letters to his son, 1752-第11部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


uke　of　Anjou。　Cardinal　Portocarrero；　nor　any　of　the　Grandees；　were　bribed　by　France；　as　was　generally　reported　and　believed　at　that　time；　which　confirms　Voltaire's　anecdote　upon　that　subject。　　Then　opens　a　new　scene　and　a　new　century；　Lewis　the　Fourteenth's　good　fortune　forsakes　him；　till　the　Duke　of　Marlborough　and　Prince　Eugene　make　him　amends　for　all　the　mischief　they　had　done　him；　by　making　the　allies　refuse　the　terms　of　peace　offered　by　him　at　Gertruydenberg。　　How　the　disadvantageous　peace　of　Utrecht　was　afterward　brought　on；　you　have　lately　read；　and　you　cannot　inform　yourself　too　minutely　of　all　those　circumstances；　that　treaty　'being　the　freshest　source　from　whence　the　late　transactions　of　Europe　have　flowed。　The　alterations　that　have　since　happened；　whether　by　wars　or　treaties；　are　so　recent；　that　all　the　written　accounts　are　to　be　helped　out；　proved；　or　contradicted；　by　the　oral　ones　of　almost　every　informed　person；　of　a　certain　age　or　rank　in　life。　　For　the　facts；　dates；　and　original　pieces　of　this　century；　you　will　find　them　in　Lamberti；　till　the　year　1715；　and　after　that　time　in　Rousset's　'Recueil'。

I　do　not　mean　that　you　should　plod　hours　together　in　researches　of　this　kind：　no；　you　may　employ　your　time　more　usefully：　but　I　mean；　that　you　should　make　the　most　of　the　moments　you　do　employ；　by　method；　and　the　pursuit　of　one　single　object　at　a　time；　nor　should　I　call　it　a　digression　from　that　object；　if　when　you　meet　with　clashing　and　jarring　pretensions　of　different　princes　to　the　same　thing；　you　had　immediately　recourse　to　other　books；　in　which　those　several　pretensions　were　clearly　stated；　on　the　contrary；　that　is　the　only　way　of　remembering　those　contested　rights　and　claims：　for；　were　a　man　to　read　'tout　de　suite'；　Schwederus's　'Theatrum　Pretensionum'；　he　would　only　be　confounded　by　the　variety；　and　remember　none　of　them；　whereas；　by　examining　them　occasionally；　as　they　happen　to　occur；　either　in　the　course　of　your　historical　reading；　or　as　they　are　agitated　in　your　own　times；　you　will　retain　them；　by　connecting　them　with　those　historical　facts　which　occasioned　your　inquiry。　　For　example；　had　you　read；　in　the　course　of　two　or　three　folios　of　Pretensions；　those；　among　others；　of　the　two　Kings　of　England　and　Prussia　to　Oost　Frise；　it　is　impossible；　that　you　should　have　remembered　them；　but　now；　that　they　are　become　the　debated　object　at　the　Diet　at　Ratisbon；　and　the　topic　of　all　political　conversations；　if　you　consult　both　books　and　persons　concerning　them；　and　inform　yourself　thoroughly；　you　will　never　forget　them　as　long　as　you　live。　　You　will　hear　a　great　deal　of　them　ow　one　side；　at　Hanover；　and　as　much　on　the　other　side；　afterward；　at　Berlin：　hear　both　sides；　and　form　your　own　opinion；　but　dispute　with　neither。

Letters　from　foreign　ministers　to　their　courts；　and　from　their　courts　to　them；　are；　if　genuine；　the　best　and　most　authentic　records　you　can　read；　as　far　as　they　go。　　Cardinal　d'Ossat's；　President　Jeanin's；　D'Estrade's；　Sir　William　Temple's；　will　not　only　inform　your　mind；　but　form　your　style；　which；　in　letters　of　business；　should　be　very　plain　and　simple；　but；　at　the　same　time；　exceedingly　clear；　correct；　and　pure。

