letters to his son, 1746-47-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


who　only　call　themselves　so。　　Does　good　company　care　to　have　a　man
reeling　drunk　among　them？　　Or　to　see　another　tearing　his　hair；　and
blaspheming；　for　having　lost；　at　play；　more　than　he　is　able　to　pay？
Or　a　whoremaster　with　half　a　nose；　and　crippled　by　coarse　and　infamous
debauchery？　　No；　those　who　practice；　and　much　more　those　who　brag　of
them；　make　no　part　of　good　company；　and　are　most　unwillingly；　if　ever；
admitted　into　it。　　A　real　man　of　fashion　and　pleasures　observes　decency：
at　least　neither　borrows　nor　affects　vices：　and　if　he　unfortunately　has
any；　he　gratifies　them　with　choice；　delicacy；　and　secrecy。

I　have　not　mentioned　the　pleasures　of　the　mind　（which　are　the　solid　and
permanent　ones）；　because　they　do　not　come　under　the　head　of　what　people
commonly　call　pleasures；　which　they　seem　to　confine　to　the　senses。　　The
pleasure　of　virtue；　of　charity；　and　of　learning　is　true　and　lasting
pleasure；　with　which　I　hope　you　will　be　well　and　long　acquainted。　　Adieu！




LETTER　VIII

LONDON；　April　3；　O。　S。　　1747

DEAR　BOY：　If　I　am　rightly　informed；　I　am　now　writing　to　a　fine　gentleman；
in　a　scarlet　coat　laced　with　gold；　a　brocade　waistcoat；　and　all　other
suitable　ornaments。　　The　natural　partiality　of　every　author　for　his　own
works　makes　me　very　glad　to　hear　that　Mr。　Harte　has　thought　this　last
edition　of　mine　worth　so　fine　a　binding；　and；　as　he　has　bound　it　in　red；
and　gilt　it　upon　the　back；　I　hope　he　will　take　care　that　it　shall　be
LETTERED　too。　　A　showish　binding　attracts　the　eyes；　and　engages　the
attention　of　everybody；　but　with　this　difference；　that　women；　and　men　who
are　like　women；　mind　the　binding　more　than　the　book；　whereas　men　of　sense
and　learning　immediately　examine　the　inside；　and　if　they　find　that　it
does　not　answer　the　finery　on　the　outside；　they　throw　it　by　with　the
greater　indignation　and　contempt。　　I　hope　that；　when　this　edition　of　my
works　shall　be　opened　and　read；　the　best　judges　will　find　connection；
consistency；　solidity；　and　spirit　in　it。　　Mr。　Harte　may　'recensere'　and
'emendare；'　as　much　as　he　pleases；　but　it　will　be　to　little　purpose；　if
you　do　not　cooperate　with　him。　　The　work　will　be　imperfect。

I　thank　you　for　your　last　information　of　our　success　in　the
Mediterranean；　and　you　say　very　rightly　that　a　secretary　of　state　ought
to　be　well　informed。　　I　hope；　therefore；　you　will　take　care　that　I　shall。
You　are　near　the　busy　scene　in　Italy；　and　I　doubt　not　but　that；　by
frequently　looking　at　the　map；　you　have　all　that　theatre　of　the　war　very
perfect　in　your　mind。

I　like　your　account　of　the　salt　works；　which　shows　that　you　gave　some
attention　while　you　were　seeing　them。　　But　notwithstanding　that；　by　your
account；　the　Swiss　salt　is　（I　dare　say）　very　good；　yet　I　am　apt　to
suspect　that　it　falls　a　little　short　of　the　true　Attic　salt　in　which
there　was　a　peculiar　quickness　and　delicacy。　　That　same　Attic　salt
seasoned　almost　all　Greece；　except　Boeotia；　and　a　great　deal　of　it　was
exported　afterward　to　Rome；　where　it　was　counterfeited　by　a　composition
called　Urbanity；　which　in　some　time　was　brought　to　very　near　the
perfection　of　the　original　Attic　salt。　　The　more　you　are　powdered　with
these　two　kinds　of　salt；　the　better　you　will　keep；　and　the　more　you　will
be　relished。

