letters to his son, 1750-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



Adieu；　my　friend！　go　on　and　prosper。

Mr。　Grevenkop　has　just　received　Mr。　Harte's　letter　of　the　19th　N。　S。




LETTER　CVII

LONDON；　March　8；　O。　S。　　1750

Young　as　you　are；　I　hope　you　are　in　haste　to　live；　by　living；　I　mean　living　with　lustre　and　honor　to　yourself；　with　utility　to　society；　doing　what　may　deserve　to　be　written；　or　writing　what　may　deserve　to　be　read；　I　should　wish　both。　　Those　who　consider　life　in　that　light；　will　not　idly　lavish　one　moment。　　The　present　moments　are　the　only　ones　we　are　sure　of；　and　as　such　the　most　valuable；　but　yours　are　doubly　so　at　your　age；　for　the　credit；　the　dignity；　the　comfort；　and　the　pleasure　of　all　your　future　moments；　depend　upon　the　use　you　make　of　your　present　ones。

I　am　extremely　satisfied　with　your　present　manner　of　employing　your　time；　but　will　you　always　employ　it　as　well？　　I　am　far　from　meaning　always　in　the　same　way；　but　I　mean　as　well　in　proportion；　in　the　variation　of　age　and　circumstances。　　You　now；　study　five　hours　every　morning；　I　neither　suppose　that　you　will；　nor　desire　that　you　should　do　so　for　the　rest　of　your　life。　　Both　business　and　pleasure　will　justly　and　equally　break　in　upon　those　hours。　　But　then；　will　you　always　employ　the　leisure　they　leave　you　in　useful　studies？　　If　you　have　but　an　hour；　will　you　improve　that　hour；　instead　of　idling　it　away？　　While　you　have　such　a　friend　and　monitor　with　you　as　Mr。　Harte；　I　am　sure　you　will。　　But　suppose　that　business　and　situations　should；　in　six　or　seen　months；　call　Mr。　Harte　away　from　you；　tell　me　truly；　what　may　I　expect　and　depend　upon　from　you；　when　left　to　yourself　？　　May　I　be　sure　that　you　will　employ　some　part　of　every　day；　in　adding　something　to　that　stock　of　knowledge　which　he　will　have　left　you？　　May　I　hope　that　you　will　allot　one　hour　in　the　week　to　the　care　of　your　own　affairs；　to　keep　them　in　that　order　and　method　which　every　prudent　man　does？　　But；　above　all；　may　I　be　convinced　that　your　pleasures；　whatever　they　may　be；　will　be　confined　within　the　circle　of　good　company；　and　people　of　fashion？　　Those　pleasures　I　recommend　to　you；　I　will　promote　them　I　will　pay　for　them；　but　I　will　neither　pay　for；　nor　suffer；　the　unbecoming；　disgraceful；　and　degrading　pleasures　（they　should　not　be　called　pleasures）；　of　low　and　profligate　company。　　I　confess　the　pleasures　of　high　life　are　not　always　strictly　philosophical；　and　I　believe　a　Stoic　would　blame；　my　indulgence；　but　I　am　yet　no　Stoic；　though　turned　of　five…and…fifty；　and　I　am　apt　to　think　that　you　are　rather　less　so；　at　eighteen。　　The　pleasures　of　the　table；　among　people　of　the　first　fashion；　may　indeed　sometimes；　by　accident；　run　into　excesses：　but　they　will　never　sink　into　a　continued　course　of　gluttony　and　drunkenness。　The　gallantry　of　high　life；　though　not　strictly　justifiable；　carries；　at　least；　no　external　marks　of　infamy　about　it。　　Neither　the　heart　nor　the　constitution　is　corrupted　by　it；　neither　nose　nor　character　lost　by　it；　manners；　possibly；　improved。　　Play；　in　good　company；　is　only　play；　and　not　gaming；　not　deep；　and　consequently　not　dangerous　nor　dishonorable。　　It　is　only　the　interacts　of　other　amusements。

