letters to his son, 1752-第9部分

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mit　going　to　every　house　where　you　have　ever　been　once；　to　take　leave　and　recommend　yourself　to　their　remembrance。　　The　reputation　which　you　leave　at　one　place；　where　you　have　been；　will　circulate；　and　you　will　meet　with　it　at　twenty　places　where　you　are　to　go。　　That　is　a　labor　never　quite　lost。

This　letter　will　show　you；　that　the　accident　which　happened　to　me　yesterday；　and　of　which　Mr。　Grevenkop　gives　you　account；　hath　had　no　bad　consequences。　　My　escape　was　a　great　one。




LETTER　CLXVI

LONDON；　May　11；　O。　S。　　1752。

DEAR　FRIEND：　I　break　my　word　by　writing　this　letter；　but　I　break　it　on　the　allowable　side；　by　doing　more　than　I　promised。　　I　have　pleasure　in　writing　to　you；　and　you　may　possibly　have　some　profit　in　reading　what　I　write；　either　of　the　motives　were　sufficient　for　me；　both　for　you　I　cannot　withstand。　　By　your　last　I　calculate　that　you　will　leave　Paris　upon　this　day　se'nnight；　upon　that　supposition；　this　letter　may　still　find　you　there。

Colonel　Perry　arrived　here　two　or　three　days　ago；　and　sent　me　a　book　from　you；　Cassandra　abridged。　　I　am　sure　it　cannot　be　too　much　abridged。　　The　spirit　of　that　most　voluminous　work；　fairly　extracted；　may　be　contained　in　the　smallest　duodecimo；　and　it　is　most　astonishing；　that　there　ever　could　have　been　people　idle　enough　to　write　or　read　such　endless　heaps　of　the　same　stuff。　　It　was；　however；　the　occupation　of　thousands　in　the　last　century；　and　is　still　the　private；　though　disavowed；　amusement　of　young　girls；　and　sentimental　ladies。　　A　lovesick　girl　finds；　in　the　captain　with　whom　she　is　in　love；　all　the　courage　and　all　the　graces　of　the　tender　and　accomplished　Oroondates：　and　many　a　grown…up；　sentimental　lady；　talks　delicate　Clelia　to　the　hero；　whom　she　would　engage　to　eternal　love；　or　laments　with　her　that　love　is　not　eternal。

　　　　　　　　　　〃Ah！　　qu'il　est　doux　d'aimer；　si　Pon　aimoit　toujours！　　　　　　　　　　　Mais　helas！　　il'n'est　point　d'eternelles　amours。〃

It　is；　however；　very　well　to　have　read　one　of　those　extravagant　works　（of　all　which　La　Calprenede's　are　the　best）；　because　it　is　well　to　be　able　to　talk；　with　some　degree　of　knowledge；　upon　all　those　subjects　that　other　people　talk　sometimes　upon：　and　I　would　by　no　means　have　anything；　that　is　known　to　others；　be　totally　unknown　to　you。　　It　is　a　great　advantage　for　any　man；　to　be　able　to　talk　or　to　hear；　neither　ignorantly　nor　absurdly；　upon　any　subject；　for　I　have　known　people；　who　have　not　said　one　word；　hear　ignorantly　and　absurdly；　it　has　appeared　in　their　inattentive　and　unmeaning　faces。

This；　I　think；　is　as　little　likely　to　happen　to　you　as　to　anybody　of　your　age：　and　if　you　will　but　add　a　versatility　and　easy　conformity　of　manners；　I　know　no　company　in　which　you　are　likely　to　be　de　trop。

