letters to his son, 1748-第16部分

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e；　have　escaped　your　observation。　　Their　pious　object　was；　to　take　away　by　force　other　people's　property；　and　to　massacre　the　proprietors　themselves　if　they　refused　to　give　up　that　property；　and　adopt　the　opinions　of　these　invaders。　　What　right　or　pretense　had　these　confederated　Christians　of　Europe　to　the　Holy　Land？　Let　them　produce　their　grant　of　it　in　the　Bible。　　Will　they　say；　that　the　Saracens　had　possessed　themselves　of　it　by　force；　and　that；　consequently；　they　had　the　same　right？　　Is　it　lawful　then　to　steal　goods　because　they　were　stolen　before？　　Surely　not。　　The　truth　is；　that　the　wickedness　of　many；　and　the　weakness　of　more；　in　those　ages　of　ignorance　and　superstition；　concurred　to　form　those　flagitious　conspiracies　against　the　lives　and　properties　of　unoffending　people。　　The　Pope　sanctified　the　villany；　and　annexed　the　pardon　of　sins　to　the　perpetration　of　it。　　This　gave　rise　to　the　Crusaders；　and　carried　such　swarms　of　people　from　Europe　to　the　conquests　of　the　Holy　Land。　　Peter　the　Hermit；　an　active　and　ambitious　priest；　by　his　indefatigable　pains；　was　the　immediate　author　of　the　first　crusade；　kings；　princes；　all　professions　and　characters　united；　from　different　motives；　in　this　great　undertaking；　as　every　sentiment；　except　true　religion　and　morality；　invited　to　it。　　The　ambitious　hoped　for　kingdoms；　the　greedy　and　the　necessitous　for　plunder；　and　some　were　enthusiasts　enough　to　hope　for　salvation；　by　the　destruction　of　a　considerable　number　of　their　fellow　creatures；　who　had　done　them　no　injury。　　I　cannot　omit；　upon　this　occasion；　telling　you　that　the　Eastern　emperors　at　Constantinople　（who；　as　Christians；　were　obliged　at　least　to　seem　to　favor　these　expeditions；　seeing　the　immense　numbers　of　the　'Croisez'；　and　fearing　that　the　Western　Empire　might　have　some　mind　to　the　Eastern　Empire　too；　if　it　succeeded　against　the　Infidels；　as　'l'appetit　vient　en　mangeant'；　these　Eastern　emperors；　very　honestly；　poisoned　the　waters　where　the　'Croisez'　were　to　pass；　and　so　destroyed　infinite　numbers　of　them。

The　later　orders　of　knighthood；　such　as　the　Garter　in　England；　the　Elephant　in　Denmark；　the　Golden　Fleece　in　Burgundy；　the　St。　Esprit；　St。　Michel；　St。　Louis；　and　St。　Lazare；　in　France　　etc。；　are　of　a　very　different　nature　and　were　either　the　invitations　to；　or　the　rewards　of；　brave　actions　in　fair　war；　and　are　now　rather　the　decorations　of　the　favor　of　the　prince；　than　the　proofs　of　the　merit　of　the　subject。　However；　they　are　worth　your　inquiries　to　a　certain　degree；　and　conversation　will　give　you　frequent　opportunities　for　them。　　Wherever　you　are；　I　would　advise　you　to　inquire　into　the　respective　orders　of　that　country；　and　to　write　down　a　short　account　of　them。　　For　example；　while　you　are　in　Saxony；　get　an　account　of　l'Aigle　Blanc　and　of　what　other　orders　there　may　be；　either　Polish　or　Saxon；　and；　when　you　shall　be　at　Berlin；　inform　yourself　of　three　orders；　l'Aigle　Noir；　la　Generosite　et　le　Vrai　Merite；　which　are　the　only　ones　that　I　know　of　there。　　But　whenever　you　meet　with　straggling　ribands　and　stars；　as　you　will　with　a　thousand　in　Germany；　do　；not　fail　to　inquire　what　they　are；　and　to　take　a　minute　of　them　in　your　memorandum　book；　for　it　is　a　sort　of　knowledge　that　costs　little　to　acquire；　and　yet　it　is　of　some　use。　　Young　people　have　frequently　an　incuriousness　about　them；　arising　either　from　laziness；　or　a　contempt　of　the　object；　which　deprives　them　of　several　such　little　parts　of　knowledge；　that　they　afterward　wish　they　had　acquired。　　If　you　will　put　conversation　to　profit；　great　knowledge　may　be　gained　by　it；　and　is　it　not　better　（since　it　is　full　as　easy）　to　turn　it　upon　useful　than　upon　useless　subjects？　　People　always　talk　best　upon　what　they　know　most；　and　it　is　both　pleasing　them　and　improving　one's　self；　to　put　them　upon　that　subject。　　With　people　of　a　particular　profession；　or　of　a　distinguished　eminency　in　any　branch　of　learning；　one　is　not　at　a　loss；　but　with　those；　whether　men　or　women；　who　properly　constitute　what　is　called　the　beau　monde；　one　must　not　choose　deep　subjects；　nor　hope　to　get　any　knowledge　above　that　of　orders；　ranks；　families；　and　court　anecdotes；　which　are　therefore　the　proper　（and　not　altogether　useless）　subjects　of　that　kind　of　conversation。　　Women；　especially；　are　to　be　talked　to　as　below　men　and　above　children。　　If　you　talk　to　them　too　deep；　you　only　confound　them；　and　lose　your　own　labor；　if　you　talk　to　them　too　frivolously；　they　perceive　and　resent　the　contempt。　　The　proper　tone　for　them　is；　what　the　French　call　the　'Entregent'；　and　is；　in　truth；　the　polite　jargon　of　good　company。　　Thus；　if　you　are　a　good　chemist；　you　may　extract　something　out　of　everything。

