letters to his son, 1750-第17部分

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When　you　come　to　Paris；　you　may　take　care　to　be　extremely　well　dressed；　that　is；　as　the　fashionable　people　are；　this　does　by　no　means　consist　in　the　finery；　but　in　the　taste；　fitness；　and　manner　of　wearing　your　clothes；　a　fine　suit　ill…made；　and　slatternly　or　stiffly　worn；　far　from　adorning；　only　exposes　the　awkwardness　of　the　wearer。　　Get　the　best　French　tailor　to　make　your　clothes；　whatever　they　are；　in　the　fashion；　and　to　fit　you：　and　then　wear　them；　button　them；　or　unbutton　them；　as　the　genteelest　people　you　see　do。　　Let　your　man　learn　of　the　best　friseur　to　do　your　hair　well；　for　that　is　a　very　material　part　of　your　dress。　　Take　care　to　have　your　stockings　well　gartered　up；　and　your　shoes　well　buckled；　for　nothing　gives　a　more　slovenly　air　to　a　man　than　ill…dressed　legs。　　In　your　person　you　must　be　accurately　clean；　and　your　teeth；　hands；　and　nails；　should　be　superlatively　so；　a　dirty　mouth　has　real　ill　consequences　to　the　owner；　for　it　infallibly　causes　the　decay；　as　well　as　the　intolerable　pain　of　the　teeth；　and　it　is　very　offensive　to　his　acquaintance；　for　it　will　most　inevitably　stink。　　I　insist；　therefore；　that　you　wash　your　teeth　the　first　thing　you　do　every　morning；　with　a　soft　sponge　and　swarm　water；　for　four　or　five　minutes；　and　then　wash　your　mouth　five　or　six　times。　　Mouton；　whom　I　desire　you　will　send　for　upon　your　arrival　at　Paris；　will　give　you　an　opiate；　and　a　liquor　to　be　used　sometimes。　　Nothing　looks　more　ordinary；　vulgar；　and　illiberal；　than　dirty　hands；　and　ugly；　uneven；　and　ragged　nails：　I　do　not　suspect　you　of　that　shocking；　awkward　trick；　of　biting　yours；　but　that　is　not　enough：　you　must　keep　the　ends　of　them　smooth　and　clean；　not　tipped　with　black；　as　the　ordinary　people's　always　are。　　The　ends　of　your　nails　should　be　small　segments　of　circles；　which；　by　a　very　little　care　in　the　cutting；　they　are　very　easily　brought　to；　every　time　that　you　wipe　your　hands；　rub　the　skin　round　your　nails　backward；　that　it　may　not　grow　up；　and　shorten　your　nails　too　much。　　The　cleanliness　of　the　rest　of　your　person；　which；　by　the　way；　will　conduce　greatly　to　your　health；　I　refer　from　time　to　time　to　the　bagnio。　　My　mentioning　these　particulars　arises　（I　freely　own）　from　some　suspicion　that　the　hints　are　not　unnecessary；　for；　when　you　were　a　schoolboy；　you　were　slovenly　and　dirty　above　your　fellows。　I　must　add　another　caution；　which　is　that　upon　no　account　whatever；　you　put　your　fingers；　as　too　many　people　are　apt　to　do；　in　your　nose　or　ears。　It　is　the　most　shocking；　nasty；　vulgar　rudeness；　that　can　be　offered　to　company；　it　disgusts　one；　it　turns　one's　stomach；　and；　for　my　own　part；　I　would　much　rather　know　that　a　man's　fingers　were　actually　in　his　breech；　than　see　them　in　his　nose。　　Wash　your　ears　well　every　morning；　and　blow　your　nose　in　your　handkerchief　whenever　you　have　occasion；　but；　by　the　way；　without　looking　at　it　；　afterward。　　There　should　be　in　the　least；　as　well　as　in　the　greatest　parts　of　a　gentleman；　'les　manieres　nobles'。　　Sense　will　teach　you　some；　observation　others；　attend　carefully　to　the　manners；　the　diction；　the　motions；　of　people　of　the　first　fashion；　and　form　your　own　upon　them。　　On　the　other　hand；　observe　a　little　those　of　the　vulgar；　in　order　to　avoid　them：　for　though　the　things　which　they　say　or　do　may　be　the　same；　the　manner　is　always　totally　different：　and　in　that；　and　nothing　else；　consists　the　characteristic　of　a　man　of　fashion。　The　lowest　peasant　speaks；　moves；　dresses；　eats；　and　drinks；　as　much　as　a　man　of　the　first　fashion；　but　does　them　all　quite　differently；　so　that　by　doing　and　saying　most　things　in　a　manner　opposite　to　that　of　the　vulgar；　you　have　a　great　chance　of　doing　and　saying　them　right。　　There　are　gradations　in　awkwardness　and　vulgarism；　as　there　are　in　everything　else。　'Les　manieres　de　robe'；　though　not　quite　right；　are　still　better　than　'les　manieres　bourgeoises'；　and　these；　though　bad；　are　still　better　than　'les　manieres　de　campagne'。　　But　the　language；　the　air；　the　dress；　and　the　manners　of　the　court；　are　the　only　true　standard　'des　manieres　nobles；　et　d'un　honnete　homme。　　Ex　pede　Herculem'　is　an　old　and　true　saying；　and　very　applicable　to　our　present　subject；　for　a　man　of　parts；　who　has　been　bred　at　courts；　and　used　to　keep　the　best　company；　will　distinguish　himself；　and　is　to　be　known　from　the　vulgar　by　every　word；　attitude；　gesture；　and　even　look。　　I　cannot　leave　these　seeming　'minutiae'；　without　repeating　to　you　the　necessity　of　your　carving　well；　which　is　an　article；　little　as　it　is；　that　is　useful　twice　every　day　of　one's　life；　and　the　doing　it　ill　is　very　troublesome　to　one's　self；　and　very　disagreeable；　often　ridiculous；　to　others。