This；　I　am　sure；　is　not　talking　to　you　like　an　old　man；　though　it　is　talking　to　you　like　an　old　friend；　these　are　not　hard　conditions　to　ask　of　you。　　I　am　certain　you　have　sense　enough　to　know　how　reasonable　they　are　on　my　part；　how　advantageous　they　are　on　yours：　but　have　you　resolution　enough　to　perform　them？　　Can　you　withstand　the　examples；　and　the　invitations；　of　the　profligate；　and　their　infamous　missionaries？　For　I　have　known　many　a　young　fellow　seduced　by　a　'mauvaise　honte'；　that　made　him　ashamed　to　refuse。　　These　are　resolutions　which　you　must　form；　and　steadily　execute　for　yourself；　whenever　you　lose　the　friendly　care　and　assistance　of　your　Mentor。　　In　the　meantime；　make　a　greedy　use　of　him；　exhaust　him；　if　you　can；　of　all　his　knowledge；　and　get　the　prophet's　mantle　from　him；　before　he　is　taken　away　himself。

You　seem　to　like　Rome。　　How　do　you　go　on　there？　　Are　you　got　into　the　inside　of　that　extraordinary　government？　　Has　your　Abbate　Foggini　discovered　many　of　those　mysteries　to　you？　　Have　you　made　an　acquaintance　with　some　eminent　Jesuits？　　I　know　no　people　in　the　world　more　instructive。　　You　would　do　very　well　to　take　one　or　two　such　sort　of　people　home　with　you　to　dinner　every　day。　　It　would　be　only　a　little　'minestra'　and　'macaroni'　the　more；　and　a　three　or　four　hours'　conversation　'de　suite'　produces　a　thousand　useful　informations；　which　short　meetings　and　snatches　at　third　places　do　not　admit　of；　and　many　of　those　gentlemen　are　by　no　means　unwilling　to　dine　'gratis'。　　Whenever　you　meet　with　a　man　eminent　in　any　way；　feed　him；　and　feed　upon　him　at　the　same　time；　it　will　not　only　improve　you；　but　give　you　a　reputation　of　knowledge；　and　of　loving　it　in　others。

I　have　been　lately　informed　of　an　Italian　book；　which　I　believe　may　be　of　use　to　you；　and　which；　I　dare　say；　you　may　get　at　Rome；　written　by　one　Alberti；　about　fourscore　or　a　hundred　years　ago；　a　thick　quarto。　　It　is　a　classical　description　of　Italy；　from　whence；　I　am　assured；　that　Mr。　Addison；　to　save　himself　trouble；　has　taken　most　of　his　remarks　and　classical　references。　　I　am　told　that　it　is　an　excellent　book　for　a　traveler　in　Italy。

What　Italian　books　have　you　read；　or　are　you　reading？　　Ariosto。　　I　hope；　is　one　of　them。　　Pray　apply　yourself　diligently　to　Italian；　it　is　so　easy　a　language；　that　speaking　it　constantly；　and　reading　it　often；　must；　in　six　months　more；　make　you　perfect　master　of　it：　in　which　case　you　will　never　forget　it；　for　we　only　forget　those　things　of　which　we　know　but　little。

But；　above　all　things；　to　all　that　you　learn；　to　all　that　you　say；　and　to　all　that　you　do；　remember　to　join　the　Graces。　　All　is　imperfect　without　them；　with　them　everything　is　at　least　tolerable。　　Nothing　could　hurt　me　more　than　to　find　you　unattended　by　them。　　How　cruelly　should　I　be　shocked；　if；　at　our　first　meeting；　you　should　present　yourself　to　me　without　them！　Invoke　them；　and　sacrifice　to　them　every　moment；　they　are　always　kind；　where　they　are　assiduously　courted。　　For　God's　sake；　aim　at　perfection　in　everything：　'Nil　actum　reputans　si　quid　superesset　agendum。　Adieu。　　Yours　most　tenderly。




LETTER　CVIII

LONDON；　March　19；　O。　S。　　1750。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　acknowledge　your　last　letter　of　the　24th　February；　N。　S。　　In　return　for　your　earthquake；　I　can　tell　you　that　we　have　had　here　more　than　our　share　of　earthquakes；　for　we　had　two　very　strong　ones　in　eight…and…twenty　days。　　They　really　do　too　much　honor　to　our　cold　climate；　in　your　warm　one；　they　are　compensated　by　favors　from　the　sun；　which　we　do　not　enjoy。

