letters to his son, 1750-第4部分

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　from　the　same　person　to　Madame　Clerici；　at　the　same　place。　　As　these　two　ladies'　houses　are　the　resort　of　all　the　people　of　fashion　at　Milan；　those　two　recommendations　will　introduce　you　to　them　all。　　Let　me　know；　in　due　time；　if　you　have　received　these　two　letters；　that　I　may　have　them　renewed；　in　case　of　accidents。

Adieu；　my　dear　friend！　Study　hard；　divert　yourself　heartily；　distinguish　carefully　between　the　pleasures　of　a　man　of　fashion；　and　the　vices　of　a　scoundrel；　pursue　the　former；　and　abhor　the　latter；　like　a　man　of　sense。




LETTER　CIV

LONDON；　February　5；　O。　S。　1750

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　Very　few　people　are　good　economists　of　their　fortune；　and　still　fewer　of　their　time；　and　yet　of　the　two；　the　latter　is　the　most　precious。　　I　heartily　wish　you　to　be　a　good　economist　of　both：　and　you　are　now　of　an　age　to　begin　to　think　seriously　of　those　two　important　articles。　　Young　people　are　apt　to　think　that　they　have　so　much　time　before　them；　that　they　may　squander　what　they　please　of　it；　and　yet　have　enough　left；　as　very　great　fortunes　have　frequently　seduced　people　to　a　ruinous　profusion。　　Fatal　mistakes；　always　repented　of；　but　always　too　late！　　Old　Mr。　Lowndes；　the　famous　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　in　the　reigns　of　King　William；　Queen　Anne；　and　King　George　the　First；　used　to　say；TAKE　CARE　OF　THE　PENCE；　AND　THE　POUNDS　WILL　TAKE　CARE　OF　THEMSELVES。　To　this　maxim；　which　he　not　only　preached　but　practiced；　his　two　grandsons　at　this　time　owe　the　very　considerable　fortunes　that　he　left　them。

This　holds　equally　true　as　to　time；　and　I　most　earnestly　recommend　to　you　the　care　of　those　minutes　and　quarters　of　hours；　in　the　course　of　the　day；　which　people　think　too　short　to　deserve　their　attention；　and　yet；　if　summed　up　at　the　end　of　the　year；　would　amount　to　a　very　considerable　portion　of　time。　　For　example：　you　are　to　be　at　such　a　place　at　twelve；　by　appointment；　you　go　out　at　eleven；　to　make　two　or　three　visits　first；　those　persons　are　not　at　home；　instead　of　sauntering　away　that　intermediate　time　at　a　coffeehouse；　and　possibly　alone；　return　home；　write　a　letter；　beforehand；　for　the　ensuing　post；　or　take　up　a　good　book；　I　do　not　mean　Descartes；　Malebranche；　Locke；　or　Newton；　by　way　of　dipping；　but　some　book　of　rational　amusement　and　detached　pieces；　as　Horace；　Boileau；　Waller；　La　Bruyere；　etc。　　This　will　be　so　much　time　saved；　and　by　no　means　ill　employed。　　Many　people　lose　a　great　deal　of　time　by　reading：　for　they　read　frivolous　and　idle　books；　such　as　the　absurd　romances　of　the　two　last　centuries；　where　characters；　that　never　existed；　are　insipidly　displayed；　and　sentiments　that　were　never　felt；　pompously　described：　the　Oriental　ravings　and　extravagances　of　the　〃Arabian　Nights；〃　and　Mogul　tales；　or；　the　new　flimsy　brochures　that　now　swarm　in　France；　of　fairy　tales；　'Reflections　sur　le　coeur　et　l'esprit；　metaphysique　de　l'amour；　analyse　des　beaux　sentimens'；　and　such　sort　of　idle　frivolous　stuff；　that　nourishes　and　improves　the　mind　just　as　much　as　whipped　cream　would　the　body。　　Stick　to　the　best　established　books　in　every　language；　the　celebrated　poets；　historians；　orators；　or　philosophers。　　By　these　means　（to　use　a　city　metaphor）　you　will　make　fifty　PER　CENT。　　Of　that　time；　of　which　others　do　not　make　above　three　or　four；　or　probably　nothing　at　all。

