letters to his son, 1748-第8部分

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LETTER　XL

LONDON；　May　27；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　This　and　the　two　next　years　make　so　important　a　period　of　your　life；　that　I　cannot　help　repeating　to　you　my　exhortations；　my　commands；　and　（what　I　hope　will　be　still　more　prevailing　with　you　than　either）　my　earnest　entreaties；　to　employ　them　well。　　Every　moment　that　you　now　lose；　is　so　much　character　and　advantage　lost；　as；　on　the　other　hand；　every　moment　that　you　now　employ　usefully；　is　so　much　time　wisely　laid　out；　at　most　prodigious　interest。　　These　two　years　must　lay　the　foundations　of　all　the　knowledge　that　you　will　ever　have；　you　may　build　upon　them　afterward　as　much　as　you　please；　but　it　will　be　too　late　to　lay　any　new　ones。　　Let　me　beg　of　you；　therefore；　to　grudge　no　labor　nor　pains　to　acquire；　in　time；　that　stock　of　knowledge；　without　which　you　never　can　rise；　but　must　make　a　very　insignificant　figure　in　the　world。　　Consider　your　own　situation；　you　have　not　the　advantage　of　rank　or　fortune　to　bear　you　up；　I　shall；　very　probably；　be　out　of　the　world　before　you　can　properly　be　said　to　be　in　it。　　What　then　will　you　have　to　rely　on　but　your　own　merit？　　That　alone　must　raise　you；　and　that　alone　will　raise　you；　if　you　have　but　enough　of　it。　　I　have　often　heard　and　read　of　oppressed　and　unrewarded　merit；　but　I　have　oftener　（I　might　say　always）　seen　great　merit　make　its　way；　and　meet　with　its　reward；　to　a　certain　degree　at　least；　in　spite　of　all　difficulties。　　By　merit；　I　mean　the　moral　virtues；　knowledge；　and　manners；　as　to　the　moral　virtues；　I　say　nothing　to　you；　they　speak　best　for　themselves；　nor　can　I　suspect　that　they　want　any　recommendation　with　you；　I　will　therefore　only　assure　you；　that　without　them　you　will　be　most　unhappy。

As　to　knowledge；　I　have　often　told　you；　and　I　am　persuaded　you　are　thoroughly　convinced；　how　absolutely　necessary　it　is　to　you；　whatever　your　destination　may　be。　　But　as　knowledge　has　a　most　extensive　meaning；　and　as　the　life　of　man　is　not　long　enough　to　acquire；　nor　his　mind　capable　of　entertaining　and　digesting；　all　parts　of　knowledge；　I　will　point　out　those　to　which　you　should　particularly　apply；　and　which；　by　application；　you　may　make　yourself　perfect　master　of。　　Classical　knowledge；　that　is；　Greek　and　Latin；　is　absolutely　necessary　for　everybody；　because　everybody　has　agreed　to　think　and　to　call　it　so。　　And　the　word　ILLITERATE；　in　its　common　acceptation；　means　a　man　who　is　ignorant　of　those　two　languages。　　You　are　by　this　time；　I　hope；　pretty　near　master　of　both；　so　that　a　small　part　of　the　day　dedicated　to　them；　for　two　years　more；　will　make　you　perfect　in　that　study。　　Rhetoric；　logic；　a　little　geometry；　and　a　general　notion　of　astronomy；　must；　in　their　turns；　have　their　hours　too；　not　that　I　desire　you　should　be　deep　in　any　one　of　these；　but　it　is　fit　you　should　know　something　of　them　all。　The　knowledge　more　particularly　useful　and　necessary　for　you；　considering　your　destination；　consists　of　modern　languages；　modern　history；　chronology；　and　geography；　the　laws　of　nations；　and　the　'jus　publicum　Imperii'。　　You　must　absolutely　speak　all　the　modern　Languages；　as　purely　and　correctly　as　the　natives　of　the　respective　countries：　for　whoever　does　not　speak　a　language　perfectly　and　easily；　will　never　appear　to　advantage　in　conversation；　nor　treat　with　others　in　it　upon　equal　terms。　As　for　French；　you　have　it　very　well　already；　and　must　necessarily；　from　the　universal　usage　of　that　language；　know　it　better　and　better　every　day：　so　that　I　am　in　no　pain　about　that：　German；　I　suppose；　you　know　pretty　well　by　this　time；　and　will　be　quite　master　of　it　before　you　leave　Leipsig：　at　least；　I　am　sure　you　may。　　Italian　and　Spanish　will　come　in　their　turns；　and；　indeed；　they　are　both　so　easy；　to　one　who　knows　Latin　and　French；　that　neither　of　them　will　cost　you　much　time　or　trouble。　Modern　history；　by　which　I　mean　particularly　the　history　of　the　last　three　centuries；　should　be　the　object　of　your　greatest　and　constant　attention；　especially　those　parts　of　it　which　relate　more　immediately　to　the　great　powers　of　Europe。　　This　study　you　will　carefully　connect　with　chronology　and　geography；　that　is；　you　will　remark　and　retain　the　dates　of　every　important　event；　and　always　read　with　the　map　by　you；　in　which　you　will　constantly　look　for　every　place　mentioned：　this　is　the　only　way　of　retaining　geography；　for；　though　it　is　soon　learned　by　the　lump；　yet；　when　only　so　learned；　it　is　still　sooner　forgot。

