letters to his son, 1748-第13部分

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；　how　great　a　share　of　them　you　owe　to　Mr。　Harte's　care　and　attention；　and；　consequently；　that　your　regard　and　affection　for　him　must　increase；　if　there　be　room　for　it；　in　proportion　as　you　reap；　which　you　do　daily；　the　fruits　of　his　labors。

I　must　not；　however；　conceal　from　you　that　there　was　one　article　in　which　your　own　witness；　Mr。　Eliot；　faltered；　for；　upon　my　questioning　him　home　as　to　your　manner　of　speaking；　he　could　not　say　that　your　utterance　was　either　distinct　or　graceful。　　I　have　already　said　so　much　to　you　upon　this　point　that　I　can　add　nothing。　　I　will　therefore　only　repeat　this　truth；　which　is；　that　if　you　will　not　speak　distinctly　and　graceful；　nobody　will　desire　to　hear　you。　　I　am　glad　to　learn　that　Abbe　Mably's　'Droit　Public　de　l'Europe'　makes　a　part　of　your　evening　amusements。　　It　is　a　very　useful　book；　and　gives　a　clear　deduction　of　the　affairs　of　Europe；　from　the　treaty　of　Munster　to　this　time。　　　Pray　read　it　with　attention；　and　with　the　proper　maps；　always　recurring　to　them　for　the　several　countries　or　towns　yielded；　taken；　or　restored。　　Pyre　Bougeant's　third　volume　will　give　you　the　best　idea　of　the　treaty　of　Munster；　and　open　to　you　the　several　views　of　the　belligerent'　and　contracting　parties；　and　there　never　were　greater　than　at　that　time。　　The　House　of　Austria；　in　the　war　immediately　preceding　that　treaty；　intended　to　make　itself　absolute　in　the　empire；　and　to　overthrow　the　rights　of　the　respective　states　of　it。　　The　view　of　France　was　to　weaken　and　dismember　the　House　of　Austria　to　such　a　degree；　as　that　it　should　no　longer　be　a　counterbalance　to　that　of　Bourbon。　　Sweden　wanted　possessions　on　the　continent　of　Germany；　not　only　to　supply　the　necessities　of　its　own　poor　and　barren　country；　but　likewise　to　hold　the　balance　in　the　empire　between　the　House　of　Austria　and　the　States。　　The　House　of　Brandenburg　wanted　to　aggrandize　itself　by　pilfering　in　the　fire；　changed　sides　occasionally；　and　made　a　good　bargain　at　last；　for　I　think　it　got；　at　the　peace；　nine　or　ten　bishoprics　secularized。　　So　that　we　may　date；　from　the　treaty　of　Munster；　the　decline　of　the　House　of　Austria；　the　great　power　of　the　House　of　Bourbon；　and　the　aggrandizement　of　that　of　Bradenburg：　which；　I　am　much　mistaken；　if　it　stops　where　it　is　now。

Make　my　compliments　to　Lord　Pulteney；　to　whom　I　would　have　you　be　not　only　attentive；　but　useful；　by　setting　him　（in　case　he　wants　it）　a　good　example　of　application　and　temperance。　　I　begin　to　believe　that；　as　I　shall　be　proud　of　you；　others　will　be　proud　too　of　imitating　you：　Those　expectations　of　mine　seem　now　so　well　grounded；　that　my　disappointment；　and　consequently　my　anger；　will　be　so　much　the　greater　if　they　fail；　but　as　things　stand　now；　I　am　most　affectionately　and　tenderly；　Yours。




LETTER　XLVIII

LONDON；　August　30；　O。　S。　　1748

DEAR　BOY：　Your　reflections　upon　the　conduct　of　France；　from　the　treaty　of　Munster　to　this　time；　are　very　just；　and　I　am　very　glad　to　find；　by　them；　that　you　not　only　read；　but　that　you　think　and　reflect　upon　what　you　read。　　Many　great　readers　load　their　memories；　without　exercising　their　judgments；　and　make　lumber…rooms　of　their　heads　instead　of　furnishing　them　usefully；　facts　are　heaped　upon　facts　without　order　or　distinction；　and　may　justly　be　said　to　compose　that

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'…Rudis　indigestaque　moles　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quem　dixere　chaos'。

