letters to his son, 1750-第14部分

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staken　than　ever　I　was　in　my　life；　equal　his　birth　and　my　hopes。　　Such　a　connection　will　be　of　infinite　advantage　to　you；　and；　I　can　assure　you；　that　he　is　extremely　disposed　to　form　it　upon　my　account；　and　will；　I　hope　and　believe；　desire　to　improve　and　cement　it　upon　your　own。

In　our　parliamentary　government；　connections　are　absolutely　necessary；　and；　if　prudently　formed　and　ably　maintained；　the　success　of　them　is　infallible。　　There　are　two　sorts　of　connections；　which　I　would　always　advise　you　to　have　in　view。　　The　first　I　will　call　equal　ones；　by　which　I　mean　those；　where　the　two　connecting　parties　reciprocally　find　their　account；　from　pretty　near　an　equal　degree　of　parts　and　abilities。　　In　those；　there　must　be　a　freer　communication；　each　must　see　that　the　other　is　able；　and　be　convinced　that　he　is　willing　to　be　of　use　to　him。　　Honor　must　be　the　principle　of　such　connections；　and　there　must　be　a　mutual　dependence；　that　present　and　separate　interest　shall　not　be　able　to　break　them。　　There　must　be　a　joint　system　of　action；　and；　in　case　of　different　opinions；　each　must　recede　a　little；　in　order　at　last　to　form　an　unanimous　one。　　Such；　I　hope；　will　be　your　connection　with　Lord　Huntingdon。　　You　will　both　come　into　parliament　at　the　same　time；　and　if　you　have　an　equal　share　of　abilities　and　application；　you　and　he；　with　other　young　people；　with　whom　you　will　naturally　associate；　may　form　a　band　which　will　be　respected　by　any　administration；　and　make　a　figure　in　the　public。　　The　other　sort　of　connections　I　call　unequal　ones；　that　is；　where　the　parts　are　all　on　one　side；　and　the　rank　and　fortune　on　the　other。　　Here；　the　advantage　is　all　on　one　side；　but　that　advantage　must　be　ably　and　artfully　concealed。　　Complaisance；　an　engaging　manner；　and　a　patient　toleration　of　certain　airs　of　superiority；　must　cement　them。　The　weaker　party　must　be　taken　by　the　heart；　his　head　giving　no　hold；　and　he　must　be　governed　by　being　made　to　believe　that　he　governs。　These　people；　skillfully　led；　give　great　weight　to　their　leader。　I　have　formerly　pointed　out　to　you　a　couple　that　I　take　to　be　proper　objects　for　your　skill；　and　you　will　meet　with　twenty　more；　for　they　are　very　rife。

The　other　person　whom　I　recommended　to　you　is　a　woman；　not　as　a　woman；　for　that　is　not　immediately　my　business；　besides；　I　fear　that　she　is　turned　of　fifty。　　It　is　Lady　Hervey；　whom　I　directed　you　to　call　upon　at　Dijon；　but　who；　to　my　great　joy；　because　to　your　great　advantage；　passes　all　this　winter　at　Paris。　　She　has　been　bred　all　her　life　at　courts；　of　which　she　has　acquired　all　the　easy　good…breeding　and　politeness；　without　the　frivolousness。　　She　has　all　the　reading　that　a　woman　should　have；　and　more　than　any　woman　need　have；　for　she　understands　Latin　perfectly　well；　though　she　wisely　conceals　it。　　As　she　will　look　upon　you　as　her　son；　I　desire　that　you　will　look　upon　her　as　my　delegate：　trust；　consult；　and　apply　to　her　without　reserve。　　No　woman　ever　had　more　than　she　has；　'le　ton　de　la　parfaitement　bonne　compagnie；　les　manieres　engageantes；　et　le　je　ne　sais　quoi　qui　plait'。　　Desire　her　to　reprove　and　correct　any；　and　every；　the　least　error　and　in…；　accuracy　in　your　manners；　air；　address；　etc。　　No　woman　in　Europe　can　do　it　so　well；　none　will　do　it　more　willingly；　or　in　a　more　proper　and　obliging　manner。　　In　such　a　case　she　will　not　put　you　out　of　countenance；　by　telling　you　of　it　in　company；　but　either　intimate　it　by　some　sign；　or　wait　for　an　opportunity　when　you　are　alone　together。　　She　is　also　in　the　best　French　company；　where　she　will　not　only　introduce　but　PUFF　you；　if　I　may　use　so　low　a　word。　　And　I　can　assure　you　that　it　is　no　little　help；　in　the　'beau　monde'；　to　be　puffed　there　by　a　fashionable　woman。　　I　send　you　the　inclosed　billet　to　carry　her；　only　as　a　certificate　of　the　identity　of　your　person；　which　I　take　it　for　granted　she　could　not　know　again。

