letters to his son, 1746-47-第6部分

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which　nobody　but　himself　ever　escaped；　he　has　seen　with　his　own　eyes；
whatever　other　people　have　heard　or　read　of：　he　has　had　more　'bonnes
fortunes'　than　ever　he　knew　women；　and　has　ridden　more　miles　post　in　one
day；　than　ever　courier　went　in　two。　　He　is　soon　discovered；　and　as　soon
becomes　the　object　of　universal　contempt　and　ridicule。　　Remember；　then；
as　long　as　you　live；　that　nothing　but　strict　truth　can　carry　you　through
the　world；　with　either　your　conscience　or　your　honor　unwounded。　　It　is
not　only　your　duty；　but　your　interest；　as　a　proof　of　which　you　may　always
observe；　that　the　greatest　fools　are　the　greatest　liars。　　For　my　own
part；　I　judge　of　every　man's　truth　by　his　degree　of　understanding。

This　letter　will；　I　suppose；　find　you　at　Leipsig；　where　I　expect　and
require　from　you　attention　and　accuracy；　in　both　which　you　have　hitherto
been　very　deficient。　　Remember　that　I　shall　see　you　in　the　summer；　shall
examine　you　most　narrowly；　and　will　never　forget　nor　forgive　those
faults；　which　it　has　been　in　your　own　power　to　prevent　or　cure；　and　be
assured　that　I　have　many　eyes　upon　you　at　Leipsig；　besides　Mr。　Harte's。
Adieu！




LETTER　XV

LONDON；　October　2；　O。　S。　　1747

DEAR　BOY：　By　your　letter　of　the　18th　past；　N。　S。；　I　find　that　you　are　a
tolerably　good　landscape　painter；　and　can　present　the　several　views　of
Switzerland　to　the　curious。　　I　am　very　glad　of　it；　as　it　is　a　proof　of
some　attention；　but　I　hope　you　will　be　as　good　a　portrait　painter；　which
is　a　much　more　noble　science。　　By　portraits；　you　will　easily　judge；　that
I　do　not　mean　the　outlines　and　the　coloring　of　the　human　figure；　but　the
inside　of　the　heart　and　mind　of　man。　　This　science　requires　more
attention；　observation；　and　penetration；　than　the　other；　as　indeed　it　is
infinitely　more　useful。　　Search；　therefore；　with　the　greatest　care；　into
the　characters　of　those　whom　you　converse　with；　endeavor　to　discover
their　predominant　passions；　their　prevailing　weaknesses；　their　vanities；
their　follies；　and　their　humors；　with　all　the　right　and　wrong；　wise　and
silly　springs　of　human　actions；　which　make　such　inconsistent　and
whimsical　beings　of　us　rational　creatures。　　A　moderate　share　of
penetration；　with　great　attention；　will　infallibly　make　these　necessary
discoveries。　　This　is　the　true　knowledge　of　the　world；　and　the　world　is
a　country　which　nobody　ever　yet　knew　by　description；　one　must　travel
through　it　one's　self　to　be　acquainted　with　it。　　The　scholar；　who　in　the
dust　of　his　closet　talks　or　writes　of　the　world；　knows　no　more　of　it；
than　that　orator　did　of　war；　who　judiciously　endeavored　to　instruct
Hannibal　in　it。　　Courts　and　camps　are　the　only　places　to　learn　the　world
in。　　There　alone　all　kinds　of　characters　resort；　and　human　nature　is　seen
in　all　the　various　shapes　and　modes；　which　education；　custom；　and　habit
give　it；　whereas；　in　all　other　places；　one　local　mode　generally　prevails；
and　producing　a　seeming　though　not　a　real　sameness　of　character。　　For
example；　one　general　mode　distinguishes　an　university；　another　a　trading
town；　a　third　a　seaport　town；　and　so　on；　whereas；　at　a　capital；　where　the
Prince　or　the　Supreme　Power　resides；　some　of　all　these　various　modes　are
to　be　seen　and　seen　in　action　too；　exerting　their　utmost　skill　in　pursuit
of　their　several　objects。　　Human　nature　is　the　same　all　over　the　world；
but　its　operations　are　so　varied　by　education　and　habit；　that　one　must
see　it　in　all　its　dresses　in　order　to　be　intimately　acquainted　with　it。
The　passion　of　ambition；　for　instance；　is　the　same　in　a　courtier；
　a　soldier；　or　an　ecclesiastic；　but；　from　their　different　educations　and
habits；　they　will　take　very　different　methods　to　gratify　it。　　Civility；
which　is　a　disposition　to　accommodate　and　oblige　others；　is　essentially
the　same　in　every　country；　but　good…breeding；　as　it　is　called；　which　is
the　manner　of　exerting　that　disposition；　is　different　in　almost　every
country；　and　merely　local；　and　every　man　of　sense　imitates　and　conforms
to　that　local　good…breeding　of　the　place　which　he　is　at。　　A　conformity
and　flexibility　of　manners　is　necessary　in　the　course　of　the　world；　that
is；　with　regard　to　all　things　which　are　not　wrong　in　themselves。　　The
'versatile　ingenium'　is　the　most　useful　of　all。　　It　can　turn　itself
instantly　from　one　object　to　another；　assuming　the　proper　manner　for
each。　　It　can　be　serious　with　the　grave；　cheerful　with　the　gay；　and
trifling　with　the　frivolous。　　Endeavor　by　all　means；　to　acquire　this
talent；　for　it　is　a　very　great　one。

