letters to his son, 1748-第15部分

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tell　her　so；　whereas　a　decided　and　conscious　beauty　looks　upon　every　tribute　paid　to　her　beauty　only　as　her　due；　but　wants　to　shine；　and　to　be　considered　on　the　side　of　her　understanding；　and　a　woman　who　is　ugly　enough　to　know　that　she　is　so；　knows　that　she　has　nothing　left　for　it　but　her　understanding；　which　is　consequently　and　probably　（in　more　senses　than　one　her　weak　side。　　But　these　are　secrets　which　you　must　keep　inviolably；　if　you　would　not；　like　Orpheus；　be　torn　to　pieces　by　the　whole　sex；　on　the　contrary；　a　man　who　thinks　of　living　in　the　great　world；　must　be　gallant；　polite；　and　attentive　to　please　the　women。　　They　have；　from　the　weakness　of　men；　more　or　less　influence　in　all　courts；　they　absolutely　stamp　every　man's　character　in　the　beau　monde；　and　make　it　either　current；　or　cry　it　down；　and　stop　it　in　payments。　　It　is；　therefore；　absolutely　necessary　to　manage；　please；　and　flatter　them　and　never　to　discover　the　least　marks　of　contempt；　which　is　what　they　never　forgive；　but　in　this　they　are　not　singular；　for　it　is　the　same　with　men；　who　will　much　sooner　forgive　an　injustice　than　an　insult。　　Every　man　is　not　ambitious；　or　courteous；　or　passionate；　but　every　man　has　pride　enough　in　his　composition　to　feel　and　resent　the　least　slight　and　contempt。　　Remember；　therefore；　most　carefully　to　conceal　your　contempt；　however　just；　wherever　you　would　riot　make　an　implacable　enemy。　　Men　are　much　more　unwilling　to　have　their　weaknesses　and　their　imperfections　known　than　their　crimes；　and　if　you　hint　to　a　man　that　you　think　him　silly；　ignorant；　or　even　ill…bred；　or　awkward；　he　will　hate　you　more　and　longer；　than　if　you　tell　him　plainly；　that　you　think　him　a　rogue。　　Never　yield　to　that　temptation；　which　to　most　young　men　is　very　strong；　of　exposing　other　people's　weaknesses　and　infirmities；　for　the　sake　either　of　diverting　the　company；　or　showing　your　own　superiority。　　You　may　get　the　laugh　on　your　side　by　it　for　the　present；　but　you　will　make　enemies　by　it　forever；　and　even　those　who　laugh　with　you　then；　will；　upon　reflection；　fear；　and　consequently　hate　you；　besides　that　it　is　ill…　natured；　and　a　good　heart　desires　rather　to　conceal　than　expose　other　people's　weaknesses　or　misfortunes。　　If　you　have　wit；　use　it　to　please；　and　not　to　hurt：　you　may　shine；　like　the　sun　in　the　temperate　zones；　without　scorching。　　Here　it　is　wished　for；　under　the　Line　it　is　dreaded。

These　are　some　of　the　hints　which　my　long　experience　in　the　great　world　enables　me　to　give　you；　and　which；　if　you　attend　to　them；　may　prove　useful　to　you　in　your　journey　through　it。　　I　wish　it　may　be　a　prosperous　one；　at　least；　I　am　sure　that　it　must　be　your　own　fault　if　it　is　not。

Make　my　compliments　to　Mr。　Harte；　who；　I　am　very　sorry　to　hear；　is　not　well。　　I　hope　by　this　time　he　is　recovered。　　Adieu！




LETTER　L

LONDON；　September　13；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　have　more　than　once　recommended　to　you　the　〃Memoirs〃　of　the　Cardinal　de　Retz；　and　to　attend　particularly　to　the　political　reflections　interspersed　in　that　excellent　work。　　I　will　now　preach　a　little　upon　two　or　three　of　those　texts。

In　the　disturbances　at　Paris；　Monsieur　de　Beaufort；　who　was　a　very　popular；　though　a　very　weak　man；　was　the　Cardinal's　tool　with　the　populace。