You　would　be　so　much　surprised　to　receive　a　whole　letter　from　me　without　any　mention　of　the　exterior　ornaments　necessary　for　a　gentleman；　as　manners；　elocution；　air；　address；　graces；　etc。；　that；　to　comply　with　your　expectations；　I　will　touch　upon　them；　and　tell　you；　that　when　you　come　to　England；　I　will　show　you　some　people；　whom　I　do　not　now　care　to　name；　raised　to　the　highest　stations　singly　by　those　exterior　and　adventitious　ornaments；　whose　parts　would　never　have　entitled　them　to　the　smallest　office　in　the　excise。　　Are　they　then　necessary；　and　worth　acquiring；　or　not？　　You　will　see　many　instances　of　this　kind　at　Paris；　particularly　a　glaring　one；　of　a　person　＇M。　le　Marechal　de　Richelieu＇　raised　to　the　highest　posts　and　dignities　in　France；　as　well　as　to　be　absolute　sovereign　of　the　'beau　monde'；　simply　by　the　graces　of　his　person　and　address；　by　woman's　chit…chat；　accompanied　with　important　gestures；　by　an　imposing　air　and　pleasing　abord。　　Nay；　by　these　helps；　he　even　passes　for　a　wit；　though　he　hath　certainly　no　uncommon　share　of　it。　　I　will　not　name　him；　because　it　would　be　very　imprudent　in　you　to　do　it。　　A　young　fellow；　at　his　first　entrance　into　the　'beau　monde'；　must　not　offend　the　king　'de　facto'　there。　　It　is　very　often　more　necessary　to　conceal　contempt　than　resentment；　the　former　forgiven；　but　the　latter　sometimes　forgot。

There　is　a　small　quarto　book　entitled；　'Histoire　Chronologique　de　la　France'；　lately　published　by　Le　President　Henault；　a　man　of　parts　and　learning；　with　whom　you　will　probably　get　acquainted　at　Paris。　　I　desire　that　it　may　always　lie　upon　your　table；　for　your　recourse　as　often　as　you　read　history。　　The　chronology；　though　chiefly　relative　to　the　history　of　France；　is　not　singly　confined　to　it；　but　the　most　interesting　events　of　all　the　rest　of　Europe　are　also　inserted；　and　many　of　them　adorned　by　short；　pretty；　and　just　reflections。　　The　new　edition　of　'Les　Memoires　de　Sully'；　in　three　quarto　volumes；　is　also　extremely　well　worth　your　reading；　as　it　will　give　you　a　clearer；　and　truer　notion　of　one　of　the　most　interesting　periods　of　the　French　history；　than　you　can　yet　have　formed　from　all　the　other　books　you　may　have　read　upon　the　subject。　　That　prince；　I　mean　Henry　the　Fourth；　had　all　the　accomplishments　and　virtues　of　a　hero；　and　of　a　king；　and　almost　of　a　man。　　The　last　are　the　most　rarely　seen。　　May　you　possess　them　all！　　Adieu。

Pray　make　my　compliments　to　Mr。　Harte；　and　let　him　know　that　I　have　this　moment　received　his　letter　of　the　12th；　N。　S。；　from　Antibes。　　It　requires　no　immediate　answer；　I　shall　therefore　delay　mine　till　I　have　another　from　him。　　Give　him　the　inclosed；　which　I　have　received　from　Mr。　Eliot。




