letters to his son, 1752-第20部分

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d　then　return　to　my　company。　　There　I　should　be　immediately　asked：　'Mais　qu'est　ce　que　c'est　donc　que　ce　petit　Sapajou　que　vous　avez　embrasse　si　tendrement？　　Pour　cela；　l'accolade　a　ete　charmante'；　with　a　great　deal　more　festivity　of　that　sort。　　To　this　I　should　answer；　without　being　the　least　ashamed；　but　en　badinant：　O　je　ne　vous　dirai　tas　qui　c'est；　c'est　un　petit　ami　que　je　tiens　incognito；　qui　a　son　merite；　et　qui；　a　force　d'etre　connu；　fait　oublier　sa　figure。　　Que　me　donnerez…vous；　et　je　vous　le　presenterai'？　　And　then；　with　a　little　more　seriousness；　I　would　add：　'Mais　d'ailleurs　c'est　que　je　ne　desavoue　jamais　mes　connoissances；　a　cause　de　leur　etat　ou　de　leur　figure。　　Il　faut　avoir　bien　peu　de　sentimens　pour　le　faire'。　　This　would　at　once　put　an　end　to　that　momentary　pleasantry；　and　give　them　all　a　better　opinion　of　me　than　they　had　before。　　Suppose　another　case；　and　that　some　of　the　finest　ladies　'du　bon　ton'　should　come　into　a　room；　and　find　you　sitting　by；　and　talking　politely　to　'la　vieille'　Marquise　de　Bellefonds；　the　joke　would；　for　a　moment；　turn　upon　that　'tete…a…tete'：　　He　bien！　　avez　vous　a　la　fin　fixd　la　belle　Marquise？　　La　partie　est…elle　faite　pour　la　petite　maison？　　Le　souper　sera　galant　sans　doute：　Mais　ne　faistu　donc　point　scrupule　de　seduire　une　jeune　et　aimable　persone　comme　celle…la'？　To　this　I　should　answer：　'La　partie　n'etoit　pas　encore　tout…a　fait　liee；　vous　nous　avez　interrompu；　mais　avec　le　tems　que　fait…on？　　D'ailleurs　moquezvous　de　mes　amours　tant　qu'il　vous　plaira；　je　vous　dirai　que　je　respecte　tant　les　jeunes　dames；　que　je　respecte　meme　les　vieilles；　pour　l'avoir　ete。　　Apre　cela　il　y　a　souvent　des　liaisons　entre　les　vieilles　et　les　jeunes'。　　This　would　at　once　turn　the　pleasantry　into　an　esteem　for　your　good　sense　and　your　good…breeding。　　Pursue　steadily；　and　without　fear　or　shame；　whatever　your　reason　tells　you　is　right；　and　what　you　see　is　practiced　by　people　of　more　experience　than　yourself；　and　of　established　characters　of　good　sense　and　good…breeding。

After　all　this；　perhaps　you　will　say；　that　it　is　impossible　to　please　everybody。　　I　grant　it；　but　it　does　not　follow　that　one　should　not　therefore　endeavor　to　please　as　many　as　one　can。　　Nay；　I　will　go　further；　and　admit　that　it　is　impossible　for　any　man　not　to　have　some　enemies。　But　this　truth　from　long　experience　I　assert；　that　he　who　has　the　most　friends　and　the　fewest　enemies；　is　the　strongest；　will　rise　the　highest　with　the　least　envy；　and　fall；　if　he　does　fall；　the　gentlest；　and　the　most　pitied。　　This　is　surely　an　object　worth　pursuing。　　Pursue　it　according　to　the　rules　I　have　here　given　you。　　I　will　add　one　observation　more；　and　two　examples　to　enforce　it；　and　then；　as　the　parsons　say；　conclude。

