letters to his son, 1752-第6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！


　or　it　will　never　be　at　all；　the　right　'pli'　must　be　taken　young；　or　it　will　never　be　easy　or　seem　natural。　　Come；　come；　say　they　（substituting；　as　is　frequently　done；　assertion　instead　of　argument）；　depend　upon　it　he　will　do　very　well：　and　you　have　a　great　deal　of　reason　to　be　satisfied　with　him。　　I　hope　and　believe　he　will　do　well；　but　I　would　have　him　do　better　than　well。　　I　am　very　well　pleased　with　him；　but　I　would　be　more；　I　would　be　proud　of　him。　　I　would　have　him　have　lustre　as　well　as　weight。　　Did　you　ever　know　anybody　that　reunited　all　these　talents？　　Yes；　I　did；　Lord　Bolingbroke　joined　all　the　politeness；　the　manners；　and　the　graces　of　a　courtier；　to　the　solidity　of　a　statesman；　and　to　the　learning　of　a　pedant。　　He　was　'omnis　homo'；　and　pray　what　should　hinder　my　boy　from　being　so　too；　if　he　'hath；　as　I　think　he　hath；　all　the　other　qualifications　that　you　allow　him？　　Nothing　can　hinder　him；　but　neglect　of　or　inattention　to；　those　objects　which　his　own　good　sense　must　tell　him　are；　of　infinite　consequence　to　him；　and　which　therefore　I　will　not　suppose　him　capable　of　either　neglecting　or　despising。

This　（to　tell　you　the　whole　truth）　is　the　result　of　a　controversy　that　passed　yesterday；　between　Lady　Hervey　and　myself；　upon　your　subject；　and　almost　in　the　very　words。　　I　submit　the　decision　of　it　to　yourself；　let　your　own　good　sense　determine　it；　and　make　you　act　in　consequence　of　that　determination。　　The　receipt　to　make　this　composition　is　short　and　infallible；　here　I　give　it　to　you：

Take　variety　of　the　best　company；　wherever　you　are；　be　minutely　attentive　to　every　word　and　action；　imitate　respectively　those　whom　you　observe　to　be　distinguished　and　considered　for　any　one　accomplishment；　then　mix　all　those　several　accomplishments　together；　and　serve　them　up　yourself　to　others。

I　hope　your　fair；　or　rather　your　brown　AMERICAN　is　well。　　I　hear　that　she　makes　very　handsome　presents；　if　she　is　not　so　herself。　　I　am　told　there　are　people　at　Paris　who　expect；　from　this　secret　connection；　to　see　in　time　a　volume　of　letters；　superior　to　Madame　de　Graffiny's　Peruvian　ones；　I　lay　in　my　claim　to　one　of　the　first　copies。

Francis's　Genie　…＇Francis's　〃Eugenia。〃＇　hath　been　acted　twice；　with　most　universal　applause；　to…night　is　his　third　night；　and　I　am　going　to　it。　　I　did　not　think　it　would　have　succeeded　so　well；　considering　how　long　our　British　audiences　have　been　accustomed　to　murder；　racks；　and　poison；　in　every　tragedy；　but　it　affected　the　heart　so　much；　that　it　triumphed　over　habit　and　prejudice。　　All　the　women　cried；　and　all　the　men　were　moved。　　The　prologue；　which　is　a　very　good　one；　was　made　entirely　by　Garrick。　　The　epilogue　is　old　Cibber's　；　but　corrected；　though　not　enough；　by　Francis。　　He　will　get　a　great　deal　of；　money　by　it；　and；　consequently；　be　better　able　to　lend　you　sixpence；　upon　any　emergency。

The　parliament　of　Paris；　I　find　by　the　newspapers；　has　not　carried　its　point　concerning　the　hospitals；　and；　though　the　King　hath　given　up　the　Archbishop；　yet　as　he　has　put　them　under　the　management　and　direction　'du　Grand　Conseil'；　the　parliament　is　equally　out　of　the　question。　　This　will　naturally　put　you　upon　inquiring　into　the　constitution　of　the　'Grand　Conseil'。　　You　will；　doubtless；　inform　yourself　who　it　is　composed　of；　what　things　are　'de　son　ressort'；　whether　or　not　there　lies　an　appeal　from　thence　to　any　other　place；　and　of　all　other　particulars；　that　may　give　you　a　clear　notion　of　this　assembly。　　There　are　also　three　or　four　other　Conseils　in　France；　of　which　you　ought　to　know　the　constitution　and　the　objects；　I　dare　say　you　do　know　them　already；　but　if　you　do　not；　lose　no　time　in　informing　yourself。　　These　things；　as　I　have　often　told　you；　are　best　learned　in　various　French　companies：　but　in　no　English　ones；　for　none　of　our　countrymen　trouble　their　heads　about　them。　　To　use　a　very　trite　image；　collect；　like　the　bee；　your　store　from　every　quarter。　　In　some　companies　（'parmi　les　fermiers　generaux　nommement'）　you　may；　by　proper　inquiries；　get　a　general　knowledge；　at　least；　of　'les　affaires　des　finances'。　　When　you　are　with　'des　gens　de　robe'；　suck　them　with　regard　to　the　constitution；　and　civil　government；　and　'sic　de　caeteris'。　　This　shows　you　the　advantage　of　keeping　a　great　deal　of　different　French　company；　an　advantage　much　superior　to　any　that　you　can　possibly　receive　from　loitering　and　sauntering　away　evenings　in　any　English　company　at　Paris；　not　even　excepting　Lord　A。　　Love　of　ease；　and　fear　of　restraint　（to　both　which　I　doubt　you　are；　for　a　young　fellow；　too　much　addicted）　may　invite　you　among　your　countrymen：　but　pray　withstand　those　mean　temptations；　'et　prenez　sur　vous'；　for　the　sake　of　being　in　those　assemblies；　which　alone　can　inform　your　mind　and　improve　your　manners。　You　have　not　now　many　months　to　continue　at　Paris；　make　the　most　of　them；　get　into　every　house　there；　if　you　can；　extend　acquaintance；　know　everything　and　everybody　there；　that　when　you　leave　it　for　other　places；　you　may　be　'au　fait'；　and　even　able　to　explain　whatever　you　may　hear　mentioned　concerning　it。　　Adieu。