Go　on；　then；　in　the　way　of　reading　that　you　are　in；　take　nothing　for　granted；　upon　the　bare　authority　of　the　author；　but　weigh　and　consider；　in　your　own　mind；　the　probability　of　the　facts　and　the　justness　of　the　reflections。　　Consult　different　authors　upon　the　same　facts；　and　form　your　opinion　upon　the　greater　or　lesser　degree　of　probability　arising　from　the　whole；　which；　in　my　mind；　is　the　utmost　stretch　of　historical　faith；　certainty　（I　fear）　not　being　to　be　found。　　When　a　historian　pretends　to　give　you　the　causes　and　motives　of　events；　compare　those　causes　and　motives　with　the　characters　and　interests　of　the　parties　concerned；　and　judge　for　yourself　whether　they　correspond　or　not。　Consider　whether　you　cannot　assign　others　more　probable；　and　in　that　examination；　do　not　despise　some　very　mean　and　trifling　causes　of　the　actions　of　great　men；　for　so　various　and　inconsistent　is　human　nature；　so　strong　and　changeable　are　our　passions；　so　fluctuating　are　our　wills；　and　so　much　are　our　minds　influenced　by　the　accidents　of　our　bodies　that　every　man　is　more　the　man　of　the　day；　than　a　regular　consequential　character。　　The　best　have　something　bad；　and　something　little；　the　worst　have　something　good；　and　sometimes　something　great；　for　I　do　not　believe　what　Velleius　Paterculus　（for　the　sake　of　saying　a　pretty　thing）　says　of　Scipio；　'Qui　nihil　non　laudandum　aut　fecit；　aut　dixit；　aut　sensit'。　　As　for　the　reflections　of　historians；　with　which　they　think　it　necessary　to　interlard　their　histories；　or　at　least　to　conclude　their　chapters　（and　which；　in　the　French　histories；　are　always　introduced　with　a　'tant　il　est　vrai'；　and　in　the　English；　SO　TRUE　IT　IS；　do　not　adopt　them　implicitly　upon　the　credit　of　the　author；　but　analyze　them　yourself；　and　judge　whether　they　are　true　or　not。

