letters to his son, 1752-第6部分

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MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　As　I　have　received　no　letter　from　you　by　the　usual　post；　I　am　uneasy　upon　account　of　your　health；　for；　had　you　been　well；　I　am　sure　you　would　have　written；　according　to　your　engagement　and　my　requisition。　　You　have　not　the　least　notion　of　any　care　of　your　health；　but　though　I　would　not　have　you　be　a　valetudinarian；　I　must　tell　you　that　the　best　and　most　robust　health　requires　some　degree　of　attention　to　preserve。　　Young　fellows；　thinking　they　have　so　much　health　and　time　before　them；　are　very　apt　to　neglect　or　lavish　both；　and　beggar　themselves　before　they　are　aware：　whereas　a　prudent　economy　in　both　would　make　them　rich　indeed；　and　so　far　from　breaking　in　upon　their　pleasures；　would　improve；　and　almost　perpetuate　them。　　Be　you　wiser；　and；　before　it　is　too　late；　manage　both　with　care　and　frugality；　and　lay　out　neither；　but　upon　good　interest　and　security。

I　will　now　confine　myself　to　the　employment　of　your　time；　which；　though　I　have　often　touched　upon　formerly；　is　a　subject　that；　from　its　importance；　will　bear　repetition。　　You　have　it　is　true；　a　great　deal　of　time　before　you；　but；　in　this　period　of　your　life；　one　hour　usefully　employed　may　be　worth　more　than　four…and…twenty　hereafter；　a　minute　is　precious　to　you　now；　whole　days　may　possibly　not　be　so　forty　years　hence。　　Whatever　time　you　allow；　or　can　snatch　for　serious　reading　（I　say　snatch；　because　company　and　the　knowledge　of　the　world　is　now　your　chief　object）；　employ　it　in　the　reading　of　some　one　book；　and　that　a　good　one；　till　you　have　finished　it：　and　do　not　distract　your　mind　with　various　matters　at　the　same　time。　　In　this　light　I　would　recommend　to　you　to　read　'tout　de　suite'　Grotius　'de　Jure　Belli　et　Pacis'；　translated　by　Barbeyrac；　and　Puffendorff's　'Jus　Gentium'；　translated　by　the　same　hand。　　For　accidental　quarters　of　hours；　read　works　of　invention；　wit　and　humor；　of　the　best；　and　not　of　trivial　authors；　either　ancient　or　modern。

Whatever　business　you　have；　do　it　the　first　moment　you　can；　never　by　halves；　but　finish　it　without　interruption；　if　possible。　　Business　must　not　be　sauntered　and　trifled　with；　and　you　must　not　say　to　it；　as　Felix　did　to　Paul；　〃At　a　more　convenient　season　I　will　speak　to　thee。〃　The　most　convenient　season　for　business　is　the　first；　but　study　and　business　in　some　measure　point　out　their　own　times　to　a　man　of　sense；　time　is　much　oftener　squandered　away　in　the　wrong　choice　and　improper　methods　of　amusement　and　pleasures。

Many　people　think　that　they　are　in　pleasures；　provided　they　are　neither　in　study　nor　in　business。　　Nothing　like　it；　they　are　doing　nothing；　and　might　just　as　well　be　asleep。　　They　contract　habitudes　from　laziness；　and　they）　only　frequent　those　places　where　they　are　free　from　all　restraints　and　attentions。　　Be　upon　your　guard　against　this　idle　profusion　of　time；　and　let　every　place　you　go　to　be　either　the　scene　of　quick　and　lively　pleasures；　or　the　school　of　your　own　improvements；　let　every　company　you　go　into　either　gratify　your　senses；　extend　your　knowledge；　or　refine　your　manners。　　Have　some　decent　object　of　gallantry　in　view　at　some　places；　frequent　others；　where　people　of　wit　and　taste　assemble；　get　into　others；　where　people　of　superior　rank　and　dignity　command　respect　and　attention　from　the　rest　of　the　company；　but　pray　frequent　no　neutral　places；　from　mere　idleness　and　indolence。　　Nothing　forms　a　young　man　so　much　as　being　used　to　keep　respectable　and　superior　company；　where　a　constant　regard　and　attention　is　necessary。　　It　is　true；　this　is　at　first　a　disagreeable　state　of　restraint；　but　it　soon　grows　habitual；　and　consequently　easy；　and　you　are　amply　paid　for　it；　by　the　improvement　you　make；　and　the　credit　it　gives　you。　　What　you　said　some　time　ago　was　very　true；　concerning　'le　Palais　Royal'；　to　one　of　your　age　the　situation　is　disagreeable　enough：　you　cannot　expect　to　be　much　taken　notice　of；　but　all　that　time　you　can　take　notice　of　others；　observe　their　manners；　decipher　their　characters；　and　insensibly　you　will　become　one　of　the　company。