Proud　of　his　popularity；　he　was　always　for　assembling　the　people　of　Paris　together；　thinking　that　he　made　a　great　figure　at　the　head　of　them。　　The　Cardinal；　who　was　factious　enough；　was　wise　enough　at　the　same　time　to　avoid　gathering　the　people　together；　except　when　there　was　occasion；　and　when　he　had　something　particular　for　them　to　do。　　However；　he　could　not　always　check　Monsieur　de　Beaufort；　who　having　assembled　them　once　very　unnecessarily；　and　without　any　determined　object；　they　ran　riot；　would　not　be　kept　within　bounds　by　their　leaders；　and　did　their　cause　a　great　deal　of　harm：　upon　which　the　Cardinal　observes　most　judiciously；　'Que　Monsieur　de　Beaufort　me　savoit　pas；　que　qui　assemble　le　peuple；　l'emeut'。　It　is　certain；　that　great　numbers　of　people　met　together；　animate　each　other；　and　will　do　something；　either　good　or　bad；　but　oftener　bad；　and　the　respective　individuals；　who　were　separately　very　quiet；　when　met　together　in　numbers；　grow　tumultuous　as　a　body；　and　ripe　for　any　mischief　that　may　be　pointed　out　to　them　by　the　leaders；　and；　if　their　leaders　have　no　business　for　them；　they　will　find　some　for　themselves。　　The　demagogues；　or　leaders　of　popular　factions；　should　therefore　be　very　careful　not　to　assemble　the　people　unnecessarily；　and　without　a　settled　and　well…considered　object。　　Besides　that；　by　making　those　popular　assemblies　too　frequent；　they　make　them　likewise　too　familiar；　and　consequently　less　respected　by　their　enemies。　　Observe　any　meetings　of　people；　and　you　will　always　find　their　eagerness　and　impetuosity　rise　or　fall　in　proportion　to　their　numbers：　when　the　numbers　are　very　great；　all　sense　and　reason　seem　to　subside；　and　one　sudden　frenzy　to　seize　on　all；　even　the　coolest　of　them。

Another　very　just　observation　of　the　Cardinal's　is；　That；　the　things　which　happen　in　our　own　times；　and　which　we　see　ourselves；　do　not　surprise　us　near　so　much　as　the　things　which　we　read　of　in　times　past；　though　not　in　the　least　more　extraordinary；　and　adds；　that　he　is　persuaded　that　when　Caligula　made　his　horse　a　Consul；　the　people　of　Rome；　at　that　time；　were　not　greatly　surprised　at　it；　having　necessarily　been　in　some　degree　prepared　for　it；　by　an　insensible　gradation　of　extravagances　from　the　same　quarter。　　This　is　so　true　that　we　read　every　day；　with　astonishment；　things　which　we　see　every　day　without　surprise。　We　wonder　at　the　intrepidity　of　a　Leonidas；　a　Codrus；　and　a　Curtius；　and　are　not　the　least　surprised　to　hear　of　a　sea…captain；　who　has　blown　up　his　ship；　his　crew；　and　himself；　that　they　might　not　fall　into　the　hands　of　the　enemies　of　his　country。　　I　cannot　help　reading　of　Porsenna　and　Regulus；　with　surprise　and　reverence；　and　yet　I　remember　that　I　saw；　without　either；　the　execution　of　Shepherd；＇James　Shepherd；　a　coach…　painter's　apprentice；　was　executed　at　Tyburn　for　high　treason；　March　17；　1718；　in　the　reign　of　George　I。＇a　boy　of　eighteen　years　old；　who　intended　to　shoot　the　late　king；　and　who　would　have　been　pardoned；　if　he　would　have　expressed　the　least　sorrow　for　his　intended　crime；　but；　on　the　contrary；　he　declared　that　if　he　was　pardoned　he　would　attempt　it　again；　that　he　thought　it　a　duty　which　he　owed　to　his　country；　and　that　he　died　with　pleasure　for　having　endeavored　to　perform　it。　　Reason　equals　Shepherd　to　Regulus；　but　prejudice；　and　the　recency　of　the　fact；　make　Shepherd　a　common　malefactor　and　Regulus　a　hero。

