letters to his son, 1748-第22部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ike　to　see　your　coat　buttoned；　or　your　shoes　buckled　awry。　　But　I　should　be　outrageous；　if　I　heard　you　mutter　your　words　unintelligibly；　stammer；　in　your　speech；　or　hesitate；　misplace；　and　mistake　in　your　narrations；　and　I　should　run　away　from　you　with　greater　rapidity；　if　possible；　than　I　should　now　run　to　embrace　you；　if　I　found　you　destitute　of　all　those　graces　which　I　have　set　my　heart　upon　their　making　you　one　day；　'omnibus　ornatum　excellere　rebus'。

This　subject　is　inexhaustible；　as　it　extends　to　everything　that　is　to　be　said　or　done：　but　I　will　leave　it　for　the　present；　as　this　letter　is　already　pretty　long。　　Such　is　my　desire；　my　anxiety　for　your　perfection；　that　I　never　think　I　have　said　enough；　though　you　may　possibly　think　that　I　have　said　too　much；　and　though；　in　truth；　if　your　own　good　sense　is　not　sufficient　to　direct　you；　in　many　of　these　plain　points；　all　that　I　or　anybody　else　can　say　will　be　insufficient。　　But　where　you　are　concerned；　I　am　the　insatiable　man　in　Horace；　who　covets　still　a　little　corner　more　to　complete　the　figure　of　his　field。　　I　dread　every　little　corner　that　may　deform　mine；　in　which　I　would　have　（if　possible）　no　one　defect。

I　this　moment　receive　yours　of　the　17th；　N。　S。；　and　cannot　condole　with　you　upon　the　secession　of　your　German　'Commensaux'；　who　both　by　your　and　Mr。　Harte's　description；　seem　to　be　'des　gens　d'une　amiable　absence'；　and；　if　you　can　replace　them　by　any　other　German　conversation；　you　will　be　a　gainer　by　the　bargain。　　I　cannot　conceive；　if　you　understand　German　well　enough　to　read　any　German　book；　how　the　writing　of　the　German　character　can　be　so　difficult　and　tedious　to　you；　the　twenty…four　letters　being　very　soon　learned；　and　I　do　not　expect　that　you　should　write　yet　with　the　utmost　purity　and　correctness；　as　to　the　language：　what　I　meant　by　your　writing　once　a　fortnight　to　Grevenkop；　was　only　to　make　the　written　character　familiar　to　you。　　However；　I　will　be　content　with　one　in　three　weeks　or　so。

I　believe　you　are　not　likely　to　see　Mr。　Eliot　again　soon；　he　being　still　in　Cornwall　with　his　father；　who；　I　hear；　is　not　likely　to　recover。　Adieu。




LETTER　LVII

LONDON；　November　29；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　delayed　writing　to　you　till　I　could　give　you　some　account　of　the　motions　of　your　friend　Mr。　Eliot；　for　whom　I　know　you　have；　and　very　justly；　the　most　friendly　concern。　　His　father　and　he　came　to　town　together；　in　a　post…chaise　a　fortnight　ago；　the　rest　of　the　family　remaining　in　Cornwall。　　His　father；　with　difficulty；　survived　the　journey；　and　died　last　Saturday　was　seven…night。　　Both　concern　and　decency　confined　your　friend；　till　two　days　ago；　when　I　saw　him；　he　has　determined；　and　I　think　very　prudently；　to　go　abroad　again；　but　how　soon；　it　is　yet　impossible　for　him　to　know；　as　he　must　necessarily　put　his　own　private　affairs　in　some　order　first；　but　I　conjecture　that　he　may　possibly　join　you　at　Turin；　sooner；　to　be　sure；　not。　　I　am　very　sorry　that　you　are　likely　to　be　so　long　without　the　company　and　the　example　of　so　valuable　a　friend；　and　therefore　I　hope　that　you　will　make　it　up　to　yourself；　as　well　as　you　can　at　this　distance；　by　remembering　and　following　his　example。　　Imitate　that　application　of　his；　which　has　made　him　know　all　thoroughly；　and　to　the　bottom。　　He　does　not　content　himself　with　the　surface　of　knowledge；　but　works　in　the　mine　for　it；　knowing　that　it　lies　deep。　　Pope　says；　very　truly；　in　his　〃Essay　on　Criticism〃：

