letters to his son, 1746-47-第5部分

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through；　but　that　you　should　inform　yourself；　as　well　as　your　stay　will
permit　you；　whether　the　town　is　free；　or　to　whom　it　belongs；　or　in　what
manner：　whether　it　has　any　peculiar　privileges　or　customs；　what　trade　or
manufactures；　and　such　other　particulars　as　people　of　sense　desire　to
know。　　And　there　would　be　no　manner　of　harm　if　you　were　to　take
memorandums　of　such　things　in　a　paper　book　to　help　your　memory。　　The　only
way　of　knowing　all　these　things　is　to　keep　the　best　company；　who　can　best
inform　you　of　them。　　I　am　just　now　called　away；　so　good　night。




LETTER　XI

LONDON；　July　20；　O。　S。　　1747

DEAR　BOY：　　In　your　Mamma's　letter；　which　goes　here　inclosed；　you　will
find　one　from　my　sister；　to　thank　you　for　the　Arquebusade　water　which　you
sent　her；　and　which　she　takes　very　kindly。　　She　would　not　show　me　her
letter　to　you；　but　told　me　that　it　contained　good　wishes　and　good　advice；
and；　as　I　know　she　will　show　your　letter　in　answer　to　hers；　I　send　you
here　inclosed　the　draught　of　the　letter　which　I　would　have　you　write　to
her。　　I　hope　you　will　not　be　offended　at　my　offering　you　my　assistance
upon　this　occasion；　because；　I　presume；　that　as　yet；　you　are　not　much
used　to　write　to　ladies。　　'A　propos'　of　letter…writing；　the　best　models
that　you　can　form　yourself　upon　are；　Cicero；　Cardinal　d'Ossat；　Madame
Sevigne；　and　Comte　Bussy　Rebutin。　　Cicero's　Epistles　to　Atticus；　and　to
his　familiar　friends；　are　the　best　examples　that　you　can　imitate；　in　the
friendly　and　the　familiar　style。　　The　simplicity　and　the　clearness　of
Cardinal　d'Ossat's　letters　show　how　letters　of　business　ought　to　be
written；　no　affected　turns；　no　attempts　at　wit；　obscure　or　perplex　his
matter；　which　is　always　plainly　and　clearly　stated；　as　business　always
should　be。　　For　gay　and　amusing　letters；　for　'enjouement　and　badinage；'
there　are　none　that　equal　Comte　Bussy's　and　Madame　Sevigne's。　　They　are
so　natural；　that　they　seem　to　be　the　extempore　conversations　of　two
people　of　wit；　rather；　than　letters　which　are　commonly　studied；　though
they　ought　not　to　be　so。　　I　would　advise　you　to　let　that　book　be　one　in
your　itinerant　library；　it　will　both　amuse　and　inform　you。

I　have　not　time　to　add　any　more　now；　so　good　night。




LETTER　XII

LONDON；　July　30；　O。　S。　　1747

DEAR　BOY：　It　is　now　four　posts　since　I　have　received　any　letter；　either
from　you　or　from　Mr。　Harte。　　I　impute　this　to　the　rapidity　of　your
travels　through　Switzerland；　which　I　suppose　are　by　this　time　finished。