As　I　hardly　know　anything　more　useful；　than　to　see；　from　time　to　time；
pictures　of　one's　self　drawn　by　different　hands；　I　send　you　here　a　sketch
of　yourself；　drawn　at　Lausanne；　while　you　were　there；　and　sent　over　here
by　a　person　who　little　thought　that　it　would　ever　fall　into　my　hands：　and
indeed　it　was　by　the　greatest　accident　in　the　world　that　it　did。




LETTER　XVI

LONDON；　October　9；　O。　S。　　1747。

DEAR　BOY：　People　of　your　age　have；　commonly；　an　unguarded　frankness　about
them；　which　makes　them　the　easy　prey　and　bubbles　of　the　artful　and　the
experienced；　they　look　upon　every　knave　or　fool；　who　tells　them　that　he
is　their　friend；　to　be　really　so；　and　pay　that　profession　of　simulated
friendship；　with　an　indiscreet　and　unbounded　confidence；　always　to　their
loss；　often　to　their　ruin。　　Beware；　therefore；　now　that　you　are　coming
into　the　world；　of　these　preferred　friendships。　　Receive　them　with　great
civility；　but　with　great　incredulity　too；　and　pay　them　with　compliments；
but　not　with　confidence。　　Do　not　let　your　vanity　and　self…love　make　you
suppose　that　people　become　your　friends　at　first　sight；　or　even　upon　a
short　acquaintance。　　Real　friendship　is　a　slow　grower　and　never　thrives
unless　engrafted　upon　a　stock　of　known　and　reciprocal　merit。　　There　is
another　kind　of　nominal　friendship　among　young　people；　which　is　warm　for
the　time；　but　by　good　luck；　of　short　duration。　　This　friendship　is
hastily　produced；　by　their　being　accidentally　thrown　together；　and
pursuing　the　course　of　riot　and　debauchery。　　A　fine　friendship；　truly；
and　well　cemented　by　drunkenness　and　lewdness。　　It　should　rather　be
called　a　conspiracy　against　morals　and　good　manners；　and　be　punished　as
such　by　the　civil　magistrate。　　However；　they　have　the　impudence　and　folly
to　call　this　confederacy　a　friendship。　　They　lend　one　another　money；
for　bad　purposes；　they　engage　in　quarrels；　offensive　and　defensive　for
their　accomplices；　they　tell　one　another　all　they　know；　and　often　more
too；　when；　of　a　sudden；　some　accident　disperses　them；　and　they　think　no
more　of　each　other；　unless　it　be　to　betray　and　laugh；　at　their　imprudent
confidence。　　Remember　to　make　a　great　difference　between　companions　and
friends；　for　a　very　complaisant　and　agreeable　companion　may；　and　often
does；　prove　a　very　improper　and　a　very　dangerous　friend。　　People　will；
in　a　great　degree；　and　not　without　reason；　form　their　opinion　of　you；
upon　that　which　they　have　of　your　friends；　and　there　is　a　Spanish
proverb；　which　says　very　justly；　TELL　ME　WHO　YOU　LIVE　WITH　AND　I　WILL
TELL　YOU　WHO　YOU　ARE。　　One　may　fairly　suppose；　that　the　man　who　makes　a
knave　or　a　fool　his　friend；　has　something　very　bad　to　do　or　to　conceal。
But；　at　the　same　time　that　you　carefully　decline　the　friendship　of　knaves
and　fools；　if　it　can　be　called　friendship；　there　is　no　occasion　to　make
either　of　them　your　enemies；　wantonly　and　unprovoked；　for　they　are
numerous　bodies：　and　I；　would　rather　choose　a　secure　neutrality；　than
alliance；　or　war　with　either　of　them。　　You　may　be　a　declared　enemy　to
their　vices　and　follies；　without　being　marked　out　by　them　as　a　personal
one。　　Their　enmity　is　the　next　dangerous　thing　to　their　friendship。
Have　a　real　reserve　with　almost　everybody；　and　have　a　seeming　reserve
with　almost　nobody；　for　it　is　very　disagreeable　to　seem　reserved；　and
very　dangerous　not　to　be　so。　　Few　people　find　the　true　medium；　many　are
ridiculously　mysterious　and　reserved　upon　trifles；　and　many　imprudently
communicative　of　all　they　know。

