letters to his son, 1751-第16部分

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le　de　Coigny；　the　Pope's　nuncio；　or　Abbe　Sallier；　or　to　any　person　of　natural　gravity　and　melancholy；　or　who　at　that　time　should　be　in　grief？　　I　believe　not；　as；　on　the　other　hand；　I　suppose；　that　if　you　were　in　low　spirits　or　real　grief；　you　would　not　choose　to　bewail　your　situation　with　'la　petite　Blot'。　　If　you　cannot　command　your　present　humor　and　disposition；　single　out　those　to　converse　with；　who　happen　to　be　in　the　humor　the　nearest　to　your　own。

Loud　laughter　is　extremely　inconsistent　with　'les　bienseances'；　as　it　is　only　the　illiberal　and　noisy　testimony　of　the　joy　of　the　mob　at　some　very　silly　thing。　　A　gentleman　is　often　seen；　but　very　seldom　heard　to　laugh。　Nothing　is　more　contrary　to　'les　bienseances'　than　horse…play；　or　'jeux　de　main'　of　any　kind　whatever；　and　has　often　very　serious；　sometimes　very　fatal　consequences。　　Romping；　struggling；　throwing　things　at　one　another's　head；　are　the　becoming　pleasantries　of　the　mob；　but　degrade　a　gentleman：　'giuoco　di　mano；　giuoco　di　villano'；　is　a　very　true　saying；　among　the　few　true　sayings　of　the　Italians。

Peremptoriness　and　decision　in　young　people　is　'contraire　aux　bienseances'；　and　they　should　seldom　seem　to　assert；　and　always　use　some　softening　mitigating　expression；　such　as；　's'il　m'est　permis　de　le　dire；　je　croirais　plutot；　si　j'ose　m'expliquer'；　which　soften　the　manner；　without　giving　up　or　even　weakening　the　thing。　　People　of　more　age　and　experience　expect；　and　are　entitled　to；　that　degree　of　deference。

There　is　a　'bienseance'　also　with　regard　to　people　of　the　lowest　degree：　a　gentleman　observes　it　with　his　footmaneven　with　the　beggar　in　the　street。　　He　considers　them　as　objects　of　compassion；　not　of　insult；　he　speaks　to　neither　'd'un　ton　brusque'；　but　corrects　the　one　coolly；　and　refuses　the　other　with　humanity。　　There　is　one　occasion　in　the　world　in　which　'le　ton　brusque'　is　becoming　a　gentleman。　　In　short；　'les　bienseances'　are　another　word　for　MANNERS；　and　extend　to　every　part　of　life。　　They　are　propriety；　the　Graces　should　attend；　in　order　to　complete　them；　the　Graces　enable　us　to　do；　genteelly　and　pleasingly；　what　'les　bienseances'　require　to　be　done　at　all。　　The　latter　are　an　obligation　upon　every　man；　the　former　are　an　infinite　advantage　and　ornament　to　any　man。　　May　you　unite　both！

Though　you　dance　well；　do　not　think　that　you　dance　well　enough；　and　consequently　not　endeavor　to　dance　still　better。　　And　though　you　should　be　told　that　you　are　genteel；　still　aim　at　being　genteeler。　　If　Marcel　should；　do　not　you　be　satisfied。　　Go　on；　court　the　Graces　all　your　lifetime；　you　will　find　no　better　friends　at　court：　they　will　speak　in　your　favor；　to　the　hearts　of　princes；　ministers；　and　mistresses。