I　did　not　think　that　the　present　Pope　was　a　sort　of　man　to　build　seven　modern　little　chapels　at　the　expense　of　so　respectable　a　piece　of　antiquity　as　the　Coliseum。　　However；　let　his　Holiness's　taste　of　'virtu'　be　ever　so　bad；　pray　get　somebody　to　present　you　to　him　before　you　leave　Rome；　and　without　hesitation　kiss　his　slipper；　or　whatever　else　the　etiquette　of　that　Court　requires。　　I　would　have　you　see　all　those　ceremonies；　and　I　presume　that　you　are；　by　this　time；　ready　enough　at　Italian　to　understand　and　answer　'il　Santo　Padre'　in　that　language。　I　hope；　too；　that　you　have　acquired　address　and　usage　enough　of　the　world　to　be　presented　to　anybody；　without　embarrassment　or　disapprobation。　If　that　is　not　yet　quite　perfect；　as　I　cannot　suppose　it　is　entirely；　custom　will　improve　it　daily；　and　habit　at　last　complete　it。　　I　have　for　some　time　told　you；　that　the　great　difficulties　are　pretty　well　conquered。　　You　have　acquired　knowledge；　which　is　the　'principium　et　fons'；　but　you　have　now　a　variety　of　lesser　things　to　attend　to；　which　collectively　make　one　great　and　important　object。　　You　easily　guess　that　I　mean　the　graces；　the　air；　address；　politeness；　and；　in　short；　the　whole　'tournure'　and　'agremens'　of　a　man　of　fashion；　so　many　little　things　conspire　to　form　that　'tournure'；　that　though　separately　they　seem　too　insignificant　to　mention；　yet　aggregately　they　are　too　material　for　me　（who　think　for　you　down　to　the　very　lowest　things）　to　omit。　　For　instance；　do　you　use　yourself　to　carve；　eat　and　drink　genteelly；　and　with　ease？　　Do　you　take　care　to　walk；　sit；　stand；　and　present　yourself　gracefully？　　Are　you　sufficiently　upon　your　guard　against　awkward　attitudes；　and　illiberal；　ill…bred；　and　disgusting　habits；　such　as　scratching　yourself；　putting　your　fingers　in　your　mouth；　nose；　and　ears？　　Tricks　always　acquired　at　schools；　often　too　much　neglected　afterward；　but；　however；　extremely　ill…bred　and　nauseous。　　For　I　do　not　conceive　that　any　man　has　a　right　to　exhibit；　in　company；　any　one　excrement　more　than　another。　　Do　you　dress　well；　and　think　a　little　of　the　brillant　in　your　person？　　That；　too；　is　necessary；　because　it　is　'prevenant'。　　Do　you　aim　at　easy；　engaging；　but；　at　the　same　time；　civil　or　respectful　manners；　according　to　the　company　you　are　in？　　These；　and　a　thousand　other　things；　which　you　will　observe　in　people　of　fashion　better　than　I　can　describe　them；　are　absolutely　necessary　for　every　man；　but　still　more　for　you；　than　for　almost　any　man　living。　　The　showish；　the　shining；　the　engaging　parts　of　the　character　of　a　fine　gentleman；　should　（considering　your　destination）　be　the　principal　objects；　of　your　present　attention。

When　you　return　here；　I　am　apt　to　think　that　you　will　find　something　better　to　do　than　to　run　to　Mr。　Osborne's　at　Gray's　Inn；　to　pick　up　scarce　books。　　Buy　good　books　and　read　them；　the　best　books　are　the　commonest；　and　the　last　editions　are　always　the　best；　if　the　editors　are　not　blockheads；　for　they　may　profit　of　the　former。　　But　take　care　not　to　understand　editions　and　title…pages　too　well。　　It　always　smells　of　pedantry；　and　not　always　of　learning。　　What　curious　books　I　havethey　are　indeed　but　fewshall　be　at　your　service。　　I　have　some　of　the　old　Collana；　and　the　Machiavel　of　1550。　　Beware　of　the　'Bibliomanie'。

In　the　midst　of　either　your　studies　or　your　pleasures；　pray　never　lose　view　of　the　object　of　your　destination：　I　mean　the　political　affairs　of　Europe。　　Follow　them　politically；　chronologically；　and　geographically；　through　the　newspapers；　and　trace　up　the　facts　which　you　meet　with　there　to　their　sources：　as；　for　example