letters to his son, 1752-第4部分

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　what　is　useful　and　necessary　to　you；　you　must；　in　consequence；　be　convinced　of　the　infinite　importance　of　a　point　which　I　take　so　much　pains　to　inculcate。

I　hear　that　the　new　Duke　of　Orleans　'a　remercie　Monsieur　de　Melfort；　and　I　believe；　'pas　sans　raison'；　having　had　obligations　to　him；　'mais　il　ne　l'a　pas　remercie　en　mari　poli'；　but　rather　roughly。　　Il　faut　que　ce　soit　un　bourru'。　　I　am　told；　too；　that　people　get　bits　of　his　father's　rags；　by　way　of　relies；　I　wish　them　joy；　they　will　do　them　a　great　deal　of　good。　　See　from　hence　what　weaknesses　human　nature　is　capable　of；　and　make　allowances　for　such　in　all　your　plans　and　reasonings。　　Study　the　characters　of　the　people　you　have　to　do　with；　and　know　what　they　are；　instead　of　thinking　them　what　they　should　be；　address　yourself　generally　to　the　senses；　to　the　heart；　and　to　the　weaknesses　of　mankind；　but　very　rarely　to　their　reason。

Good…night　or　good…morrow　to　you；　according　to　the　time　you　shall　receive　this　letter　from；　Yours。




LETTER　CLIX

LONDON；　February　14；　O。　S。　　1752。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　In　a　month's　time；　I　believe　I　shall　have　the　pleasure　of　sending　you；　and　you　will　have　the　pleasure　of　reading；　a　work　of　Lord　Bolingbroke's；　in　two　volumes　octavo；　〃Upon　the　Use　of　History；〃　in　several　letters　to　Lord　Hyde；　then　Lord　Cornbury。　　It　is　now　put　into　the　press。　　It　is　hard　to　determine　whether　this　work　will　instruct　or　please　most：　the　most　material　historical　facts；　from　the　great　era　of　the　treaty　of　Munster；　are　touched　upon；　accompanied　by　the　most　solid　reflections；　and　adorned　by　all　that　elegance　of　style　which　was　peculiar　to　himself；　and　in　which；　if　Cicero　equals；　he　certainly　does　not　exceed　him；　but　every　other　writer　falls　short　of　him。　　I　would　advise　you　almost　to　get　this　book　by　heart。　　I　think　you　have　a　turn　to　history；　you　love　it；　and　have　a　memory　to　retain　it：　this　book　will　teach　you　the　proper　use　of　it。　　Some　people　load　their　memories　indiscriminately　with　historical　facts；　as　others　do　their　stomachs　with　food；　and　bring　out　the　one；　and　bring　up　the　other；　entirely　crude　and　undigested。　You　will　find　in　Lord　Bolingbroke's　book　an　infallible　specific　against　that　epidemical　complaint。　＇It　is　important　to　remember　that　at　this　time　Lord　Bolingbroke's　philosophical　works　had　not　appeared；　which　accounts　for　Lord　Chesterfield's　recommending　to　his　son；　in　this；　as　well　as　in　some　foregoing　passages；　the　study　of　Lord　Bolingbroke's　writings。＇

I　remember　a　gentleman　who　had　read　history　in　this　thoughtless　and　undistinguishing　manner；　and　who；　having　traveled；　had　gone　through　the　Valtelline。　　He　told　me　that　it　was　a　miserable　poor　country；　and　therefore　it　was；　surely；　a　great　error　in　Cardinal　Richelieu　to　make　such　a　rout；　and　put　France　to　so　much　expense　about　it。　　Had　my　friend　read　history　as　he　ought　to　have　done；　he　would　have　known　that　the　great　object　of　that　great　minister　was　to　reduce　the　power　of　the　House　of　Austria；　and　in　order　to　that；　to　cut　off　as　much　as　he　could　the　communication　between　the　several　parts　of　their　then　extensive　dominions；　which　reflections　would　have　justified　the　Cardinal　to　him；　in　the　affair　of　the　Valtelline。　　But　it　was　easier　to　him　to　remember　facts；　than　to　combine　and　reflect。