You　will　have　found　by　my　late　letters；　both　to　you　and　Mr。　Harte；　that
you　are　to　be　at　Leipsig　by　next　Michaelmas；　where　you　will　be　lodged　in
the　house　of　Professor　Mascow；　and　boarded　in　the　neighborhood　of　it；
with　some　young　men　of　fashion。　　The　professor　will　read　you　lectures
upon　'Grotius　de　Jure　Belli　et　Pacis；'　the　'Institutes　of　Justinian'　and
the　'Jus　Publicum　Imperii；'　which　I　expect　that　you　shall　not　only　hear；
but　attend　to；　and　retain。　　I　also　expect　that　you　make　yourself
perfectly　master　of　the　German　language；　which　you　may　very　soon　do
there；　if　you　please。　　I　give　you　fair　warning；　that　at　Leipsig　I　shall
have　an　hundred　invisible　spies　about　you；　and　shall　be　exactly　informed
of　everything　that　you　do；　and　of　almost　everything　that　you　say。　　I　hope
that；　in　consequence　of　those　minute　informations；　I　may　be　able　to　say
of　you；　what　Velleius　Paterculus　says　of　Scipio；　that　in　his　whole　life；
'nihil　non　laudandum　aut　dixit；　aut　fecit；　aut　sensit。'　　There　is　a　great
deal　of　good　company　in　Leipsig；　which　I　would　have　you　frequent　in　the
evenings；　when　the　studies　of　the　day　are　over。　　There　is　likewise　a　kind
of　court　kept　there；　by　a　Duchess　Dowager　of　Courland；　at　which　you
should　get　introduced。　　The　King　of　Poland　and　his　Court　go　likewise　to
the　fair　at　Leipsig　twice　a　year；　and　I　shall　write　to　Sir　Charles
Williams；　the　king's　minister　there；　to　have　you　presented；　and
introduced　into　good　company。　　But　I　must　remind　you；　at　the　same　time；
that　it　will　be　to　a　very　little　purpose　for　you　to　frequent　good
company；　if　you　do　not　conform　to；　and　learn　their　manners；　if　you　are
not　attentive　to　please；　and　well　bred；　with　the　easiness　of　a　man　of
fashion。　　As　you　must　attend　to　your　manners；　so　you　must　not　neglect
your　person；　but　take　care　to　be　very　clean；　well　dressed；　and　genteel；
to　have　no　disagreeable　attitudes；　nor　awkward　tricks；　which　many　people
use　themselves　to；　and　then　cannot　leave　them　off。　　Do　you　take　care　to
keep　your　teeth　very　clean；　by　washing　them　constantly　every　morning；　and
after　every　meal？　　This　is　very　necessary；　both　to　preserve　your　teeth　a
great　while；　and　to　save　you　a　great　deal　of　pain。　　Mine　have　plagued　me
long；　and　are　now　falling　out；　merely　from　want　of　care　when　I　was　your
age。　　Do　you　dress　well；　and　not　too　well？　　Do　you　consider　your　air　and
manner　of　presenting　yourself　enough；　and　not　too　much？　　Neither
negligent　nor　stiff？　　All　these　things　deserve　a　degree　of　care；
a　second…rate　attention；　they　give　an　additional　lustre　to　real　merit。
My　Lord　Bacon　says；　that　a　pleasing　figure　is　a　perpetual　letter　of
recommendation。　　It　is　certainly　an　agreeable　forerunner　of　merit；　and
smoothes　the　way　for　it。

Remember　that　I　shall　see　you　at　Hanover　next　summer；　and　shall　expect
perfection；　which　if　I　do　not　meet　with；　or　at　least　something　very　near
it；　you　and　I　shall；　not　be　very　well　together。　　I　shall　dissect　and
analyze　you　with　a　microscope；　so　that　I　shall　discover　the　least　speck
or　blemish。　　This　is　fair　warning；　therefore　take　your　measures
accordingly。　　Yours。




LETTER　XIII


LONDON；　August　21；　O。　S。　　1747。

DEAR　BOY：　I　reckon　that　this　letter　has　but　a　bare　chance　of　finding　you
at　Lausanne；　but　I　was　resolved　to　risk　it；　as　it　is　the　last　that　I
shall　write　to　you　till　you　are　settled　at　Leipsig。　　I　sent　you　by　the
last　post；　under　cover　to　Mr。　Harte；　a　letter　of　recommendation　to　one　of
the　first　people　at　Munich；　which　you　will　take　care　to　present　to　him　in
the　politest　manner；　he　will　certainly　have　you　presented　to　the
electoral　family；　and　I　hope　you　will　go　through　that　ceremony　with　great
respect；　good　breeding；　and　ease。　　As　this　is　the　first　court　that　ever
you　will　have　been　at；　take　care　to　inform　yourself　if　there　be　any
particular；　customs　or　forms　to　be　observed；　that　you　may　not　commit　any
mistake。　　At　Vienna　men　always　make　courtesies；　instead　of　bows；　to　the
emperor；　in　France　nobody　bows　at　all　to　the　king；　nor　kisses　his　hand；
but　in　Spain　and　England；　bows　are　made；　and　hands　are　kissed。　　Thus
every　court　has　some　peculiarity　or　other；　of　which　those　who　go　to　them
ought　previously　to　inform　themselves；　to　avoid　blunders　and
awkwardnesses。

I　have　not　time　to　say　any　more　now；　than　to　wish　you　good　journey　to
Leipsig；　and　great　attention；　both　there　and　in　going　there。　　Adieu。