There　is　no　one　creature　so　obscure；　so　low；　or　so　poor；　who　may　not；　by　the　strange　and　unaccountable　changes　and　vicissitudes　of　human　affairs；　somehow　or　other；　and　some　time　or　other；　become　an　useful　friend　or　a　trouble…some　enemy；　to　the　greatest　and　the　richest。　　The　late　Duke　of　Ormond　was　almost　the　weakest　but　at　the　same　time　the　best…bred；　and　most　popular　man　in　this　kingdom。　　His　education　in　courts　and　camps；　joined　to　an　easy；　gentle　nature；　had　given　him　that　habitual　affability；　those　engaging　manners；　and　those　mechanical　attentions；　that　almost　supplied　the　place　of　every　talent　he　wanted；　and　he　wanted　almost　every　one。　　They　procured　him　the　love　of　all　men；　without　the　esteem　of　any。　He　was　impeached　after　the　death　of　Queen　Anne；　only　because　that；　having　been　engaged　in　the　same　measures　with　those　who　were　necessarily　to　be　impeached；　his　impeachment；　for　form's　sake；　became　necessary。　　But　he　was　impeached　without　acrimony；　and　without　the　lest　intention　that　he　should　suffer；　notwithstanding　the　party　violence　of　those　times。　　The　question　for　his　impeachment；　in　the　House　of　Commons；　was　carried　by　many　fewer　votes　than　any　other　question　of　impeachment；　and　Earl　Stanhope；　then　Mr。　Stanhope；　and　Secretary'　of　State；　who　impeached　him；　very　soon　after　negotiated　and　concluded　his　accommodation　with　the　late　King；　to　whom　he　was　to　have　been　presented　the　next　day。　　But　the　late　Bishop　of　Rochester；　Atterbury；　who　thought　that　the　Jacobite　cause　might　suffer　by　losing　the　Duke　of　Ormond；　went　in　all　haste；　and　prevailed　with　the　poor　weak　man　to　run　away；　assuring　him　that　he　was　only　to　be　gulled　into　a　disgraceful　submission；　and　not　to　be　pardoned　in　consequence　of　it。　　When　his　subsequent　attainder　passed；　it　excited　mobs　and　disturbances　in　town。　　He　had　not　a　personal　enemy　in　the　world；　and　had　a　thousand　friends。　　All　this　was　simply　owing　to　his　natural　desire　of　pleasing；　and　to　the　mechanical　means　that　his　education；　not　his　parts；　had　given　him　of　doing　it。　　The　other　instance　is　the　late　Duke　of　Marlborough；　who　studied　the　art　of　pleasing；　because　he　well　knew　the　importance　of　it：　he　enjoyed　and　used　it　more　than　ever　man　did。　　He　gained　whoever　he　had　a　mind　to　gain；　and　he　had　a　mind　to　gain　everybody；　because　he　knew　that　everybody　was　more　or　less　worth　gaining。　Though　his　power；　as　Minister　and　General；　made　him　many　political　and　party　enemies；　they　did　not　make　him　one　personal　one；　and　the　very　people　who　would　gladly　have　displaced；　disgraced；　and　perhaps　attainted　the　Duke　of　Marlborough；　at　the　same　time　personally　loved　Mr。　Churchill；　even　though　his　private　character　was　blemished　by　sordid　avarice；　the　most　unamiable　of　all　vices。　　He　had　wound　up　and　turned　his　whole　machine　to　please　and　engage。　　He　had　an　inimitable　sweetness　and　gentleness　in　his　countenance；　a　tenderness　in　his　manner　of　speaking；　a　graceful　dignity　in　every　motion；　and　an　universal　and　minute　attention　to　the　least　things　that　could　possibly　please　the　least　person。　　This　was　all　art　in　him；　art　of　which　he　well　knew　and　enjoyed　the　advantages；　for　no　man　ever　had　more　interior　ambition；　pride；　and　avarice；　than　he　had。

Though　you　have　more　than　most　people　of　your　age；　you　have　yet　very　little　experience　and　knowledge　of　the　world；　now；　I　wish　to　inoculate　mine　upon　you；　and　thereby　prevent　both　the　dangers　and　the　marks　of　youth　and　inexperience。　　If　you　receive　the　matter　kindly；　and　observe　my　prescriptions　scrupulously；　you　will　secure　the　future　advantages　of　time　and　join　them　to　the　present　inestimable　ones　of　one…and…twenty。

