letters to his son, 1748-第24部分

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at　the　posthouse　till　you　send　for　it。　　Upon　your　arrival　at　Berlin　you　will　send　me　your　particular　direction；　and　also；　pray　be　minute　in　your　accounts　of　your　reception　there；　by　those　whom　I　recommend　you　to；　as　well　as　by　those　to　whom　they　present　you。　　Remember；　too；　that　you　are　going　to　a　polite　and　literate　court；　where　the　Graces　will　best　introduce　you。

Adieu。　　God　bless　you；　and　may　you　continue　to　deserve　my　love；　as　much　as　you　now　enjoy　it！

P。　S。　　Lady　Chesterfield　bids　me　tell　you；　that　she　decides　entirely　in　your　favor　against　Mr。　Grevenkop；　and　even　against　herself；　for　she　does　not　think　that　she　could；　at　this　time；　write　either　so　good　a　character　or　so　good　German。　　Pray　write　her　a　German　letter　upon　that　subject；　in　which　you　may　tell　her；　that；　like　the　rest　of　the　world；　you　approve　of　her　judgment；　because　it　is　in　your　favor；　and　that　you　true　Germans　cannot　allow　Danes　to　be　competent　judges　of　your　language；　etc。




LETTER　LXI

LONDON；　December　30；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　direct　this　letter　to　Berlin；　where；　I　suppose；　it　will　either　find　you；　or　at　least　wait　but　a　very　little　time　for　you。　　I　cannot　help　being　anxious　for　your　success；　at　this　your　first　appearance　upon　the　great　stage　of　the　world；　for；　though　the　spectators　are　always　candid　enough　to　give　great　allowances；　and　to　show　great　indulgence　to　a　new　actor；　yet；　from　the　first　impressions　which　he　makes　upon　them；　they　are　apt　to　decide；　in　their　own　minds；　at　least；　whether　he　will　ever　be　a　good　one；　or　not。　　If　he　seems　to　understand　what　he　says；　by　speaking　it　properly；　if　he　is　attentive　to　his　part；　instead　of　staring　negligently　about　him；　and　if；　upon　the　whole；　he　seems　ambitious　to　please；　they　willingly　pass　over　little　awkwardnesses　and　inaccuracies；　which　they　ascribe　to　a　commendable　modesty　in　a　young　and　inexperienced　actor。　　They　pronounce　that　he　will　be　a　good　one　in　time；　and；　by　the　encouragement　which　they　give　him；　make　him　so　the　sooner。　　This；　I　hope；　will　be　your　case：　you　have　sense　enough　to　understand　your　part；　a　constant　attention；　and　ambition　to　excel　in　it；　with　a　careful　observation　of　the　best　actors；　will　inevitably　qualify　you；　if　not　for　the　first；　at　least　for　considerable　parts。

Your　dress　（as　insignificant　a　thing　as　dress　is　in　itself）　is　now　become　an　object　worthy　of　some　attention；　for；　I　confess；　I　cannot　help　forming　some　opinion　of　a　man's　sense　and　character　from　his　dress；　and　I　believe　most　people　do　as　well　as　myself。　　Any　affectation　whatsoever　in　dress　implies；　in　my　mind；　a　flaw　in　the　understanding。　　Most　of　our　young　fellows　here　display　some　character　or　other　by　their　dress；　some　affect　the　tremendous；　and　wear　a　great　and　fiercely　cocked　hat；　an　enormous　sword；　a　short　waistcoat　and　a　black　cravat；　these　I　should　be　almost　tempted　to　swear　the　peace　against；　in　my　own　defense；　if　I　were　not　convinced　that　they　are　but　meek　asses　in　lions'　skins。　　Others　go　in　brown　frocks；　leather　breeches；　great　oaken　cudgels　in　their　hands；　their　hats　uncocked；　and　their　hair　unpowdered；　and　imitate　grooms；　stage…　coachmen；　and　country　bumpkins　so　well　in　their　outsides；　that　I　do　not　make　the　least　doubt　of　their　resembling　them　equally　in　their　insides。　A　man　of　sense　carefully　avoids　any　particular　character　in　his　dress；　he　is　accurately　clean　for　his　own　sake；　but　all　the　rest　is　for　other　people's。　　He　dresses　as　well；　and　in　the　same　manner；　as　the　people　of　sense　and　fashion　of　the　place　where　he　is。　　If　he　dresses　better；　as　he　thinks；　that　is；　more　than　they；　he　is　a　fop；　if　he　dresses　worse；　he　is　unpardonably　negligent。　　But；　of　the　two；　I　would　rather　have　a　young　fellow　too　much　than　too　little　dressed；　the　excess　on　that　side　will　wear　off；　with　a　little　age　and　reflection；　but　if　he　is　negligent　at　twenty；　he　will　be　a　sloven　at　forty；　and　stink　at　fifty　years　old。　Dress　yourself　fine；　where　others　are　fine；　and　plain　where　others　are　plain；　but　take　care　always　that　your　clothes　are　well　made；　and　fit　you；　for　otherwise　they　will　give　you　a　very　awkward　air。　　When　you　are　once　well　dressed　for　the　day　think　no　more　of　it　afterward；　and；　without　any　stiffness　for　fear　of　discomposing　that　dress；　let　all　your　motions　be　as　easy　and　natural　as　if　you　had　no　clothes　on　at　all。　　So　much　for　dress；　which　I　maintain　to　be　a　thing　of　consequence　in　the　polite　world。