　　　　　　　　　　A　little　learning　is　a　dangerous　thing；　　　　　　　　　　　Drink　deep；　or　taste　not　the　Pierian　spring。

I　shall　send　you　by　a　ship　that　goes　to　Hamburg　next　week　（and　by　which　Hawkins　sends　Mr。　Harte　some　things　that　he　wrote　for）　all　those　which　I　propose　sending　you　by　Mr。　Eliot；　together　with　a　very　little　box　that　I　am　desired　to　forward　to　Mr。　Harte。　　There　will　be；　likewise；　two　letters　of　recommendation　for　you　to　Monsieur　Andrie　and　Comte　Algarotti；　at　Berlin；　which　you　will　take　care　to　deliver　to　them；　as　soon　as　you　shall　be　rigged　and　fitted　out　to　appear　there。　　They　will　introduce　you　into　the　best　company；　and　I　depend　upon　your　own　good　sense　for　your　avoiding　of　bad。　　If　you　fall　into　bad　and　low　company　there；　or　anywhere　else；　you　will　be　irrecoverably　lost；　whereas；　if　you　keep　good　company；　and　company　above　yourself；　your　character　and　your　fortune　will　be　immovably　fixed。

I　have　not　time　to…day；　upon　account　of　the　meeting　of　the　parliament；　to　make　this　letter　of　the　usual　length；　and　indeed；　after　the　volumes　that　I　have　written　to　you；　all　I　can　add　must　be　unnecessary。　　However；　I　shall　probably；　'ex　abundanti'；　return　soon　to　my　former　prolixity；　and　you　will　receive　more　and　more　last　words　from；　Yours。




LETTER　LVIII

LONDON；　December　6；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　am　at　present　under　very　great　concern　for　the　loss　of　a　most　affectionate　brother；　with　whom　I　had　always　lived　in　the　closest　friendship。　　My　brother　John　died　last　Friday　night；　of　a　fit　of　the　gout；　which　he　had　had　for　about　a　month　in　his　hands　and　feet；　and　which　fell　at　last　upon　his　stomach　and　head。　　As　he　grew；　toward　the　last；　lethargic；　his　end　was　not　painful　to　himself。　　At　the　distance　which　you　are　at　from　hence；　you　need　not　go　into　mourning　upon　this　occasion；　as　the　time　of　your　mourning　would　be　near　over；　before　you　could　put　it　on。

By　a　ship　which　sails　this　week　for　Hamburg；　I　shall　send　you　those　things　which　I　proposed　to　have　sent　you　by　Mr。　Eliot；　viz。；　a　little　box　from　your　Mamma；　a　less　box　for　Mr。　Harte；　Mr。　Locke's　book　upon　education；　the　print　of　Carlo　Maratti；　which　I　mentioned　to　you　some　time　ago；　and　two　letters　of　recommendation；　one　to　Monsieur　Andrie　and　the　other　to　Comte　Algarotti；　at　Berlin。　　Both　those　gentlemen　will；　I　am　sure；　be　as　willing　as　they　are　able　to　introduce　you　into　the　best　company；　and　I　hope　you　will　not　（as　many　of　your　countrymen　are　apt　to　do）　decline　it。　　It　is　in　the　best　companies　only；　that　you　can　learn　the　best　manners　and　that　'tournure'；　and　those　graces；　which　I　have　so　often　recommended　to　you；　as　the　necessary　means　of　making　a　figure　in　the　world。

I　am　most　extremely　pleased　with　the　account　which　Mr。　Harte　gives　me　of　your　progress　in　Greek；　and　of　your　having　read　Hesiod　almost　critically。　Upon　this　subject　I　suggest　but　one　thing　to　you；　of　many　that　I　might　suggest；　which　is；　that　you　have　now　got　over　the　difficulties　of　that　language；　and　therefore　it　would　be　unpardonable　not　to　persevere　to　your　journey's　end；　now　that　all　the　rest　of　your　way　is　down　hill。