LETTER　CLXI

LONDON；　March　2；　O。　S。　　1752。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　Whereabouts　are　you　in　Ariosto？　　Or　have　you　gone　through　that　most　ingenious　contexture　of　truth　and　lies；　of　serious　and　extravagant；　of　knights…errant；　magicians；　and　all　that　various　matter　which　he　announces　in　the　beginning　of　his　poem：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Le　Donne；　I　Cavalier；　l'arme；　gli　amori；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Le　cortesie；　l'audaci　impreso　io　canto。

I　am　by　no　means　sure　that　Homer　had　superior　invention；　or　excelled　more　in　description　than　Ariosto。　　What　can　be　more　seducing　and　voluptuous；　than　the　description　of　Alcina's　person　and　palace？　　What　more　ingeniously　extravagant；　than　the　search　made　in　the　moon　for　Orlando's　lost　wits；　and　the　account　of　other　people's　that　were　found　there？　　The　whole　is　worth　your　attention；　not　only　as　an　ingenious　poem；　but　as　the　source　of　all　modern　tales；　novels；　fables；　and　romances；　as　Ovid's　〃Metamorphoses；〃　was　of　the　ancient　ones；　besides；　that　when　you　have　read　this　work；　nothing　will　be　difficult　to　you　in　the　Italian　language。　You　will　read　Tasso's　'Gierusalemme'；　and　the　'Decamerone　di　Boccacio'；　with　great　facility　afterward；　and　when　you　have　read　those　three　authors；　you　will；　in　my　opinion；　have　read　all　the　works　of　invention　that　are　worth　reading　in　that　language；　though　the　Italians　would　be　very　angry　at　me　for　saying　so。

A　gentleman　should　know　those　which　I　call　classical　works；　in　every　language；　such　as　Boileau；　Corneille；　Racine；　Moliere；　etc。；　in　French；　Milton；　Dryden；　Pope；　Swift；　etc。；　in　English；　and　the　three　authors　above　mentioned　in　Italian；　whether　you　have　any　such　in　German　I　am　not　quite　sure；　nor；　indeed；　am　I　inquisitive。　　These　sort　of　books　adorn　the　mind；　improve　the　fancy；　are　frequently　alluded　to　by；　and　are　often　the　subjects　of　conversations　of　the　best　companies。　　As　you　have　languages　to　read；　and　memory　to　retain　them；　the　knowledge　of　them　is　very　well　worth　the　little　pains　it　will　cost　you；　and　will　enable　you　to　shine　in　company。　　It　is　not　pedantic　to　quote　and　allude　to　them；　which　it　would　be　with　regard　to　the　ancients。

Among　the　many　advantages　which　you　have　had　in　your　education；　I　do　not　consider　your　knowledge　of　several　languages　as　the　least。　　You　need　not　trust　to　translations；　you　can　go　to　the　source；　you　can　both　converse　and　negotiate　with　people　of　all　nations；　upon　equal　terms；　which　is　by　no　means　the　case　of　a　man；　who　converses　or　negotiates　in　a　language　which　those　with　whom　he　hath　to　do　know　much　better　than　himself。　　In　business；　a　great　deal　may　depend　upon　the　force　and　extent　of　one　word；　and；　in　conversation；　a　moderate　thought　may　gain；　or　a　good　one　lose；　by　the　propriety　or　impropriety；　the　elegance　or　inelegance　of　one　single　word。　　As　therefore　you　now　know　four　modern　languages　well；　I　would　have　you　study　（and；　by　the　way；　it　will　be　very　little　trouble　to　you）　to　know　them　correctly；　accurately；　and　delicately。　　Read　some　little　books　that　treat　of　them；　and　ask　questions　concerning　their　delicacies；　of　those　who　are　able　to　answer　you。　　As；　for　instance；　should　I　say　in　French；　'la　lettre　que　je　vous　ai　ECRIT'