burlington；　who　has；　to　a　certain　extent；　lessened　himself　by　knowing　them　too　well。　　Observe　the　same　method　as　to　military　architecture；　understand　the　terms；　know　the　general　rules；　and　then　see　them　in　execution　with　some　skillful　person。　Go　with　some　engineer　or　old　officer；　and　view　with　care　the　real　fortifications　of　some　strong　place；　and　you　will　get　a　clearer　idea　of　bastions；　half…moons；　horn…works；　ravelins；　glacis；　etc。；　than　all　the　masters　in　the　world　could　give　you　upon　paper。　　And　thus　much　I　would；　by　all　means；　have　you　know　of　both　civil　and　military　architecture。

I　would　also　have　you　acquire　a　liberal　taste　of　the　two　liberal　arts　of　painting　and　sculpture；　but　without　descending　into　those　minutia；　which　our　modern　virtuosi　most　affectedly　dwell　upon。　　Observe　the　great　parts　attentively；　see　if　nature　be　truly　represented；　if　the　passions　are　strongly　expressed；　if　the　characters　are　preserved；　and　leave　the　trifling　parts；　with　their　little　jargon；　to　affected　puppies。　　I　would　advise　you　also；　to　read　the　history　of　the　painters　and　sculptors；　and　I　know　none　better　than　Felibien's。　　There　are　many　in　Italian；　you　will　inform　yourself　which　are　the　best。　　It　is　a　part　of　history　very　entertaining；　curious　enou