Manners；　though　the　last；　and　it　may　be　the　least　ingredient　of　real　merit；　are；　however；　very　far　from　being　useless　in　its　composition；　they　adorn；　and　give　an　additional　force　and　luster　to　both　virtue　and　knowledge。　　They　prepare　and　smooth　the　way　for　the　progress　of　both；　and　are；　I　fear；　with　the　bulk　of　mankind；　more　engaging　than　either。　Remember；　then；　the　infinite　advantage　of　manners；　cultivate　and　improve　your　own　to　the　utmost　good　sense　will　suggest　the　great　rules　to　you；　good　company　will　do　the　rest。　　Thus　you　see　how　much　you　have　to　do；　and　how　little　time　to　do　it　in：　for　when　you　are　thrown　out　into　the　world；　as　in　a　couple　of　years　you　must　be；　the　unavoidable　dissipation　of　company；　and　the　necessary　avocations　of　some　kind　of　business　or　other；　will　leave　you　no　time　to　undertake　new　branches　of　knowledge：　you　may；　indeed；　by　a　prudent　allotment　of　your　time；　reserve　some　to　complete　and　finish　the　building；　but　you　will　never　find　enough　to　lay　new　foundations。　　I　have　such　an　opinion　of　your　understanding；　that　I　am　convinced　you　are　sensible　of　these　truths；　and　that；　however　hard　and　laborious　your　present　uninterrupted　application　may　seem　to　you；　you　will　rather　increase　than　lessen　it。　　For　God's　sake；　my　dear　boy；　do　not　squander　away　one　moment　of　your　time；　for　every　moment　may　be　now　most　usefully　employed。　　Your　future　fortune；　character；　and　figure　in　the　world；　entirely　depend　upon　your　use　or　abuse　of　the　two　next　years。　If　you　do　but　employ　them　well；　what　may　you　not　reasonably　expect　to　be；　in　time？　　And　if　you　do　not；　what　may　I　not　reasonably　fear　you　will　be？　You　are　the　only　one　I　ever　knew；　of　this　country；　whose　education　was；　from　the　beginning；　calculated　for　the　department　of　foreign　affairs；　in　consequence　of　which；　if　you　will　invariably　pursue；　and　diligently　qualify　yourself　for　that　object；　you　may　make　yourself　absolutely　necessary　to　the　government；　and；　after　having　received　orders　as　a　minister　abroad；　send　orders；　in　your　turn；　as　Secretary　of　State　at　home。　　Most　of　our　ministers　abroad　have　taken　up　that　department　occasionally；　without　having　ever　thought　of　foreign　affairs　before；　many　of　them；　without　speaking　any　one　foreign　language；　and　all　of　them　without　manners　which　are　absolutely　necessary　toward　being　well　received；　and　making　a　figure　at　foreign　courts。　　They　do　the　business　accordingly；　that　is；　very　ill：　they　never　get　into　the　secrets　of　these　courts；　for　want　of　insinuation　and　address：　they　do　not　guess　at　their　views；　for　want　of　knowing　their　interests：　and；　at　last；　finding　themselves　very　unfit　for；　soon　grow　weary　of　their　commissions；　and　are　impatient　to　return　home；　where　they　are　but　too　justly　laid　aside　and　neglected。　　Every　moment's　conversation　may；　if　you　please；　be　of　use　to　you；　in　this　view；　every　public　event；　which　is　the　common　topic　of　conversation；　gives　you　an　opportunity　of　getting　some　information。　　For　example；　the　preliminaries　of　peace；　lately　concluded　at　Aix…la…Chapelle；　will　be　the　common　subject　of　most　conversations；　in　which　you　will　take　care　to　ask　the　proper　questions：　as；　what　is　the　meaning　of　the　Assiento　contract　for　negroes；　between　England　and　Spain；　what　the　annual　ship；　when　stipulated；　upon　what　account　suspended；　etc。　　You　will　likewise　inform　yourself　about　Guastalla；　now　given　to　Don　Philip；　together　with　Parma　and　Placentia；　who　they　belonged　to　before；　what　claim　or　pretensions　Don　Philip　had　to　them；　what　they　are　worth；　in　short；　everything　concerning　them。　　The　cessions　made　by　the　Queen　of　Hungary　to　the　King　of　Sardinia；　are；　by　these　preliminaries；　confirmed　and　secured　to　him：　you　will　inquire；　therefore；　what　they　are；　and　what　they　are　worth。　　This　is　the　kind　of　knowledge　which　you　should　be　most　thoroughly　master　of；　and　in　which　conversation　will　help　you　almost　as　much　as　books：　but　both　are　best。　　There　are　histories　of　every　considerable　treaty；　from　that　of　Westphalia　to　that　of　Utrecht；　inclusively；　all　which　I　would　advise　you　to　read。　　Pore　Bougeant's；　of　the　treaty　of　Westphalia；　is　an　excellent　one；　those　of　Nimeguen；　Ryswick；　and　Utrecht；　are　not　so　well　written；　but　are；　however；　very　useful。　　'L'Histoire　des　Traites　de　Paix'；　in　two　volumes；　folio；　which　I　recommended　to　you　some　time　ago；　is　a　book　that　you　should　often　consult；　when　you　hear　mention　made　of　any　treaty　concluded　in　the　seventeenth　century。

