letters to his son, 1748-第21部分

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lay　has　had　the　same　fate　with　the　squib；　and　has　gone　off　no　more。　I　remember　a　squib　much　better　applied；　when　it　was　made　the　device　of　the　colors　of　a　French　regiment　of　grenadiers；　it　was　represented　bursting；　with　this　motto　under　it：　'Peream　dum　luceam'。

I　like　the　description　of　your　PIC…NIC；　where　I　take　it　for　granted；　that　your　cards　are　only　to　break　the　formality　of　a　circle；　and　your　SYMPOSION　intended　more　to　promote　conversation　than　drinking。　　Such　an　AMICABLE　COLLISION；　as　Lord　Shaftesbury　very　prettily　calls　it；　rubs　off　and　smooths　those　rough　corners　which　mere　nature　has　given　to　the　smoothest　of　us。　　I　hope　some　part；　at　least；　of　the　conversation　is　in　German。　　'A　propos'：　tell　me　do　you　speak　that　language　correctly；　and　do　you　write　it　with　ease？　　I　have　no　doubt　of　your　mastering　the　other　modern　languages；　which　are　much　easier；　and　occur　much　oftener；　for　which　reason；　I　desire　that　you　will　apply　most　diligently　to　German；　while　you　are　in　Germany；　that　you　may　speak　and　write　that　language　most　correctly。

I　expect　to　meet　Mr。　Eliot　in　London；　in　about　three　weeks；　after　which　you　will　soon　see　him　at　Leipsig。　　Adieu。




LETTER　LVI

LONDON；　November　18；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　Whatever　I　see　or　whatever　I　hear；　my　first　consideration　is；　whether　it　can　in　any　way　be　useful　to　you。　　As　a　proof　of　this；　I　went　accidentally　the　other　day　into　a　print…shop；　where；　among　many　others；　I　found　one　print　from　a　famous　design　of　Carlo　Maratti；　who　died　about　thirty　years　ago；　and　was　the　last　eminent　painter　in　Europe：　the　subject　is　'il　Studio　del　Disegno'；　or　〃The　School　of　Drawing。〃　　An　old　man；　supposed　to　be　the　master；　points　to　his　scholars；　who　are　variously　employed　in　perspective；　geometry；　and　the　observation　of　the　statues　of　antiquity。　　With　regard　to　perspective；　of　which　there　are　some　little　specimens；　he　has　wrote；　'Tanto　che　basti'；　that　is；　〃As　much　as　is　sufficient〃；　with　regard　to　geometry；　'Tanto　che　basti'　again；　with　regard　to　the　contemplation　of　the　ancient　statues；　there　is　written；　'Non　mai　a　bastanza'；〃There　never　can　be　enough。〃　　But　in　the　clouds；　at　the　top　of　the　piece；　are　represented　the　three　Graces；　with　this　just　sentence　written　over　them；　'Senza　di　noi　ogni　fatica　e　vana'；　that　is；　〃Without　us；　all　labor　is　vain。〃　　This　everybody　allows　to　be　true　in　painting；　but　all　people　do　not　seem　to　consider；　as　I　hope　you　will；　that　this　truth　is　full　as　applicable　to　every　other　art　or　science；　indeed　to　everything　that　is　to　be　said　or　done。　　I　will　send　you　the　print　itself　　by　Mr。　Eliot；　when　he　returns；　and　I　will　advise　you　to　make　the　same　use　of　it　that　the　Roman　Catholics　say　they　do　of　the　pictures　and　images　of　their　saints；　which　is；　only　to　remind　them　of　those；　for　the　adoration　they　disclaim。　　Nay；　I　will　go　further；　as　the　transition　from　Popery　to　Paganism　is　short　and　easy；　I　will　classically　end　poetically　advise　you　to　invoke；　and　sacrifice　to　them　every　day；　and　all　the　day。　　It　must　be　owned；　that　the　Graces　do　not　seem　to　be　natives　of　Great　Britain；　and；　I　doubt；　the　best　of　us　here　have　more　of　rough　than　polished　diamond。

