letters to his son, 1749-第21章

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ou　will　inform　yourself　which　are　the　best。　　It　is　a　part　of　history　very　entertaining；　curious　enough；　and　not　quite　useless。　　All　these　sort　of　things　I　would　have　you　know；　to　a　certain　degree；　but　remember；　that　they　must　only　be　the　amusements；　and　not　the　business　of　a　man　of　parts。

Since　writing　to　me　in　German　would　take　up　so　much　of　your　time；　of　which　I　would　not　now　have　one　moment　wasted；　I　will　accept　of　your　composition；　and　content　myself　with　a　moderate　German　letter　once　a　fortnight；　to　Lady　Chesterfield　or　Mr。　Gravenkop。　　My　meaning　was　only　that　you　should　not　forget　what　you　had　already　learned　of　the　German　language　and　character；　but；　on　the　contrary；　that　by　frequent　use　it　should　grow　more　easy　and　familiar。　　Provided　you　take　care　of　that；　I　do　not　care　by　what　means：　but　I　do　desire　that　you　will　every　day　of　your　life　speak　German　to　somebody　or　other　（for　you　will　meet　with　Germans　enough）；　and　write　a　line　or　two　of　it　every　day　to　keep　your　hand　in。　Why　should　you　not　（for　instance）　write　your　little　memorandums　and　accounts　in　that　language　and　character？　　by　which；　too；　you　would　have　this　advantage　into　the　bargain；　that；　if　mislaid；　few　but　yourself　could　read　them。

I　am　extremely　glad　to　hear　that　you　like　the　assemblies　at　Venice　well　enough　to　sacrifice　some　suppers　to　them；　for　I　hear　that　you　do　not　dislike　your　suppers　neither。　　It　is　therefore　plain；　that　there　is　somebody　or　something　at　those　assemblies；　which　you　like　better　than　your　meat。　　And　as　I　know　that　there　is　none　but　good　company　at　those　assemblies；　I　am　very　glad　to　find　that　you　like　good　company　so　well。　I　already　imagine　that　you　are　a　little；　smoothed　by　it；　and　that　you　have　either　reasoned　yourself；　or　that　they　have　laughed　you　out　of　your　absences　and　DISTRACTIONS；　for　I　cannot　suppose　that　you　go　there　to　insult　them。　　I　likewise　imagine；　that　you　wish　to　be　welcome　where　you　wish　to　go；　and　consequently；　that　you　both　present　and　behave　yourself　there　'en　galant　homme；　et　pas　in　bourgeois'。

If　you　have　vowed　to　anybody　there　one　of　those　eternal　passions　which　I　have　sometimes　known；　by　great　accident；　last　three　months；　I　can　tell　you　that　without　great　attention；　infinite　politeness；　and　engaging　air　and　manners；　the　omens　will　be　sinister；　and　the　goddess　unpropitious。　Pray　tell　me　what　are　the　amusements　of　those　assemblies？　　Are　they　little　commercial　play；　are　they　music；　are　they　'la　belle　conversation'；　or　are　they　all　three？　　'Y　file…t…on　le　parfait　amour？　　Y　debite…t…on　les　beaux　sentimens？　　Ou　est…ce　yu'on　y　parle　Epigramme？　　And　pray　which　is　your　department？　　'Tutis　depone　in　auribus'。　　Whichever　it　is；　endeavor　to　shine　and　excel　in　it。　　Aim　at　least　at　the　perfection　of　everything　that　is　worth　doing　at　all；　and　you　will　come　nearer　it　than　you　would　imagine；　but　those　always　crawl　infinitely　short　of　it　whose　aim　is　only　mediocrity。　　Adieu。

P。　S。　　By　an　uncommon　diligence　of　the　post；　I　have　this　moment　received　yours　of　the　9th；　N。　S。




LETTER　LXXXVII

LONDON；　October　24；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　By　my　last　I　only　acknowledged；　by　this　I　answer；　your　letter　of　the　9th　October；　N。　S。

I　am　very　glad　that　you　approved　of　my　letter　of　September　the　12th；　O。　S。；　because　it　is　upon　that　footing　that　I　always　propose　living　with　you。　　I　will　advise　you　seriously；　as　a　friend　of　some　experience；　and　I　will　converse　with　you　cheerfully　as　a　companion；　the　authority　of　a　parent　shall　forever　be　laid　aside；　for；　wherever　it　is　exerted；　it　is　useless；　since；　if　you　have　neither　sense　nor　sentiments　enough　to　follow　my　advice　as　a　friend；　your　unwilling　obedience　to　my　orders　as　a　father　will　be　a　very　awkward　and　unavailing　one　both　to　yourself　and　me。　Tacitus；　speaking　of　an　army　that　awkwardly　and　unwillingly　obeyed　its　generals　only　from　the　fear　of　punishment；　says；　they　obeyed　indeed；　'Sed　ut　qua　mallent　jussa　Imperatorum　interpretari；　quam　exequi'。　　For　my　own　part；　I　disclaim　such　obedience。