I　am　also　very　well　pleased　to　hear　that　you　have　such　a　knowledge　of；　and　taste　for　curious　books　and　scarce　and　valuable　tracts。　　This　is　a　kind　of　knowledge　which　very　well　becomes　a　man　of　sound　and　solid　learning；　but　which　only　exposes　a　man　of　slight　and　superficial　reading；　therefore；　pray　make　the　substance　and　matter　of　such　books　your　first　object；　and　their　title…pages；　indexes；　letter；　and　binding；　but　your　second。　　It　is　the　characteristic　of　a　man　of　parts　and　good　judgment　to　know；　and　give　that　degree　of　attention　that　each　object　deserves。　Whereas　little　minds　mistake　little　objects　for　great　ones；　and　lavish　away　upon　the　former　that　time　and　attention　which　only　the　latter　deserve。　　To　such　mistakes　we　owe　the　numerous　and　frivolous　tribes　of　insect…mongers；　shell…mongers；　and　pursuers　and　driers　of　butterflies；　etc。　　The　strong　mind　distinguishes；　not　only　between　the　useful　and　the　useless；　but　likewise　between　the　useful　and　the　curious。　　He　applies　himself　intensely　to　the　former；　he　only　amuses　himself　with　the　latter。　Of　this　little　sort　of　knowledge；　which　I　have　just　hinted　at；　you　will　find　at　least　as　much　as　you　need　wish　to　know；　in　a　superficial　but　pretty　French　book；　entitled；　'Spectacle　de　la　Nature'；　which　will　amuse　you　while　you　read　it；　and　give　you　a　sufficient　notion　of　the　various　parts　of　nature。　　I　would　advise　you　to　read　it；　at　leisure　hours。　　But　that　part　of　nature；　which　Mr。　Harte　tells　me　you　have　begun　to　study　with　the　Rector　magnificus；　is　of　much　greater　importance；　and　deserves　much　more　attention；　I　mean　astronomy。　　The　vast　and　immense　planetary　system；　the　astonishing　order　and　regularity　of　those　innumerable　worlds；　will　open　a　scene　to　you；　which　not　only　deserves　your　attention　as　a　matter　of　curiosity；　or　rather　astonishment；　but　still　more；　as　it　will　give　you　greater；　and　consequently　juster；　ideas　of　that　eternal　and　omnipotent　Being；　who　contrived；　made；　and　still　preserves　that　universe；　than　all　the　contemplation　of　this；　comparatively；　very　little　orb；　which　we　at　present　inhabit；　could　possibly　give　you。　　Upon　this　subject；　Monsieur　Fontenelle's　'Pluralite　des　Mondes'；　which　you　may　read　in　two　hours'　time；　will　both　inform　and　please　you。　　God　bless　you！　　Yours。




LETTER　LIX

LONDON；　December　13；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　The　last　four　posts　have　brought　me　no　letters；　either　from　you　or　from　Mr。　Harte；　at　which　I　am　uneasy；　not　as　a　mamma　would　be；　but　as　a　father　should　be：　for　I　do　not　want　your　letters　as　bills　of　health；　you　are　young；　strong；　and　healthy；　and　I　am；　consequently；　in　no　pain　about　that：　moreover；　were　either　you　or　Mr。　Harte　ill；　the　other　would　doubtless　write　me　word　of　it。　　My　impatience　for　yours　or　Mr。　Harte's　letters　arises　from　a　very　different　cause；　which　is　my　desire　to　hear　frequently　of　the　state　and　progress　of　your　mind。　　You　are　now　at　that　critical　period　of　life　when　every　week　ought　to　produce　fruit　or　flowers　answerable　to　your　culture；　which　I　am　sure　has　not　been　neglected；　and　it　is　by　your　letters；　and　Mr。　Harte's　accounts　of　you；　that；　at　this　distance；　I　can　only　judge　at　your　gradations　to　maturity；　I　desire；　therefore；　that　one　of　you　two　will　not　fail　to　write　to　me　once　a　week。　The　sameness　of　your　present　way　of　life；　I　easily　conceive；　would　not　make　out　a　very　interesting　letter　to　an　indifferent　bystander；　but　so　deeply　concerned　as　I　am　in　the　game　you　are　playing；　even　the　least　move　is　to　me　of　importance；　and　helps　me　to　judge　of　the　final　event。

As　you　will　be　leaving　Leipsig　pretty　soon　after　you　shall　have　received　this　letter；　I　here　send　you　one　inclosed　to　deliver　to　Mr。　Mascow。　　It　is　to　thank　him　for　his　attention　and　civility　to　you；　durin