letters to his son, 1748-第5部分

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maxims；　but　they　are　the　reflections　which　a　great　and　able　man　formed　from　long　experience　and　practice　in　great　business。　　They　are　true　conclusions；　drawn　from　facts；　not　from　speculations。

As　modern　history　is　particularly　your　business；　I　will　give　you　some　rules　to　direct　your　study　of　it。　　It　begins；　properly　with　Charlemagne；　in　the　year　800。　　But　as；　in　those　times　of　ignorance；　the　priests　and　monks　were　almost　the　only　people　that　could　or　did　write；　we　have　scarcely　any　histories　of　those　times　but　such　as　they　have　been　pleased　to　give　us；　which　are　compounds　of　ignorance；　superstition；　and　party　zeal。　　So　that　a　general　notion　of　what　is　rather　supposed；　than　really　known　to　be；　the　history　of　the　five　or　six　following　centuries；　seems　to　be　sufficient；　and　much　time　would　be　but　ill　employed　in　a　minute　attention　to　those　legends。　　But　reserve　your　utmost　care；　and　most　diligent　inquiries；　from　the　fifteenth　century；　and　downward。　　Then　learning　began　to　revive；　and　credible　histories　to　be　written；　Europe　began　to　take　the　form；　which；　to　some　degree；　it　still　retains：　at　least　the　foundations　of　the　present　great　powers　of　Europe　were　then　laid。　Lewis　the　Eleventh　made　France；　in　truth；　a　monarchy；　or；　as　he　used　to　say　himself；　'la　mit　hors　de　Page'。　　Before　his　time；　there　were　independent　provinces　in　France；　as　the　Duchy　of　Brittany；　etc。；　whose　princes　tore　it　to　pieces；　and　kept　it　in　constant　domestic　confusion。　Lewis　the　Eleventh　reduced　all　these　petty　states；　by　fraud；　force；　or　marriage；　for　he　scrupled　no　means　to　obtain　his　ends。

About　that　time；　Ferdinand　King　of　Aragon；　and　Isabella　his　wife；　Queen　of　Castile；　united　the　whole　Spanish　monarchy；　and　drove　the　Moors　out　of　Spain；　who　had　till　then　kept　position　of　Granada。　　About　that　time；　too；　the　house　of　Austria　laid　the　great　foundations　of　its　subsequent　power；　first；　by　the　marriage　of　Maximilian　with　the　heiress　of　Burgundy；　and　then；　by　the　marriage　of　his　son　Philip；　Archduke　of　Austria；　with　Jane；　the　daughter　of　Isabella；　Queen　of　Spain；　and　heiress　of　that　whole　kingdom；　and　of　the　West　Indies。　　By　the　first　of　these　marriages；　the　house　of　Austria　acquired　the　seventeen　provinces；　and　by　the　latter；　Spain　and　America；　all　which　centered　in　the　person　of　Charles　the　Fifth；　son　of　the　above…mentioned　Archduke　Philip；　the　son　of　Maximilian。　　It　was　upon　account　of　these　two　marriages；　that　the　following　Latin　distich　was　made：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Bella　gerant　alii；　Tu　felix　Austria　nube；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Nam　qua；　Mars　aliis；　dat　tibi　regna　Venus。

This　immense　power；　which　the　Emperor　Charles　the　Fifth　found　himself　possessed　of；　gave　him　a　desire　for　universal　power　（for　people　never　desire　all　till　they　have　gotten　a　great　deal）；　and　alarmed　France；　this　sowed　the　seeds　of　that　jealousy　and　enmity；　which　have　flourished　ever　since　between　those　two　great　powers。　　Afterward　the　House　of　Austria　was　weakened　by　the　division　made　by　Charles　the　Fifth　of　his　dominions；　between　his　son；　Philip　the　Second　of　Spain；　and　his　brother　Ferdinand；　and　has　ever　since　been　dwindling　to　the　weak　condition　in　which　it　now　is。　　This　is　a　most　interesting　part　of　the　history　of　Europe；　of　which　it　is　absolutely　necessary　that　you　should　be　exactly　and　minutely　informed。

