letters to his son, 1752-第10部分

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mpatient　till　their　boobies　come　home　to　be　married；　and；　as　they　call　it；　settled。　　Of　those　who　really　love　their　sons；　few　know　how　to　do　it。　　Some　spoil　them　by　fondling　them　while　they　are　young；　and　then　quarrel　with　them　when　they　are　grown　up；　for　having　been　spoiled；　some　love　them　like　mothers；　and　attend　only　to　the　bodily　health　and　strength　of　the　hopes　of　their　family；　solemnize　his　birthday；　and　rejoice；　like　the　subjects　of　the　Great　Mogul；　at　the　increase　of　his　bulk；　while　others；　minding；　as　they　think；　only　essentials；　take　pains　and　pleasure　to　see　in　their　heir；　all　their　favorite　weaknesses　and　imperfections。　　I　hope　and　believe　that　I　have　kept　clear　of　all　of　these　errors　in　the　education　which　I　have　given　you。　　No　weaknesses　of　my　own　have　warped　it；　no　parsimony　has　starved　it；　no　rigor　has　deformed　it。　　Sound　and　extensive　learning　was　the　foundation　which　I　meant　to　layI　have　laid　it；　but　that　alone；　I　knew；　would　by　no　means　be　sufficient：　the　ornamental；　the　showish；　the　pleasing　superstructure　was　to　be　begun。　　In　that　view；　I　threw　you　into　the　great　world；　entirely　your　own　master；　at　an　age　when　others　either　guzzle　at　the　university；　or　are　sent　abroad　in　servitude　to　some　awkward；　pedantic　Scotch　governor。　　This　was　to　put　you　in　the　way；　and　the　only　way　of　acquiring　those　manners；　that　address；　and　those　graces；　which　exclusively　distinguish　people　of　fashion；　and　without　which　all　moral　virtues；　and　all　acquired　learning；　are　of　no　sort　of　use　in　the　courts　and　'le　beau　monde'：　on　the　contrary；　I　am　not　sure　if　they　are　not　an　hindrance。　　They　are　feared　and　disliked　in　those　places；　as　too　severe；　if　not　smoothed　and　introduced　by　the　graces；　but　of　these　graces；　of　this　necessary　'beau　vernis'；　it　seems　there　are　still　'quelque　couches　qui　manquent'。　　Now；　pray　let　me　ask　you；　coolly　and　seriously；　'pourquoi　ces　couches　manquent…elles'？　　For　you　may　as　easily　take　them；　as　you　may　wear　more　or　less　powder　in　your　hair；　more　or　less　lace　upon　your　coat。　　I　can　therefore　account　for　your　wanting　them　no　other　way　in　the　world；　than　from　your　not　being　yet　convinced　of　their　full　value。　　You　have　heard　some　English　bucks　say；　〃Damn　these　finical　outlandish　airs；　give　me　a　manly；　resolute　manner。　　They　make　a　rout　with　their　graces；　and　talk　like　a　parcel　of　dancing…masters；　and　dress　like　a　parcel　of　fops：　one　good　Englishman　will　beat　three　of　them。〃　　But　let　your　own　observation　undeceive　you　of　these　prejudices。　　