You　think；　I　find；　that　you　do　not　understand　Italian；　but　I　can　tell　you；　that；　like　the　'Bourgeois　Gentilhomme'；　who　spoke　prose　without　knowing　it；　you　understand　a　great　deal；　though　you　do　not　know　that　you　do；　for　whoever　understands　French　and　Latin　so　well　as　you　do；　understands　at　least　half　the　Italian　language；　and　has　very　little　occasion　for　a　dictionary。　　And　for　the　idioms；　the　phrases；　and　the　delicacies　of　it；　conversation　and　a　little　attention　will　teach　them　you；　and　that　soon；　therefore；　pray　speak　it　in　company；　right　or　wrong；　'a　tort　ou　a　travers'；　as　soon　as　ever　you　have　got　words　enough　to　ask　a　common　question；　or　give　a　common　answer。　　If　you　can　only　say　'buon　giorno'；　say　it；　instead　of　saying　'bon　jour'；　I　mean　to　every　Italian；　the　answer　to　it　will　teach　you　more　words；　and　insensibly　you　will　be　very　soon　master　of　that　easy　language。　　You　are　quite　right　in　not　neglecting　your　German　for　it；　and　in　thinking　that　it　will　be　of　more　use　to　you；　it　certainly　will；　in　the　course　of　your　business；　but　Italian　has　its　use　too；　and　is　an　ornament　into　the　bargain；　there　being　many　very　polite　and　good　authors　in　that　language。　　The　reason　you　assign　for　having　hitherto　met　with　none　of　my　swarms　of　Germans　in　Italy；　is　a　very　solid　one；　and　I　can　easily　conceive；　that　the　expense　necessary　for　a　traveler　must　amount　to　a　number　of　thalers；　groschen；　and　kreutzers；　tremendous　to　a　German　fortune。　　However；　you　will　find　several　at　Rome；　either　ecclesiastics；　or　in　the　suite　of　the　Imperial　Minister；　and　more；　when　you　come　into　the　Milanese；　among　the　Queen　of　Hungary's　officers。　　Besides；　you　have　a　Saxon　servant；　to　whom　I　hope　you　speak　nothing　but　German。

I　have　had　the　most　obliging　letter　in　the　world　from　Monsieur　Capello；　in　which　he　speaks　very　advantageously　of　you；　and　promises　you　his　protection　at　Rome。　　I　have　wrote　him　an　answer　by　which　I　hope　I　have　domesticated　you　at　his　hotel　there；　which　I　advise　you　to　frequent　as　much　as　you　can。　　'Il　est　vrai　qui'il　ne　paie　pas　beaucaup　de　sa　figure'；　but　he　has　sense　and　knowledge　at　bottom；　with　a　great　experience　of　business；　having　been　already　Ambassador　at　Madrid；　Vienna；　and　London。　And　I　am　very　sure　that　he　will　be　willing　to　give　you　any　informations；　in　that　way；　that　he　can。

Madame　was　a　capricious；　whimsical；　fine　lady；　till　the　smallpox；　which　she　got　here；　by　lessening　her　beauty；　lessened　her　humors　too；　but；　as　I　presume　it　did　not　change　her　sex；　I　trust　to　that　for　her　having　such　a　share　of　them　left；　as　may　contribute　to　smooth　and　polish　you。　　She；　doubtless；　still　thinks　that　she　has　beauty　enough　remaining　to　entitle　her　to　the　attentions　always　paid　to　beauty；　and　she　has　certainly　rank　enough　to　require　respect。　　Those　are　the　sort　of　women　who　polish　a　young　man　the　most；　and　who　give　him　that　habit　of　complaisance；　and　that　flexibility　and　versatility　of　manners　which　prove　of　great　use　to　him　with　men；　and　in　the　course　of　business。

You　must　always　expect　to　hear；　more　or　less；　from　me；　upon　that　important　subject　of　manners；　graces；　address；　and　that　undefinable　'je　ne　sais　quoi'　that　ever　pleases。　　I　have　reason　to　believe　that　you　want　nothing　else；　but　I　have　reason　to　fear　too；　that　you　want　those：　and　that　want　will　keep　you　poor　in　the　midst　of　all　the　plenty　of　knowledge　which　you　may　have　treasured　up。　　Adieu。




LETTER　LXXXVIII

LONDON；　November　3；　O。　S。　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　From　the　time　that　you　have　had　life；　it　has　been　the　principle　and　favorite　object　of　mine；　to　make　you　as　perfect　as　the　imperfections　of　human　nature　will　allow：　in　this　view；　I　have　grudged　no　pains　nor　expense　in　your　education；　convinced　that　education；　more　than　nature；　is　the　cause　of　that　great　difference　which　you　see　in　the　characters　of　men。　　While　you　were　a　child；　I　endeavored　to　form　your　heart　habitually　to　virtue　and　honor；　before　your　understanding　was　capable　of　showing　you　their　beauty　and　utility。　　Those　principles；　which　you　then　got；　like　your　grammar　rules；　only　by　rote；　are　now；　I　am　persuaded；　fixed　and　confirmed　by　reason。　　And　indeed　they　are　so　plain　and　clear；　that　they　require　but　a　very　moderate　degree　of　understanding；　either　to　comprehend　or　practice