Many　people　lose　a　great　deal　of　their　time　by　laziness；　they　loll　and　yawn　in　a　great　chair；　tell　themselves　that　they　have　not　time　to　begin　anything　then；　and　that　it　will　do　as　well　another　time。　　This　is　a　most　unfortunate　disposition；　and　the　greatest　obstruction　to　both　knowledge　and　business。　　At　your　age；　you　have　no　right　nor　claim　to　laziness；　I　have；　if　I　please；　being　emeritus。　　You　are　but　just　listed　in　the　world；　and　must　be　active；　diligent；　indefatigable。　　If　ever　you　propose　commanding　with　dignity；　you　must　serve　up　to　it　with　diligence。　　Never　put　off　till　tomorrow　what　you　can　do　to…day。

Dispatch　is　the　soul　of　business；　and　nothing　contributes　more　to　dispatch　than　method。　　Lay　down　a　method　for　everything；　and　stick　to　it　inviolably；　as　far　as　unexpected　incidents　may　allow。　　Fix　one　certain　hour　and　day　in　the　week　for　your　accounts；　and　keep　them　together　in　their　proper　order；　by　which　means　they　will　require　very　little　time；　and　you　can　never　be　much　cheated。　　Whatever　letters　and　papers　you　keep；　docket　and　tie　them　up　in　their　respective　classes；　so　that　you　may　instantly　have　recourse　to　any　one。　　Lay　down　a　method　also　for　your　reading；　for　which　you　allot　a　certain　share　of　your　mornings；　let　it　be　in　a　consistent　and　consecutive　course；　and　not　in　that　desultory　and　unmethodical　manner；　in　which　many　people　read　scraps　of　different　authors；　upon　different　subjects。　　Keep　a　useful　and　short　commonplace　book　of　what　you　read；　to　help　your　memory　only；　and　not　for　pedantic　quotations。　　Never　read　history　without　having　maps　and　a　chronological　book；　or　tables；　lying　by　you；　and　constantly　recurred　to；　without　which　history　is　only　a　confused　heap　of　facts。　　One　method　more　I　recommend　to　you；　by　which　I　have　found　great　benefit；　even　in　the　most　dissipated　part　of　my　life；　that　is；　to　rise　early；　and　at　the　same　hour　every　morning；　how　late　soever　you　may　have　sat　up　the　night　before。　　This　secures　you　an　hour　or　two；　at　least；　of　reading　or　reflection　before　the　common　interruptions　of　the　morning　begin；　and　it　will　save　your　constitution；　by　forcing　you　to　go　to　bed　early；　at　least　one　night　in　three。

You　will　say；　it　may　be；　as　many　young　people　would；　that　all　this　order　and　method　is　very　troublesome；　only　fit　for　dull　people；　and　a　disagreeable　restraint　upon　the　noble　spirit　and　fire　of　youth。　　I　deny　it；　and　assert；　on　the　contrary；　that　it　will　procure　you　both　more　time　and　more　taste　for　your　pleasures；　and；　so　far　from　being　troublesome　to　you；　that　after　you　have　pursued　it　a　month；　it　would　be　troublesome　to　you　to　lay　it　aside。　　Business　whets　the　appetite；　and　gives　a　taste　to　pleasure；　as　exercise　does　to　food；　and　business　can　never　be　done　without　method；　it　raises　the　spirits　for　pleasures；　and　a　SPECTACLE；　a　ball；　an　assembly；　will　much　more　sensibly　affect　a　man　who　has　employed；　than　a　man　who　has　lost；　the　preceding　part　of　the　day；　nay；　I　will　venture　to　say；　that　a　fine　lady　will　seem　to　have　more　charms　to　a　man　of　study　or　business；　than　to　a　saunterer。　　The　same　listlessness　runs　through　his　whole　conduct；　and　he　is　as　insipid　in　his　pleasures；　as　inefficient　in　everything　else。