One　observation　I　hope　you　will　make　in　reading　history；　for　it　is　an　obvious　and　a　true　one。　　It　is；　that　more　people　have　made　great　figures　and　great　fortunes　in　courts　by　their　exterior　accomplishments；　than　by　their　interior　qualifications。　　Their　engaging　address；　the　politeness　of　their　manners；　their　air；　their　turn；　hath　almost　always　paved　the　way　for　their　superior　abilities；　if　they　have　such；　to　exert　themselves。　They　have　been　favorites　before　they　have　been　ministers。　　In　courts；　an　universal　gentleness　and　'douceur　dans　les　manieres'　is　most　absolutely　necessary：　an　offended　fool；　or　a　slighted　valet　de　chambre；　may　very　possibly　do　you　more　hurt　at　court；　than　ten　men　of　merit　can　do　you　good。　　Fools；　and　low　people；　are　always　jealous　of　their　dignity；　and　never　forget　nor　forgive　what　they　reckon　a　slight：　on　the　other　hand；　they　take　civility　and　a　little　attention　as　a　favor；　remember；　and　acknowledge　it：　this；　in　my　mind；　is　buying　them　cheap；　and　therefore　they　are　worth　buying。　　The　prince　himself；　who　is　rarely　the　shining　genius　of　his　court；　esteems　you　only　by　hearsay　but　likes　you　by　his　senses；　that　is；　from　your　air；　your　politeness；　and　your　manner　of　addressing　him；　of　which　alone　he　is　a　judge。　　There　is　a　court　garment；　as　well　as　a　wedding　garment；　without　which　you　will　not　be　received。　That　garment　is　the　'volto　sciolto'；　an　imposing　air；　an　elegant　politeness；　easy　and　engaging　manners；　universal　attention；　an　insinuating　gentleness；　and　all　those　'je　ne　sais　quoi'　that　compose　the　GRACES。

I　am　this　moment　disagreeably　interrupted　by　a　letter；　not　from　you；　as　I　expected；　but　from　a　friend　of　yours　at　Paris；　who　informs　me　that　you　have　a　fever　which　confines　you　at　home。　　Since　you　have　a　fever；　I　am　glad　you　have　prudence　enough　in　it　to　stay　at　home；　and　take　care　of　yourself；　a　little　more　prudence　might　probably　have　prevented　it。　　Your　blood　is　young；　and　consequently　hot；　and　you　naturally　make　a　great　deal　by　your　good　stomach　and　good　digestion；　you　should；　therefore；　necessarily　attenuate　and　cool　it；　from　time　to　time；　by　gentle　purges；　or　by　a　very　low　diet；　for　two　or　three　days　together；　if　you　would　avoid　fevers。　　Lord　Bacon；　who　was　a　very　great　physician　in　both　senses　of　the　word；　hath　this　aphorism　in　his　〃Essay　upon　Health；〃　'Nihil　magis　ad　Sanitatem　tribuit　quam　crebrae　et　domesticae　purgationes'。　　By　'domesticae'；　he　means　those　simple　uncompounded　purgatives　which　everybody　can　administer　to　themselves；　such　as　senna…tea；　stewed　prunes　and　senria；　chewing　a　little　rhubarb；　or　dissolving　an　ounce　and　a　half　of　manna　in　fair　water；　with　the　juice　of　a　lemon　to　make　it　palatable。　Such　gentle　and　unconfining　evacuations　would　certainly　prevent　those　feverish　attacks　to　which　everybody　at　your　age　is　subject。

By　the　way；　I　do　desire；　and　insist；　that　whenever；　from　any　indisposition；　you　are　not　able　to　write　to　me　upon　the　fixed　days；　that　Christian　shall；　and　give　me　a　TRUE　account　how　you　are。　　I　do　not　expect　from　him　the　Ciceronian　epistolary　style；　but　I　will　content　myself　with　the　Swiss　simplicity　and　truth。

I　hope　you　extend　your　acquaintance　at　Paris；　and　frequent　variety　of　companies；　the　only　way　of　knowing　the　world；　every　set　of　company　differs　in　some　particulars　from　another；　and　a　man　of　business　must；　in　the　course　of　his　life；　have　to　do　with　all　sorts。　　It　is　a　very　great　advantage　to　know　the　languages　of　the　several　countries　one　travels　in；　and　different　companies　may；　in　some　degree；　be　considered　as　different　countries；　each　hath　its　distinctive　language；　customs；　and　manners：　know　them　all；　and　you　will　wonder　at　none。