Adieu！　　My　compliments　to　Mr。　Harte　and　Mr。　Eliot。




LETTER　IX

LONDON；　April　14；　O。　S。　　1747。

DEAR　BOY：　If　you　feel　half　the　pleasure　from　the　consciousness　of　doing
well；　that　I　do　from　the　informations　I　have　lately　received　in　your
favor　from　Mr。　Harte；　I　shall　have　little　occasion　to　exhort　or　admonish
you　any　more　to　do　what　your　own　satisfaction　and　self　love　will
sufficiently　prompt　you　to。　　Mr。　Harte　tells　me　that　you　attend；　that　you
apply　to　your　studies；　and　that　beginning　to　understand；　you　begin　to
taste　them。　　This　pleasure　will　increase；　and　keep　pace　with　your
attention；　so　that　the　balance　will　be　greatly　to　your　advantage。　　You
may　remember；　that　I　have　always　earnestly　recommended　to　you；　to　do　what
you　are　about；　be　that　what　it　will；　and　to　do　nothing　else　at　the　same
time。　　Do　not　imagine　that　I　mean　by　this；　that　you　should　attend　to　and
plod　at　your　book　all　day　long；　far　from　it；　I　mean　that　you　should　have
your　pleasures　too；　and　that　you　should　attend　to　them　for　the　time；　as
much　as　to　your　studies；　and；　if　you　do　not　attend　equally　to　both；　you
will　neither　have　improvement　nor　satisfaction　from　either。　　A　man　is　fit
for　neither　business　nor　pleasure；　who　either　cannot；　or　does　not；
command　and　direct　his　attention　to　the　present　object；　and；　in　some
degree；　banish　for　that　time　all　other　objects　from　his　thoughts。　　If　at
a　ball；　a　supper；　or　a　party　of　pleasure；　a　man　were　to　be　solving；
in　his　own　mind；　a　problem　in　Euclid；　he　would　be　a　very　bad　companion；
and　make　a　very　poor　figure　in　that　company；　or　if；　in　studying　a　problem
in　his　closet；　he　were　to　think　of　a　minuet；　I　am　apt　to　believe　that　he
would　make　a　very　poor　mathematician。　　There　is　time　enough　for
everything；　in　the　course　of　the　day；　if　you　do　but　one　thing　at　once；
but　there　is　not　time　enough　in　the　year；　if　you　will　do　two　things　at　a
time。　　The　Pensionary　de　Witt；　who　was　torn　to　pieces　in　the　year　1672；
did　the　whole　business　of　the　Republic；　and　yet　had　time　left　to　go　to
assemblies　in　the　evening；　and　sup　in　company。　　Being　asked　how　he　could
possibly　find　time　to　go　through　so　much　business；　and　yet　amuse　himself
in　the　evenings　as　he　did；　he　answered；　there　was　nothing　so　easy；　for
that　it　was　only　doing　one　thing　at　a　time；　and　never　putting　off
anything　till　to…morrow　that　could　be　done　to…day。　　This　steady　and
undissipated　attention　to　one　object　is　a　sure　mark　of　a　superior　genius；
as　hurry；　bustle；　and　agitation　are　the　never…failing　symptoms　of　a　weak
and　frivolous　mind。　　When　you　read　Horace；　attend　to　the　justness　of　his
thoughts；　the　happiness　of　his　diction；　and　the　beauty　of　his　poetry；　and
do　not　think　of　Puffendorf　de　Homine　el　Cive；　and；　when　you　are　reading
Puffendorf；　do　not　think　of　Madame　de　St。　Germain；　nor　of　Puffendorf；
when　you　are　talking　to　Madame　de　St。　Germain。

Mr。　Harte　informs　me；　that　he　has　reimbursed　you　of　part　of　your　losses
in　Germany；　and　I　consent　to　his　reimbursing　you　of　the　whole；　now　that　I
know　you　deserve　it。　　I　shall　grudge　you　nothing；　nor　shall　you　want
anything　that　you　desire；　provided　you　deserve　it；　so　that　you　see；　it　is
in　your　own　power　to　have　whatever　you　please。

There　is　a　little　book　which　you　read　here　with　Monsieur　Codere　entitled；
'Maniere　de　bien　penser　dans　les　Ouvrages　d'Esprit；'　written　by　Pyre
Bonhours。　　I　wish　you　would　read　this　book　again　at　your　leisure　hours；
for　it　will　not　only　divert　you；　but　likewise　form　your　taste；　and　give
you　a　just　manner　of　thinking。　　Adieu！




LETTER　X

LONDON；　June　30；　O。　S。　　1747

DEAR　BOY：　I　was　extremely　pleased　with　the　account　which　you　gave　me　in
your　last；　of　the　civilities　that　you　received　in　your　Swiss　progress；
and　I　have　written；　by　this　post；　to　Mr。　Burnaby；　and　to　the　'Avoyer；'
to　thank　them　for　their　parts。　　If　the　attention　you　met　with　pleased
you；　as　I　dare　say　it　did；　you　will；　I　hope；　draw　this　general　conclusion
from　it；　that　attention　and　civility　please　all　those　to　whom　they　are
paid；　and　that　you　will　please　others　in　proportion　as　you　are　attentive
and　civil　to　them。

Bishop　Burnet　has　wrote　his　travels　through　Switzerland；　and　Mr。　Stanyan；
from　a　long　residence　there；　has　written　the　best　account；　yet　extant；
of　the　Thirteen　Cantons；　but　those　books　will　be　read　no　more；　I　presume；
after　you　shall　have　published　your　account　of　that　country。　　I　hope　you
will　favor　me　with　one　of　the　first　copies。　　To　be　serious；　though　I　do
not　desire　that　you　should　immediately　turn　author；　and　oblige　the　world
with　your　travels；　yet；　wherever　you　go；　I　would　have　you　as　curious　and
inquisitive　as　if　you　did　intend　to　write　them。　　I　do　not　mean　that　you
should　give　yourself　so　much　trouble；　to　know　the　number　of　houses；
inhabitants；　signposts；　and　tombstones；　of　every　town　that　you　go
through；　but　that　you　should　inform　yourself；　as　well　as　your　stay　will
permit　you；　whether　the　town　is　free；　or　to