letters to his son, 1752-第12部分

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e；　which　must　show　you　the　importance　of　them；　would　make　you　resolve　at　all　events　to　acquire　them；　even　in　spite　of　nature；　if　nature　be　in　the　case。　　Our　dispute；　which　lasted　a　great　while；　ended　as　Voltaire　observes　that　disputes　in　England　are　apt　to　do；　in　a　wager　of　fifty　guineas；　which　I　myself　am　to　decide　upon　honor；　and　of　which　this　is　a　faithful　copy。　　If　you　think　I　shall　win　it；　you　may　go　my　halves　if　you　please；　declare　yourself　in　time。　　This　I　declare；　that　I　would　most　cheerfully　give　a　thousand　guineas　to　win　those　fifty；　you　may　secure　them　me　if　you　please。

I　grow　very　impatient　for　your　future　letters　from　the　several　courts　of　Manheim；　Bonn；　Hanover；　etc。　　And　I　desire　that　your　letters　may　be　to　me；　what　I　do　not　desire　they　should　be　to　anybody　else；　I　mean　full　of　yourself。　　Let　the　egotism；　a　figure　which　upon　all　other　occasions　I　detest；　be　your　only　one　to　me。　　Trifles　that　concern　you　are　not　trifles　to　me；　and　my　knowledge　of　them　may　possibly　be　useful　to　you。　　Adieu。　'Les　graces；　les　graces；　les　graces'。




LETTER　CLXX

LONDON；　June　23；　O。　S。　　1752

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　direct　this　letter　to　Mayence；　where　I　think　it　is　likely　to　meet　you；　supposing；　as　I　do；　that　you　stayed　three　weeks　at　Manheim；　after　the　date　of　your　last　from　thence；　but　should　you　have　stayed　longer　at　Manheim；　to　which　I　have　no　objection；　it　will　wait　for　you　at　Mayence。　　Mayence　will　not；　I　believe；　have　charms　to　detain　you　above　a　week；　so　that　I　reckon　you　will　be　at　Bonn　at　the　end　of　July；　N。　S。　　There　you　may　stay　just　as　little　or　as　long　as　you　please；　and　then　proceed　to　Hanover。

I　had　a　letter　by　the　last　post　from　a　relation　of　mine　at　Hanover；　Mr。　Stanhope　Aspinwall；　who　is　in　the　Duke　of　Newcastle's　office；　and　has　lately　been　appointed　the　King's　Minister　to　the　Dey　of　Algiers；　a　post　which；　notwithstanding　your　views　of　foreign　affairs；　I　believe　you　do　not　envy　him。　　He　tells　me　in　that　letter；　there　are　very　good　lodgings　to　be　had　at　one　Mrs。　Meyers's；　the　next　door　to　the　Duke　of　Newcastle's；　which　he　offers　to　take　for　you；　I　have　desired　him　to　do　it；　in　case　Mrs。　Meyers　will　wait　for　you　till　the　latter　end　of　August；　or　the　beginning　of　September；　N。　S。；　which　I　suppose　is　about　the　time　when　you　will　be　at　Hanover。　　You　will　find　this　Mr。　Aspinwall　of　great　use　to　you　there。　　He　will　exert　himself　to　the　utmost　to　serve　you；　he　has　been　twice　or　thrice　at　Hanover；　and　knows　all　the　allures　there：　he　is　very　well　with　the　Duke　of　Newcastle；　and　will　puff　you　there。　　Moreover；　if　you　have　a　mind　to　work　there　as　a　volunteer　in　that　bureau；　he　will　assist　and　inform　you。　　In　short；　he　is　a　very　honest；　sensible；　and　informed　man；　'mais　me　paye　pas　beaucoup　de　sa　figure；　il　abuse　meme　du　privilege　qu'ont　les　hommes　d'etre　laids；　et　il　ne　sera　pas　en　reste　avec　les　lions　et　les　leopards　qu'il　trouvera　a　Alger'。