The　next　thing　to　the　choice　of　your　friends；　is　the　choice　of　your
company。　　Endeavor；　as　much　as　you　can；　to　keep　company　with　people　above
you：　there　you　rise；　as　much　as　you　sink　with　people　below　you；　for　（as　I
have　mentioned　before）　you　are　whatever　the　company　you　keep　is。　　Do　not
mistake；　when　I　say　company　above　you；　and　think　that　I　mean　with　regard
to；　their　birth：　that　is　the　least　consideration；　but　I　mean　with　regard
to　their　merit；　and　the　light　in　which　the　world　considers　them。

There　are　two　sorts　of　good　company；　one；　which　is　called　the　beau　monde；
and　consists　of　the　people　who　have　the　lead　in　courts；　and　in　the　gay
parts　of　life；　the　other　consists　of　those　who　are　distinguished　by　some
peculiar　merit；　or　who　excel　in　some　particular　and　valuable　art　or
science。　　For　my　own　part；　I　used　to　think　myself　in　company　as；　much
above　me；　when　I　was　with　Mr。　Addison　and　Mr。　Pope；　as　if　I　had　been　with
all　the　princes　in　Europe。　　What　I　mean　by　low　company；　which　should　by
all　means　be　avoided；　is　the　company　of　those；　who；　absolutely
insignificant　and　contemptible　in　themselves；　think　they　are　honored　by
being　in　your　company；　and　who　flatter　every　vice　and　every　folly　you
have；　in　order　to　engage　you　to　converse　with　them。　　The　pride　of　being
the　first　of　the　company　is　but　too　common；　but　it　is　very　silly；　and
very　prejudicial。　　Nothing　in　the　world　lets　down　a　character　quicker
than　that　wrong　turn。

You　may　possibly　ask　me；　whether　a　man　has　it　always　in　his　power　to　get
the　best　company？　and　how？　　I　say；　Yes；　he　has；　by　deserving　it；
providing　he　is　but　in　circumstances　which　enable　him　to　appear　upon　the
footing　of　a　gentleman。　　Merit　and　good…breeding　will　make　their　way
everywhere。　　Knowledge　will　introduce　him；　and　good…breeding　will　endear
him　to　the　best　companies：　for；　as　I　have　often　told　you；　politeness　and
good…breeding　are　absolutely　necessary　to　adorn　any；　or　all　other　good
qualities　or　talents。　　Without　them；　no　knowledge；　no　perfection
whatever；　is　seen　in　its　best　light。　　The　scholar；　without　good…breeding；
is　a　pedant；　the　philosopher；　a　cynic；　the　soldier；　a　brute；　and　every
man　disagreeable。

I　long　to　hear；　f