letters to his son, 1751-第19部分

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　powdered；　my　linen　and　person　extremely　clean。　　I　even　allow　my　footman　forty　shillings　a　year　extraordinary；　that　they　may　be　spruce　and　neat。　　Your　figure　especially；　which　from　its　stature　cannot　be　very　majestic　and　interesting；　should　be　the　more　attended　to　in　point　of　dress　as　it　cannot　be　'imposante'；　it　should　be　'gentile；　aimable；　bien　mise'。　　It　will　not　admit　of　negligence　and　carelessness。

I　believe　Mr。　Hayes　thinks　that　you　have　slighted　him　a　little　of　late；　since　you　have　got　into　so　much　other　company。　　I　do　not　by　any　means　blame　you　for　not　frequenting　his　house　so　much　as　you　did　at　first；　before　you　had　got　into　so　many　other　houses　more　entertaining　and　more　instructing　than　his；　on　the　contrary；　you　do　very　well；　but；　however；　as　he　was　extremely　civil　to　you；　take　care　to　be　so　to　him；　and　make　up　in　manner　what　you　omit　in　matter。　　See　him；　dine　with　him　before　you　come　away；　and　ask　his　commands　for　England。

Your　triangular　seal　is　done；　and　I　have　given　it　to　an　English　gentleman；　who　sets　out　in　a　week　for　Paris；　and　who　will　deliver　it　to　Sir　John　Lambert　for　you。

I　cannot　conclude　this　letter　without　returning　again　to　the　showish；　the　ornamental；　the　shining　parts　of　your　character；　which；　if　you　neglect；　upon　my　word　you　will　render　the　solid　ones　absolutely　useless；　nay；　such　is　the　present　turn　of　the　world；　that　some　valuable　qualities　are　even　ridiculous；　if　not　accompanied　by　the　genteeler　accomplishments。　Plainness；　simplicity；　and　quakerism；　either　in　dress　or　manners；　will　by　no　means　do；　they　must　both　be　laced　and　embroidered；　speaking；　or　writing　sense；　without　elegance　and　turn；　will　be　very　little　persuasive；　and　the　best　figure　in　the　world；　without　air　and　address；　will　be　very　ineffectual。　　Some　pedants　may　have　told　you　that　sound　sense　and　learning　stand　in；　need　of　no　ornaments；　and；　to　support　that　assertion；　elegantly　quote　the　vulgar　proverb；　that　GOOD　WINE　NEEDS　NO　BUSH；　but　surely　the　little　experience　you　have　already　had　of　the　world　must　have　convinced　you　that　the　contrary　of　that　assertion　is　true。　　All　those　accomplishments　are　now　in　your　power；　think　of　them；　and　of　them　only。　I　hope　you　frequent　La　Foire　St。　Laurent；　which　I　see　is　now　open；　you　will　improve　more　by　going　there　with　your　mistress；　than　by　staying　at　home　and　reading　Euclid　with　your　geometry　master。　　Adieu。　　'Divertissez…　vous；　il　n'y　a　rien　de　tel'。