This　versatility　is　more　particularly　necessary　for　you　at　this　time；　now　that　you　are　going　to　so　many　different　places：　for；　though　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　several　courts　of　Germany　are　in　general　the　same；　yet　everyone　has　its　particular　characteristic；　some　peculiarity　or　other；　which　distinguishes　it　from　the　next。　　This　you　should　carefully　attend　to；　and　immediately　adopt。　　Nothing　flatters　people　more；　nor　makes　strangers　so　welcome；　as　such　an　occasional　conformity。　　I　do　not　mean　by　this；　that　you　should　mimic　the　air　and　stiffness　of　every　awkward　German　court；　no；　by　no　means；　but　I　mean　that　you　should　only　cheerfully　comply；　and　fall　in　with　certain　local　habits；　such　as　ceremonies；　diet；　turn　of　conversation；　etc。　　People　who　are　lately　come　from　Paris；　and　who　have　been　a　good　while　there；　are　generally　suspected；　and　especially　in　Germany；　of　having　a　degree　of　contempt　for　every　other　place。　　Take　great　care　that　nothing　of　this　kind　appear；　at　least　outwardly；　in　your　behavior；　but　commend　whatever　deserves　any　degree　of　commendation；　without　comparing　it　with　what　you　may　have　left；　much　better　of　the　same　kind；　at　Paris。　　As　for　instance；　the　German　kitchen　is；　without　doubt；　execrable；　and　the　French　delicious；　however；　never　commend　the　French　kitchen　at　a　German　table；　but　eat　of　what　you　can　find　tolerable　there；　and　commend　it；　without　comparing　it　to　anything　better。　　I　have　known　many　British　Yahoos；　who　though　while　they　were　at　Paris　conformed　to　no　one　French　custom；　as　soon　as　they　got　anywhere　else；　talked　of　nothing　but　what　they　did；　saw；　and　eat　at　Paris。　　The　freedom　of　the　French　is　not　to　be　used　indiscriminately　at　all　the　courts　in　Germany；　though　their　easiness　may；　and　ought；　but　that；　too；　at　some　places　more　than　others。　　The　courts　of　Manheim　and　Bonn；　I　take　to　be　a　little　more　unbarbarized　than　some　others；　that　of　Mayence；　an　ecclesiastical　one；　as　well　as　that　of　Treves　（neither　of　which　is　much　frequented　by　foreigners）；　retains；　I　conceive；　a　great　deal　of　the　Goth　and　Vandal　still。　　There；　more　reserve　and　ceremony　are　necessary；　and　not　a　word　of　the　French。　　At　Berlin；　you　cannot　be　too　French。　　Hanover；　Brunswick；　Cassel；　etc。；　are　of　the　mixed　kind；　'un　peu　decrottes；　mais　pas　assez'。

Another　thing；　which　I　most　earnestly　recommend　to　you；　not　only　in　Germany；　but　in　every　part　of　the　world　where　you　may　ever　be；　is　not　only　real；　but　seeming　attention；　to　whoever　you　speak　to；　or　to　whoever　speaks　to　you。　　There　is　nothing　so　brutally　shocking；　nor　so　little　forgiven；　as　a　seeming　inattention　to　the　person　who　is　speaking　to　you：　and　I　have　known　many　a　man　knocked　down；　for　（in　my　opinion）　a　much　lighter　provocation；　than　that　shocking　inattention　which　I　mean。　　I　have　seen　many　people；　who；　while　you　are　speaking　to　them；　instead　of　looking　at；　and　attending　to　you；　fix　their　eyes　upon　the　ceiling　or　some　other　part　of　the　room；　look　out　of　the　window；　play　with　a　dog；　twirl　their　snuff…box；　or　pick　their　nose。　　Nothing　discovers　a　little；　futile；　frivolous　mind　more　than　this；　and　nothing　is　so　offensively　ill…bred；　it　is　an　explicit　declaration　on　your　part；　that　every　the　most　trifling　object；　deserves　your　attention　more　than　all　that　can　be　said　by　the　person　who　is　speaking　to　you。　　Judge　of　the　sentiments　of　hatred　and　resentment；　which　such　treatment　must　excite　in　every　breast　where　any　degree　of　self…love　dwells；　and　I　am　sure　I　never　yet　met　with　that　breast　where　there　was　not　a　great　deal：　I　repeat　it　again　and　again　（for　it　is　highly　necessary　for　you　to　remember　it）；　that　sort　of　vanity　and　self…love　is　inseparable　from　human　nature；　whatever　may　be　its　rank　or　condition；　even　your　footmen　will　sooner　forget　and　forgive　a　beating；　than　any　manifest　mark　of　slight　and　contempt。　　Be　therefore；　I　beg　of　you；　not　only　really；　but　seemingly　and　manifestly　attentive　to　whoever　speaks　to　you；　nay；　more；　take　their　'ton'；　and　tune　yourself　to　their　unison。　　Be　serious　with　the　serious；　gay　with　the　gay；　and　trifle　with　the　triflers。　　In　assuming　these　various　shapes；　endeavor　to　make　each　of　them　seem　to　sit　easy　upon　you；　and　even　to　appear　to　be　your　own　natural　one。　　This　is　the　true　and　useful　versatility；　of　which　a　thorough　knowledge　of　the　world　at　once　teaches　the　utility　and　the　means　of　acquiring。