All　this　I　went　through　myself；　when　I　was　of　your　age。　　I　have　sat　hours　in　company　without　being　taken　the　least　notice　of；　but　then　I　took　notice　of　them；　and　learned　in　their　company　how　to　behave　myself　better　in　the　next；　till　by　degrees　I　became　part　of　the　best　companies　myself。　But　I　took　great　care　not　to　lavish　away　my　time　in　those　companies　where　there　were　neither　quick　pleasures　nor　useful　improvements　to　be　expected。

Sloth；　indolence；　and　'mollesse'　are　pernicious　and　unbecoming　a　young　fellow；　let　them　be　your　'ressource'　forty　years　hence　at　soonest。　Determine；　at　all　events；　and　however　disagreeable　it　may　to　you　in　some　respects；　and　for　some　time；　to　keep　the　most　distinguished　and　fashionable　company　of　the　place　you　are　at；　either　for　their　rank；　or　for　their　learning；　or　'le　bel　esprit　et　le　gout'。　　This　gives　you　credentials　to　the　best　companies；　wherever　you　go　afterward。　　Pray；　therefore；　no　indolence；　no　laziness；　but　employ　every　minute　in　your　life　in　active　pleasures；　or　useful　employments。　　Address　yourself　to　some　woman　of　fashion　and　beauty；　wherever　you　are；　and　try　how　far　that　will　go。　　If　the　place　be　not　secured　beforehand；　and　garrisoned；　nine　times　in　ten　you　will　take　it。　　By　attentions　and　respect　you　may　always　get　into　the　highest　company：　and　by　some　admiration　and　applause；　whether　merited　or　not；　you　may　be　sure　of　being　welcome　among　'les　savans　et　les　beaux　esprits'。　　There　are　but　these　three　sorts　of　company　for　a　young　fellow；　there　being　neither　pleasure　nor　profit　in　any　other。

My　uneasiness　with　regard　to　your　health　is　this　moment　removed　by　your　letter　of　the　8th　N。　S。；　which；　by　what　accident　I　do　not　know；　I　did　not　receive　before。

I　long　to　read　Voltaire's　'Rome　Sauvee'；　which；　by　the　very　faults　that　your　SEVERE　critics　find　with　it；　I　am　sure　I　shall　like；　for　I　will　at　an　any　time　give　up　a　good　deal　of　regularity　for　a　great　deal　of　brillant；　and　for　the　brillant　surely　nobody　is　equal　to　Voltaire。　Catiline's　conspiracy　is　an　unhappy　subject　for　a　tragedy；　it　is　too　single；　and　gives　no　opportunity　to　the　poet　to　excite　any　of　the　tender　passions；　the　whole　is　one　intended　act　of　horror；　Crebillon　was　sensible　of　this　defect；　and　to　create　another　interest；　most　absurdly　made　Catiline　in　love　with　Cicero's　daughter；　and　her　with　him。

I　am　very　glad　that　you　went　to　Versailles；　and　dined　with　Monsieur　de　St。　Contest。　　That　is　company　to　learn　'les　bonnes　manieres'　in；　and　it　seems　you　had　'les　bonnes　morceaux'　into　the　bargain。　　Though　you　were　no　part　of　the　King　of　France's　conversation　with　the　foreign　ministers；　and　probably　not　much　entertained　with　it；　do　you　think　that　it　is　not　very　useful　to　you　to　hear　it；　and　to　observe　the　turn　and　manners　of　people　of　that　sort？　　It　is　extremely　useful　to　know　it　well。　　The　same　in　the　next　rank　of　people；　such　as　ministers　of　state；　etc。；　in　whose　company；　though　you　cannot　yet；　at　your　age；　bear　a　part；　and　consequently　be　diverted；　you　will　observe　and　learn；　what　hereafter　it　may　be　necessary　for　you　to　act。