There　are　in　the　history　of　most　countries；　certain　very　remarkable　eras；　which　deserve　more　particular　inquiry　and　attention　than　the　common　run　of　history。　　Such　is　the　revolt　of　the　Seventeen　Provinces；　in　the　reign　of　Philip　the　Second　of　Spain；　which　ended　in　forming　the　present　republic　of　the　Seven　United　Provinces；　whose　independency　was　first　allowed　by　Spain　at　the　treaty　of　Munster。　　Such　was　the　extraordinary　revolution　of　Portugal；　in　the　year　1640；　in　favor　of　the　present　House　of　Braganza。　　Such　is　the　famous　revolution　of　Sweden；　when　Christian　the　Second　of　Denmark；　who　was　also　king　of　Sweden；　was　driven　out　by　Gustavus　Vasa。　　And　such　also　is　that　memorable　era　in　Denmark；　of　1660；　when　the　states　of　that　kingdom　made　a　voluntary　surrender　of　all　their　rights　and　liberties　to　the　Crown；　and　changed　that　free　state　into　the　most　absolute　monarchy　now　in　Europe。　　The　Acta　Regis；　upon　that　occasion；　are　worth　your　perusing。　　These　remarkable　periods　of　modern　history　deserve　your　particular　attention；　and　most　of　them　have　been　treated　singly　by　good　historians；　which　are　worth　your　reading。　　The　revolutions　of　Sweden；　and　of　Portugal；　are　most　admirably　well　written　by　L'Abbe　de　Vertot；　they　are　short；　and　will　not　take　twelve　hours'　reading。　　There　is　another　book　which　very　well　deserves　your　looking　into；　but　not　worth　your　buying　at　present；　because　it　is　not　portable；　if　you　can　borrow　or　hire　it；　you　should；　and　that　is；　'L'　Histoire　des　Traits　de　Paix；　in　two　volumes；　folio；　which　make　part　of　the　'Corps　Diplomatique'。　　You　will　there　find　a　short　and　clear　history；　and　the　substance　of　every　treaty　made　in　Europe；　during　the　last　century；　from　the　treaty　of　Vervins。　　Three　parts　in　four　of　this　book　are　not　worth　your　reading；　as　they　relate　to　treaties　of　very　little　importance；　but　if　you　select　the　most　considerable　ones；　read　them　with　attention；　and　take　some　notes；　it　will　be　of　great　use　to　you。　　Attend　chiefly　to　those　in　which　the　great　powers　of　Europe　are　the　parties；　such　as　the　treaty　of　the　Pyrenees；　between　France　and　Spain；　the　treaties　of　Nimeguen　and　Ryswick；　but；　above　all；　the　treaty　of　Munster　should　be　most　circumstantially　and　minutely　known　to　you；　as　almost　every　treaty　made　since　has　some　reference　to　it。　　For　this；　Pere　Bougeant　is　the　best　book　you　can　read；　as　it　takes　in　the　thirty　years'　war；　which　preceded　that　treaty。　　The　treaty　itself；　which　is　made　a　perpetual　law　of　the　empire；　comes　in　the　course　of　your　lectures　upon　the　'Jus　Publicum　Imperii'。

In　order　to　furnish　you　with　materials　for　a　letter；　and　at　the　same　time　to　inform　both　you　and　myself　of　what　it　is　right　that　we　should　know；　pray　answer　me　the　following　questions：

How　many　companies　are　there　in　the　Saxon　regiments　of　foot？　　How　many　men　in　each　company？

How　many　troops　in　the　regiments　of　horse　and　dragoons；　and　how　many　men　in　each？

What　number　of　commissioned　and　non…commissioned　officers　in　a　company　of　foot；　or　in　a　troop　of　horse　or　dragoons？　　N。　B。　　Noncommissioned　officers　are　all　those　below　ensigns　and　cornets。

What　is　the　daily　pay　of　a　Saxon　foot　soldier；　dragoon；　and　trooper？

What　are　the　several　ranks　of　the　'Etat　Major…general'？　　N。　B。　　The　Etat　Major…general　is　everything　above　colonel。　　The　Austrians　have　no　brigadiers；　and　the　French　have　no　major…generals　in　their　Etat　Major。　What　have　the　Saxons？　　Adieu！