Examine　carefully；　and　reconsider　all　your　notions　of　things；　analyze　them；　and　discover　their　component　parts；　and　see　if　habit　and　prejudice　are　not　the　principal　ones；　weigh　the　matter　upon　which　you　are　to　form　your　opinion；　in　the　equal　and　impartial　scales　of　reason。　　It　is　not　to　be　conceived　how　many　people；　capable　of　reasoning；　if　they　would；　live　and　die　in　a　thousand　errors；　from　laziness；　they　will　rather　adopt　the　prejudices　of　others；　than　give　themselves　the　trouble　of　forming　opinions　of　their　own。　　They　say　things；　at　first；　because　other　people　have　said　them；　and　then　they　persist　in　them；　because　they　have　said　them　themselves。

The　last　observation　that　I　shall　now　mention　of　the　Cardinal's　is；　〃That　a　secret　is　more　easily　kept　by　a　good　many　people；　than　one　commonly　imagines。〃　　By　this　he　means　a　secret　of　importance；　among　people　interested　in　the　keeping　of　it。　　And　it　is　certain　that　people　of　business　know　the　importance　of　secrecy；　and　will　observe　it；　where　they　are　concerned　in　the　event。　　To　go　and　tell　any　friend；　wife；　or　mistress；　any　secret　with　which　they　have　nothing　to　do；　is　discovering　to　them　such　an　unretentive　weakness；　as　must　convince　them　that　you　will　tell　it　to　twenty　others；　and　consequently　that　they　may　reveal　it　without　the　risk　of　being　discovered。　　But　a　secret　properly　communicated　only　to　those　who　are　to　be　concerned　in　the　thing　in　question；　will　probably　be　kept　by　them　though　they　should　be　a　good　many。　　Little　secrets　are　commonly　told　again；　but　great　ones　are　generally　kept。　Adieu！




LETTER　LI

LONDON；　September　20；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　wait　with　impatience　for　your　accurate　history　of　the　'Chevaliers　Forte　Epees'；　which　you　promised　me　in　your　last；　and　which　I　take　to　be　the　forerunner　of　a　larger　work　that　you　intend　to　give　the　public；　containing　a　general　account　of　all　the　religious　and　military　orders　of　Europe。　　Seriously；　you　will　do　well　to　have　a　general　notion　of　all　those　orders；　ancient　and　modern；　both　as　they　are　frequently　the　subjects　of　conversation；　and　as　they　are　more　or　less　interwoven　with　the　histories　of　those　times。　　Witness　the　Teutonic　Order；　which；　as　soon　as　it　gained　strength；　began　its　unjust　depredations　in　Germany；　and　acquired　such　considerable　possessions　there；　and　the　Order　of　Malta　also；　which　continues　to　this　day　its　piracies　upon　the　Infidels。　Besides　one　can　go　into　no　company　in　Germany；　without　running　against　Monsieur　le　Chevalier；　or　Monsieur　le　Commandeur　de　l'　Ordre　Teutonique。　It　is　the　same　in　all　the　other　parts　of　Europe　with　regard　to　the　Order　of　Malta；　where　you　never　go　into　company　without　meeting　two　or　three　Chevaliers　or　Commandeurs；　who　talk　of　their　'Preuves'；　their　'Langues'；　their　'Caravanes'；　etc。；　of　all　which　things　I　am　sure　you　would　not　willingly　be　ignorant。　　On　the　other　hand；　I　do　not　mean　that　you　should　have　a　profound　and　minute　knowledge　of　these　matters；　which　are　of　a　nature　that　a　general　knowledge　of　them　is　fully　sufficient。　　I　would　not　recommend　you　to　read　Abbe　Vertot's　〃History　of　the　Order　of　Malta；〃　in　four　quarto　volumes；　that　would　be　employing　a　great　deal　of　good　time　very　ill。　　But　I　would　have　you　know　the　foundations；　the　objects；　the　INSIGNIA；　and　the　short　general　history　of　them　all。

As　for　the　ancient　religious　military　orders；　which　were　chiefly　founded　in　the　eleventh　and　twelfth　centuries；　such　as　Malta；　the　Teutonic；　the　Knights　Templars；　etc。；　the　injustice　and　the　wickedness　of　those　establishments　cannot；　I　am　sure；　have　escaped　your　observation。　　Their　pious　object　was；　to　take　away　by　force　other　people's　prop