I　hope　you　earn　your　pleasures；　and　consequently　taste　them；　for；　by　the　way；　I　know　a　great　many　men；　who　call　themselves　men　of　pleasure；　but　who；　in　truth；　have　none。　　They　adopt　other　people's　indiscriminately；　but　without　any　taste　of　their　own。　　I　have　known　them　often　inflict　excesses　upon　themselves　because　they　thought　them　genteel；　though　they　sat　as　awkwardly　upon　them　as　other　people's　clothes　would　have　done。　Have　no　pleasures　but　your　own；　and　then　you　will　shine　in　them。　　What　are　yours？　　Give　me　a　short　history　of　them。　　'Tenez…vous　votre　coin　a　table；　et　dans　les　bonnes　compagnies？　y　brillez…vous　du　cote　de　la　politesse；　de　d'enjouement；　du　badinage？　　Etes…vous　galant？　　Filex…vous　le　parfait　amour？　　Est…il　question　de　flechir　par　vos　soins　et　par　vos　attentions　les　rigueurs　de　quelque　fiere　Princesse'？　　You　may　safely　trust　me；　for　though　I　am　a　severe　censor　of　vice　and　folly；　I　am　a　friend　and　advocate　for　pleasures；　and　will　contribute　all　in　my　power　to　yours。

There　is　a　certain　dignity　to　be　kept　up　in　pleasures；　as　well　as　in　business。　　In　love；　a　man　may　lose　his　heart　with　dignity；　but　if　he　loses　his　nose；　he　loses　his　character　into　the　bargain。　　At　table；　a　man　may　with　decency　have　a　distinguishing　palate；　but　indiscriminate　voraciousness　degrades　him　to　a　glutton。　　A　man　may　play　with　decency；　but　if　he　games；　he　is　disgraced。　　Vivacity　and　wit　make　a　man　shine　in　company；　but　trite　jokes　and　loud　laughter　reduce　him　to　a　buffoon。　＇see　Mark　Twain's　identical　advice　in　his　'Speeches'　　D。W。＇　　Every　virtue；　they　say；　has　its　kindred　vice；　every　pleasure；　I　am　sure；　has　its　neighboring　disgrace。　　Mark　carefully；　therefore；　the　line　that　separates　them；　and　rather　stop　a　yard　short；　than　step　an　inch　beyond　it。

I　wish　to　God　that　you　had　as　much　pleasure　in　following　my　advice；　as　I　have　in　giving　it　you！　and　you　may　the　more　easily　have　it；　as　I　give　you　none　that　is　inconsistent　with　your　pleasure。　　In　all　that　I　say　to　you；　it　is　your　interest　alone　that　I　consider：　trust　to　my　experience；　you　know　you　may　to　my　affection。　　Adieu。

I　have　received　no　letter　yet　from　you　or　Mr。　Harte。




LETTER　CV

LONDON；　February　8；　O。　S。　　1750

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　You　have；　by　this　time；　I　hope　and　believe；　made　such　a　progress　in　the　Italian　language；　that　you　can　read　it　with　ease；　I　mean；　the　easy　books　in　it；　and　indeed；　in　that；　as　well　as　in　every　other　language；　the　easiest　books　are　generally　the　best；　for；　whatever　author　is　obscure　and　difficult　in　his　own　language；　certainly　does　not　think　clearly。　　This　is；　in　my　opinion；　the　case　of　a　celebrated　Italian　author；　to　whom　the　Italians；　from　the　admiration　they　have　of　him；　have　given　the　epithet　of　il　divino；　I　mean　Dante。　　Though　I　formerly　knew　Italian　extremely　well；　I　could　never　understand　him；　for　which　reason　I　had　done　with　him；　fully　convinced　that　he　was　not　worth　the　pains　necessary　to　understand　him。

The　good　Italian　authors　are；　in　my　mind；　but　few；　I　mean；　authors　of　invention；　for　there　are；　undoubtedly；　very　good　historians　and　excellent　translators。　　The　two　poets　worth　your　reading；　and；　I　was　going　to　say；　the　only　two；　are　Tasso　and　Ariosto。　　Tasso's　'Gierusalemme　Liberata'　is　altogether　unquestionably　a　fine　poem；　thoughit　has　some　low；　and　many　false　thoughts　in　it：　and　Boileau　very　justly　makes　it　the　mark　of　a　bad　taste；　to　compare　'le　Clinquant　Tasse　a　l'　Or　de　Virgile'。　　The　image；　with　which　he　adorns　the　introduction　of　his　epic　poem；　is　low　and　disgusting；　it　is　that　of　a　froward；　sick；　puking　child；　who　is　deceived　into　a　dose　of　necessary　physic　by　'du　bon…bon'。　　These　verses　are　these：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Cosi　all'egro　fanciul　porgiamo　aspersi　　　　　　　　　　　Di　soavi　licor　gli　orli　del　vaso：　　　　　　　　　　　Succhi　amari　ingannato　intanto　e