letters to his son, 1746-47-第2章

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DEAR　BOY：　Your　distresses　in　your　journey　from　Heidelberg　to
Schaffhausen；　your　lying　upon　straw；　your　black　bread；　and　your　broken
'berline；'　are　proper　seasonings　for　the　greater　fatigues　and　distresses
which　you　must　expect　in　the　course　of　your　travels；　and；　if　one　had　a
mind　to　moralize；　one　might　call　them　the　samples　of　the　accidents；　rubs；
and　difficulties；　which　every　man　meets　with　in　his　journey　through　life。
In　this　journey；　the　understanding　is　the　'voiture'　that　must　carry　you
through；　and　in　proportion　as　that　is　stronger　or　weaker；　more　or　less　in
repair；　your　journey　will　be　better　or　worse；　though　at　best　you　will　now
and　then　find　some　bad　roads；　and　some　bad　inns。　　Take　care；　therefore；
to　keep　that　necessary　'voiture'　in　perfect　good　repair；　examine；
improve；　and　strengthen　it　every　day：　it　is　in　the　power；　and　ought　to　be
the　care；　of　every　man　to　do　it；　he　that　neglects　it；　deserves　to　feel；
and　certainly　will　feel；　the　fatal　effects　of　that　negligence。

'A　propos'　of　negligence：　I　must　say　something　to　you　upon　that　subject。
You　know　I　have　often　told　you；　that　my　affection　for　you　was　not　a　weak；
womanish　one；　and；　far　from　blinding　me；　it　makes　me　but　more　quick…
sighted　as　to　your　faults；　those　it　is　not　only　my　right；　but　my　duty　to
tell　you　of；　and　it　is　your　duty　and　your　interest　to　correct　them。
In　the　strict　scrutiny　which　I　have　made　into　you；　I　have　（thank　God）
hitherto　not　discovered　any　vice　of　the　heart；　or　any　peculiar　weakness
of　the　head：　but　I　have　discovered　laziness；　inattention；　and
indifference；　faults　which　are　only　pardonable　in　old　men；　who；　in　the
decline　of　life；　when　health　and　spirits　fail；　have　a　kind　of　claim　to
that　sort　of　tranquillity。　　But　a　young　man　should　be　ambitious　to　shine；
and　excel；　alert；　active；　and　indefatigable　in　the　means　of　doing　it；
and；　like　Caesar；　'Nil　actum　reputans；　si　quid　superesset　agendum。'　　You
seem　to　want　that　'vivida　vis　animi；'　which　spurs　and　excites　most　young
men　to　please；　to　shine；　to　excel。　　Without　the　desire　and　the　pains
necessary　to　be　considerable；　depend　upon　it；　you　never　can　be　so；　as；
without　the　desire　and　attention　necessary　to　please；　you　never　can
please。　　'Nullum　numen　abest；　si　sit　prudentia；'　is　unquestionably　true；
with　regard　to　everything　except　poetry；　and　I　am　very　sure　that　any　man
of　common　understanding　may；　by　proper　culture；　care；　attention；　and
labor；　make　himself　whatever　he　pleases；　except　a　good　poet。　　Your
destination　is　the　great　and　busy　world；　your　immediate　object　is　the
affairs；　the　interests；　and　the　history；　the　constitutions；　the　customs；
and　the　manners　of　the　several　parts　of　Europe。　　In　this；　any　man　of
common　sense　may；　by　common　application；　be　sure　to　excel。　　Ancient　and
modern　history　are；　by　attention；　easily　attainable。　　Geography　and
chronology　the　same；　none　of　them　requiring　any　uncommon　share　of　genius
or　invention。　　Speaking　and　Writing；　clearly；　correctly；　and　with　ease
and　grace；　are　certainly　to　be　acquired；　by　reading　the　best　authors　with
care；　and　by　attention　to　the　best　living　models。　　These　are　the
qualifications　more　particularly　necessary　for　you；　in　your　department；
which　you　may　be　possessed　of；　if　you　please；　and　which；　I　tell　you
fairly；　I　shall　be　very　angry　at　you；　if　you　are　not；　because；　as　you
have　the　means　in　your　hands；　it　will　be　your　own　fault　only。

If　care　and　application　are　necessary　to　the　acquiring　of　those
qualifications；　without　which　you　can　never　be　considerable；　nor　make　a
figure　in　the　world；　they　are　not　less　necessary　with　regard　to　the
lesser　accomplishments；　which　are　requisite　to　make　you　agreeable　and
pleasing　in　society。　　In　truth；　whatever　is　worth　doing　at　all；　is　worth
doing　well；　and　nothing　can　be　done　well　without　attention：　I　therefore
carry　the　necessity　of　attention　down　to　the　lowest　things；　even　to
dancing　and　dress。　　Custom　has　made　dancing　sometimes　necessary　for　a
young　man；　therefore　mind　it　while　you　learn　it　that　you　may　learn　to　do
it　well；　and　not　be　ridiculous；　though　in　a　ridiculous　act。　　Dress　is　of
the　same　nature；　you　must　dress；　therefore　attend　to　it；　not　in　order　to
rival　or　to　excel　a　fop　in　it；　but　in　order　to　avoid　singularity；　and
consequently　ridicule。　　Take　great　care　always　to　be　dressed　like　the
reasonable　people　of　your　own　age；　in　the　place　where　you　are；　whose
dress　is　never　spoken　of　one　way　or　another；　as　either　too　negligent　or
too　much　studied。