Since　barbarism　drove　them　out　of　Greece　and　Rome；　they　seem　to　have　taken　refuge　in　France；　where　their　temples　are　numerous；　and　their　worship　the　established　one。　　Examine　yourself　seriously；　why　such　and　such　people　please　and　engage　you；　more　than　such　and　such　others；　of　equal　merit；　and　you　will　always　find　that　it　is　because　the　former　have　the　Graces　and　the　latter　not。　　I　have　known　many　a　woman　with　an　exact　shape；　and　a　symmetrical　assemblage　of　beautiful　features；　please　nobody；　while　others；　with　very　moderate　shapes　and　features；　have　charmed　everybody。　　Why？　　because　Venus　will　not　charm　so　much；　without　her　attendant　Graces；　as　they　will　without　her。　　Among　men；　how　often　have　I　seen　the　most　solid　merit　and　knowledge　neglected；　unwelcome；　or　even　rejected；　for　want　of　them！　　While　flimsy　parts；　little　knowledge；　and　less　merit；　introduced　by　the　Graces；　have　been　received；　cherished；　and　admired。　　Even　virtue；　which　is　moral　beauty；　wants　some　of　its　charms　if　unaccompanied　by　them。

If　you　ask　me　how　you　shall　acquire　what　neither　you　nor　I　can　define　or　ascertain；　I　can　only　answer；　BY　OBSERVATION。　　Form　yourself；　with　regard　to　others；　upon　what　you　feel　pleases　you　in　them。　　I　can　tell　you　the　importance；　the　advantage；　of　having　the　Graces；　but　I　cannot　give　them　you：　I　heartily　wish　I　could；　and　I　certainly　would；　for　I　do　not　know　a　better　present　that　I　could　make　you。　　To　show　you　that　a　very　wise；　philosophical；　and　retired　man　thinks　upon　that　subject　as　I　do；　who　have　always　lived　in　the　world；　I　send　you；　by　Mr。　Eliot；　the　famous　Mr。　Locke's　book　upon　education；　in　which　you　will　end　the　stress　that　he　lays　upon　the　Graces；　which　he　calls　（and　very　truly）　good…breeding。　I　have　marked　all　the　parts　of　that　book　that　are　worth　your　attention；　for　as　he　begins　with　the　child；　almost　from　its　birth；　the　parts　relative　to　its　infancy　would　be　useless　to　you。　　Germany　is；　still　less　than　England；　the　seat　of　the　Graces；　however；　you　had　as　good　not　say　so　while　you　are　there。　　But　the　place　which　you　are　going　to；　in　a　great　degree；　is；　for　I　have　known　as　many　well…bred；　pretty　men　come　from　Turin；　as　from　any　part　of　Europe。　　The　late　King　Victor　Amedee　took　great　pains　to　form　such　of　his　subjects　as　were　of　any　consideration；　both　to　business　and　manners；　the　present　king；　I　am　told；　follows　his　example：　this；　however；　is　certain；　that　in　all　courts　and　congresses；　where　there　are　various　foreign　ministers；　those　of　the　King　of　Sardinia　are　generally　the　ablest；　the　politest；　and　'les　plus　delies'。　　You　will　therefore；　at　Turin；　have　very　good　models　to　form　yourself　upon：　and　remember；　that　with　regard　to　the　best　models；　as　well　as　to　the　antique　Greek　statues　in　the　print；　'non　mai　a　bastanza'。　　Observe　every　word；　look；　and　motion　of　those　who　are　allowed　to　be　the　most　accomplished　persons　there。　　Observe　their　natural　and　careless；　but　genteel　air；　their　unembarrassed　good…breeding；　their　unassuming；　but　yet　unprostituted　dignity。　　Mind　their　decent　mirth；　their　discreet　frankness；　and　that　'entregent'　which；　as　much　above　the　frivolous　as　below　the　important　and　the　secret；　is　the　proper　medium　for　conversation　in　mixed　companies。　　I　will　observe；　by　the　bye；　that　the　talent　of　that　light　'entregent'　is　often　of　great　use　to　a　foreign　minister；　not　only　as　it　helps　him　to　domesticate　himself　in　many　families；　but　also　as　it　enables　him　to　put　by　and　parry　some　subjects　of　conversation；　which　might　possibly　lay　him　under　difficulties　both　what　to　say　and　how　to　look。