LETTER　CLII

GREENWICH；　July　15；　O。　S。　　1751

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　As　this　is　the　last；　or　last　letter　but　one；　that　I　think　I　shall　write　before　I　have　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you　here；　it　may　not　be　amiss　to　prepare　you　a　little　for　our　interview；　and　for　the　time　we　shall　pass　together。　　Before　kings　and　princes　meet；　ministers　on　each　side　adjust　the　important　points　of　precedence；　arm　chairs；　right　hand　and　left；　etc。；　so　that　they　know　previously　what　they　are　to　expect；　what　they　have　to　trust　to；　and　it　is　right　they　should；　for　they　commonly　envy　or　hate；　but　most　certainly　distrust　each　other。　　We　shall　meet　upon　very　different　terms；　we　want　no　such　preliminaries：　you　know　my　tenderness；　I　know　your　affection。　　My　only　object；　therefore；　is　to　make　your　short　stay　with　me　as　useful　as　I　can　to　you；　and　yours；　I　hope；　is　to　co…operate　with　me。　　Whether；　by　making　it　wholesome；　I　shall　make　it　pleasant　to　you；　I　am　not　sure。　　Emetics　and　cathartics　I　shall　not　administer；　because　I　am　sure　you　do　not　want　them；　but　for　alteratives　you　must　expect　a　great　many；　and　I　can　tell　you　that　I　have　a　number　of　NOSTRUMS；　which　I　shall　communicate　to　nobody　but　yourself。　To　speak　without　a　metaphor；　I　shall　endeavor　to　assist　your　youth　with　all　the　experience　that　I　have　purchased；　at　the　price　of　seven　and　fifty　years。　　In　order　to　this；　frequent　reproofs；　corrections；　and　admonitions　will　be　necessary；　but　then；　I　promise　you；　that　they　shall　be　in　a　gentle；　friendly；　and　secret　manner；　they　shall　not　put　you　out　of　countenance　in　company；　nor　out　of　humor　when　we　are　alone。　　I　do　not　expect　that；　at　nineteen；　you　should　have　that　knowledge　of　the　world；　those　manners；　that　dexterity；　which　few　people　have　at　nine…and…twenty。　But　I　will　endeavor　to　give　them　you；　and　I　am　sure　you　will　endeavor　to　learn　them；　as　far　as　your　youth；　my　experience；　and　the　time　we　shall　pass　together；　will　allow。　　You　may　have　many　inaccuracies　（and　to　be　sure　you　have；　for　who　has　not　at　your　age？）　which　few　people　will　tell　you　of；　and　some　nobody　can　tell　you　of　but　myself。　　You　may　possibly　have　others；　too；　which　eyes　less　interested；　and　less　vigilant　than　mine；　do　not　discover；　all　those　you　shall　hear　of　from　one　whose　tenderness　for　you　will　excite　his　curiosity　and　sharpen　his　penetration。　The　smallest　inattention　or　error　in　manners；　the　minutest　inelegance　of　diction；　the　least　awkwardness　in　your　dress　and　carriage；　will　not　escape　my　observation；　nor　pass　without　amicable　correction。　　Two；　the　most　intimate　friends　in　the　world；　can　freely　tell　each　other　their　faults；　and　even　their　crimes；　but　cannot　possibly　tell　each　other　of　certain　little　weaknesses；　awkwardnesses；　and　blindnesses　of　self…love；　to　authorize　that　unreserved　freedom；　the　relation　between　us　is　absolutely　necessary。　　For　example；　I　had　a　very　worthy　friend；　with　whom　I　was　intimate　enough　to　tell　him　his　faults；　he　had　but　few；　I　told　him　of　them；　he　took　it　kindly　of　me；　and　corrected　them。　　But　then；　he　had　some　weaknesses　that　I　could　never　tell　him　of　directly；　and　which　he　was　so　little　sensible　of　himself；　that　hints　of　them　were　lost　upon　him。　He　had　a　scrag　neck；　of　about　a　yard　long；　notwithstanding　which；　bags　being　in　fashion；　truly　he　would　wear　one　to　his　wig；　and　did　so　；　but　never　behind　him；　for；　upon　every　motion　of　his　head；　his　bag　came　forward　over　one　shoulder　or　the　other。　　He　took　it　into　his　head　too；　that　he　must　occasionally　dance　minuets；　because　other　people　did；　and　he　did　so；　not　only　extremely　ill；　but　so　awkward；　so　disjointed；　slim；　so　meagre；　was　his　figure；　that　had　he　danced　as　well　as　ever　Marcel　did；　it　would　have　been　ridiculous　in　him　to　have　danced　at　all。　　I　hinted　these　things　to　him　as　plainly　as　friendship　would　allow；　and　to　no　purpose；　but　to　have　told　him　the　whole；　so　as　to　cure　him；　I　must　have　been　his　father；　which；　thank　God；　I　am　not。　　As　fathers　commonly　go；　it　is　seldom　a　misfortune　to　be　fatherless；　and；　considering　the　general　run　of　sons；　as　seldom　a　misfortune　to　be　childless。　　You　and　I　form；　I　believe；　an　exception　to　that　rule；　for；　I　am　persuaded　that　we　would　neither　of　us　change　our　relation；　were　it　in　our　power。　　You　will；　I　both　hope　and　believe；　be　not　only　the　comfort；　but　the　pride　of　my　age；　and；　I　am　sure；　I　will　be　the　support；　the　friend；　the　guide　of　your　youth。　　Trust　me　without　reserve；　I　will　advise　you　without　private　interest；　or　secret　envy。　　Mr。　Harte　will　do　so　too；　but　still　there　may　be　some　little　things　proper　for　you　to　know；　and　necessary　for　you　to　correct；　which　even　his　friendship　would　not　let　him　tell　you　of　so　freely　as　I　should；　and　some；　of　which　he　may　not　possibly　be　so　good　a　judge　of　as　I　am；　not　having　lived　so　much　in　the　great　world。