I　most　earnestly　recommend　one　thing　to　you；　during　your　present　stay　at　Paris。　　I　own　it　is　not　the　most　agreeable；　but　I　affirm　it　to　be　the　most　useful　thing　in　the　world　to　one　of　your　age；　and　therefore　I　do　hope　that　you　will　force　and　constrain　yourself　to　do　it。　　I　mean；　to　converse　frequently；　or　rather　to　be　in　company　frequently　with　both　men　and　women　much　your　superiors　in　age　and　rank。　　I　am　very　sensible　that；　at　your　age；　'vous　y　entrez　pour　peu　de　chose；　et　meme　souvent　pour　rien；　et　que　vous　y　passerez　meme　quelques　mauvais　quart…d'heures'；　but　no　matter；　you　will　be　a　solid　gainer　by　it：　you　will　see；　hear；　and　learn　the　turn　and　manners　of　those　people；　you　will　gain　premature　experience　by　it；　and　it　will　give　you　a　habit　of　engaging　and　respectful　attentions。　　Versailles；　as　much　as　possible；　though　probably　unentertaining：　the　Palais　Royal　often；　however　dull：　foreign　ministers　of　the　first　rank；　frequently；　and　women；　though　old；　who　are　respectable　and　respected　for　their　rank　or　parts；　such　as　Madame　de　Pusieux；　Madame　de　Nivernois；　Madame　d'Aiguillon；　Madame　Geoffrain；　etc。　　This　'sujetion'；　if　it　be　one　to　you；　will　cost　you　but　very　little　in　these　three　or　four　months　that　you　are　yet　to　pass　in　Paris；　and　will　bring　you　in　a　great　deal；　nor　will　it；　nor　ought　it；　to　hinder　you　from　being　in　a　more　entertaining　company　a　great　part　of　the　day。　　'Vous　pouvez；　si　vous　le　voulex；　tirer　un　grand　parti　de　ces　quatre　mois'。　　May　God　make　you　so；　and　bless　you！　Adieu。




LETTER　CLXXXII

BATH；　November　16；　O。　S。　　1752。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　Vanity；　or　to　call　it　by　a　gentler　name；　the　desire　of　admiration　and　applause；　is；　perhaps；　the　most　universal　principle　of　human　actions；　I　do　not　say　that　it　is　the　best；　and　I　will　own　that　it　is　sometimes　the　cause　of　both　foolish　and　criminal　effects。　　But　it　is　so　much　oftener　the　principle　of　right　things；　that　though　they　ought　to　have　a　better；　yet；　considering　human　nature；　that　principle　is　to　be　encouraged　and　cherished；　in　consideration　of　its　effects。　　Where　that　desire　is　wanting；　we　are　apt　to　be　indifferent；　listless；　indolent；　and　inert；　we　do　not　exert　our　powers；　and　we　appear　to　be　as　much　below　ourselves　as　the　vainest　man　living　can　desire　to　appear　above　what　he　really　is。

As　I　have　made　you　my　confessor；　and　do　not　scruple　to　confess　even　my　weaknesses　to　you；　I　will　fairly　own　that　I　had　that　vanity；　that　weakness；　if　it　be　one；　to　a　prodigious　degree；　and；　what　is　more；　I　confess　it　without　repentance：　nay；　I　am　glad　I　had　it；　since；　if　I　have　had　the　good　fortune　to　please　in　the　world；　it　is　to　that　powerful　and　active　principle　that　I　owe　it。　　I　began　the　world；　not　with　a　bare　desire；　but　with　an　insatiable　thirst；　a　rage　of　popularity；　applause；　and　admiration。　　If　this　made　me　do　some　silly　things　on　one　hand；　it　made　me；　on　the　other　hand；　do　almost　all　the　right　things　that　I　did；　it　made　me　attentive　and　civil　to　the　women　I　disliked；　and　to　the　men　I　despised；　in　hopes　of　the　applause　of　both：　though　I　neither　desired；　nor　would　I　have　accepted　the　favors　of　the　one；　nor　the　friendship　of　the　other。　　I　always　dressed；　looked；　and　talked　my　best；　and；　I　own；　was　overjoyed　whenever　I　perceived；　that　by　all　three；　or　by　any　one　of　them；　the　company　was　pleased　with　me。　　To　men；　I　talked　whatever　I　thought　would　give　them　the　best　opinion　of　my　parts　and　learning；　and　to　women；　what　I　was　sure　would　please　them；　flattery；　gallantry；　and　love。　　And；　moreover；　I　will　own　to　you；　under　the　secrecy　of　confession；　that　my　vanity　has　very　often　made　me　take　great　pains　to　make　a　woman　in　love　with　me；　if　I　could；　for　whose　person　I　would　not　have　given　a　pinch　of　snuff。　　In　company　with　men；　I　always　endeavored　to　outshine；　or　at　least；　if　possible；　to　equal　the　most　shining　man　in　it。　　This　desire　elicited　whatever　powers　I　had　to　gratify　it；　and　where　I　could　not　perhaps　shine　in　the　first；