Of　all　the　men　that　ever　I　knew　in　my　life　（and　I　knew　him　extremely　well）；　the　late　Duke　of　Marlborough　possessed　the　graces　in　the　highest　degree；　not　to　say　engrossed　them；　and　indeed　he　got　the　most　by　them；　for　I　will　venture　（contrary　to　the　custom　of　profound　historians；　who　always　assign　deep　causes　for　great　events）；　to　ascribe　the　better　half　of　the　Duke　of　Marlborough's　greatness　and　riches　to　those　graces。　　He　was　eminently　illiterate；　wrote　bad　English　and　spelled　it　still　worse。　He　had　no　share　of　what　is　commonly　called　PARTS：　that　is；　he　had　no　brightness；　nothing　shining　in　his　genius。　　He　had　most　undoubtedly；　an　excellent　good　plain　understanding　with　sound　judgment。　　But　these　alone；　would　probably　have　raised　him　but　something　higher　than　they　found　him；　which　was　page　to　King　James　the　Second's　queen。　　There　the　Graces　protected　and　promoted　him；　for　while　he　was　an　ensign　of　the　Guards；　the　Duchess　of　Cleveland；　then　favorite　mistress　to　King　Charles　the　Second；　struck　by　those　very　Graces；　gave　him　five　thousand　pounds；　with　which　he　immediately　bought　an　annuity　for　his　life　of　five　hundred　pounds　a　year；　of　my　grandfather　Halifax；　which　was　the　foundation　of　his　subsequent　fortune。　　His　figure　was　beautiful；　but　his　manner　was　irresistible；　by　either　man　or　woman。　　It　was　by　this　engaging；　graceful　manner；　that　he　was　enabled；　during　all　his　war；　to　connect　the　various　and　jarring　powers　of　the　Grand　Alliance；　and　to　carry　them　on　to　the　main　object　of　the　war；　notwithstanding　their　private　and　separate　views；　jealousies；　and　wrongheadednesses。　　Whatever　court　he　went　to　（and　he　was　often　obliged　to　go　himself　to　some　resty　and　refractory　ones）；　he　as　constantly　prevailed；　and　brought　them　into　his　measures。　　The　Pensionary　Heinsius；　a　venerable　old　minister；　grown　gray　in　business；　and　who　had　governed　the　republic　of　the　United　Provinces　for　more　than　forty　years；　was　absolutely　governed　by　the　Duke　of　Marlborough；　as　that　republic　feels　to　this　day。　　He　was　always　cool；　and　nobody　ever　observed　the　least　variation　in　his　countenance；　he　could　refuse　more　gracefully　than　other　people　could　grant；　and　those　who　went　away　from　him　the　most　dissatisfied　as　to　the　substance　of　their　business；　were　yet　personally　charmed　with　him　and；　in　some　degree；　comforted　by　his　manner。　　With　all　his　gentleness　and　gracefulness；　no　man　living　was　more　conscious　of　his　situation；　nor　maintained　his　dignity　better。

With　the　share　of　knowledge　which　you　have　already　gotten；　and　with　the　much　greater　which　I　hope　you　will　soon　acquire；　what　may　you　not　expect　to　arrive　at；　if　you　join　all　these　graces　to　it？　　In　your　destination　particularly；　they　are　in　truth　half　your　business：　for；　if　you　once　gain　the　affections　as　well　as　the　esteem　of　the　prince　or　minister　of　the　court　to　which　you　are　sent；　I　will　answer　for　it；　that　will　effectually　do　the　business　of　the　court　that　sent　you；　otherwise　it　is　up…hill　work。　Do　not　mistake；　and　think　that　these　graces　which　I　so　often　and　so　earnestly　recommend　to　you；　should　only　accompany　important　transactions；　and　be　worn　only　'les　jours　de　gala'；　no；　they　should；　if　possible；　accompany　every；　the　least　thing　you　do　or　say；　for；　if　you　neglect　them　in　little　things；　they　will　leave　you　in　great　ones。　　I　should；　for　instance；　be　extremely　concerned　to　see　you　even　drink　a　cup　of　coffee　ungracefully；　and　slop　yourself　with　it；　by　your　awkward　manner　of　holding　it；　nor　should　I　like　to　see　your　coat　buttoned；　or　your　shoes　buckled　awry。　　But　I　should　be　outrageous；　if　I　heard　y