All　that　I　have　said　may　be　reduced　to　these　two　or　three　plain　principles：　　1st；　That　you　should　now　read　very　little；　but　converse　a　great　deal；　　2d；　To　read　no　useless；　unprofitable　books；　and　3d；　That　those　which　you　do　read；　may　all　tend　to　a　certain　object；　and　be　relative　to；　and　consequential　of　each　other。　　In　this　method；　half　an　hour's　reading　every　day　will　carry　you　a　great　way。　　People　seldom　know　how　to　employ　their　time　to　the　best　advantage　till　they　have　too　little　left　to　employ；　but　if；　at　your　age；　in　the　beginning　of　life；　people　would　but　consider　the　value　of　it；　and　put　every　moment　to　interest；　it　is　incredible　what　an　additional　fund　of　knowledge　and　pleasure　such　an　economy　would　bring　in。　　I　look　back　with　regret　upon　that　large　sum　of　time；　which；　in　my　youth；　I　lavished　away　idly；　without　either　improvement　or　pleasure。　　Take　warning　betimes；　and　enjoy　every　moment；　pleasures　do　not　commonly　last　so　long　as　life；　and　therefore　should　not　be　neglected；　and　the　longest　life　is　too　short　for　knowledge；　consequently　every　moment　is　precious。

I　am　surprised　at　having　received　no　letter　from　you　since　you　left　Paris。　　I　still　direct　this　to　Strasburgh；　as　I　did　my　two　last。　　I　shall　direct　my　next　to　the　post　house　at　Mayence；　unless　I　receive；　in　the　meantime；　contrary　instructions　from　you。　　Adieu。　　Remember　les　attentions：　they　must　be　your　passports　into　good　company。




LETTER　CLXIX

LONDON；　June；　O。　S。　　1752。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　Very　few　celebrated　negotiators　have　been　eminent　for　their　learning。　　The　most　famous　French　negotiators　（and　I　know　no　nation　that　can　boast　of　abler）　have　been　military　men；　as　Monsieur　d'Harcourt；　Comte　d'Estrades；　Marechal　d'Uxelles；　and　others。　　The　late　Duke　of　Marlborough；　who　was　at　least　as　able　a　negotiator　as　a　general；　was　exceedingly　ignorant　of　books；　but　extremely　knowing　in　men；　whereas　the　learned　Grotius　appeared；　both　in　Sweden　and　in　France；　to　be　a　very　bungling　minister。　　This　is；　in　my　opinion；　very　easily　to　be　accounted　for。　　A　man　of　very　deep　learning　must　have　employed　the　greatest　part　of　his　time　in　books；　and　a　skillful　negotiator　must　necessarily　have　employed　much　the　greater　part　of　his　time　with　man。　　The　sound　scholar；　when　dragged　out　of　his　dusty　closet　into　business；　acts　by　book；　and　deals　with　men　as　he　has　read　of　them；　not　as　he　has　known　them　by　experience：　he　follows　Spartan　and　Roman　precedents；　in　what　he　falsely　imagines　to　be　similar　cases；　whereas　two　cases　never　were；　since　the　beginning　of　the　world；　exactly　alike；　and　he　would　be　capable；　where　he　thought　spirit　and　vigor　necessary；　to　draw　a　circle　round　the　persons　he　treated　with；　and　to　insist　upon　a　categorical　answer　before　they　went　out　of　it；　because　he　had　read；　in　the　Roman　history；　that　once　upon　a　time　some　Roman　ambassador；　did　so。　　No；　a　certain　degree　of　learning　may　help；　but　no　degree　of　learning　will　ever　make　a　skillful　minister　whereas　a　great　knowledge　of　the　world；　of　the　characters；　passions；　and　habits　of　mankind；　has；　without　one　grain　of　learning；　made　a　thousand。　Military　men　have　seldom　much　knowledge　of　books；　their　education　does　not　allow　it；　but　what　makes　great　amends　for　that　want　is；　that　they　generally　know　a　great　deal　of　the　world；　they　are　thrown　into　it　young；　they　see　variety　of　nations　and　characters；　and　they　soon　find；　that　to　rise；　which　is　the　aim　of　them　all；　they　must　first　please：　these　concurrent　causes　almost　always　give　them　manners　and　politeness。　　In　consequence　of　which；　you　see　them　always　distinguished　at　courts；　and　favored　by　the　women。　　I　could　wish　that　you　had　been　of　an　age　to　have　made　a　campaign　or　two　as　a　volunteer。　　It　would　have　given　you　an　attention；　a　versatility；　and　an　alertness；　all　which　I　doubt　you　want；　and　a　great　want　it　is。

