letters to his son, 1750-第14章

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engrossed　by　any　past　or　future　object；　but　instantly　directed　to　the　present　one；　be　it　what　it　will。　　An　absent　man　can　make　but　few　observations；　and　those　will　be　disjointed　and　imperfect　ones；　as　half　the　circumstance　must　necessarily　escape　him。　　He　can　pursue　nothing　steadily；　because　his　absences　make　him　lose　his　way。　　They　are　very　disagreeable；　and　hardly　to　be　tolerated　in　old　age；　but　in　youth　they　cannot　be　forgiven。　　If　you　find　that　you　have　the　least　tendency　to　them；　pray　watch　yourself　very　carefully；　and　you　may　prevent　them　now；　but　if　you　let　them　grow　into　habit；　you　will　find　it　very　difficult　to　cure　them　hereafter；　and　a　worse　distemper　I　do　not　know。

I　heard　with　great　satisfaction　the　other　day；　from　one　who　has　been　lately　at　Rome；　that　nobody　was　better　received　in　the　best　companies　than　yourself。　　The　same　thing；　I　dare　say；　will　happen　to　you　at　Paris；　where　they　are　particularly　kind　to　all　strangers；　who　will　be　civil　to　them；　and　show　a　desire　of　pleasing。　　But　they　must　be　flattered　a　little；　not　only　by　words；　but　by　a　seeming　preference　given　to　their　country；　their　manners；　and　their　customs；　which　is　but　a　very　small　price　to　pay　for　a　very　good　reception。　　Were　I　in　Africa；　I　would　pay　it　to　a　negro　for　his　goodwill。　　Adieu。




LETTER　CXVI

LONDON；　June　11；　O。　S。　　1750

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　The　President　Montesquieu　（whom　you　will　be　acquainted　with　at　Paris）；　after　having　laid　down　in　his　book；　'De　l'Esprit　des　Lois'；　the　nature　and　principles　of　the　three　different　kinds　of　government；　viz；　the　democratical；　the　monarchical；　and　the　despotic；　treats　of　the　education　necessary　for　each　respective　form。　　His　chapter　upon　the　education　proper　for　the　monarchical　I　thought　worth　transcribing　and　sending　to　you。　　You　will　observe　that　the　monarchy　which　he　has　in　his　eye　is　France：

〃In　monarchies；　the　principal　branch　of　education　is　not　taught　in　colleges　or　academies。　　It　commences；　in　some　measure；　at　our　setting　out　in　the　world；　for　this　is　the　school　of　what　we　call　honor；　that　universal　preceptor；　which　ought　everywhere　to　be　our　guide。

〃Here　it　is　that　we　constantly　hear　three　rules　or　maxims；　viz　：　That　we　should　have　a　certain　nobleness　in　our　virtues；　a　kind　of　frankness　in　our　morals；　and　a　particular　politeness　in　our　behavior。

〃The　virtues　we　are　here　taught；　are　less　what　we　owe　to　others；　than　to　ourselves；　they　are　not　so　much　what　draws　us　toward　society；　as　what　distinguishes　us　from　our　fellow…citizens。

〃Here　the　actions　of　men　are　judged；　not　as　virtuous；　but　as　shining；　not　as　just；　but　as　great；　not　as　reasonable；　but　as　extraordinary。

〃When　honor　here　meets　with　anything　noble　in　our　actions；　it　is　either　a　judge　that　approves　them；　or　a　sophister　by　whom　they　are　excused。

〃It　allows　of　gallantry；　when　united　with　the　idea　of　sensible　affection；　or　with　that　of　conquest；　this　is　the　reason　why　we　never　meet　with　so　strict　a　purity　of　morals　in　monarchies　as　in　republican　governments。

〃It　allows　of　cunning　and　craft；　when　joined　with　the　notion　of　greatness　of　soul　or　importance　of　affairs；　as；　for　instance；　in　politics；　with　whose　finenesses　it　is　far　from　being　offended。

〃It　does　not　forbid　adulation；　but　when　separate　from　the　idea　of　a　large　fortune；　and　connected　only　with　the　sense　of　our　mean　condition。

〃With　regard　to　morals；　I　have　observed；　that　the　education　of　monarchies　ought　to　admit　of　a　certain　frankness　and　open　carriage。　　Truth；　therefore；　in　conversation；　is　here　a　necessary　point。　　But　is　it　for　the　sake　of　truth。　　By　no　means。　　Truth　is　requisite　only；　because　a　person　habituated　to　veracity　has　an　air　of　boldness　and　freedom。　　And；　indeed；　a　man　of　this　stamp　seems　to　lay　a　stress　only　on　the　things　themselves；　not　on　the　manner　in　which　they　are　received。

〃Hence　it　is；　that　in　proportion　as　this　kind　of　frankness　is　commended；　that　of　the　common　people　is　despised；　which　has　nothing　but　truth　and　simplicity　for　its　object。