A　propos　of　the　beau　monde；　I　must　again　and　again　recommend　the　Graces　to　you：　There　is　no　doing　without　them　in　that　world；　and；　to　make　a　good　figure　in　that　world；　is　a　great　step　toward　making　one　in　the　world　of　business；　particularly　that　part　of　it　for　which　you　are　destined。　　An　ungraceful　manner　of　speaking；　awkward　motions；　and　a　disagreeable　address；　are　great　clogs　to　the　ablest　man　of　business；　as　the　opposite　qualifications　are　of　infinite　advantage　to　him。　　I　am　told　there　is　a　very　good　dancing…master　at　Leipsig。　　I　would　have　you　dance　a　minuet　very　well；　not　so　much　for　the　sake　of　the　minuet　itself　（though　that；　if　danced　at　all；　ought　to　be　danced；　well）；　as　that　it　will　give　you　a　habitual　genteel　carriage　and　manner　of　presenting　yourself。

Since　I　am　upon　little　things；　I　must　mention　another；　which；　though　little　enough　in　itself；　yet　as　it　occurs　at；　least　once　in　every　day；　deserves　some　attention；　I　mean　Carving。　　Do　you　use　yourself　to　carve　ADROITLY　and　genteelly；　without　hacking　half　an　hour　across　a　bone；　without　bespattering　the　company　with　the　sauce；　and　without　overturning　the　glasses　into　your　neighbor's　pockets？　　These　awkwardnesses　are　extremely　disagreeable；　and；　if　often　repeated；　bring　ridicule。　　They　are　very　easily　avoided　by　a　little　attention　and　use。

How　trifling　soever　these　things　may　seem；　or　really　be　in　themselves；　they　are　no　longer　so　when　above　half　the　world　thinks　them　otherwise。　And；　as　I　would　have　you　'omnibus　ornatumexcellere　rebus'；　I　think　nothing　above　or　below　my　pointing　out　to　you；　or　your　excelling　in。　You　have　the　means　of　doing　it；　and　time　before　you　to　make　use　of　them。　Take　my　word　for　it；　I　ask　nothing　now　but　what　you　will；　twenty　years　hence；　most　heartily　wish　that　you　had　done。　　Attention　to　all　these　things；　for　the　next　two　or　three　years；　will　save　you　infinite　trouble　and　endless　regrets　hereafter。　　May　you；　in　the　whole　course　of　your　life；　have　no　reason　for　any　one　just　regret！　　Adieu。

