letters to his son, 1749-第6章

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　and　in　your　head；　compare　the　ancient　geography　and　descriptions　with　the　modern；　and　never　fail　to　take　notes。　Rome　will　furnish　you　with　business　enough　of　that　sort；　but　then　it　furnishes　you　with　many　other　objects　well　deserving　your　attention；　such　as　deep　ecclesiastical　craft　and　policy。　　Adieu。




LETTER　LXIX

LONDON；　April　27；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　I　have　received　your　letter　from　Vienna；　of　the　19th　N。　S。；　which　gives　me　great　uneasiness　upon　Mr。　Harte's　account。　　You　and　I　have　reason　to　interest　ourselves　very　particularly　in　everything　that　relates　to　him。　　I　am　glad；　however；　that　no　bone　is　broken　or　dislocated；　which　being　the　case；　I　hope　he　will　have　been　able　to　pursue　his　journey　to　Venice。　　In　that　supposition　I　direct　this　letter　to　you　at　Turin；　where　it　will　either　find；　or　at　least　not　wait　very　long　for　you；　as　I　calculate　that　you　will　be　there　by　the　end　of　next　month；　N。　S。　　I　hope　you　reflect　how　much　you　have　to　do　there；　and　that　you　are　determined　to　employ　every　moment　of　your　time　accordingly。　　You　have　your　classical　and　severer　studies　to　continue　with　Mr。　Harte；　you　have　your　exercises　to　learn；　the　turn　and　manners　of　a　court　to　acquire；　reserving　always　some　time　for　the　decent　amusements　and　pleasures　of　a　gentleman。　　You　see　I　am　never　against　pleasures；　I　loved　them　myself　when　I　was　of　your　age；　and　it　is　as　reasonable　that　you　should　love　them　now。　　But　I　insist　upon　it　that　pleasures　are　very　combinable　with　both　business　and　studies；　and　have　a　much　better　relish　from　the　mixture。　　The　man　who　cannot　join　business　and　pleasure　is　either　a　formal　coxcomb　in　the　one；　or　a　sensual　beast　in　the　other。　　Your　evenings　I　therefore　allot　for　company；　assemblies；　balls；　and　such　sort　of　amusements；　as　I　look　upon　those　to　be　the　best　schools　for　the　manners　of　a　gentleman；　which　nothing　can　give　but　use；　observation；　and　experience。　　You　have；　besides；　Italian　to　learn；　to　which　I　desire　you　will　diligently　apply；　for　though　French　is；　I　believe；　the　language　of　the　court　at　Turin；　yet　Italian　will　be　very　necessary　for　you　at　Rome；　and　in　other　parts　of　Italy；　and　if　you　are　well　grounded　in　it　while　you　are　at　Turin　（as　you　easily　may；　for　it　is　a　very　easy　language）；　your　subsequent　stay　at　Rome　will　make　you　perfect　in　it。　　I　would　also　have　you　acquire　a　general　notion　of　fortification；　I　mean　so　far　as　not　to　be　ignorant　of　the　terms；　which　you　will　often　hear　mentioned　in　company；　such　as　ravelin；　bastion；　glacis；　contrescarpe；　etc。　　In　order　to　this；　I　do　not　propose　that　you　should　make　a　study　of　fortification；　as　if　you　were　to　be　an　engineer；　but　a　very　easy　way　of　knowing　as　much　as　you　need　know　of　them；　will　be　to　visit　often　the　fortifications　of　Turin；　in　company　with　some　old　officer　or　engineer；　who　will　show　and　explain　to　you　the　several　works　themselves；　by　which　means　you　will　get　a　clearer　notion　of　them　than　if　you　were　to　see　them　only　upon　paper　for　seven　years　together。　　Go　to　originals　whenever　you　can；　and　trust　to　copies　and　descriptions　as　little　as　possible。　　At　your　idle　hours；　while　you　are　at　Turin；　pray　read　the　history　of　the　House　of　Savoy；　which　has　produced　a　great　many　very　great　men。　　The　late　king；　Victor　Amedee；　was　undoubtedly　one；　and　the　present　king　is；　in　my　opinion；　another。　　In　general；　I　believe　that　little　princes　are　more　likely　to　be　great　men　than　those　whose　more　extensive　dominions　and　superior　strength　flatter　them　with　a　security；　which　commonly　produces　negligence　and　indolence。　　A　little　prince；　in　the　neighborhood　of　great　ones；　must　be　alert　and　look　out　sharp；　if　he　would　secure　his　own　dominions：　much　more　still　if　he　would　enlarge　them。　　He　must　watch　for　conjunctures　or　endeavor　to　make　them。　No　princes　have　ever　possessed　this　art　better　than　those　of　the　House　of　Savoy；　who　have　enlarged　their　dominions　prodigiously　within　a　century　by　profiting　of　conjunctures。