〃In　fine；　the　education　of　monarchies　requires　a　certain　politeness　of　behavior。　　Man；　a　sociable　animal；　is　formed　to　please　in　society；　and　a　person　that　would　break　through　the　rules　of　decency；　so　as　to　shock　those　he　conversed　with；　would　lose　the　public　esteem；　and　become　incapable　of　doing　any　good。

〃But　politeness；　generally　speaking；　does　not　derive　its　original　from　so　pure　a　source。　　It　arises　from　a　desire　of　distinguishing　ourselves。　　It　is　pride　that　renders　us　polite；　we　are　flattered　with　being　taken　notice　of　for　a　behavior　that　shows　we　are　not　of　a　mean　condition；　and　that　we　have　not　been　bred　up　with　those　who　in　all　ages　are　considered　as　the　scum　of　the　people。

〃Politeness；　in　monarchies；　is　naturalized　at　court。　　One　man　excessively　great　renders　everybody　else　little。　　Hence　that　regard　which　is　paid　to　our　fellow…subjects；　hence　that　politeness；　equally　pleasing　to　those　by　whom；　as　to　those　toward　whom；　it　is　practiced；　because　it　gives　people　to　understand　that　a　person　actually　belongs；　or　at　least　deserves　to　belong；　to　the　court。

〃A　court　air　consists　in　quitting　a　real　for　a　borrowed　greatness。　　The　latter　pleases　the　courtier　more　than　the　former。　　It　inspires　him　with　a　certain　disdainful　modesty；　which　shows　itself　externally；　but　whose　pride　insensibly　diminishes　in　proportion　to　his　distance　from　the　source　of　this　greatness。

〃At　court　we　find　a　delicacy　of　taste　in　everything；　a　delicacy　arising　from　the　constant　use　of　the　superfluities　of　life；　from　the　variety；　and　especially　the　satiety　of　pleasures；　from　the　multiplicity　and　even　confusion　of　fancies；　which；　if　they　are　not　agreeable；　are　sure　of　being　well　received。

〃These　are　the　things　which　properly　fall　within　the　province　of　education；　in　order　to　form　what　we　call　a　man　of　honor；　a　man　possessed　of　all　the　qualities　and　virtues　requisite　in　this　kind　of　government。

〃Here　it　is　that　honor　interferes　with　everything；　mixing　even　with　people's　manner　of　thinking；　and　directing　their　very　principles。

〃To　this　whimsical　honor　it　is　owing　that　the　virtues　are　only　just　what　it　pleases；　it　adds　rules　of　its　own　invention　to　everything　prescribed　to　us；　it　extends　or　limits　our　duties　according　to　its　own　fancy；　whether　they　proceed　from　religion；　politics；　or　morality。

〃There　is　nothing　so　strongly　inculcated　in　monarchies；　by　the　laws；　by　religion；　and　honor；　as　submission　to　the　Prince's　will；　but　this　very　honor　tells　us；　that　the　Prince　never　ought　to　command　a　dishonorable　action；　because　this　would　render　us　incapable　of　serving　him。

〃Crillon　refused　to　assassinate　the　Duke　of　Guise；　but　offered　to　fight　him。　　After　the　massacre　of　St。　Bartholomew；　Charles　IX。；　having　sent　orders　to　the　governors　in　the　several　provinces　for　the　Huguenots　to　be　murdered；　Viscount　Dorte；　who　commanded　at　Bayonne；　wrote　thus　to　the　King：　'Sire；　Among　the　inhabitants　of　this　town；　and　your　Majesty's　troops；　I　could　not　find　so　much　as　one　executioner；　they　are　honest　citizens　and　brave　soldiers。　　We　jointly；　therefore；　beseech　your　Majesty　to　command　our　arms　and　lives　in　things　that　are　practicable。'　This　great　and　generous　soul　looked　upon　a　base　action　as　a　thing　impossible。

〃There　is　nothing　that　honor　more　strongly　recommends　to　the　nobility；　than　to　serve　their　Prince　in　a　military　capacity。　　And　indeed　this　is　their　favorite　profession；　because　its　dangers；　its　success；　and　even　its　miscarriages；　are　the　road　to　grandeur。　　Yet　this　very　law；　of　its　own　making；　honor　chooses　to　explain；　and　in　case　of　any　affront；　it　requires　or　permits　us　to　retire。

〃It　insists　also；　that　we　should　be　at　liberty　either　to　seek　or　to　reject　employments；　a　liberty　which　it　prefers　even　to　an　ample　fortune。

〃Honor；　therefore；　has　its　supreme　laws；　to　which　education　is　obliged　to　conform。　　The　chief　of　these　are；　that　we　are　permitted　to　set　a　value　upon　our　fortune；　but　are　absolutely　forbidden　to　set　any　upon　our　lives。

〃The　second　is；　that　when　we　are　raised　to　a　post　or　preferment；　we　should　never　do　or　permit　anything　which　may　seem　to　imply　that　we　look　upon　ourselves　as　inferior　to　the　rank　we　hold。

〃The　third　is；　that　those　things　which　honor　forbids　are　more　rigorously　forbidd