As　you　are　entirely　master　of　the　time　when　you　will　leave　Bonn　and　go　to　Hanover；　so　are　you　master　to　stay　at　Hanover　as　long　as　you　please；　and　to　go　from　thence　where　you　please；　provided　that　at　Christmas　you　are　at　Berlin；　for　the　beginning　of　the　Carnival：　this　I　would　not　have　you　say　at　Hanover；　considering　the　mutual　disposition　of　those　two　courts；　but　when　anybody　asks　you　where　you　are　to　go　next；　say　that　you　propose　rambling　in　Germany；　at　Brunswick；　Cassel；　etc。；　till　the　next　spring；　when　you　intend　to　be　in　Flanders；　in　your　way　to　England。　　I　take　Berlin；　at　this　time；　to　be　the　politest；　the　most　shining；　and　the　most　useful　court　in　Europe　for　a　young　fellow　to　be　at：　and　therefore　I　would　upon　no　account　not　have　you　there；　for　at　least　a　couple　of　months　of　the　Carnival。　　If　you　are　as　well　received；　and　pass　your　time　as　well　at　Bonn　as　I　believe　you　will；　I　would　advise　you　to　remain　there　till　about　the　20th　of　August；　N。　S。；　in　four　days　you　will　be　at　Hanover。　　As　for　your　stay　there；　it　must　be　shorter　or　longer；　according　to　certain　circumstances　WHICH　YOU　KNOW　OF；　supposing　them；　at　the　best；　then；　stay　within　a　week　or　ten　days　of　the　King's　return　to　England；　but　supposing　them　at　the　worst；　your　stay　must　not　be　too　short；　for　reasons　which　you　also　know；　no　resentment　must　either　appear　or　be　suspected；　therefore；　at　worst；　I　think　you　must　remain　there　a　month；　and　at　best；　as　long　as　ever　you　please。　　But　I　am　convinced　that　all　will　turn　out　very　well　for　you　there。　　Everybody　is　engaged　or　inclined　to　help　you；　the　ministers；　English　and　German；　the　principal　ladies；　and　most　of　the　foreign　ministers；　so　that　I　may　apply　to　you；　'nullum　numen　abest；　si　sit　prudentia'。　　Du　Perron　will；　I　believe；　be　back　there　from　Turin　much　about　the　time　you　get　there：　pray　be　very　attentive　to　him；　and　connect　yourself　with　him　as　much　as　ever　you　can；　for；　besides　that　he　is　a　very　pretty　and　well…informed　man；　he　is　very　much　in　fashion　at　Hanover；　is　personally　very　well　with　the　King　and　certain　ladies；　so　that　a　visible　intimacy　and　connection　with　him　will　do　you　credit　and　service。　　Pray　cultivate　Monsieur　Hop；　the　Dutch　minister；　who　has　always　been　very　much　my　friend；　and　will；　I　am　sure；　be　yours；　his　manners；　it　is　true；　are　not　very　engaging；　he　is　rough；　but　he　is　sincere。　　It　is　very　useful　sometimes　to　see　the　things　which　one　ought　to　avoid；　as　it　is　right　to　see　very　often　those　which　one　ought　to　imitate；　and　my　friend　Hop's　manners　will　frequently　point　out　to　you；　what　yours　ought　to　be　by　the　rule　of　contraries。

Congreve　points　out　a　sort　of　critics；　to　whom　he　says　that　we　are　doubly　obliged：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Rules　for　good　writing　they　with　pains　indite；　　　　　　　　　　　Then　show　us　what　is　bad；　by　what　they　write。〃

It　is　certain　that　Monsieur　Hop；　with　the　best　heart　in　the　world；　and　a　thousand　good　qualities；　has　a　thousand　enemies；　and　hardly　a　friend；　simply　from　the　roughness　of　his　manners。

N。　B。　　I　heartily　wish　you　could　have　stayed　long　enough　at　Manheim　to　have　been　seriously　and　desperately　in　love　with　Madame　de　Taxis；　who；　I　suppose；　is　a　proud；　insolent；　fine　lady；　and　who　would　consequently　have　expected　attentions　little　short　of　adoration：　nothing　would　do　you　more　good　than　such　a　passion；　and　I　live　in　hopes　that　somebody　or　other　will　be　able　to　excite　such　an　one　in　you；　your　hour　may　not　yet　be　come；　but　it　will　come。　　Love　has　not　been　unaptly　compared　to　the　smallpox　which　most　people　have　sooner　or　later。　　Iphigenia　had　a　wonderful　effect　upon　Cimon；　I　wish　some　Hanover　Iphigenia　may　try　her　skill　upon　you。