Tell　Sir　John　Lambert　that　I　have　this　day　fixed　Mr。　Spencer's　having　his　credit　upon　him；　Mr。　Hoare　had　also　recommended　him。　　I　believe　Mr。　Spencer　will　set　out　next　month　for　some　place　in　France；　but　not　Paris。　I　am　sure　he　wants　a　great　deal　of　France；　for　at　present　he　is　most　entirely　English：　and　you　know　very　well　what　I　think　of　that。　　And　so　we　bid　you　heartily　good…night。




LETTER　CLXIII

LONDON；　March　16；　O。　S。　　1752

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　How　do　you　go　on　with　the　most　useful　and　most　necessary　of　all　studies；　the　study　of　the　world？　　Do　you　find　that　you　gain　knowledge？　　And　does　your　daily　experience　at　once　extend　and　demonstrate　your　improvement？　　You　will　possibly　ask　me　how　you　can　judge　of　that　yourself。　　I　will　tell　you　a　sure　way　of　knowing。　　Examine　yourself；　and　see　whether　your　notions　of　the　world　are　changed；　by　experience；　from　what　they　were　two　years　ago　in　theory；　for　that　alone　is　one　favorable　symptom　of　improvement。　　At　that　age　（I　remember　it　in　myself）　every　notion　that　one　forms　is　erroneous；　one　hath　seen　few　models；　and　those　none　of　the　best；　to　form　one's　self　upon。　　One　thinks　that　everything　is　to　be　carried　by　spirit　and　vigor；　that　art　is　meanness；　and　that　versatility　and　complaisance　are　the　refuge　of　pusilanimity　and　weakness。　This　most　mistaken　opinion　gives　an　indelicacy；　a　'brusquerie'；　and　a　roughness　to　the　manners。　　Fools；　who　can　never　be　undeceived；　retain　them　as　long　as　they　live：　reflection；　with　a　little　experience；　makes　men　of　sense　shake　them　off　soon。　　When　they　come　to　be　a　little　better　acquainted　with　themselves；and　with　their　own　species；　they　discover　that　plain　right　reason　is；　nine　times　in　ten；　the　fettered　and　shackled　attendant　of　the　triumph　of　the　heart　and　the　passions；　and；　consequently；　they　address　themselves　nine　times　in　ten　to　the　conqueror；　not　to　the　conquered：　and　conquerors；　you　know；　must　be　applied　to　in　the　gentlest；　the　most　engaging；　and　the　most　insinuating　manner。　　Have　you　found　out　that　every　woman　is　infallibly　to　be　gained　by　every　sort　of　flattery；　and　every　man　by　one　sort　or　other？　　Have　you　discovered　what　variety　of　little　things　affect　the　heart；　and　how　surely　they　collectively　gain　it？　　If　you　have；　you　have　made　some　progress。　　I　would　try　a　man's　knowledge　of　the　world；　as　I　would　a　schoolboy's　knowledge　of　Horace：　not　by　making　him　construe　'Maecenas　atavis　edite　regibus'；　which　he　could　do　in　the　first　form；　but　by　examining　him　as　to　the　delicacy　and　'curiosa　felicitas'　of　that　poet。　　A　man　requires　very　little　knowledge　and　experience　of　the　world；　to　understand　glaring；　high…　colored；　and　decided　characters；　they　are　but　few；　and　they　strike　at　first：　but　to　distinguish　the　almost　imperceptible　shades；　and　the　nice　gradations　of　virtue　and　vice；　sense　and　folly；　strength　and　weakness　（of　which　characters　are　commonly　composed）；　demands　some　experience；　great　observation；　and　minute　attention。　　In　the　same　cases；　most　people　do　the　same　things；　but　with　this　material　difference；　upon　which　the　success　commonly　turns：　A　man　who　hath　studied　the　world　knows　when　to　time；　and　where　to　place　them；　he　hath　analyzed　the　charact