As　to　manners；　good…breeding；　and　the　Graces；　I　have　so　often　entertained　you　upon　those　important　subjects；　that　I　can　add　nothing　to　what　I　have　formerly　said。　　Your　own　good　sense　will　suggest　to　you　the　substance　of　them；　and　observation；　experience；　and　good　company；　the　several　modes　of　them。　　Your　great　vivacity；　which　I　hear　of　from　many　people；　will　be　no　hindrance　to　your　pleasing　in　good　company：　on　the　contrary；　will　be　of　use　to　you；　if　tempered　by　good…breeding　and　accompanied　by　the　Graces。　But　then；　I　suppose　your　vivacity　to　be　a　vivacity　of　parts；　and　not　a　constitutional　restlessness；　for　the　most　disagreeable　composition　that　I　know　in　the　world；　is　that　of　strong　animal　spirits；　with　a　cold　genius。　Such　a　fellow　is　troublesomely　active；　frivolously　busy；　foolishly　lively；　talks　much　with　little　meaning；　and　laughs　more；　with　less　reason　whereas；　in　my　opinion；　a　warm　and　lively　genius　with　a　cool　constitution；　is　the　perfection　of　human　nature。

Do　what　you　will　at　Berlin；　provided　you　do　but　do　something　all　day　long。　　All　that　I　desire　of　you　is；　that　you　will　never　slattern　away　one　minute　in　idleness　and　in　doing　of　nothing。　　When　you　are　（not）in　company；　learn　what　either　books；　masters；　or　Mr。　Harte；　can　teach　you；　and　when　you　are　in　company；　learn　（what　company　can　only　teach　you）　the　characters　and　manners　of　mankind。　　I　really　ask　your　pardon　for　giving　you　this　advice；　because；　if　you　are　a　rational　creature　and　thinking　being；　as　I　suppose；　and　verily　believe　you　are；　it　must　be　unnecessary；　and　to　a　certain　degree　injurious。　　If　I　did　not　know　by　experience；　that　some　men　pass　their　whole　time　in　doing　nothing；　I　should　not　think　it　possible　for　any　being；　superior　to　Monsieur　Descartes'　automatons；　to　squander　away；　in　absolute　idleness；　one　single　minute　of　that　small　portion　of　time　which　is　allotted　us　in　this　world。

I　have　lately　seen　one　Mr。　Cranmer；　a　very　sensible　merchant；　who　told　me　that　he　had　dined　with　you；　and　seen　you　often　at　Leipsig。　　And　yesterday　I　saw　an　old　footman　of　mine；　whom　I　made　a　messenger；　who　told　me　that　he　had　seen　you　last　August。　　You　will　easily　imagine；　that　I　was　not　the　less　glad　to　see　them　because　they　had　seen　you；　and　I　examined　them　both　narrowly；　in　their　respective　departments；　the　former　as　to　your　mind；　the　latter；　as　to　your　body。　　Mr。　Cranmer　gave　me　great　satisfaction；　not　only　by　what　he　told　me　of　himself　concerning　you；　but　by　what　he　was　commissioned　to　tell　me　from　Mr。　Mascow。　　As　he　speaks　German　perfectly　himself；　I　asked　him　how　you　spoke　it；　and　he　assured　me　very　well　for　the　time；　and　that　a　very　little　more　practice　would　make　you　perfectly　master　of　it。　　The　messenger　told　me　that　you　were　much　grown；　and；　to　the　best　of　his　guess；　within　two　inches　as　tall　as　I　am；　that　you　were　plump；　and　looked　healthy　and　strong；　which　was　all　that　I　could　expect；　or　hope；　from　the　sagacity　of　the　person。

I　send　you；　my　dear　child　（and　you　will　not　doubt　it）；　very　sincerely；　the　wishes　of　the　season。　　May　you　deserve　a　great　number　of　happy　New…　years；　and；　if　you　deserve；　may　you　have　them。　　Many　New…years；　indeed；　you　may　see；　but　happy　ones　you　cannot　see　without　deserving　them。　These；　virtue；　honor；　and　knowledge；　alone　can　merit；　alone　can　procure；　'Dii　tibi　dent　annos；　de　te　nam　cetera　sumes'；　was　a　pretty　piece　of　poetical　flattery；　where　it　was　said：　I　hope　that；　in　time；　it　may　be　no　flattery　when　said　to　you。　　But　I　assure　you；　that　wherever　I　cannot　apply　the　latter　part　of　the　line　to　you　with　truth；　I　shall　neither　say；　think；　or　wish　the　former。　　Adieu！








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