But　to　return　to　the　politics　of　France；　from　which　I　have　digressed。　You　have　certainly　made　one　further　reflection；　of　an　advantage　which　France　has；　over　and　above　its　abilities　in　the　cabinet　and　the　skill　of　its　negotiators；　which　is　（if　I　may　use　the　expression）　its　SOLENESS；　continuity　of　riches　and　power　within　itself；　and　the　nature　of　its　government。　　Near　twenty　millions　of　people；　and　the　ordinary　revenue　of　above　thirteen　millions　sterling　a　year；　are　at　the　absolute　disposal　of　the　Crown。　　This　is　what　no　other　power　in　Europe　can　say；　so　that　different　powers　must　now　unite　to　make　a　balance　against　France；　which　union；　though　formed　upon　the　principle　of　their　common　interest；　can　never　be　so　intimate　as　to　compose　a　machine　so　compact　and　simple　as　that　of　one　great　kingdom；　directed　by　one　will；　and　moved　by　one　interest。　　The　Allied　Powers　（as　we　have　constantly　seen）　have；　besides　the　common　and　declared　object　of　their　alliance；　some　separate　and　concealed　view　to　which　they　often　sacrifice　the　general　one；　which　makes　them；　either　directly　or　indirectly；　pull　different　ways。　　Thus；　the　design　upon　Toulon　failed　in　the　year　1706；　only　from　the　secret　view　of　the　House　of　Austria　upon　Naples：　which　made　the　Court　of　Vienna；　notwithstanding　the　representations　of　the　other　allies　to　the　contrary；　send　to　Naples　the　12；000　men　that　would　have　done　the　business　at　Toulon。　　In　this　last　war　too；　the　same　causes　had　the　same　effects：　the　Queen　of　Hungary　in　secret　thought　of　nothing　but　recovering　of　Silesia；　and　what　she　had　lost　in　Italy；　and；　therefore；　never　sent　half　that　quota　which　she　promised；　and　we　paid　for；　into　Flanders；　but　left　that　country　to　the　maritime　powers　to　defend　as　they　could。　　The　King　of　Sardinia's　real　object　was　Savona　and　all　the　Riviera　di　Ponente；　for　which　reason　he　concurred　so　lamely　in　the　invasion　of　Provence；　where　the　Queen　of　Hungary；　likewise；　did　not　send　one…third　of　the　force　stipulated；　engrossed　as　she　was　by　her　oblique　views　upon　the　plunder　of　Genoa；　and　the　recovery　of　Naples。　　Insomuch　that　the　expedition　into　Provence；　which　would　have　distressed　France　to　the　greatest　degree；　and　have　caused　a　great　detachment　from　their　army　in　Flanders；　failed　shamefully；　for　want　of　every　one　thing　necessary　for　its　success。　Suppose；　therefore；　any　four　or　five　powers　who；　all　together；　shall　be　equal；　or　even　a　little　superior；　in　riches　and　strength　to　that　one　power　against　which　they　are　united；　the　advantage　will　still　be　greatly　on　the　side　of　that　single　power；　because　it　is　but　one。　　The　power　and　riches　of　Charles　V。　were；　in　themselves；　certainly　superior　to　those　of　Frances　I。；　and　yet；　upon　the　whole；　he　was　not　an　overmatch　for　him。　Charles　V。's　dominions；　great　as　they　were；　were　scattered　and　remote　from　each　other；　their　constitutions　different；　wherever　he　did　not　reside；　disturbances　arose；　whereas　the　compactness　of　France　made　up　the　difference　in　the　strength。　　This　obvious　reflection　convinced　me　of　the　absurdity　of　the　treaty　of　Hanover；　in　1725；　between　France　and　England；　to　which　the　Dutch　afterward　acceded；　for　it　was　made　upon　the　apprehensions；　either　real　or　pretended；　that　the　marriage　of　Don　Carlos　with　the　eldest　archduchess；　now　Queen　of　Hungary；　was　settled　in　the　treaty　of　Vienna；　of　the　same　year；　between　Spain　and　the　late　Emperor　Charles　VI。；　which　marriage；　those　consummate　politicians　said　would　revive　in　Europe　the　exorbitant　power　of　Charles　V。　　I　am　sure；　I　heartily　wish　it　had；　as；　in　that　case；　there　had　been；　what　there　certainly　is　not　now；　one　power　in　Europe　to　counterbalance　that　of　France；　and　then　the　maritime　powers　would；　in　reality；　have　held　the　balance　of　Europe　in　their　hands。　　Even　supposing　that　the　Austrian　power　would　then　have　been　an　overmatch　for　that　of　France　（which；　by　the　way；　is　not　clear）；　the　weight　of　the　maritime　powers；　then　thrown　into　the　scale　of　France；　would　infallibly　have　made　the　balance　at　least　even。　In　which　case　too；　the　moderate　efforts　of　the　maritime　powers　on　the　side　of　France　would　have　been　sufficient；　whereas　now；　they　are　obliged　to　exhaust　and　beggar　themselves；　and　that　too　ineffectually；　in　hopes　to　support　the　shattered；　beggared；　and　insufficient　House　of　Austria。

This　has　been　a　long　political　dissertation；　but　I　am　informed　that　political　subjects　are　your　favorite　ones；　which　I　am　glad　of；　considering　your　destination。　　You　do　well　to　get　your　materials　all　ready；　before　you　begin　your　work。　　As　you　buy　and　（I　am　told）　read　books　of　this　kind；　I　will　point　out　two　or　three　for　your　purchase　and　perusal；　I　am　not　sure　that　I　have　not　mentioned　them　before；　but　that　is　no　matter；　if　you　have　not　got　them。　　'Memoires　pour　servir　a　l'Histoire　du　17ieme　Siecle'；　is　a　most　useful　book　for　you　to　recur　to　for　all　the　facts　and　chronology　of　that　country　：　it　is　in　four　volumes　octavo；　and　very　correct　and　exact。　　If　I　do　not　mistake；　I　have　formerly　recommended　to　you；　'Les　Memoires　du　Cardinal　de　Retz'；　however；　if　you　have　not　yet　read　them；　pray　do；　and　with　the　attention　which　they　deserve。　　You