I　recommend　to　you　again；　though　I　have　already　done　it　twice　or　thrice；　to　speak　German；　even　affectedly；　while　you　are　at　Hanover；　which　will　show　that　you　prefer　that　language；　and　be　of　more　use　to　you　there　with　SOMEBODY；　than　you　can　imagine。　　When　you　carry　my　letters　to　Monsieur　Munchausen　and　Monsieur　Schwiegeldt；　address　yourself　to　them　in　German；　the　latter　speaks　French　very　well；　but　the　former　extremely　ill。　　Show　great　attention　to　Madame；　Munchausen's　daughter；　who　is　a　great　favorite；　those　little　trifles　please　mothers；　and　sometimes　fathers；　extremely。　　Observe；　and　you　will　find；　almost　universally；　that　the　least　things　either　please　or　displease　most；　because　they　necessarily　imply；　either　a　very　strong　desire　of　obliging；　or　an　unpardonable　indifference　about　it。　　I　will　give　you　a　ridiculous　instance　enough　of　this　truth；　from　my　own　experience。　　When　I　was　Ambassador　the　first　time　in　Holland；　Comte　de　Wassenaer　and　his　wife；　people　of　the　first　rank　and　consideration；　had　a　little　boy　of　about　three　years　old；　of　whom　they　were　exceedingly　fond；　in　order　to　make　my　court　to　them；　I　was　so　too；　and　used　to　take　the　child　often　upon　my　lap；　and　play　with　him。　　One　day　his　nose　was　very　dirty；　upon　which　I　took　out　my　handkerchief　and　wiped　it　for　him；　this　raised　a　loud　laugh；　and　they　called　me　a　very；　handy　nurse；　but　the　father　and　mother　were　so　pleased　with　it；　that　to　this　day　it　is　an　anecdote　in　the　family；　and　I　never　receive　a　letter　from　Comte　Wassenaer；　but　he　makes　me　the　compliments　'du　morveux　gue　j'ai　mouche　autrefois'；　who；　by　the　way；　I　am　assured；　is　now　the　prettiest　young　fellow　in　Holland。　　Where　one　would　gain　people；　remember　that　nothing　is　little。　　Adieu。




LETTER　CLXXI

LONDON；　June　26；　O。　S。　　1752。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　As　I　have　reason　to　fear；　from　your　M　last　letter　of　the　18th；　N。　S。；　from　Manheim；　that　all；　or　at　least　most　of　my　letters　to　you；　since　you　left　Paris；　have　miscarried；　I　think　it　requisite；　at　all　events；　to　repeat　in　this　the　necessary　parts　of　those　several　letters；　as　far　as　they　relate　to　your　future　motions。

I　suppose　that　this　will　either　find　you；　or　be　but　a　few　days　before　you　at　Bonn；　where　it　is　directed；　and　I　suppose　too；　that　you　have　fixed　your　time　for　going　from　thence　to　Hanover。　　If　things　TURN　OUT　WELL　AT　HANOVER；　as　in　my　opinion　they　will；　'Chi　sta　bene　non　si　muova'；　stay　there　till　a　week　or　ten　days　before　the　King　sets　out　for　England；　but；　should　THEY　TURN　OUT　ILL；　which　I　cannot　imagine；　stay；　however；　a　month；　that　your　departure　may　not　seem　a　step　of　discontent　or　peevishness；　the　very　suspicion　of　which　is　by　all　means　to　be　avoided。　　Whenever　you　leave　Hanover；　be　it　sooner　or　be　it　later；　where　would　you　go？　　'Lei　Padrone'；　and　I　give　you　your　choice：　would　you　pass　the　months　of　November　and　December　at　Brunswick；　Cassel；　etc。？　　Would　you　choose　to　go　for　a　couple　of　months　to　Ratisbon；　where　you　would　be　very　well　recommended　to；　and　treated　by　the　King's　Electoral　Minister；　the　Baron　de　Behr；　and　where　you　would　improve　your　'Jus　publicum'？　　or　would　you　rather　go　directly　to　Berlin；　and　stay　there　till　the　end　of　the　Carnival？　　Two　or　three　months　at　Berlin　are；　considering　all　circumstances；　necessary　for　you；　and　the　Carnival　months　are　the　best；　'pour　le　reste　decidez　en　dernier　ressort；　et　sans　appel　comme　d'abus'。　Let　me　know　your　decree；　when　you　have　formed　it。　　Your　good　or　ill　success　at　Hanover　will　have　a　very　great　influence　upon　your　subsequent　character；　figure；　and　fortune　in　the　world　；　therefore　I　confess　that　I　am　more　anxious　about　it；　than　ever　bride　was　on　her　wedding　night；　when　wishes；　hopes；　fears；　and　doubts；　tumultuously　agitate；　please；　and　terrify　her。　　It　is　your