A　foreign　minister　has　not　great　business　to　transact　every　day；　so　that　his　knowledge　and　his　skill　in　negotiating　are　not　frequently　put　to　the　trial；　but　he　has　that　to　do　every　day；　and　every　hour　of　the　day；　which　is　necessary　to　prepare　and　smooth　the　way　for　his　business；　that　is；　to　insinuate　himself　by　his　manners；　not　only　into　the　houses；　but　into　the　confidence　of　the　most　considerable　people　of　that　place；　to　contribute　to　their　pleasures；　and　insensibly　not　to　be　looked　upon　as　a　stranger　himself。　　A　skillful　minister　may　very　possibly　be　doing　his　master's　business　full　as　well；　in　doing　the　honors　gracefully　and　genteelly　of　a　ball　or　a　supper；　as　if　he　were　laboriously　writing　a　protocol　in　his　closet。　　The　Marechal　d'Harcourt；　by　his　magnificence；　his　manners；　and　his　politeness；　blunted　the　edge　of　the　long　aversion　which　the　Spaniards　had　to　the　French。　　The　court　and　the　grandees　were　personally　fond；　of　him；　and　frequented　his　house；　and　were　at　least　insensibly　brought　to　prefer　a　French　to　a　German　yoke；　which　I　am　convinced　would　never　have　happened；　had　Comte　d'Harrach　been　Marechal　d'Harcourt；　or　the　Marechal　d'Harcourt　Comte　d'Harrach。　　The　Comte　d'Estrades　had；　by　'ses　manieres　polies　et　liantes'；　formed　such　connections；　and　gained　such　an　interest　in　the　republic　of　the　United　Provinces；　that　Monsieur　De　Witt；　the　then　Pensionary　of　Holland；　often　applied　to　him　to　use　his　interest　with　his　friend；　both　in　Holland　and　the　other　provinces；　whenever　he　（De　Witt）　had　a　difficult　point　which　he　wanted　to　carry。　　This　was　certainly　not　brought　about　by　his　knowledge　of　books；　but　of　men：　dancing；　fencing；　and　riding；　with　a　little　military　architecture；　were　no　doubt　the　top　of　his　education；　and　if　he　knew　that　'collegium'　in　Latin　signified　college　in　French；　it　must　have　been　by　accident。　　But　he　knew　what　was　more　useful：　from　thirteen　years　old　he　had　been　in　the　great　world；　and　had　read　men　and　women　so　long；　that　he　could　then　read　them　at　sight。

Talking　the　other　day；　upon　this　and　other　subjects；　all　relative　to　you；　with　one　who　knows　and　loves　you　very　well；　and　expressing　my　anxiety　and　wishes　that　your　exterior　accomplishments；　as　a　man　of　fashion；　might　adorn；　and　at　least　equal　your　intrinsic　merit　as　a　man　of　sense　and　honor；　the　person　interrupted　me；　and　said：　Set　your　heart　at　rest；　that　never　will　or　can　happen。　　It　is　not　in　character；　that　gentleness；　that　'douceur'；　those　attentions　which　you　wish　him　to　have；　are　not　in　his　nature；　and　do　what　you　will；　nay；　let　him　do　what　he　will；　he　can　never　acquire　them。　　Nature　may　be　a　little　disguised　and　altered　by　care；　but　can　by　no　means　whatsoever　be　totally　forced　and　changed。　　I　denied　this　principle　to　a　certain　degree；　but　admitting；　however；　that　in　many　respects　our　nature　was　not　to　be　changed；　and　asserting；　at　the　same　time；　that　in　others　it　might　by　care　be　very　much　altered　and　improved；　so　as　in　truth　to　be　changed；　that　I　took　those　exterior　accomplishments；　which　we　had　been　talking　of；　to　be　mere　modes；　and　absolutely　depending　upon　the　will；　and　upon　custom；　and　that；　therefore；　I　was　convinced　that　your　good　sense；　which　must　show　you　the　importance　of　them；　would　make　you　resolve　at　all　events　to　acquire　them；