letters to his son, 1746-47-第7章

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guilty；　and　not　he　who　honestly　and　sincerely　believes　the　lie。
I　really　know　nothing　more　criminal；　more　mean；　and　more　ridiculous　than
lying。　　It　is　the　production　either　of　malice；　cowardice；　or　vanity；
and　generally　misses　of　its　aim　in　every　one　of　these　views；　for　lies　are
always　detected　sooner　or　later。　　If　I　tell　a　malicious　lie；　in　order　to
affect　any　man's　fortune　or　character；　I　may　indeed　injure　him　for　some
time；　but　I　shall　be　sure　to　be　the　greatest　sufferer　myself　at　last；
for　as　soon　as　ever　I　am　detected　（and　detected　I　most　certainly　shall
be）；　I　am　blasted　for　the　infamous　attempt；　and　whatever　is　said
afterward；　to　the　disadvantage　of　that　person；　however　true；　passes　for
calumny。　　If　I　lie；　or　equivocate　（for　it　is　the　same　thing）；　in　order　to
excuse　myself　for　something　that　I　have　said　or　done；　and　to　avoid　the
danger　and　the　shame　that　I　apprehend　from　it；　I　discover　at　once　my　fear
as　well　as　my　falsehood；　and　only　increase；　instead　of　avoiding；　the
danger　and　the　shame；　I　show　myself　to　be　the　lowest　and　the　meanest　of
mankind；　and　am　sure　to　be　always　treated　as　such。　　Fear；　instead　of
avoiding；　invites　danger；　for　concealed　cowards　will　insult　known　ones。
If　one　has　had　the　misfortune　to　be　in　the　wrong；　there　is　something
noble　in　frankly　owning　it；　it　is　the　only　way　of　atoning　for　it；　and　the
only　way　of　being　forgiven。　　Equivocating；　evading；　shuffling；　in　order
to　remove　a　present　danger　or　inconveniency；　is　something　so　mean；　and
betrays　so　much　fear；　that　whoever　practices　them　always　deserves　to　be；
and　often　will　be　kicked。　　There　is　another　sort　of　lies；　inoffensive
enough　in　themselves；　but　wonderfully　ridiculous；　I　mean　those　lies　which
a　mistaken　vanity　suggests；　that　defeat　the　very　end　for　which　they　are
calculated；　and　terminate　in　the　humiliation　and　confusion　of　their
author；　who　is　sure　to　be　detected。　　These　are　chiefly　narrative　and
historical　lies；　all　intended　to　do　infinite　honor　to　their　author。
He　is　always　the　hero　of　his　own　romances；　he　has　been　in　dangers　from
which　nobody　but　himself　ever　escaped；　he　has　seen　with　his　own　eyes；
whatever　other　people　have　heard　or　read　of：　he　has　had　more　'bonnes
fortunes'　than　ever　he　knew　women；　and　has　ridden　more　miles　post　in　one
day；　than　ever　courier　went　in　two。　　He　is　soon　discovered；　and　as　soon
becomes　the　object　of　universal　contempt　and　ridicule。　　Remember；　then；
as　long　as　you　live；　that　nothing　but　strict　truth　can　carry　you　through
the　world；　with　either　your　conscience　or　your　honor　unwounded。　　It　is
not　only　your　duty；　but　your　interest；　as　a　proof　of　which　you　may　always
observe；　that　the　greatest　fools　are　the　greatest　liars。　　For　my　own
part；　I　judge　of　every　man's　truth　by　his　degree　of　understanding。

This　letter　will；　I　suppose；　find　you　at　Leipsig；　where　I　expect　and
require　from　you　attention　and　accuracy；　in　both　which　you　have　hitherto
been　very　deficient。　　Remember　that　I　shall　see　you　in　the　summer；　shall
examine　you　most　narrowly；　and　will　never　forget　nor　forgive　those
faults；　which　it　has　been　in　your　own　power　to　prevent　or　cure；　and　be
assured　that　I　have　many　eyes　upon　you　at　Leipsig；　besides　Mr。　Harte's。
Adieu！




