letters to his son, 1746-47-第3章

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of　them　myself；　must　apply　to　you　for　information。　　I　know　the　names；　but
I　do　not　know　the　nature　of　some　of　the　most　considerable　offices　there；
such　as　the　Avoyers；　the　Seizeniers；　the　Banderets；　and　the　Gros　Sautier。
I　desire；　therefore；　that　you　will　let　me　know　what　is　the　particular
business；　department；　or　province　of　these　several　magistrates。　　But　as
I　imagine　that　there　may　be　some；　though；　I　believe；　no　essential
difference；　in　the　governments　of　the　several　Cantons；　I　would　not　give
you　the　trouble　of　informing　yourself　of　each　of　them；　but　confine　my
inquiries；　as　you　may　your　informations；　to　the　Canton　you　reside　in；
that　of　Berne；　which　I　take　to　be　the　principal　one。　　I　am　not　sure
whether　the　Pays　de　Vaud；　where　you　are；　being　a　conquered　country；　and
taken　from　the　Dukes　of　Savoy；　in　the　year　1536；　has　the　same　share　in
the　government　of　the　Canton；　as　the　German　part　of　it　has。　　Pray　inform
yourself　and　me　about　it。

I　have　this　moment　received　yours　from　Berne；　of　the　2d　October；　N。　S。
and　also　one　from　Mr。　Harte；　of　the　same　date；　under　Mr。　Burnaby's　cover。
I　find　by　the　latter；　and　indeed　I　thought　so　before；　that　some　of　your
letters　and　some　of　Mr。　Harte's　have　not　reached　me。　　Wherefore；　for　the
future；　I　desire；　that　both　he　and　you　will　direct　your　letters　for　me；
to　be　left　ches　Monsieur　Wolters；　Agent　de　S。　M。　Britanique；　a　Rotterdam；
who　will　take　care　to　send　them　to　me　safe。　　The　reason　why　you　have　not
received　letters　either　from　me　or　from　Grevenkop　was　that　we　directed
them　to　Lausanne；　where　we　thought　you　long　ago：　and　we　thought　it　to　no
purpose　to　direct　to　you　upon　your　ROUTE；　where　it　was　little　likely　that
our　letters　would　meet　with　you。　　But　you　have；　since　your　arrival　at
Lausanne；　I　believe；　found　letters　enough　from　me；　and　it　may　be　more
than　you　have　read；　at　least　with　attention。

I　am　glad　that　you　like　Switzerland　so　well；　and　am　impatient　to　hear　how
other　matters　go；　after　your　settlement　at　Lausanne。　　God　bless　you！




LETTER　III

LONDON；　December　2；　O。S。　　1746。

DEAR　BOY：　I　have　not；　in　my　present　situation；　＇His　Lordship　was；　in
the　year　1746；　appointed　one　of　his　Majesty's　secretaries　of　state。＇
time　to　write　to　you；　either　so　much　or　so　often　as　I　used；　while　I　was
in　a　place　of　much　more　leisure　and　profit；　but　my　affection　for　you　must
not　be　judged　of　by　the　number　of　my　letters；　and；　though　the　one
lessens；　the　other；　I　assure　you；　does　not。

I　have　just　now　received　your　letter　of　the　25th　past；　N。　S。；　and；　by　the
former　post；　one　from　Mr。　Harte；　with　both　which　I　am　very　well　pleased：
with　Mr。　Harte's；　for　the　good　account　which　he　gives　me　of　you；　with
yours；　for　the　good　account　which　you　gave　me　of　what　I　desired　to　be
informed　of。　　Pray　continue　to　give　me　further　information　of　the　form　of
government　of　the　country　you　are　now　in；　which　I　hope　you　will　know　most
minutely　before　you　leave　it。　　The　inequality　of　the　town　of　Lausanne
seems　to　be　very　convenient　in　this　cold　weather；　because　going　up　hill
and　down　will　keep　you　warm。　　You　say　there　is　a　good　deal　of　good
company；　pray；　are　you　got　into　it？　　Have　you　made　acquaintances；　and
with　whom？　　Let　me　know　some　of　their　names。　　Do　you　learn　German　yet；　to
read；　write；　and　speak　it？

Yesterday；　I　saw　a　letter　from　Monsieur　Bochat　to　a　friend　of　mine；　which
gave　me　the　greatest　pleasure　that　I　have　felt　this　great　while；　because
it　gives　so　very　good　an　account　of　you。　　Among　other　things　which
Monsieur　Bochat　says　to　your　advantage；　he　mentions　the　tender　uneasiness
and　concern　that　you　showed　during　my　illness；　for　which　（though　I　will
say　that　you　owe　it　to　me）　I　am　obliged　to　you：　sentiments　of　gratitude
not　being　universal；　nor　even　common。　　As　your　affection　for　me　can　only
proceed　from　your　experience　and　conviction　of　my　fondness　for　you　（for
to　talk　of　natural　affection　is　talking　nonsense）；　the　only　return　I
desire　is；　what　it　is　chiefly　your　interest　to　make　me；　I　mean　your
invariable　practice　of　virtue；　and　your　indefatigable　pursuit　of
knowledge。　　Adieu！　and　be　persuaded　that　I　shall　love　you　extremely；
while　you　deserve　it；　but　not　one　moment　longer。