Adieu；　child。　　Take　care　of　your　health；　there　are　no　pleasures　without　it。




LETTER　CLX

LONDON；　February　20；　O。　S。　　1752。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　In　all　systems　whatsoever；　whether　of　religion；　government；　morals；　etc。；　perfection　is　the　object　always　proposed；　though　possibly　unattainable；　hitherto；　at　least；　certainly　unattained。　However；　those　who　aim　carefully　at　the　mark　itself；　will　unquestionably　come　nearer　it；　than　those　who　from　despair；　negligence；　or　indolence；　leave　to　chance　the　work　of　skill。　　This　maxim　holds　equally　true　in　common　life；　those　who　aim　at　perfection　will　come　infinitely　nearer　it　than　those　desponding　or　indolent　spirits；　who　foolishly　say　to　themselves：　Nobody　is　perfect；　perfection　is　unattainable；　to　attempt　it　is　chimerical；　I　shall　do　as　well　as　others；　why　then　should　I　give　myself　trouble　to　be　what　I　never　can；　and　what；　according　to　the　common　course　of　things；　I　need　not　be；　PERFECT？

I　am　very　sure　that　I　need　not　point　out　to　you　the　weakness　and　the　folly　of　this　reasoning；　if　it　deserves　the　name　of　reasoning。　　It　would　discourage　and　put　a　stop　to　the　exertion　of　any　one　of　our　faculties。　On　the　contrary；　a　man　of　sense　and　spirit　says　to　himself：　　Though　the　point　of　perfection　may　（considering　the　imperfection　of　our　nature）　be　unattainable；　my　care；　my　endeavors；　my　attention；　shall　not　be　wanting　to　get　as　near　it　as　I　can。　　I　will　approach　it　every　day；　possibly；　I　may　arrive　at　it　at　last；　at　least；　what　I　；am　sure　is　in　my　own　power；　I　will　not　be　distanced。　　Many　fools　（speaking　of　you）　say　to　me：　What！　would　you　have　him　perfect？　　I　answer：　Why　not？　　What　hurt　would　it　do　him　or　me？　　O；　but　that　is　impossible；　say　they；　I　reply；　I　am　not　sure　of　that：　perfection　in　the　abstract；　I　admit　to　be　unattainable；　but　what　is　commonly　called　perfection　in　a　character　I　maintain　to　be　attainable；　and　not　only　that；　but　in　every　man's　power。　　He　hath；　continue　they；　a　good　head；　a　good　heart；　a　good　fund　of　knowledge；　which　would　increase　daily：　What　would　you　have　more？　　Why；　I　would　have　everything　more　that　can　adorn　and　complete　a　character。　　Will　it　do　his　head；　his　heart；　or　his　knowledge　any　harm；　to　have　the　utmost　delicacy　of　manners；　the　most　shining　advantages　of　air　and　address；　the　most　endearing　attentions；　and　the　most　engaging　graces？　　But　as　he　is；　say　they；　he　is　loved　wherever　he　is　known。　　I　am　very　glad　of　it；　say　I　；　but　I　would　have　him　be　liked　before　he　is　known；　and　loved　afterward。　　I　would　have　him；　by　his　first　abord　and　address；　make　people　wish　to　know　him；　and　inclined　to　love　him：　he　will　save　a　great　deal　of　time　by　it。　　Indeed；　reply　they；　you　are　too　nice；　too　exact；　and　lay　too　much　stress　upon　things　that　are　of　very　little　consequence。　　Indeed；　rejoin　I；　you　know　very　little　of　the　nature　of　mankind；　if　you　take　those　things　to　be　of　little　consequence：　one　cannot　be　too　attentive　to　them；　it　is　they　that　always　engage　the　heart；　of　which　the　understanding　is　commonly　the　bubble。　　And　I　would　much　rather　that　he　erred　in　a　point　of　grammar；　of　history；　of　philosophy；　etc。；　than　in　point　of　manners　and　address。　　But　consider；　he　is　very　young；　all　this　will　come　in　time。　　I　hope　so；　but　that　time　must　be　when　he　is　young；　or　it　will　never　be　at　all；　the　right　'pli'　must　be　taken　young；　or　it　will　never　be　easy　or　seem　n