LETTER　CXX

LONDON；　November　1；　O。　S。　　1750

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　I　hope　that　this　letter　will　not　find　you　still　at　Montpelier；　but　rather　be　sent　after　you　from　thence　to　Paris；　where；　I　am　persuaded；　that　Mr。　Harte　could　find　as　good　advice　for　his　leg　as　at　Montpelier；　if　not　better；　but　if　he　is　of　a　different　opinion；　I　am　sure　you　ought　to　stay　there；　as　long　as　he　desires。

While　you　are　in　France；　I　could　wish　that　the　hours　you　allot　for　historical　amusement　should　be　entirely　devoted　to　the　history　of　France。　One　always　reads　history　to　most　advantage　in　that　country　to　which　it　is　relative；　not　only　books；　but　persons　being　ever　at　hand　to　solve　doubts　and　clear　up　difficulties。　　I　do　by　no　means　advise　you　to　throw　away　your　time　in　ransacking；　like　a　dull　antiquarian；　the　minute　and　unimportant　parts　of　remote　and　fabulous　times。　　Let　blockheads　read　what　blockheads　wrote。　　And　a　general　notion　of　the　history　of　France；　from　the　conquest　of　that　country　by　the　Franks；　to　the　reign　of　Louis　the　Eleventh；　is　sufficient　for　use；　consequently　sufficient　for　you。　　There　are；　however；　in　those　remote　times；　some　remarkable　eras　that　deserve　more　particular　attention；　I　mean　those　in　which　some　notable　alterations　happened　in　the　constitution　and　form　of　government。　　As；　for　example；　in　the　settlement　of　Clovis　in　Gaul；　and　the　form　of　government　which　he　then　established；　for；　by　the　way；　that　form　of　government　differed　in　this　particular　from　all　the　other　Gothic　governments；　that　the　people；　neither　collectively　nor　by　representatives；　had　any　share　in　it。　　It　was　a　mixture　of　monarchy　and　aristocracy：　and　what　were　called　the　States　General　of　France　consisted　only　of　the　nobility　and　clergy　till　the　time　of　Philip　le　Bel；　in　the　very　beginning　of　the　fourteenth　century；　who　first　called　the　people　to　those　assemblies；　by　no　means　for　the　good　of　the　people；　who　were　only　amused　by　this　pretended　honor；　but；　in　truth；　to　check　the　nobility　and　clergy；　and　induce　them　to　grant　the　money　he　wanted　for　his　profusion；　this　was　a　scheme　of　Enguerrand　de　Marigny；　his　minister；　who　governed　both　him　and　his　kingdom　to　such　a　degree　as　to；　be　called　the　coadjutor　and　governor　of　the　kingdom。　　Charles　Martel　laid　aside　these　assemblies；　and　governed　by　open　force。　　Pepin　restored　them；　and　attached　them　to　him；　and　with　them　the　nation；　by　which　means　he　deposed　Childeric　and　mounted　the　throne。　　This　is　a　second　period　worth　your　attention。　　The　third　race　of　kings；　which　begins　with　Hugues　Capet；　is　a　third　period。　　A　judicious　reader　of　history　will　save　himself　a　great　deal　of　time　and　trouble　by　attending　with　care　only　to　those　interesting　periods　of　history　which　furnish　remarkable　events；　and　make　eras；　and　going　slightly　over　the；　common　run　of　events。　　Some　people　read　history　as　others　read　the　〃Pilgrim's　Progress〃；　giving　equal　attention　to；　and　indiscriminately　loading　their　memories　with　every　part　alike。　　But　I　would　have　you　read　it　in　a　different　manner；　take　the　shortest　general　history　you　can　find　of　every　country；　and　mark　down　in　that　history　the　most　important　periods；　such　as　conquests；　changes　of　kings；　and　alterations　of　the　form　of　government；　and　then　have　recourse　to　more　extensive　histories　or　particular　treatises；　relative　to　those　great　points。　　Consider　them　well；　trace　up　their　causes；　and　follow　their　consequences。　　For　instance；　there　is　a　most　excellent；　though　very　short　history　of　France；　by　Le　Gendre。　　Read　that　with　attention；　and　you　will　know　enough　of　the　general　history；　but　when　you　find　there　such　remarkable　periods　as　are　above　mentioned；　consult　Mezeray；　and　other　of　the　best　and　minutest　historians；　as　well　as