Having　said　all　this；　I　cannot　help　reflecting；　what　a　formal　dull　fellow；　or　a　cloistered　pedant；　would　say；　if　they　were　to　see　this　letter：　they　would　look　upon　it　with　the　utmost　contempt；　and　say　that　surely　a　father　might　find　much　better　topics　for　advice　to　a　son。　I　would　admit　it；　if　I　had　given　you；　or　that　you　were　capable　of　receiving；　no　better；　but　if　sufficient　pains　have　been　taken　to　form　your　heart　and　improve　your　mind；　and；　as　I　hope；　not　without　success；　I　will　tell　those　solid　gentlemen；　that　all　these　trifling　things；　as　they　think　them；　collectively；　form　that　pleasing　'je　ne　sais　quoi'；　that　ensemble；　which　they　are　utter　strangers　to　both　in　themselves　and　others。　　The　word　aimable　is　not　known　in　their　language；　or　the　thing　in　their　manners。　　Great　usage　of　the　world；　great　attention；　and　a　great　desire　of　pleasing；　can　alone　give　it；　and　it　is　no　trifle。　　It　is　from　old　people's　looking　upon　these　things　as　trifles；　or　not　thinking　of　them　at　all；　that　so　many　young　people　are　so　awkward　and　so　ill…bred。　Their　parents；　often　careless　and　unmindful　of　them；　give　them　only　the　common　run　of　education；　as　school；　university；　and　then　traveling；　without　examining；　and　very　often　without　being　able　to　judge；　if　they　did　examine；　what　progress　they　make　in　any　one　of　these　stages。　　Then；　they　carelessly　comfort　themselves；　and　say；　that　their　sons　will　do　like　other　people's　sons；　and　so　they　do；　that　is；　commonly　very　ill。　　They　correct　none　of　the　childish　nasty　tricks；　which　they　get　at　school；　nor　the　illiberal　manners　which　they　contract　at　the　university；　nor　the　frivolous　and　superficial　pertness；　which　is　commonly　all　that　they　acquire　by　their　travels。　　As　they　do　not　tell　them　of　these　things；　nobody　else　can；　so　they　go　on　in　the　practice　of　them；　without　ever　hearing；　or　knowing；　that　they　are　unbecoming；　indecent；　and　shocking。　For；　as　I　have　often　formerly　observed　to　you；　nobody　but　a　father　can　take　the　liberty　to　reprove　a　young　fellow；　grown　up；　for　those　kinds　of　inaccuracies　and　improprieties　of　behavior。　　The　most　intimate　friendship；　unassisted　by　the　paternal　superiority；　will　not　authorize　it。　　I　may　truly　say；　therefore；　that　you　are　happy　in　having　me　for　a　sincere；　friendly；　and　quick…sighted　monitor。　　Nothing　will　escape　me：　I　shall　pry　for　your　defects；　in　order　to　correct　them；　as　curiously　as　I　shall　seek　for　your　perfections；　in　order　to　applaud　and　reward　them；　with　this　difference　only；　that　I　shall　publicly　mention　the　latter；　and　never　hint　at　the　former；　but　in　a　letter　to；　or　a　tete…d…tete　with　you。　I　will　never　put　you　out　of　countenance　before　company；　and　I　hope　you　will　never　give　me　reason　to　be　out　of　countenance　for　you；　as　any　one　of　the　above…mentioned　defects　would　make　me。　　'Praetor　non；　curat　de　minimis'；　was　a　maxim　in　the　Roman　law；　for　causes　only　of　a　certain　value　were　tried　by　him　but　there　were　inferior　jurisdictions；　that　took　cognizance　of　the　smallest。　　Now　I　shall　try　you；　not　only　as　'praetor'　in　the　greatest；　but　as　'censor'　in　lesser；　and　as　the　lowest　magistrate　in　the　least　cases。