I　am　very　sure；　at　least　I　hope；　that　you　will　never　make　use　of　a　silly　expression；　which　is　the　favorite　expression；　and　the　absurd　excuse　of　all　fools　and　blockheads；　I　CANNOT　DO　SUCH　A　THING；　a　thing　by　no　means　either　morally　or　physically　impossible。　　I　CANNOT　attend　long　together　to　the　same　thing；　says　one　fool；　that　is；　he　is　such　a　fool　that　he　will　not。　　I　remember　a　very　awkward　fellow；　who　did　not　know　what　to　do　with　his　sword；　and　who　always　took　it　off　before　dinner；　saying　that　he　could　not　possibly　dine　with　his　sword　on；　upon　which　I　could　not　help　telling　him；　that　I　really　believed　he　could　without　any　probable　danger　either　to　himself　or　others。　　It　is　a　shame　and　an　absurdity；　for　any　man　to　say　that　he　cannot　do　all　those　things；　which　are　commonly　done　by　all　the　rest　of　mankind。

Another　thing　that　I　must　earnestly　warn　you　against　is　laziness；　by　which　more　people　have　lost　the　fruit　of　their　travels　than；　perhaps；　by　any　other　thing。　　Pray　be　always　in　motion。　　Early　in　the　morning　go　and　see　things；　and　the　rest　of　the　day　go　and　see　people。　　If　you　stay　but　a　week　at　a　place；　and　that　an　insignificant　one；　see；　however；　all　that　is　to　be　seen　there；　know　as　many　people；　and　get　into　as　many　houses；　as　ever　you　can。

I　recommend　to　you　likewise；　though　probably　you　have　thought　of　it　yourself；　to　carry　in　your　pocket　a　map　of　Germany；　in　which　the　postroads　are　marked；　and　also　some　short　book　of　travels　through　Germany。　　The　former　will　help　to　imprint　in　your　memory　situations　and　distances；　and　the　latter　will　point　out　many　things　for　you　to　see；　that　might　otherwise　possibly　escape　you；　and　which；　though　they　may　be　in　themselves　of　little　consequence；　you　would　regret　not　having　seen；　after　having　been　at　the　places　where　they　were。

Thus　warned　and　provided　for　your　journey；　God　speed　you；　'Felix　faustumque　sit！　　Adieu。




LETTER　CLXVII

LONDON；　May　27；　O。　S。　　1752

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　send　you　the　inclosed　original　from　a　friend　of　ours；　with　my　own　commentaries　upon　the　text；　a　text　which　I　have　so　often　paraphrased；　and　commented　upon　already；　that　I　believe　I　can　hardly　say　anything　new　upon　it；　but；　however；　I　cannot　give　it　over　till　I　am　better　convinced；　than　I　yet　am；　that　you　feel　all　the　utility；　the　importance；　and　the　necessity　of　it；　nay；　not　only　feel；　but　practice　it。　Your　panegyrist　allows　you；　what　most　fathers　would　be　more　than　satisified　with；　in　a　son；　and　chides　me　for　not　contenting　myself　with　'l'essentiellement　bon'；　but　I；　who　have　been　in　no　one　respect　like　other　fathers；　cannot　neither；　like　them；　content　myself　with　'l'essentiellement　bon'；　because　I　know　that　it　will　not　do　your　business　in　the　world；　while　you　want　'quelques　couches　de　vernis'。　　Few　fathers　care　much　for　their　sons；　or；　at　least；　most　of　them　care　more　for　their　money：　and；　consequently；　content　themselves　with　giving　them；　at　the　cheapest　rate；　the　common　run　of　education：　that　is；　a　school　till　eighteen；　the　university　till　twenty；　and　a　couple　of　years　riding　post　through　the　several　towns　of　Europe；　impatient　till　their　boobies　come　home　to　be　married；　and；　as　they　call　it；　settled。　　Of　those　who　re