letters to his son, 1752-第19部分

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sake　of　five　righteous　lines；　forgive　a　thousand　absurd　ones。

In　this　disposition　of　mind；　judge　whether　I　can　read　all　Homer　through　'tout　de　suite'。　　I　admire　its　beauties；　but；　to　tell　you　the　truth；　when　he　slumbers；　I　sleep。　　Virgil；　I　confess；　is　all　sense；　and　therefore　I　like　him　better　than　his　model；　but　he　is　often　languid；　especially　in　his　five　or　six　last　books；　during　which　I　am　obliged　to　take　a　good　deal　of　snuff。　　Besides；　I　profess　myself　an　ally　of　Turnus　against　the　pious　AEneas；　who；　like　many　'soi…disant'　pious　people；　does　the　most　flagrant　injustice　and　violence　in　order　to　execute　what　they　impudently　call　the　will　of　Heaven。　　But　what　will　you　say；　when　I　tell　you　truly；　that　I　cannot　possibly　read　our　countryman　Milton　through？　　I　acknowledge　him　to　have　some　most　sublime　passages；　some　prodigious　flashes　of　light；　but　then　you　must　acknowledge　that　light　is　often　followed　by　darkness　visible；　to　use　his　own　expression。　　Besides；　not　having　the　honor　to　be　acquainted　with　any　of　the　parties　in　this　poem；　except　the　Man　and　the　Woman；　the　characters　and　speeches　of　a　dozen　or　two　of　angels　and　of　as　many　devils；　are　as　much　above　my　reach　as　my　entertainment。　　Keep　this　secret　for　me：　for　if　it　should　be　known；　I　should　be　abused　by　every　tasteless　pedant；　and　every　solid　divine　in　England。

'Whatever　I　have　said　to　the　disadvantage　of　these　three　poems；　holds　much　stronger　against　Tasso's　'Gierusalemme'：　it　is　true　he　has　very　fine　and　glaring　rays　of　poetry；　but　then　they　are　only　meteors；　they　dazzle；　then　disappear；　and　are　succeeded　by　false　thoughts；　poor　'concetti'；　and　absurd　impossibilities；　witness　the　Fish　and　the　Parrot；　extravagancies　unworthy　of　an　heroic　poem；　and　would　much　better　have　become　Ariosto；　who　professes　'le　coglionerie'。

I　have　never　read　the　〃Lusiade　of　Camoens；〃　except　in　prose　translation；　consequently　I　have　never　read　it　at　all；　so　shall　say　nothing　of　it；　but　the　Henriade　is　all　sense　from　the　beginning　to　the　end；　often　adorned　by　the　justest　and　liveliest　reflections；　the　most　beautiful　descriptions；　the　noblest　images；　and　the　sublimest　sentiments；　not　to　mention　the　harmony　of　the　verse；　in　which　Voltaire　undoubtedly　exceeds　all　the　French　poets：　should　you　insist　upon　an　exception　in　favor　of　Racine；　I　must　insist；　on　my　part；　that　he　at　least　equals　him。　　What　hero　ever　interested　more　than　Henry　the　Fourth；　who；　according　to　the　rules　of　epic　poetry；　carries　on　one　great　and　long　action；　and　succeeds　in　it　at　last？　　What　descriptions　ever　excited　more　horror　than　those；　first　of　the　Massacre；　and　then　of　the　Famine　at　Paris？　　Was　love　ever　painted　with　more　truth　and　'morbidezza'　than　in　the　ninth　book？　　Not　better；　in　my　mind；　even　in　the　fourth　of　Virgil。　　Upon　the　whole；　with　all　your　classical　rigor；　if　you　will　but　suppose　St。　Louis　a　god；　a　devil；　or　a　witch；　and　that　he　appears　in　person；　and　not　in　a　dream；　the　Henriade　will　be　an　epic　poem；　according　to　the　strictest　statute　laws　of　the　'epopee'；　but　in　my　court　of　equity　it　is　one　as　it　is。