I　have　this　moment　received　Mr。　Harte's　letter　of　the　1st　November；　N。　S。；　by　which　I　am　very　glad　to　find　that　he　thinks　of　moving　toward　Paris；　the　end　of　this　month；　which　looks　as　if　his　leg　were　better；　besides；　in　my　opinion；　you　both　of　you　only　lose　time　at　Montpelier；　he　would　find　better　advice；　and　you　better　company；　at　Paris。　　In　the　meantime；　I　hope　you　go　into　the　best　company　there　is　at　Montpelier；　and　there　always　is　some　at　the　Intendant's；　or　the　Commandant's。　　You　will　have　had　full　time　to　learn　'les　petites　chansons　Languedociennes'；　which　are　exceedingly　pretty　ones；　both　words　and　tunes。　　I　remember；　when　I　was　in　those　parts；　I　was　surprised　at　the　difference　which　I　found　between　the　people　on　one　side；　and　those　on　the　other　side　of　the　Rhone。　　The　Provencaux　were；　in　general；　surly；　ill…bred；　ugly；　and　swarthy；　the　Languedocians　the　very　reverse：　a　cheerful；　well…bred；　handsome　people。　　Adieu！　Yours　most　affectionately。

P。　S。　　Upon　reflection；　I　direct　this　letter　to　Paris；　I　think　you　must　have　left　Montpelier　before　it　could　arrive　there。




LETTER　CXXIV

LONDON；　November　19；　O。　S。　1750

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　was　very　glad　to　find　by　your　letter　of　the　12th；　N。　S。；　that　you　had　informed　yourself　so　well　of　the　state　of　the　French　marine　at　Toulon；　and　of　the　commerce　at　Marseilles；　they　are　objects　that　deserve　the　inquiry　and　attention　of　every　man　who　intends　to　be　concerned　in　public　affairs。　　The　French　are　now　wisely　attentive　to　both；　their　commerce　is　incredibly　increased　within　these　last　thirty　years；　they　have　beaten　us　out　of　great　part　of　our　Levant　trade；　their　East　India　trade　has　greatly　affected　ours；　and；　in　the　West　Indies；　their　Martinico　establishment　supplies；　not　only　France　itself；　but　the　greatest　part　of　Europe；　with　sugars　whereas　our　islands；　as　Jamaica；　Barbadoes；　and　the　Leeward；　have　now　no　other　market　for　theirs　but　England。　　New　France；　or　Canada；　has　also　greatly　lessened　our　fur　and　skin　trade。　　It　is　true　（as　you　say）　that　we　have　no　treaty　of　commerce　subsisting　（I　do　not　say　WITH　MARSEILLES）　but　with　France。　　There　was　a　treaty　of　commerce　made　between　England　and　France；　immediately　after　the　treaty　of　Utrecht；　but　the　whole　treaty　was　conditional；　and　to　depend　upon　the　parliament's　enacting　certain　things　which　were　stipulated　in　two　of　the　articles；　the　parliament；　after　a　very　famous　debate；　would　not　do　it；　so　the　treaty　fell　to　the　ground：　however；　the　outlines　of　that　treaty　are；　by　mutual　and