letters to his son, 1748-第6部分

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ey　are　as　much　more　above　him　as　he　is　above　his　horse。　　Sometimes；　indeed；　extraordinary　geniuses　have　broken　out　by　the　force　of　nature；　without　the　assistance　of　education；　but　those　instances　are　too　rare　for　anybody　to　trust　to；　and　even　they　would　make　a　much　greater　figure；　if　they　had　the　advantage　of　education　into　the　bargain。　　If　Shakespeare's　genius　had　been　cultivated；　those　beauties；　which　we　so　justly　admire　in　him；　would　have　been　undisgraced　by　those　extravagancies；　and　that　nonsense；　with　which　they　are　frequently　accompanied。　　People　are；　in　general；　what　they　are　made；　by　education　and　company；　from　fifteen　to　five…and…twenty；　consider　well；　therefore；　the　importance　of　your　next　eight　or　nine　years；　your　whole　depends　upon　them。　　I　will　tell　you　sincerely；　my　hopes　and　my　fears　concerning　you。　　I　think　you　will　be　a　good　scholar；　and　that　you　will　acquire　a　considerable　stock　of　knowledge　of　various　kinds；　but　I　fear　that　you　neglect　what　are　called　little；　though；　in　truth；　they　are　very　material　things；　I　mean；　a　gentleness　of　manners；　an　engaging　address；　and　an　insinuating　behavior；　they　are　real　and　solid　advantages；　and　none　but　those　who　do　not　know　the　world；　treat　them　as　trifles。　　I　am　told　that　you　speak　very　quick；　and　not　distinctly；　this　is　a　most　ungraceful　and　disagreeable　trick；　which　you　know　I　have　told　you　of　a　thousand　times；　pray　attend　carefully　to　the　correction　of　it。　An　agreeable　and；　distinct　manner　of　speaking　adds　greatly　to　the　matter；　and　I　have　known　many　a　very　good　speech　unregarded；　upon　account　of　the　disagreeable　manner　in　which　it　has　been　delivered；　and　many　an　indifferent　one　applauded；　from　the　contrary　reason。　　Adieu！




LETTER　XXXVI

LONDON；　April　15；　O。　S。　　1748

DEAR　BOY：　Though　I　have　no　letters　from　you　to　acknowledge　since　my　last　to　you；　I　will　not　let　three　posts　go　from　hence　without　a　letter　from　me。　　My　affection　always　prompts　me　to　write　to　you；　and　I　am　encouraged　to　do　it；　by　the　hopes　that　my　letters　are　not　quite　useless。　　You　will　probably　receive　this　in　the　midst　of　the　diversions　of　Leipsig　fair；　at　which；　Mr。　Harte　tells　me；　that　you　are　to　shine　in　fine　clothes；　among　fine　folks。　　I　am　very　glad　of　it；　as　it　is　time　that　you　should　begin　to　be　formed　to　the　manners　of　the　world　in　higher　life。　　Courts　are　the　best　schools　for　that　sort　of　learning。　　You　are　beginning　now　with　the　outside　of　a　court；　and　there　is　not　a　more　gaudy　one　than　that　of　Saxony。　　Attend　to　it；　and　make　your　observations　upon　the　turn　and　manners　of　it；　that　you　may　hereafter　compare　it　with　other　courts　which　you　will　see；　And；　though　you　are　not　yet　able　to　be　informed；　or　to　judge　of　the　political　conduct　and　maxims　of　that　court；　yet　you　may　remark　the　forms；　the　ceremonies；　and　the　exterior　state　of　it。　　At　least　see　everything　that　you　can　see；　and　know　everything　that　you　can　know　of　it；　by　asking　questions。　　See　likewise　everything　at　the　fair；　from　operas　and　plays；　down　to　the　Savoyard's　raree…shows。

Everything　is　worth　seeing　once；　and　the　more　one　sees；　the　less　one　either　wonders　or　admires。

Make　my　compliments　to　Mr。　Harte；　and　tell　him　that　I　have　just　now　received　his　letter；　for　which　I　thank　him。　　I　am　called　away；　and　my　letter　is　therefore　very　much　shortened。　　Adieu。