LETTER　XIV

LONDON；　September　21；　O。　S。　　1747

DEAR　BOY：　I　received；　by　the　last　post；　your　letter　of　the　8th；　N。　S。；
and　I　do　not　wonder　that　you　are　surprised　at　the　credulity　and
superstition　of　the　Papists　at　Einsiedlen；　and　at　their　absurd　stories　of
their　chapel。　　But　remember；　at　the　same　time；　that　errors　and　mistakes；
however　gross；　in　matters　of　opinion；　if　they　are　sincere；　are　to　be
pitied；　but　not　punished　nor　laughed　at。　The　blindness　of　the
understanding　is　as　much　to　be　pitied　as　the　blindness　of　the　eye；
and　there　is　neither　jest　nor　guilt　in　a　man's　losing　his　way　in　either
case。　　Charity　bids　us　set　him　right　if　we　can；　by　arguments　and
persuasions；　but　charity；　at　the　same　time；　forbids；　either　to　punish　or
ridicule　his　misfortune。　　Every　man's　reason　is；　and　must　be；　his　guide；
and　I　may　as　well　expect　that　every　man　should　be　of　my　size　and
complexion；　as　that　he　should　reason　just　as　I　do。　　Every　man　seeks　for
truth；　but　God　only　knows　who　has　found　it。　　It　is；　therefore；　as　unjust
to　persecute；　as　it　is　absurd　to　ridicule；　people　for　those　several
opinions；　which　they　cannot　help　entertaining　upon　the　conviction　of
their　reason。　　It　is　the　man　who　tells；　or　who　acts　a　lie；　that　is
guilty；　and　not　he　who　honestly　and　sincerely　believes　the　lie。
I　really　know　nothing　more　criminal；　more　mean；　and　more　ridiculous　than
lying。　　It　is　the　production　either　of　malice；　cowardice；　or　vanity；
and　generally　misses　of　its　aim　in　every　one　of　these　views；　for　lies　are
always　detected　sooner　or　later。　　If　I　tell　a　malicious　lie；　in　order　to
affect　any　man's　fortune　or　character；　I　may　indeed　injure　him　for　some
time；　but　I　shall　be　sure　to　be　the　greatest　sufferer　myself　at　last；
for　as　soon　as　ever　I　am　detected　（and　detected　I　most　certainly　shall
be）；　I　am　blasted　for　the　infamous　attempt；　and　whatever　is　said
afterward；　to　the　disadvantage　of　that　person；　however　true；　passes　for
calumny。　　If　I　lie；　or　equivocate　（for　it　is　the　same　thing）；　in　order　to
excuse　myself　for　something　that　I　have　said　or　done；　and　to　avoid　the
danger　and　the　shame　that　I　apprehend　from　it；　I　discover　at　once　my　fear
as　well　as　my　falsehood；　and　only　increase；　instead　of　avoiding；　the
danger　and　the　shame；　I　show　myself　to　be　the　lowest　and　the　meanest　of
mankind；　and　am　sure　to　be　always　treated　as　such。　　Fear；　instead　of
avoiding；　invites　danger；　for　concealed　cowards　will　insult　known　ones。
If　one　has　had　the　misfortune　to　be　in　the　wrong；　there　is　something
noble　in　frankly　owning　it；　it　is　the　only　way　of　atoning　for　it；　and　the
only　way　of　being　forgiven。　　Equivocating；　evading；　shuffling；　in　order
to　remove　a　present　danger　or　inconveniency；　is　something　so　mean；　and
betrays　so　much　fear；　that　whoever　practices　them　always　deserves　to　be；
and　often　will　be　kicked。　　There　is　another　sort　of　lies；　inoffensive
enough　in　themselves；　but　wonderfully　ridiculous；　I　mean　those　lies　which
a　mistaken　vanity　suggests；　that　defeat　the　very　end　for　which　they　are
calculated；　and　terminate　in　the　humiliation　and　confusion　of　their
author；　who　is　sure　to　be　detected。　　These　are　chiefly　narrative　and
historical　lies；　all　intended　to　do　infinite　honor　to　their　author。
He　is　always　the　hero　of　his　own　romances；　he　has　been　in　dangers　from
which　nobody　but　himself　ever　escaped；　he　has　seen　wit