I　will　give　you　one　instance　only；　instead　of　an　hundred　that　I　could　give　you；　of　a　very　shining　fortune　and　figure；　raised　upon　no　other　foundation　whatsoever；　than　that　of　address；　manners；　and　graces。　　Between　you　and　me　（for　this　example　must　go　no　further）；　what　do　you　think　made　our　friend；　Lord　A　e；　Colonel　of　a　regiment　of　guards；　Governor　of　Virginia；　Groom　of　the　Stole；　and　Ambassador　to　Paris；　amounting　in　all　to　sixteen　or　seventeen　thousand　pounds　a　year？　　Was　it　his　birth？　　No；　a　Dutch　gentleman　only。　　Was　it　his　estate？　　No；　he　had　none。　　Was　it　his　learning；　his　parts；　his　political　abilities　and　application？　　You　can　answer　these　questions　as　easily；　and　as　soon；　as　I　can　ask　them。　　What　was　it　then？　　Many　people　wondered；　but　I　do　not；　for　I　know；　and　will　tell　you。　　It　was　his　air；　his　address；　his　manners；　and　his　graces。　He　pleased；　and　by　pleasing　he　became　a　favorite；　and　by　becoming　a　favorite　became　all　that　he　has　been　since。　　Show　me　any　one　instance；　where　intrinsic　worth　and　merit；　unassisted　by　exterior　accomplishments；　have　raised　any　man　so　high。　　You　know　the　Due　de　Richelieu；　now　'Marechal；　Cordon　bleu；　Gentilhomme　de　la　Chambre'；　twice　Ambassador；　etc。　　By　what　means？　　Not　by　the　purity　of　his　character；　the　depth　of　his　knowledge；　or　any　uncommon　penetration　and　sagacity。　　Women　alone　formed　and　raised　him。　　The　Duchess　of　Burgundy　took　a　fancy　to　him；　and　had　him　before　he　was　sixteen　years　old；　this　put　him　in　fashion　among　the　beau　monde：　and　the　late　Regent's　oldest　daughter；　now　Madame　de　Modene；　took　him　next；　and　was　near　marrying　him。　　These　early　connections　with　women　of　the　first　distinction　gave　him　those　manners；　graces；　and　address；　which　you　see　he　has；　and　which；　I　can　assure　you；　are　all　that　he　has；　for；　strip　him　of　them；　and　he　will　be　one　of　the　poorest　men　in　Europe。　　Man　or　woman　cannot　resist　an　engaging　exterior；　it　will　please；　it　will　make　its　way。　　You　want；　it　seems；　but　'quelques　couches'；　for　God's　sake；　lose　no　time　in　getting　them；　and　now　you　have　gone　so　far；　complete　the　work。　　Think　of　nothing　else　till　that　work　is　finished；　unwearied　application　will　bring　about　anything：　and　surely　your　application　can　never　be　so　well　employed　as　upon　that　object；　which　is　absolutely　necessary　to　facilitate　all　others。　　With　your　knowledge　and　parts；　if　adorned　by　manners　and　graces；　what　may　you　not　hope　one　day　to　be？　　But　without　them；　you　will　be　in　the　situation　of　a　man　who　should　be　very　fleet　of　one　leg　but　very　lame　of　the　other。　　He　could　not　run；　the　lame　leg　would　check　and　clog　the　well　one；　which　would　be　very　near　useless。