I　am　impatient　to　receive　your　answers　to　the　many　questions　that　I　have　asked　you。




LETTER　XXXVII

LONDON；　April　26；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　am　extremely　pleased　with　your　continuation　of　the　history　of　the　Reformation；　which　is　one　of　those　important　eras　that　deserves　your　utmost　attention；　and　of　which　you　cannot　be　too　minutely　informed。　　You　have；　doubtless；　considered　the　causes　of　that　great　event；　and　observed　that　disappointment　and　resentment　had　a　much　greater　share　in　it；　than　a　religious　zeal　or　an　abhorrence　of　the　errors　and　abuses　of　popery。

Luther；　an　Augustine　monk；　enraged　that　his　order；　and　consequently　himself；　had　not　the　exclusive　privilege　of　selling　indulgences；　but　that　the　Dominicans　were　let　into　a　share　of　that　profitable　but　infamous　trade；　turns　reformer；　and　exclaims　against　the　abuses；　the　corruption；　and　the　idolatry；　of　the　church　of　Rome；　which　were　certainly　gross　enough　for　him　to　have　seen　long　before；　but　which　he　had　at　least　acquiesced　in；　till　what　he　called　the　rights；　that　is；　the　profit；　of　his　order　came　to　be　touched。　　It　is　true；　the　church　of　Rome　furnished　him　ample　matter　for　complaint　and　reformation；　and　he　laid　hold　of　it　ably。

This　seems　to　me　the　true　cause　of　that　great　and　necessary；　work；　but　whatever　the　cause　was；　the　effect　was　good；　and　the　Reformation　spread　itself　by　its　own　truth　and　fitness；　was　conscientiously　received　by　great　numbers　in　Germany；　and　other　countries；　and　was　soon　afterward　mixed　up　with　the　politics　of　princes；　and；　as　it　always　happens　in　religious　disputes；　became　the　specious　covering　of　injustice　and　ambition。

Under　the　pretense　of　crushing　heresy；　as　it　was　called；　the　House　of　Austria　meant　to　extend　and　establish　its　power　in　the　empire；　as；　on　the　other　hand；　many　Protestant　princes；　under　the　pretense　of　extirpating　idolatry；　or　at　least　of　securing　toleration；　meant　only　to　enlarge　their　own　dominions　or　privileges。　　These　views　respectively；　among　the　chiefs　on　both　sides；　much　more　than　true　religious　motives；　continued　what　were　called　the　religious　wars　in　Germany；　almost　uninterruptedly；　till　the　affairs　of　the　two　religions　were　finally　settled　by　the　treaty　of　Munster。