LETTER　XV

LONDON；　October　2；　O。　S。　　1747

DEAR　BOY：　By　your　letter　of　the　18th　past；　N。　S。；　I　find　that　you　are　a
tolerably　good　landscape　painter；　and　can　present　the　several　views　of
Switzerland　to　the　curious。　　I　am　very　glad　of　it；　as　it　is　a　proof　of
some　attention；　but　I　hope　you　will　be　as　good　a　portrait　painter；　which
is　a　much　more　noble　science。　　By　portraits；　you　will　easily　judge；　that
I　do　not　mean　the　outlines　and　the　coloring　of　the　human　figure；　but　the
inside　of　the　heart　and　mind　of　man。　　This　science　requires　more
attention；　observation；　and　penetration；　than　the　other；　as　indeed　it　is
infinitely　more　useful。　　Search；　therefore；　with　the　greatest　care；　into
the　characters　of　those　whom　you　converse　with；　endeavor　to　discover
their　predominant　passions；　their　prevailing　weaknesses；　their　vanities；
their　follies；　and　their　humors；　with　all　the　right　and　wrong；　wise　and
silly　springs　of　human　actions；　which　make　such　inconsistent　and
whimsical　beings　of　us　rational　creatures。　　A　moderate　share　of
penetration；　with　great　attention；　will　infallibly　make　these　necessary
discoveries。　　This　is　the　true　knowledge　of　the　world；　and　the　world　is
a　country　which　nobody　ever　yet　knew　by　description；　one　must　travel
through　it　one's　self　to　be　acquainted　with　it。　　The　scholar；　who　in　the
dust　of　his　closet　talks　or　writes　of　the　world；　knows　no　more　of　it；
than　that　orator　did　of　war；　who　judiciously　endeavored　to　instruct
Hannibal　in　it。　　Courts　and　camps　are　the　only　places　to　learn　the　world
in。　　There　alone　all　kinds　of　characters　resort；　and　human　nature　is　seen
in　all　the　various　shapes　and　modes；　which　education；　custom；　and　habit
give　it；　whereas；　in　all　other　places；　one　local　mode　generally　prevails；
and　producing　a　seeming　though　not　a　real　sameness　of　character。　　For
example；　one　general　mode　distinguishes　an　university；　another　a　trading
town；　a　third　a　seaport　town；　and　so　on；　whereas；　at　a　capital；　where　the
Prince　or　the　Supreme　Power　resides；　some　of　all　these　various　modes　are
to　be　seen　and　seen　in　action　too；　exerting　their　utmost　skill　in　pursuit
of　their　several　objects。　　Human　nature　is　the　same　all　over　the　world；
but　its　operations　are　so　varied　by　education　and　habit；　that　one　must
see　it　in　all　its　dresses　in　order　to　be　intimately　acquainted　with　it。
The　passion　of　ambition；　for　instance；　is　the　same　in　a　courtier；
　a　soldier；　or　an　ecclesiastic；　but；　from　their　different　educations　and
habits；　they　will　take　very　different　methods　to　gratify　it。　　Civility；
which　is　a　disposition　to　accommodate　and　oblige　others；　is　essentially
the　same　in　every　country；　but　good…breeding；　as　it　is　called；　which　is
the　manner　of　exerting　that　disposition；　is　different　in　almost　every
country；　and　merely　local；　and　every　man　of　sense　imitates　and　conforms
to　that　local　good…breeding　of　the　place　which　he　is　at。　　A　conformity
and　flexibility　of　manners　is　necessary　in　the　course　of　the　world；　that
is；　with　regard　to　all　things　which　are　not　wrong　in　themselves。　　The
'versatile　ingenium'　is　the　most　useful　of　all。　　It　can　turn　itself
instantly　from　one　object　to　another；　assuming　the　proper　manner　for
each。　　It　can　be　serious　with　the　grave；　cheerful　with　the　gay；　and
trifling　with　the　frivolous。　　Endeavor　by　all　means；　to　acquire　this
talent；　for　it　is　a　very　great　one。

As　I　hardly　know　anything　more　useful；　than　to　see；　from　time　to　time；
pictures　of　one's　self　drawn　by　different　hands；　I　send　you　here　a　sketch
of　yourself；　drawn　at　Lausanne；　while　you　were　there；　and　sent　over　here
by　a　person　who　little　thought　that　it　would　ever　fall　into　my　hands：　and
indeed　it　was　by　the　greatest　accident　in　the　world　that　it　did。




LETTER　XVI

LONDON；　October　9；　O。　S。　　1747。

DEAR　BOY：　People　of　your　age　have；　commonly；　an　unguarded　frankness　about
them；　which　makes　them　the　easy　prey　and　bubbles　of　the　artful　and　the
experienced；　they　look　upon　every　knave　or　fool；　who　tells　them　that　he
is　their　friend；　to　be　really　so；　and　pay　that　profession　of　simulated
friendship；　with　an　indiscreet　and　unbounded　confidence；　always　to　their
loss；　often　to　their　ruin。　　Beware；　therefore；　now　that　you　are　coming
into　the　world；　of　these　preferred　friendships。　　Receive　them　with　great
civility；　but　with　great　incredulity　too；　and　pay　them　with　compliments；
but　not　with　confidence。　　Do　not　let　your　vanity　and　self…love　make　you
suppose　that　people　become　your　friends　at　first　sight；　or　even　upon　a
short　acquaintance。　　Real　friendship　is　a　slow　grower　and　never　thrives
unless　engrafted　upon　a　stock　of　known　and　reciprocal　merit。　　There　is
another　kind　of　nominal　friendship　among　young　people；　which　is　warm　for
the　time；　but　by　good　luck；　of　short　duration。　　This　friendship　is
hastily　produced；　by　their　being　accidentally　thrown　together；　and
pursuing　the　course　of　riot　and　debauchery。　　A　fine　friendship；　truly；
and　well　cemented　by　drunkenness　and　lewdness。　　It　should　rath