LETTER　XXXIV

LONDON；　March　27；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　This　little　packet　will　be　delivered　to　you　by　one　Monsieur　Duval；　who　is　going　to　the　fair　at　Leipsig。　　He　is　a　jeweler；　originally　of　Geneva；　but　who　has　been　settled　here　these　eight　or　ten　years；　and　a　very　sensible　fellow：　pray　do　be　very　civil　to　him。

As　I　advised　you；　some　time　ago；　to　inform　yourself　of　the　civil　and　military　establishments　of　as　many　of　the　kingdoms　and　states　of　Europe；　as　you　should　either　be　in　yourself；　or　be　able　to　get　authentic　accounts　of；　I　send　you　here　a　little　book；　in　which；　upon　the　article　of　Hanover；　I　have　pointed　out　the　short　method　of　putting　down　these　informations；　by　way　of　helping　your　memory。　　The　book　being　lettered；　you　can　immediately　turn　to　whatever　article　you　want；　and；　by　adding　interleaves　to　each　letter；　may　extend　your　minutes　to　what　particulars　you　please。　You　may　get　such　books　made　anywhere；　and　appropriate　each；　if　you　please；　to　a　particular　object。　　I　have　myself　found　great　utility　in　this　method。　　If　I　had　known　what　to　have　sent　you　by　this　opportunity　I　would　have　done　it。　　The　French　say；　'Que　les　petits　presens　entretiennent　l'amite　et　que　les　grande　l'augmentent'；　but　I　could　not　recollect　that　you　wanted　anything；　or　at　least　anything　that　you　cannot　get　as　well　at　Leipsig　as　here。　　Do　but　continue　to　deserve；　and；　I　assure　you；　that　you　shall　never　want　anything　I　can　give。

Do　not　apprehend　that　my　being　out　of　employment　may　be　any　prejudice　to　you。　　Many　things　will　happen　before　you　can　be　fit　for　business；　and　when　you　are　fit；　whatever　my　situation　may　be；　it　will　always　be　in　my　power　to　help　you　in　your　first　steps；　afterward　you　must　help　yourself　by　your　own　abilities。　　Make　yourself　necessary；　and；　instead　of　soliciting；　you　will　be　solicited。　　The　thorough　knowledge　of　foreign　affairs；　the　interests；　the　views；　and　the　manners　of　the　several　courts　in　Europe；　are　not　the　common　growth　of　this　country。　　It　is　in　your　power　to　acquire　them；　you　have　all　the　means。　　Adieu！　　　Yours。




LETTERS　TO　HIS　SON

LETTER　XXXV

LONDON；　April　1；　O。　S。　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　have　not　received　any　letter；　either　from　you　or　from　Mr；　Harte；　these　three　posts；　which　I　impute　wholly　to　accidents　between　this　place　and　Leipsig；　and　they　are　distant　enough　to　admit　of　many。　　I　always　take　it　for　granted　that　you　are　well；　when　I　do　not　hear　to　the　contrary；　besides；　as　I　have　often　told　you；　I　am　much　more　anxious　about　your　doing　well；　than　about　your　being　well；　and；　when　you　do　not　write；　I　will　suppose　that　you　are　doing　something　more　useful。　　Your　health　will　continue；　while　your　temperance　continues；　and　at　your　age　nature　takes　sufficient　care　of　the　body；　provided　she　is　left　to　herself；　and　that　intemperance　on　one　hand；　or　medicines　on　the　other；　do　not　break　in　upon　her。　　But　it　is　by　no　means　so　with　the　mind；　which；　at　your　age　particularly；　requires　great　and　constant　care；　and　some　physic。　　Every　quarter　of　an　hour；　well　or　ill　employed；　will　do　it　essential　and　lasting　good　or　harm。　　It　requires　also　a　great　deal　of　exercise；　to　bring　it　to　a　state　of　health　and　vigor。　　Observe　the　difference　there　is　between　minds　cultivated；　and　minds　uncultivated；　and　you　will；　I　am　sure；　think　that　you　cannot　take　too　much　pains；　nor　employ　too　much　of　your　time　in　the　culture　of　your　own。　　A　drayman　is　probably　born　with　as　good　organs　as　Milton；　Locke；　or　Newton；　but；　by　culture；　they　are　as　much　more　above　him　as　he　is　above　his　horse。　　Sometimes；　indeed；　extraordinary　geniuses　h