I　send　you　here　inclosed　a　letter　from　Comte　Lascaris；　who　is　a　warm　friend　of　yours：　I　desire　that　you　will　answer　it　very　soon　and　cordially；　and　remember　to　make　your　compliments　in　it　to　Comte　du　Perron。　　A　young　man　should　never　be　wanting　in　those　attentions；　they　cost　little　and　bring　in　a　great　deal；　by　getting　you　people's　good　word　and　affection。　　They　gain　the　heart；　to　which　I　have　always　advised　you　to　apply　yourself　particularly；　it　guides　ten　thousand　for　one　that；　reason　influences。

I　cannot　end　this　letter　or　（I　believe）　any　other；　without　repeating　my　recommendation　of　THE　GRACES。　　They　are　to　be　met　with　at　Turin：　for　God's　sake；　sacrifice　to　them；　and　they　will　be　propitious。　　People　mistake　grossly；　to　imagine　that　the　least　awkwardness；　either　in　matter　or　manner；　mind　or　body；　is　an　indifferent　thing　and　not　worthy　of　attention。　　It　may　possibly　be　a　weakness　in　me；　but　in　short　we　are　all　so　made：　I　confess　to　you　fairly；　that　when　you　shall　come　home　and　that　I　first　see　you；　if　I　find　you　ungraceful　in　your　address；　and　awkward　in　your　person　and　dress；　it　will　be　impossible　for　me　to　love　you　half　so　well　as　I　should　otherwise　do；　let　your　intrinsic　merit　and　knowledge　be　ever　so　great。　　If　that　would　be　your　case　with　me；　as　it　really　would；　judge　how　much　worse　it　might　be　with　others；　who　have　not　the　same　affection　and　partiality　for　you；　and　to　whose　hearts　you　must　make　your　own　way。

Remember　to　write　to　me　constantly　while　you　are　in　Italy；　in　the　German　language　and　character；　till　you　can　write　to　me　in　Italian；　which　will　not　be　till　you　have　been　some　time　at　Rome。

Adieu；　my　dear　boy：　may　you　turn　out　what　Mr。　Harte　and　I　wish　you。　　I　must　add　that　if　you　do　not；　it　will　be　both　your　own　fault　and　your　own　misfortune。




LETTER　LXX

LONDON；　May　15；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　This　letter　will；　I　hope；　find　you　settled　to　your　serious　studies；　and　your　necessary　exercises　at　Turin；　after　the　hurry　and　the　dissipation　of　the　Carnival　at　Venice。　　I　mean　that　your　stay　at　Turin　should；　and　I　flatter　myself　that　it　will；　be　an　useful　and　ornamental　period　of　your　education；　but　at　the　same　time　I　must　tell　you；　that　all　my　affection　for　you　has　never　yet　given　me　so　much　anxiety；　as　that　which　I　now　feel。　　While　you　are　in　danger；　I　shall　be　in　fear；　and　you　are　in　danger　at　Turin。　　Mr。　Harte　will　by　his　care　arm　you　as　well　as　he　can　against　it；　but　your　own　good　sense　and　resolution　can　alone　make　you　invulnerable。　　I　am　informed；　there　are　now　many　English　at　the　Academy　at　Turin；　and　I　fear　those　are　just　so　many　dangers　for　you　to　encounter。　Who　they　are；　I　do　not　know；　but　I　well　know　the　general　ill　conduct；　the　indecent　behavior；　and　the　illiberal　views；　of　my　young　countrymen。　abroad；　especially　wherever　they　are　in　numbers　together。　　Ill　example　is　of　itself　dangerous　enough；　but　those　who　give　it　seldom　stop　there；　they　add　their　infamous　exhortations　and　invitations；　and；　if　they　fail；　they　have　recourse　to　ridicule；　which　is　harder　for　one　of　your　age　and　inexperience　to　withstand　than　either　of　the　former。　　Be　upon　your　guard；　therefore；　against　these　batteries；　which　will　all　be　played　upon　you。　You　are　not　sent　abroad　to　converse　with　your　own　countrymen：　among　them；　in　general；　you　will　get；　little　knowledge；　no　languages；　and；　I　am　sure；　no　manners。　　I　desire　that　you　will　form　no　connections；　nor　（what　they　impudently　call）　friendships　with　these　people；　which　are；　in　truth；　only　combinations　and　conspiracies　against　good　morals　and　good　manners。　There　is　commonly；　in　young　people；　a　facility　that　makes　them　unwilling　to　refuse　anything　that　is　asked　of　them；　a　'mauvaise　honte'　that　makes　them　ashamed　to　refuse；　and；　at　the　same　time；　an　ambition　of　pleasing　and　shining　in　the　company　they　keep：　these　several　causes　produce　the　best　effect　in　good　company；　but　the　very　worst　in　bad。　　If　people　had　no　vices　but　their　own；　few　would　have　so　many　as　they　have。　　For　my　own　part；　I　would　sooner　wear　other　people's　clothes　than　their　vices；　and　they　would　sit　upon　me　just　as　well。　　I　hope　you　will　have　none；　but　if　ever　you　have；　I　beg；　at　least；　they　may　be　all　your　own。　　Vices　of　adoption　are；　of　all　others；　the　most　disgraceful　and　unpardonable。　There　are　degrees　in　vices；　as　well　as　in　virt