Now　that　all　tumultuous　passions　and　quick　sensations　have　subsided　with　me；　and　that　I　have　no　tormenting　cares　nor　boisterous　pleasures　to　agitate　me；　my　greatest　joy　is　to　consider　the　fair　prospect　you　have　before　you；　and　to　hope　and　believe　you　will　enjoy　it。　　You　are　already　in　the　world；　at　an　age　when　others　have　hardly　heard　of　it。　　Your　character　is　hitherto　not　only　unblemished　in　its　mortal　part；　but　even　unsullied　by　any　low；　dirty；　and　ungentleman…like　vice；　and　will；　I　hope；　continue　so。　　Your　knowledge　is　sound；　extensive　and　avowed；　especially　in　everything　relative　to　your　destination。　　With　such　materials　to　begin　with；　what　then　is　wanting！　　Not　fortune；　as　you　have　found　by　experience。　　You　have　had；　and　shall　have；　fortune　sufficient　to　assist　your　merit　and　your　industry；　and　if　I　can　help　it；　you　never　shall　have　enough　to　make　you　negligent　of　either。　　You　have；　too；　'mens　sana　in　corpore　sano'；　the　greatest　blessing　of　all。　　All；　therefore；　that　you　want　is　as　much　in　your　power　to　acquire；　as　to　eat　your　breakfast　when　set　before　you；　it　is　only　that　knowledge　of　the　world；　that　elegance　of　manners；　that　universal　politeness；　and　those　graces　which　keeping　good　company；　and　seeing　variety　of　places　and　characters；　must　inevitably；　with　the　least　attention　on　your　part；　give　you。　　Your　foreign　destination　leads　to　the　greatest　things；　and　your　parliamentary　situation　will　facilitate　your　progress。　　Consider；　then；　this　pleasing　prospect　as　attentively　for　yourself　as　I　consider　it　for　you。　　Labor　on　your　part　to　realize　it；　as　I　will　on　mine　to　assist；　and　enable　you　to　do　it。　　'Nullum　numen　abest；　si　sit　prudentia'。

Adieu；　my　dear　child！　　I　count　the　days　till　I　have　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you；　I　shall　soon　count　the　hours；　and　at　last　the　minutes；　with　increasing　impatience。

P。　　S。　　The　mohairs　are　this　day　gone　from　hence　for　Calais；　recommended　to　the　care　of　Madame　Morel；　and　directed；　as　desired；　to　the　Comptroller…general。　　The　three　pieces　come　to　six　hundred　and　eighty　French　livres。




LETTER　CXLVIII

GREENWICH；　June　20；　O。　S。　　1751

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　So　very　few　people；　especially　young　travelers；　see　what　they　see；　or　hear　what　they　hear；　that　though　I　really　believe　it　may　be　unnecessary　with　you；　yet　there　can　be　no　harm　in　reminding　you；　from　time　to　time；　to　see　what　you　see；　and　to　hear　what　you　hear；　that　is；　to　see　and　hear　as　you　should　do。　　Frivolous；　futile　people；　who　make　at　least　three　parts　in　four　of　mankind；　only　desire　to　see　and　hear　what　their　frivolous　and　futile　precursors　have　seen　and　heard：　as　St。　Peter's；　the　Pope；　and　High　Mass；　at　Rome；　Notre　Dame；　Versailles；　the　French　King；　and　the　French　Comedy；　in　France。　　A　man　of　parts　sees　and　hears　very　differently　from　these　gentlemen；　and　a　great　deal　more。　He　examines　and　informs　himself　thoroughly　of　everything　he　sees　or　hears；　and；　more　particularly；　as　it　is　relative　to　his　own　profession　or　destination。　　Your　destination　is　political；　the　object；　therefore；　of　your　inquiries　and　observations　should　be　the　political　interior　of　things；　the　forms　of　government；　laws；　regulations；　customs；　trade；　manufactures；　etc。；　of　the　several　nations　of　Europe。　　This　knowledge　is　much　better　acquired　by　conversation　with　sensible　and　well…informed　people；　than　by　books；　the　best　of　which　upon　these　subjects　are　always　imperfect。　　For　example；　there　are　〃Present　States〃　of　France；　as　there　are　of　England；　but　they　are　always　defective；　being　published　by　people　uninformed；　who　only　copy　one　another；　they　are；　however；　worth　looking　into　because　they　point　out　objects　for　inquiry；　which　otherwise　might　possibly　never　have　occurred　to　one's　mind；　but　an　hour's　conversation　with　a　sensible　president　or　'conseiller'　will　let　you　more　into　the　true　state　of　the　parliament　of　Paris；　than　all　the　books　in　France。　　In　the　same　manner；　the　'Almanack　Militaire'　is　worth　your　having；　but　two　or　three　conversations　with　officers　will　inform　you　much　better　of　their　military　regulations。　　People　have；　commonly；　a　partiality　for　their　own　professions；　love　to　talk　of　them；；　and　are　even　flattered　by　being　consulted　upon　the　subject；　when；　therefore；　you　are　with　any　of　those　military　gentlemen　（and　you　can　hardly　be　in　any　company　without　some）；　ask　them　military　questions；　inquire　into　their　methods　of　discipline；　quartering；　and　clothing　their　men；　inform　yourself　of　their　pay；　their　perquisites；　'lours　montres；　lours　etapes'；　etc。　　Do　the　same　as　to　the　marine；　and　make　yourself　particularly　master　of　that　detail；　which　has；　and　always　will　have；　a　great　relation　to　the　affairs　of　England；　and；　in　proportion　as　you　get　good　informations；　take　minutes　of　them　in　writing。

