letters to his son, 1752-第21章

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ong　inculcating　into　you　upon　these　points。　　How　happy　am　I；　and　how　happy　are　you；　my　dear　child；　that　these　Titian　tints；　and　Guido　graces；　are　all　that　you　want　to　complete　my　hopes　and　your　own　character！　　But　then；　on　the　other　hand；　what　a　drawback　would　it　be　to　that　happiness；　if　you　should　never　acquire　them？　　I　remember；　when　I　was　of　age；　though　I　had　not　near　so　good　an　education　as　you　have；　or　seen　a　quarter　so　much　of　the　world；　I　observed　those　masterly　touches　and　irresistible　graces　in　others；　and　saw　the　necessity　of　acquiring　them　myself；　but　then　an　awkward　'mauvaise　honte'；　of　which　I　had　brought　a　great　deal　with　me　from　Cambridge；　made　me　ashamed　to　attempt　it；　especially　if　any　of　my　countrymen　and　particular　acquaintances　were　by。　　This　was　extremely　absurd　in　me：　for；　without　attempting；　I　could　never　succeed。　　But　at　last；　insensibly；　by　frequenting　a　great　deal　of　good　company；　and　imitating　those　whom　I　saw　that　everybody　liked；　I　formed　myself；　'tant　bien　que　mal'。　　For　God's　sake；　let　this　last　fine　varnish；　so　necessary　to　give　lustre　to　the　whole　piece；　be　the　sole　and　single　object　now　of　your　utmost　attention。　　Berlin　may　contribute　a　great　deal　to　it　if　you　please；　there　are　all　the　ingredients　that　compose　it。

'A　Propos'　of　Berlin；　while　you　are　there；　take　care　to　seem　ignorant　of　all　political　matters　between　the　two　courts；　such　as　the　affairs　of　Ost　Frise；　and　Saxe　Lawemburg；　etc。；　and　enter　into　no　conversations　upon　those　points；　but；　however；　be　as　well　at　court　as　you　possibly　can；　live　at　it；　and　make　one　of　it。　　Should　General　Keith　offer　you　civilities；　do　not　decline　them；　but　return　them；　however；　without　being　'enfant　de　la　maison　chez　lui'：　say　'des　chores　flatteuses'　of　the　Royal　Family；　and　especially　of　his　Prussian　Majesty；　to　those　who　are　the　most　like　to　repeat　them。　　In　short；　make　yourself　well　there；　without　making　yourself　ill　SOMEWHERE　ELSE。　　Make　compliments　from　me　to　Algarotti；　and　converse　with　him　in　Italian。

I　go　next　week　to　the　Bath；　for　a　deafness；　which　I　have　been　plagued　with　these　four　or　five　months；　and　which　I　am　assured　that　pumping　my　head　will　remove。　　This　deafness；　I　own；　has　tried　my　patience；　as　it　has　cut　me　off　from　society；　at　an　age　when　I　had　no　pleasures　but　those　left。　　In　the　meantime；　I　have；　by　reading　and　writing；　made　my　eyes　supply　the　defect　of　my　ears。　　Madame　H…；　I　suppose；　entertained　both　yours　alike；　however；　I　am　very　glad　that　you　were　well　with　her；　for　she　is　a　good　'proneuse'；　and　puffs　are　very　useful　to　a　young　fellow　at　his　entrance　into　the　world。

If　you　should　meet　with　Lord　Pembroke　again；　anywhere；　make　him　many　compliments　from　me；　and　tell　him　that　I　should　have　written　to　him；　but　that　I　knew　how　troublesome　an　old　correspondent　must　be　to　a　young　one。　He　is　much　commended　in　the　accounts　from　Hanover。

You　will　stay　at　Berlin　just　as　long　as　you　like　it；　and　no　longer；　and　from　thence　you　are　absolutely　master　of　your　own　motions；　either　to　The　Hague；　or　to　Brussels；　but　I　think　that　you　had　better　go　to　The　Hague　first；　because　that　from　thence　Brussels　will　be　in　your　way　to　Calais；　which　is　a　much　better　passage　to　England　than　from　Helvoetsluys。　　The　two　courts　of　The　Hague　and　Brussels　are　worth　your　seeing；　and　you　will　see　them　both　to　advantage；　by　means　of　Colonel　Yorke　and　Dayrolles。　Adieu。　　Here　is　enough　for　this　time。