Upon　the　whole；　if　you　have　a　mind　to　be　considerable；　and　to　shine　hereafter；　you　must　labor　hard　now。　　No　quickness　of　parts；　no　vivacity；　will　do　long；　or　go　far；　without　a　solid　fund　of　knowledge；　and　that　fund　of　knowledge　will　amply　repay　all　the　pains　that　you　can　take　in　acquiring　it。　　Reflect　seriously；　within　yourself；　upon　all　this；　and　ask　yourself　whether　I　can　have　any　view；　but　your　interest；　in　all　that　I　recommend　to　you。　　It　is　the　result　of　my　experience；　and　flows　from　that　tenderness　and　affection　with　which；　while　you　deserve　them；　I　shall　be；　Yours。

Make　my　compliments　to　Mr。　Harte；　and　tell　him　that　I　have　received　his　letter　of　the　24th；　N。　S。




LETTER　XLI

LONDON；　May　31；　O。　S。　　1748

DEAR　BOY：　I　have　received；　with　great　satisfaction；　your　letter　of　the　28th　N。　S。；　from　Dresden：　it　finishes　your　short　but　clear　account　of　the　Reformation　which　is　one　of　those　interesting　periods　of　modern　history；　that　can　not　be　too　much　studied　nor　too　minutely　known　by　you。　　There　are　many　great　events　in　history；　which；　when　once　they　are　over；　leave　things　in　the　situation　in　which　they　found　them。　　As；　for　instance；　the　late　war；　which；　excepting　the　establishment　in　Italy　for　Don　Philip；　leave　things　pretty　much　in　state　quo；　a　mutual　restitution　of　all　acquisitions　being　stipulated　by　the　preliminaries　of　the　peace。　　Such　events　undoubtedly　deserve　your　notice；　but　yet　not　so　mi