From　my　original　plan　for　your　education；　I　meant　to　make　you　'un　homme　universel'；　what　depends　on　me　is　executed；　the　little　that　remains　undone　depends　singly　upon　you。　　Do　not　then　disappoint；　when　you　can　so　easily　gratify　me。　　It　is　your　own　interest　which　I　am　pressing　you　to　pursue；　and　it　is　the　only　return　that　I　desire　for　all　the　care　and　affection　of；　Yours。




LETTER　CLXVIII

LONDON；　May　31；　O。　S。　　1752

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　The　world　is　the　book；　and　the　only　one　to　which；　at　present；　I　would　have　you　apply　yourself　；　and　the　thorough　knowledge　of　it　will　be　of　more　use　to　you；　than　all　the　books　that　ever　were　read。　Lay　aside　the　best　book　whenever　you　can　go　into　the　best　company；　and　depend　upon　it；　you　change　for　the　better。　　However；　as　the　most　tumultuous　life；　whether　of　business　or　pleasure；　leaves　some　vacant　moments　every　day；　in　which　a　book　is　the　refuge　of　a　rational　being；　I　mean　now　to　point　out　to　you　the　method　of　employing　those　moments　（which　will　and　ought　to　be　but　few）　in　the　most　advantageous　manner。　Throw　away　none　of　your　time　upon　those　trivial；　futile　books；　published　by　idle　or　necessitous　authors；　for　the　amusement　of　idle　and　ignorant　readers；　such　sort　of　books　swarm　and　buzz　about　one　every　day；　flap　them　away；　they　have　no　sting。　　'Certum　pete　finem'；　have　some　one　object　for　those　leisure　moments；　and　pursue　that　object　invariably　till　you　have　attained　it；　and　then　take　some　other。　　For　instance；　considering　your　destination；　I　would　advise　you　to　single　out　the　most　remarkable　and　interesting　eras　of　modern　history；　and　confine　all　your　reading　to　that　ERA。　　If　you　pitch　upon　the　Treaty　of　Munster　（and　that　is　the　proper　period　to　begin　with；　in　the　course　which　I　am　now　recommending）；　do　not　interrupt　it　by　dipping　and　deviating　into　other　books；　unrelative　to　it；　but　consult　only　the　most　authentic　histories；　letters；　memoirs；　and　negotiations；　relative　to　that　great　transaction；　reading　and　comparing　them；　with　all　that　caution　and　distrust　which　Lord　Bolingbroke　recommends　to　you；　in　a　better　manner；　and　in　better　words　than　I　can。　The　next　period　worth　your　particular　knowledge；　is　the　Treaty　of　the　Pyrenees：　which　was　calculated　to　lay；　and　in　effect　did　lay；　the　succession　of　the　House　of　Bourbon　to　the　crown　of　Spain。　　Pursue　that　in　the　same　manner；　singling；　out　of　the　millions　of　volumes　written　upon　that　occasion；　the　two　or　three　most　authentic　ones；　and　particularly　letters；　which　are　the　best　authorities　in　matters　of　negotiation。　　Next　come　the　Treaties　of　Nimeguen　and　Ryswick；　postscripts　in；　a　manner　to　those　of　Munster　and　the　Pyrenees。　　Those　two　transactions　have　had　great　light　thrown　upon　them　by　the　publication　of　many　authentic　and　original　letters　and　pieces。　　The　concessions　made　at　the　Treaty　of　Ryswick；　by　the　then　triumphant　Lewis　the　Fourteenth；　astonished　all　those　who　viewed　things　only　superficially；　but；　I　should　think；　must　have　been　easily　accounted　for　by　those　who　knew　the　state　of　the　kingdom　of　Spain；　as　well　as　of　the　health　of　its　King；　Charles　the　Second；　at　that　time。　The　interval　between　the　conclusion　of　the　peace　of　Ryswick；　and　the　breaking　out　of　the　great　war　in　1702；　though　a　short；　is　a　most　interesting　one。　　Every　week　of　it　almost　produced　some　great　event。　Two　partition　treaties；　the　death　of　the　King　of　Spain；　his　unexpected　will；　and　the　acceptance　of　it　by　Lewis　the　Fourteenth；　in　violation　of　the　second　treaty　of　partition；　just　signed　and　ratified　by　him。　　Philip　the　Fifth　quietly　and　cheerfully　received　in　Spain；　and　acknowledged　as　King　of　it；　by　most　of　those　powers；　who　afterward　joined　in　an　alliance　to　dethrone　him。　　I　cannot　help　making　this　observation　upon　that　occasion：　　That　character　has　often　more　to　do　in　great　transactions；　than　prudence　and　sound　policy；　for　Lewis　the　Fourteenth　gratified　his　personal　pride；　by　giving　a　Bourbon　King　to　Spain；　at　the　expense　of　the　true　interest　of　France；　which　would　have　acquired　much　more　solid　and　permanent　strength　by　the　addition　of　Naples；　Sicily；　and　Lorraine；　upon　the　footing　of　the　second　partition　treaty；　and　I　think　it　was　fortunate　for　Europe　that　he　preferred　the　will。　　It　is　true；　he　might　hope　to　influence　his　Bourbon　posterity　in　Spain；　he　knew　too　well　how　weak　the　ties　of　blood　are　among　men；　and　how　much　weaker　still　they　are　among　princes。　　The　Memoirs　of　Count　Harrach；　and　of　Las　Torres；　give　a　good　deal　of　light　into　the　transactions　of　the　Court　of　Spain；　previous　to　the　death　of　that　weak　King；　and　the　Letters　of　the　Marachal　d'Harcourt；　then　the　French　Ambassador　in　Spain；　of　which　I　have　authentic　copies　in　manuscript；　from　the　year　1698　to　1701；　have　cleared　up　that　whole　affair　to　me。　　I　keep　that　book　for　you。　　It　appears　by　those　letters；　that　the　impudent　conduct　of　the　House　of　Austria；　with　regard　to　the　King　and　Queen　of　Spain；　and　Madame　Berlips；　her　favorite；　together　with　the　knowledge　of　the　partition　treaty；　which　incensed　all　Spain；　were　the　true　and　only　reasons　of　the　will；　in　favor　of　the　Duke　of　Anjou。　Cardinal　Portocarrero；　nor　any　of　the　Grandees；　were　bribed　by　France；　as　was　generall