LETTER　IV

LONDON；　December　9；　O。　S。　　1746。

DEAR　BOY：　Though　I　have　very　little　time；　and　though　I　write　by　this　post
to　Mr。　Harte；　yet　I　cannot　send　a　packet　to　Lausanne　without　a　word　or
two　to　yourself。　　I　thank　you　for　your　letter　of　congratulation　which　you
wrote　me；　notwithstanding　the　pain　it　gave　you。　　The　accident　that　caused
the　pain　was；　I　presume；　owing　to　that　degree　of　giddiness；　of　which　I
have　sometimes　taken　the　liberty　to　speak　to　you。　　The　post　I　am　now　in；
though　the　object　of　most　people's　views　and　desires；　was　in　some　degree
inflicted　upon　me；　and　a　certain　concurrence　cf　circumstances　obliged　me
to　engage　in　it。　　But　I　feel　that　to　go　through　with　it　requires　more
strength　of　body　and　mind　than　I　have：　were　you　three　or　four　years
older；　you　should　share　in　my　trouble；　and　I　would　have　taken　you　into　my
office；　but　I　hope　you　will　employ　these　three　or　four　years　so　well　as
to　make　yourself　capable　of　being　of　use　to　me；　if　I　should　continue　in
it　so　long。　　The　reading；　writing；　and　speaking　the　modern　languages
correctly；　the　knowledge　of　the　laws　of　nations；　and　the　particular
constitution　of　the　empire；　of　history；　geography；　and　chronology；　are
absolutely　necessary　to　this　business；　for　which　I　have　always　intended
you。　　With　these　qualifications　you　may　very　possibly　be　my　successor；
though　not　my　immediate　one。

I　hope　you　employ　your　whole　time；　which　few　people　do；　and　that　you　put
every　moment　to；　profit　of　some　kind　or　other。　　I　call　company；　walking；
riding；　etc。；　employing　one's　time；　and；　upon　proper　occasions；　very
usefully；　but　what　I　cannot　forgive　in　anybody　is　sauntering；　and　doing
nothing　at　all；　with　a　thing　so　precious　as　time；　and　so　irrecoverable
when　lost。

Are　you　acquainted　with　any　ladies　at　Lausanne？　　and　do　you　behave
yourself　with　politeness　enough　to　make　them　desire　your　company？

I　must　finish：　God　bless　you！




LETTER　V

LONDON；　February　24；　O。　S。　　1747

SIR：　In　order　that　we　may；　reciprocally；　keep　up　our　French；　which；　for
want　of　practice；　we　might　forget；　you　will　permit　me　to　have　the　honor
of　assuring　you　of　my　respects　in　that　language：　and　be　so　good　to　answer
me　in　the　same。　　Not　that　I　am　apprehensive　of　your　forgetting　to　speak
French：　since　it　is　probable　that　two…thirds　of　our　daily　prattle　is　in
that　language；　and　because；　if　you　leave　off　writing　French；　you　may
perhaps　neglect　that　grammatical　purity；　and　accurate　orthography；　which；
in　other　languages；　you　excel　in；　and　really；　even　in　French；　it　is
better　to　write　well　than　ill。　　However；　as　this　is　a　language　very
proper　for　sprightly；　gay　subjects；　I　shall　conform　to　that；　and　reserve
those　which　are　serious　for　English。　　I　shall　not　therefore　mention　to
you；　at　present；　your　Greek　or　Latin；　your　study　of　the　Law　of　Nature；　or
the　Law　of　Nations；　the　Rights　of　People；　or　of　Individuals；　but　rather
discuss　the　subject　of　your　Amusements　and　Pleasures；　for；　to　say　the
truth；　one　must　have　some。　　May　I　be　permitted　to　inquire　of　what　nature
yours　are？　　Do　they　consist　in　little　commercial　play　at　cards　in　good
company？　are　they　little　agreeable　suppers；　at　which　cheerfulness　and
decency　are　united？　or；　do　you　pay　court　to　some　fair　one；　who　requires
such　attentions　as　may　be　of　use　in　contributing　to　polish　you？　　Make　me
your　confidant　upon　this　subject；　you　shall　not　find　a　severe　censor：　on
the　contrary；　I　wish　to　obtain　the　employment　of　minister　to　your
pleasures：　I　will　point　them　out；　and　even　contribute　to　them。

Many　young　people　adopt　pleasures；　for　which　they　have　not　the　least
taste；　only　because　they　are　called　by　that　name。　　They　often　mistake　so
totally；　as　to　imagine　that　debauchery　is　pleasure。　　You　must　allow　that
drunkenness；　which　is　equally　destructive　to　body　and　mind；　is　a　fine
pleasure。　　Gaming；　that　draws　you　into　a　thousand　scrapes；　leaves　you
penniless；　and　gives　you　the　air　and　manners　of　an　outrageous　madman；
is　another　most　exquisite　pleasure；　is　i