What　is　commonly　called　an　absent　man；　is　commonly　either　a　very　weak；
or　a　very　affected　man；　but　be　he　which　he　will；　he　is；　I　am　sure；　a　very
disagreeable　man　in　company。　　He　fails　in　all　the　common　offices　of
civility；　he　seems　not　to　know　those　people　to…day；　whom　yesterday　he
appeared　to　live　in　intimacy　with。　　He　takes　no　part　in　the　general
conversation；　but；　on　the　contrary；　breaks　into　it　from　time　to　time；
with　some　start　of　his　own；　as　if　he　waked　from　a　dream。　　This　（as　I　said
before）　is　a　sure　indication；　either　of　a　mind　so　weak　that　it　is　not
able　to　bear　above　one　object　at　a　time；　or　so　affected；　that　it　would　be
supposed　to　be　wholly　engrossed　by；　and　directed　to；　some　very　great　and
important　objects。　　Sir　Isaac　Newton；　Mr。　Locke；　and　（it　may　be）　five　or
six　more；　since　the　creation　of　the　world；　may　have　had　a　right　to
absence；　from　that　intense　thought　which　the　things　they　were
investigating　required。　　But　if　a　young　man；　and　a　man　of　the　world；
who　has　no　such　avocations　to　plead；　will　claim　and　exercise　that　right
of　absence　in　company；　his　pretended　right　should；　in　my　mind；　be　turned
into　an　involuntary　absence；　by　his　perpetual　exclusion　out　of　company。
However　frivolous　a　company　may　be；　still；　while　you　are　among　them；
do　not　show　them；　by　your　inattention；　that　you　think　them　so；　but　rather
take　their　tone；　and　conform　in　some　degree　to　their　weakness；　instead　of
manifesting　your　contempt　for　them。　　There　is　nothing　that　people　bear
more　impatiently；　or　forgive　less；　than　contempt；　and　an　injury　is　much
sooner　forgotten　than　an　insult。　　If；　therefore；　you　would　rather　please
than　offend；　rather　be　well　than　ill　spoken　of；　rather　be　loved　than
hated；　remember　to　have　that　constant　attention　about　you　which　flatters
every　man's　little　vanity；　and　the　want　of　which；　by　mortifying　his
pride；　never　fails　to　excite　his　resentment；　or　at　least　his　ill　will。
For　instance；　most　people　（I　might　say　all　people）　have　their　weaknesses；
they　have　their　aversions　and　their　likings；　to　such　or　such　things；　so
that；　if　you　were　to　laugh　at　a　man　for　his　aversion　to　a　cat；　or　cheese
（which　are　common　antipathies）；　or；　by　inattention　and　negligence；　to　let
them　come　in　his　way；　where　you　could　prevent　it；　he　would；　in　the　first
case；　think　himself　insulted；　and；　in　the　second；　slighted；　and　would
remember　both。　　Whereas　your　care　to　procure　for　him　what　he　likes；　and
to　remove　from　him　what　he　hates；　shows　him　that　he　is　at　least　an　object
of　your　attention；　flatters　his　vanity；　and　makes　him　possibly　more　your
friend；　than　a　more　important　service　would　have　done。　　With　regard　to
women；　attentions　still　below　these　are　necessary；　and；　by　the　custom　of
the　world；　in　some　measure　due；　according　to　the　laws　of　good…breeding。

My　long　and　frequent　letters；　which　I　send　you；　in　great　doubt　of　their
success；　put　me　in　mind　of　certain　papers；　which　you　have　very　lately；
and　I　formerly；　sent　up　to　kites；　along　the　string；　which　we　called
messengers；　some　of　them　the　wind　used　to　blow　away；　others　were　torn　by
the　string；　and　but　few　of　them　got　up　and　stuck　to　the　kite。　　But　I　will
content　myself　now；　as　I　did　then；　if　some　of　my　present　messengers　do
but　stick　to　you。　　Adieu！




LETTER　II

DEAR　BOY：　You　are　by　this　time　（I　suppose）　quite　settled　and　at　home　at
Lausanne；　therefore　pray　let　me　know　how　you　pass　your　time　there；　and
what　your　studies；　your　amusements；　and　your　acquaintances　are。　　I　take
it　for　granted；　that　you　inform　yourself　daily　of　the　nature　of　the
government　and　constitution　of　the　Thirteen　Cantons；　and　as　I　am　ignorant
of　them　myself；　must　apply　to　you　for　information。　　I　know　the　names；　but
I　do　not　know　the　na