I　could　expatiate　as　much　upon　all　his　different　works；　but　that　I　should　exceed　the　bounds　of　a　letter　and　run　into　a　dissertation。　How　delightful　is　his　history　of　that　northern　brute；　the　King　of　Sweden；　for　I　cannot　call　him　a　man；　and　I　should　be　sorry　to　have　him　pass　for　a　hero；　out　of　regard　to　those　true　heroes；　such　as　Julius　Caesar；　Titus；　Trajan；　and　the　present　King　of　Prussia；　who　cultivated　and　encouraged　arts　and　sciences；　whose　animal　courage　was　accompanied　by　the　tender　and　social　sentiments　of　humanity；　and　who　had　more　pleasure　in　improving；　than　in　destroying　their　fellow…creatures。　　What　can　be　more　touching；　or　more　interestingwhat　more　nobly　thought；　or　more　happily　expressed；　than　all　his　dramatic　pieces？　　What　can　be　more　clear　and　rational　than　all　his　philosophical　letters？　and　whatever　was　so　graceful；　and　gentle；　as　all　his　little　poetical　trifles？　　You　are　fortunately　'a　porte'　of　verifying；　by　your　knowledge　of　the　man；　all　that　I　have　said　of　his　works。

Monsieur　de　Maupertius　（whom　I　hope　you　will　get　acquainted　with）　is；　what　one　rarely　meets　with；　deep　in　philosophy　and；　mathematics；　and　yet　'honnete　et　aimable　homme'：　Algarotti　is　young　Fontenelle。　　Such　men　must　necessarily　give　you　the　desire　of　pleasing　them；　and　if　you　can　frequent　them；　their　acquaintance　will　furnish　you　the　means　of　pleasing　everybody　else。

'A　propos'　of　pleasing；　your　pleasing　Mrs。　F…d　is　expected　here　in　two　or　three　days；　I　will　do　all　that　I　can　for　you　with　her：　I　think　you　carried　on　the　romance　to　the　third　or　fourth　volume；　I　will　continue　it　to　the　eleventh；　but　as　for　the　twelfth　and　last；　you　must　come　and　conclude　it　yourself。　　'Non　sum　qualis　eram'。

Good…night　to　you；　child；　for　I　am　going　to　bed；　just　at　the　hour　at　which　I　suppose　you　are　going　to　live；　at　Berlin。