LETTER　CLXXVIII

LONDON；　September　26；　1752

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　As　you　chiefly　employ；　or　rather　wholly　engross　my　thoughts；　I　see　every　day；　with　increasing　pleasure；　the　fair　prospect　which　you　have　before　you。　　I　had　two　views　in　your　education；　they　draw　nearer　and　nearer；　and　I　have　now　very　little　reason　to　distrust　your　answering　them　fully。　　Those　two　were；　parliamentary　and　foreign　affairs。　In　consequence　of　those　views；　I　took　care；　first；　to　give　you　a　sufficient　stock　of　sound　learning；　and　next；　an　early　knowledge　of　the　world。　　Without　making　a　figure　in　parliament；　no　man　can　make　any　in　this　country；　and　eloquence　alone　enables　a　man　to　make　a　figure　in　parliament；　unless；　it　be　a　very　mean　and　contemptible　one；　which　those　make　there　who　silently　vote；　and　who　do　'pedibus　ire　in　sententiam'。　Foreign　affairs；　when　skillfully　managed；　and　supported　by　a　parliamentary　reputation；　lead　to　whatever　is　most　considerable　in　this　country。　　You　have　the　languages　necessary　for　that　purpose；　with　a　sufficient　fund　of　historical　and　treaty　knowledge；　that　is　to　say；　you　have　the　matter　ready；　and　only　want　the　manner。　　Your　objects　being　thus　fixed；　I　recommend　to　you　to　have　them　constantly　in　your　thoughts；　and　to　direct　your　reading；　your　actions；　and　your　words；　to　those　views。　Most　people　think　only　'ex　re　nata'；　and　few　'ex　professo'：　I　would　have　you　do　both；　but　begin　with　the　latter。　　I　explain　myself：　Lay　down　certain　principles；　and　reason　and　act　consequently　from　them。　　As；　for　example；　say　to　yourself；　I　will　make　a　figure　in　parliament；　and　in　order　to　do　that；　I　must　not　only　speak；　but　speak　very　well。　　Speaking　mere　common　sense　will　by　no　means　do；　and　I　must　speak　not　only　correctly　but　elegantly；　and　not　only　elegantly　but　eloquently。　　In　order　to　do　this；　I　will　first　take　pains　to　get　an　habitual；　but　unaffected；　purity；　correctness　and　elegance　of　style　in　my　common　conversation；　I　will　seek　for　the　best　words；　and　take　care　to　reject　improper；　inexpressive；　and　vulgar　ones。　　I　will　read　the　greatest　masters　of　oratory；　both　ancient　and　modern；　and　I　will　read　them　singly　in　that　view。　　I　will　study　Demosthenes　and　Cicero；　not　to　discover　an　old　Athenian　or　Roman　custom；　nor　to　puzzle　myself　with　the　value　of　talents；　mines；　drachms；　and　sesterces；　like　the　learned　blockheads　in　us；　but　to　observe　their　choice　of　words；　their　harmony　of　diction；　their　method；　their　distribution；　their　exordia；　to　engage　the　favor　and　attention　of　their　audience；　and　their　perorations；　to　enforce　what　they　have　said；　and　to　leave　a　strong　impression　upon　the　passions。　　Nor　will　I　be　pedant　enough　to　neglect　the　modern；　for　I　will　likewise　study　Atterbury；　Dryden；　Pope；　and　Bolingbroke；　nay；　I　will　read　everything　that　I　do　read　in　that　intention；　and　never　cease　improving　and　refining　my　style　upon　the　best　models；　till　at　last　I　become　a　model　of　eloquence　myself；　which；　by　care；　it　is　in　every　man's　power　to　be。　　If　you　set　out　upon　this　principle；　and　keep　it　constantly　in　your　mind；　every　company　you　go　into；　and　every　book　you　read；　will　contribute　to　your　improvement；　either　by　showing　you　what　to　imitate；　or　what　to　avoid。　　Are　。you　to　give　an　account　of　anything　to　a　mixed　company？　　or　are　you　to　endeavor　to　persuade　either　man　or　woman？　　This　principle；　fixed　in　your　mind；　will　make　you　carefully　attend　to　the　choice　of　your　words；　and　to　the　clearness　and　harmony　of　your　diction。

So　much　for　your　parliamentary　object；　now　to　the　foreign　one。

Lay　down　first　those　principles　which　are　absolutely　necessary　to　form　a　skillful　and　successful　negotiator；　and　form　yourself　accordingly。　　What　are　they？　　First；　the　clear　historical　knowledge　of　past　transactions　of　that　kind。　　That　you　have　pretty　well　already；　and　will　have　daily　more　and　more；　for；　in　consequence　of　that　principle；　you　will　read　history；　memoirs；　anecdotes；　etc。；　in　that　view　chiefly。　　The　other　necessary　talents　for　negotiation　are：　the　great　art　of　pleasing　and　engaging　the　affection　and　confidence；　not　only　of　those　with　whom　you　are　to　cooperate；　but　even　of　those　whom　you　are　to　oppose：　to　conceal　your　own　thoughts　and　views；　and　to　discover　other　people's：　to　engage　other　people's　confidence　by　a　seeming　cheerful　frankness　and　openness；　without　going　a　step　too　far：　to　get　the　personal　favor　of　the　king；　prince；　ministers；　or　mistresses　of　the　court　to　which　you　are　sent：　to　gain　the　absolute　command　over　your　temper　and　your　countenance；　that　no　heat　may　provoke　you　to　say；　nor　no　change　of　countenance　to　betray；　what　should　be　a　secret：　to　familiarize　and　domesticate　yourself　in　the　houses　of　the　most　considerable　people　of　the　place；　so　as　to　be　received　there　rather　as　a　friend　to　the　family　than　as　a　foreigner。　　Having　these　principles　constantly　in　your　thoughts；　ever