Were　most　historical　events　traced　up　to　their　true　causes；　I　fear　we　should　not　find　them　much　more　noble　or　disinterested　than　Luther's　disappointed　avarice；　and　therefore　I　look　with　some　contempt　upon　those　refining　and　sagacious　historians；　who　ascribe　all；　even　the　most　common　events；　to　some　deep　political　cause；　whereas　mankind　is　made　up　of　inconsistencies；　and　no　man　acts　invariably　up　to　his　predominant　character。　　The　wisest　man　sometimes　acts　weakly；　and　the　weakest　sometimes　wisely。　　Our　jarring　passions；　our　variable　humors；　nay；　our　greater　or　lesser　degree　of　health　and　spirits；　produce　such　contradictions　in　our　conduct；　that；　I　believe；　those　are　the　oftenest　mistaken；　who　ascribe　our　actions　to　the　most　seemingly　obvious　motives；　and　I　am　convinced；　that　a　light　supper；　a　good　night's　sleep；　and　a　fine　morning；　have　sometimes　made　a　hero　of　the　same　man；　who；　by　an　indigestion；　a　restless　night；　and　rainy　morning；　would；　have　proved　a　coward。　　Our　best　conjectures；　therefore；　as　to　the　true　springs　of　actions；　are　but　very　uncertain；　and　the　actions　themselves　are　all　that　we　must　pretend　to　know　from　history。　　That　Caesar　was　murdered　by　twenty…three　conspirators；　I　make　no　doubt：　but　I　very　much　doubt　that　their　love　of　liberty；　and　of　their　country；　was　their　sole；　or　even　principal　motive；　and　I　dare　say　that；　if　the　truth　were　known；　we　should　find　that　many　other　motives　at　least　concurred；　even　in　the　great　Brutus　himself；　such　as　pride；　envy；　personal　pique；　and　disappointment。　　Nay；　I　cannot　help　carrying　my　Pyrrhonism　still　further；　and　extending　it　often　to　historical　facts　themselves；　at　least　to　most　of　the　circumstances　with　which　they　are　related；　and　every　day's　experience　confirms　me　in　this　historical　incredulity。　　Do　we　ever　hear　the　most　recent　fact　related　exactly　in　the　same　way；　by　the　several　people　who　were　at　the　same　time　eyewitnesses　of　it？　　No。　　One　mistakes；　another　misrepresents；　and　others　warp　it　a　little　to　their　own；　turn　of　mind；　or　private　views。　A　man　who　has　been　concerned　in　a　transaction　will　not　write　it　fairly；　and　a　man　who　has　not；　cannot。　　But　notwithstanding　all　this　uncertainty；　history　is　not　the　less　necessary　to　be　known；　as　the　best　histories　are　taken　for　granted；　and　are　the　frequent　subjects　both　of　conversation　and　writing。　　Though　I　am　convinced　that　Caesar's　ghost　never　appeared　to　Brutus；　yet　I　should　be　much　ashamed　to　be　ignorant　of　that　fact；　as　related　by　the　historians　of　those　times。　　Thus　the　Pagan　theology　is　universally　received　as　matter　for　writing　and　conversation；　though　believed　now　by　nobody；　and　we　talk　of　Jupiter；　Mars；　Apollo；　etc。；　as　gods；　though　we　know；　that　if　they　ever　existed　at　all；　it　was　only　as　mere　mortal　men。　　This　historical　Pyrrhonism；　then；　proves　nothing　against　the　study　and　knowledge　of　history；　which；　of　all　other　studies；　is　the　most　necessary　for　a　man　who　is　to　live　in　the　world。　　It　only　points　out　to　us；　not　to　be　too　decisive　and　peremptory；　and　to　be　cautious　how　we　draw　inferences　for　our　own　practice　from　remote　facts；　partially　or　ignorantly　related；　of　which　we　can；　at　best；　but　imperfectly　guess；　and　certainly　not　know　the　real　motives。　　The　testimonies　of　ancient　history　must　necessarily　be　weaker　than　those　of　modern；　as　all　testimony　grows　weaker　and　weaker；　as　it　is　more　and　more　remote　from　us。　　I　would　therefore　advise　you　to　study　ancient　history；　in　general；　as　other　people；　do；　that　is；　not　to　be　ignorant　of　any　or　those　facts　which　are　universally　received；　upon　the　faith　of　the　best　historians；　and　whether　true　or　false；　you　have　them　as　other　people　have　them。　　But　modern　history；　I　mean　particularly　that　of　the　last　three　centuries；　is　what　I　would　have　you　apply　to　with　the　greatest　attention　and　exactness。　　There　the　probability　of　coming　at　the　truth　is　much　greater；　as　the　testimonies　are　much　more　recent；　besides；　anecdotes；　memoirs；　and　original　letters；　often　come　to　the　aid　of　modern　history。　The　best　memoirs　that　I　know　of　are　those　of　Cardinal　de　Retz；　which　I　have　once　before　recommended　to　you；　and　which　I　advise　you　to　read　more　than　once；　with　attention。　　There　are　many　political　maxims　in　these　memoirs；　most　of　which　are　printed　in　italics；　pray　attend　to；　and　remember　them。　　I　never　read　them　but　my　own　experience　confirms　the　truth　of　them。　　Many　of　them　seem　trifling　to　people　who　are　not　used　to　business；　but　those　who　are；　feel　the　truth　of　them。

It　is　time　to　put　an　end　to　this　long　rambling　letter；　in　which　if　any　one　thing　can　be　of　use　to　you；　it　will　more　than　pay　the　trouble　I　have　taken　to　write　it。　　Adieu！　　Yours。




LETTER　XXXVIII

LONDON；　May　10；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　reckon　that　this　letter　will　find　y