Your　Dresden　china　is　arrived；　and　I　have　sent　it　to　your　Mamma。




LETTER　LII

LONDON；　September　27；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　have　received　your　Latin　〃Lecture　upon　War；〃　which　though　it　is　not　exactly　the　same　Latin　that　Caesar；　Cicero；　Horace；　Virgil；　and　Ovid　spoke；　is；　however；　as　good　Latin　as　the　erudite　Germans　speak　or　write。　　I　have　always　observed　that　the　most　learned　people；　that　is；　those　who　have　read　the　most　Latin；　write　the　worst；　and　that　distinguishes　the　Latin　of　gentleman　scholar　from　that　of　a　pedant。　A　gentleman　has；　probably；　read　no　other　Latin　than　that　of　the　Augustan　age；　and　therefore　can　write　no　other；　whereas　the　pedant　has　read　much　more　bad　Latin　than　good；　and　consequently　writes　so　too。　　He　looks　upon　the　best　classical　books；　as　books　for　school…boys；　and　consequently　below　him；　but　pores　over　fragments　of　obscure　authors；　treasures　up　the　obsolete　words　which　he　meets　with　there；　and　uses　them　upon　all　occasions　to　show　his　reading　at　the　expense　of　his　judgment。　　Plautus　is　his　favorite　author；　not　for　the　sake　of　the　wit　and　the　vis　comica　of　his　comedies；　but　upon　account　of　the　many　obsolete　words；　and　the　cant　of　low　characters；　which　are　to　be　met　with　nowhere　else。　　He　will　rather　use　'olli'　than　'illi'；　'optume'　than　'optima'；　and　any　bad　word　rather　than　any　good　one；　provided　he　can　but　prove；　that　strictly　speaking；　it　is　Latin；　that　is；　that　it　was　written　by　a　Roman。　　By　this　rule；　I　might　now　write　to　you　in　the　language　of　Chaucer　or　Spenser；　and　assert　that　I　wrote　English；　because　it　was　English　in　their　days；　but　I　should　be　a　most　affected　puppy　if　I　did　so；　and　you　would　not　understand　three　words　of　my　letter。　　All　these；　and　such　like　affected　peculiarities；　are　the　characteristics　of　learned　coxcombs　and　pedants；　and　are　carefully　avoided　by　all　men　of　sense。

I　dipped　accidentally；　the　other　day；　into　Pitiscus's　preface　to　his　〃Lexicon；〃　where　I　found　a　word　that　puzzled　me；　and　which　I　did　not　remember　ever　to　have　met　with　before。　　It　is　the　adverb　'praefiscine'；　which　means；　IN　A　GOOD　HOUR；　an　expression　which；　by　the　superstition　of　it；　appears　to　be　low　and　vulgar。　　I　looked　for　it：　and　at　last　I　found　that　it　is　once　or　twice　made　use　of　in　Plautus；　upon　the　strength　of　which　this　learned　pedant　thrusts　it　into　his　preface。　　Whenever　you　write　Latin；　remember　that　every　word　or　phrase　which　you　make　use　of；　but　cannot　find　in　Caesar；　Cicero；　Livy；　Horace；　Virgil；　and　Ovid；　is　bad；　illiberal　Latin；　though　it　may　have　been　written　by　a　Roman。

I　must　now　say　something　as　to　the　matter　of　the　〃Lecture；〃　in　which　I　confess　there　is　one　doctrine　laid　down　that　surprises　me：　It　is　this；　'Quum　vero　hostis　sit　lenta　citave　morte　omnia　dira　nobis　minitans　quocunque　bellantibus　negotium　est；　parum　sane　interfuerit　quo　modo　eum　obruere　et　interficere　satagamus；　si　ferociam　exuere　cunctetur。　　Ergo　veneno　quoque　uti　fas　est'；　etc。；　whereas　I　cannot　conceive　that　the　use　of　poison　can；　upon　any　account；　come　within　the　lawful　means　of　self…　defense。　　Force　may；　without　doubt；　be　justly　repelled　by　force；　but　not　by　treachery　and　fraud；　for　I　do　not　call　the　stratagems　of　war；　such　as　ambuscades；　masked　batteries；　false　attacks；　etc。；　frauds　or　treachery：　They　are　mutually　to　be　expected　and　guarded　against；　but　poisoned　arrows；　poisoned　waters；　or　poison　administered　to　your　enemy　（which　can　only　be　done　by　treachery）；　I　have　always　heard；　read；　and　thought；　to　be　unlawful　and　infamous　means　of　defense；　be　your　danger　ever　so　great：　But　'si　ferociam　exuere　cunctetur'；　must　I　rather　die　than　poi