LETTER　CLXXXI

BATH；　November　11；　O。　S。　　1752

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　It　is　a　very　old　and　very　true　maxim；　that　those　kings　reign　the　most　secure　and　the　most　absolute；　who　reign　in　the　hearts　of　their　people。　　Their　popularity　is　a　better　guard　than　their　army；　and　the　affections　of　their　subjects　a　better　pledge　of　their　obedience　than　their　fears。　　This　rule　is；　in　proportion；　full　as　true；　though　upon　a　different　scale；　with　regard　to　private　people。　　A　man　who　possesses　that　great　art　of　pleasing　universally；　and　of　gaining　the　affections　of　those　with　whom　he　converses；　possesses　a　strength　which　nothing　else　can　give　him：　a　strength　which　facilitates　and　helps　his　rise；　and　which；　in　case　of　accidents；　breaks　his　fall。　　Few　people　of　your　age　sufficiently　consider　this　great　point　of　popularity；　and　when　they　grow　older　and　wiser；　strive　in　vain　to　recover　what　they　have　lost　by　their　negligence。　There　are　three　principal　causes　that　hinder　them　from　acquiring　this　useful　strength：　pride；　inattention；　and　'mauvaise　honte'。　　The　first　I　will　not；　I　cannot　suspect　you　of；　it　is　too　much　below　your　understanding。　　You　cannot；　and　I　am　sure　you　do　not　think　yourself　superior　by　nature　to　the　Savoyard　who　cleans　your　room；　or　the　footman　who　cleans　your　shoes；　but　you　may　rejoice；　and　with　reason；　at　the　difference　that　fortune　has　made　in　your　favor。　　Enjoy　all　those　advantages；　but　without　insulting　those　who　are　unfortunate　enough　to　want　them；　or　even　doing　anything　unnecessarily　that　may　remind　them　of　that　want。　　For　my　own　part；　I　am　more　upon　my　guard　as　to　my　behavior　to　my　servants；　and　others　who　are　called　my　inferiors；　than　I　am　toward　my　equals：　for　fear　of　being　suspected　of　that　mean　and　ungenerous　sentiment　of　desiring　to　make　others　feel　that　difference　which　fortune　has；　and　perhaps　too；　undeservedly；　made　between　us。　　Young　people　do　not　enough　attend　to　this；　and　falsely　imagine　that　the　imperative　mood；　and　a　rough　tone　of　authority　and　decision；　are　indications　of　spirit　and　courage。　Inattention　is　always　looked　upon；　though　sometimes　unjustly；　as　the　effect　of　pride　and　contempt；　and　where　it　is　thought　so；　is　never　forgiven。　　In　this　article；　young　people　are　generally　exceedingly　to　blame；　and　offend　extremely。　　Their　whole　attention　is　engrossed　by　their　particular　set　of　acquaintance；　and　by　some　few　glaring　and　exalted　objects　of　rank；　beauty；　or　parts；　all　the　rest　they　think　so　little　worth　their　care；　that　they　neglect　even　common　civility　toward　them。　I　will　frankly　confess　to　you；　that　this　was　one　of　my　great　faults　when　I　was　of　your　age。　　Very　attentive　to　please　that　narrow　court　circle　in　which　I　stood　enchanted；　I　considered　everything　else　as　bourgeois；　and　unworthy　of　common　civility；　I　paid　my　court　assiduously　and　skillfully　enough　to　shining　and　distinguished　figures；　such　as　ministers；　wits；　and　beauties；　but　then　I　most　absurdly　and　imprudently　neglected；　and　consequently　offended　all　others。　　By　this　folly　I　made　myself　a　thousand　enemies　of　both　sexes；　who；　though　I　thought　them　very　insignificant；　found　means　to　hurt　me　essentially　where　I　wanted　to　recommend　myself　the　most。　　I　was　thought　proud；　though　I　was　only　imprudent。　　A　general　easy　civility　and　attention　to　the　common　run　of　ugly　women；　and　of　middling　men；　both　which　I　sillily　thought；　called；　and　treated；　as　odd　people；　would　have　made　me　as　many　friends；　as　by　the　contrary　conduct　I　made　myself　enemies。　　All　this　too　was　'a　pure　perte'；　for　I　might　equally；　and　even　more　successfully；　have　made　my　court；　when　I　had　particular　views　to　gratify。　　I　will　allow　that　this　task　is　often　very　unpleasant；　and　that　one　pays；　with　some　unwillingness；　that　tribute　of　attention　to　dull　and　tedious　men；　and　to　old　and　ugly　women；　but　it　is　the　lowest　price　of　popularity　and　general　applause；　which　are　very　well　worth　purchasing　were　they　much　dearer。　　I　conclude　this　head　with　this　advice　to　you：　Gain；　by　particular　assiduity　and　address；　the　men　and　women　you　want；　and；　by　an　universal　civility　and　attention；　please　everybody　so　far　as　to　have　their　good　word；　if　not　their　goodwill；　or；　at　least；　as　to　secure　a　partial　neutrality。

'Mauvaise　honte'　not　only　hinders　young　people　from　making；　a　great　many　friends；　but　makes　them　a　great　many　enemies。　　They　are　ashamed　of　doing　the　thing　they　know　to　be　right；　and　would　otherwise　do；　for　fear　of　the　momentary　laugh　of　some　fine　gentleman　or　lady；　or　of　some　'mauvais　plaisant'。　　I　have　been　in　this　case：　and　have　often　wished　an　obscure　acquaintance　at　the　devil；　for　meeting　and　taking　notice　of　me　when　I　was　in　what　I　thought　and　called　fine　company。　　I　have　returned　their　notice　shyly；　awkwardly；　and　consequently　offensively；　for　fear　of　a　momentary　joke；　not　considering；　as　I　ought　to　have　done；　that　the　very　people　who　would　have　joked　upon　me　at　first；　would　have　esteemed　me　the　more　for　it　afterward。　　An　example　explains　a　rule　best：　Suppose　you　were　walking　in　the　Tuileries　with　some　fine　folks；　and　that　you　should　unexpectedly　meet　your　old　acquaintance；　little　crooked　Grierson；　what　would　you　do？　I　will　tell　you　what　you　should　do；　by　telling　you　what　I　would　now　do　in　that　case　myself。　　I　would　run　up　to　him；　and　embrace　him；　say　some　kind　of　things　to　him；　and　then　return　to　my　company。　　There　I　should　be　immediately　asked：　'Mais　qu'est　ce　que　c'est　donc　qu