The　regulations　of　trade　and　commerce　in　France　are　excellent；　as　appears　but　too　plainly　for　us；　by　the　great　increase　of　both；　within　these　thirty　years；　for　not　to　mention　their　extensive　commerce　in　both　the　East　and　West　Indies；　they　have　got　the　whole　trade　of　the　Levant　from　us；　and　now　supply　all　the　foreign　markets　with　their　sugars；　to　the　ruin　almost　of　our　sugar　colonies；　as　Jamaica；　Barbadoes；　and　the　Leeward　Islands。　　Get；　therefore；　what　informations　you　can　of　these　matters　also。

Inquire　too　into　their　church　matters；　for　which　the　present　disputes　between　the　court　and　the　clergy　give　you　fair　and　frequent　opportunities。　　Know　the　particular　rights　of　the　Gallican　church；　in　opposition　to　the　pretensions　of　the　See　of　Rome。　　I　need　not　recommend　ecclesiastical　history　to　you；　since　I　hear　that　you　study　'Du　Pin'　very　assiduously。

You　cannot　imagine　how　much　this　solid　and　useful　knowledge　of　other　countries　will　distinguish　you　in　your　own　（where；　to　say　the　truth；　it　is　very　little　known　or　cultivated）；　besides　the　great　use　it　is　of　in　all　foreign　negotiations；　not　to　mention　that　it　enables　a　man　to　shine　in　all　companies。　　When　kings　and　princes　have　any　knowledge；　it　is　of　this　sort；　and　more　particularly；　and　therefore　it　is　the　usual　topic　of　their　levee　conversations；　in　which　it　will　qualify　you　to　bear　a　considerable　part；　it　brings　you　more　acquainted　with　them；　and　they　are　pleased　to　have　people　talk　to　them　on　a　subject　in　which　they　think　to　shine。

There　is　a　sort　of　chit…chat；　or　SMALL　TALK；　which　is　the　general　run　of　conversation　at　courts；　and　in　most　mixed　companies。　　It　is　a　sort　of　middling　conversation；　neither　silly　nor　edifying；　but；　however；　very　necessary　for　you　to　become　master　of。　　It　turns　upon　the　public　events　of　Europe；　and　then　is　at　its　best；　very　often　upon　the　number；　the　goodness　or　badness；　the　discipline；　or　the　clothing　of　the　troops　of　different　princes；　sometimes　upon　the　families；　the　marriages；　the　relations　of　princes；　and　considerable　people；　and　sometimes　'sur　le　bon　chere'；　the　magnificence　of　public　entertainments；　balls；　masquerades；　etc。　　I　would　wish　you　to　be　able　to　talk　upon　all　these　things　better；　and　with　more　knowledge　than　other　people；　insomuch　that　upon　those　occasions；　you　should　be　applied　to；　and　that　people　should　say；　I　DARE　SAY　MR。　STANHOPE　CAN　TELL　US。

Second…rate　knowledge　and　middling　talents　carry　a　man　further　at　courts；　and　in　the　busy　part　of　the　world；　than　superior　knowledge　and　shining　parts。　　Tacitus　very　justly　accounts　for　a　man's　having　always　kept　in　favor　and　enjoyed　the　best　employments　under　the　tyrannical　reigns　of　three　or　four　of　the　very　worst　emperors；　by　saying　that　it　was　not　'propter　aliquam　eximiam　artem；　sed　quia　par　negotiis　neque　supra　erat'。　Discretion　is　the　great　article；　all