One　principal　topic　of　our　conversation　will　be；　not　only　the　purity　but　the　elegance　of　the　English　language；　in　both　which　you　are　very　deficient。　　Another　will　be　the　constitution　of　this　country；　of　which；　I　believe；　you　know　less　than　of　most　other　countries　in　Europe。　Manners；　attentions；　and　address；　will　also　be　the　frequent　subjects　of　our　lectures；　and　whatever　I　know　of　that　important　and　necessary　art；　the　art　of　pleasing。　　I　will　unreservedly　communicate　to　you。　　Dress　too　（which；　as　things　are；　I　can　logically　prove；　requires　some　attention）　will　not　always　escape　our　notice。　　Thus；　my　lectures　will　be　more　various；　and　in　some　respects　more　useful　than　Professor　Mascow's；　and　therefore；　I　can　tell　you；　that　I　expect　to　be　paid　for　them；　but；　as　possibly　you　would　not　care　to　part　with　your　ready　money；　and　as　I　do　not　think　that　it　would　be　quite　handsome　in　me　to　accept　it；　I　will　compound　for　the　payment；　and　take　it　in　attention　and　practice。

Pray　remember　to　part　with　all　your　friends；　acquaintances；　and　mistresses；　if　you　have　any　at　Paris；　in　such　a　manner　as　may　make　them　not　only　willing　but　impatient　to　see　you　there　again。　　Assure　them　of　your　desire　of　returning　to　them；　and　do　it　in　a　manner　that　they　may　think　you　in　earnest；　that　is　'avec　onction　et　une　espece　d'attendrissement'。　　All　people　say；　pretty　near　the　same　things　upon　those　occasions；　it　is　the　manner　only　that　makes　the　difference；　and　that　difference　is　great。　　Avoid；　however；　as　much　as　you　can；　charging　yourself　with　commissions；　in　your　return　from　hence　to　Paris；　I　know；　by　experience；　that　they　are　exceedingly　troublesome；　commonly　expensive；　and　very　seldom　satisfactory　at　last；　to　the　persons　who　gave　them；　some　you　cannot　refuse；　to　people　to　whom　you　are　obliged；　and　would　oblige　in　your　turn；　but　as　to　common　fiddle…faddle　commissions；　you　may　excuse　yourself　from　them　with　truth；　by　saying　that　you　are　to　return　to　Paris　through　Flanders；　and　see　all　those　great　towns；　which　I　intend　you　shall　do；　and　stay　a　week　or　ten　days　at　Brussels。　　Adieu！　　A　good　journey　to　you；　if　this　is　my　last；　if　not；　I　can　repeat　again　what　I　shall　wish　constantly。




LETTER　CLIII

LONDON；　December　19；　O。　　S。　　1751　＇Note　the　date；　which　indicates　that　the　sojourn　with　the　author　has　ended。＇

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　You　are　now　entered　upon　a　scene　of　business；　where　I　hope　you　will　one　day　make　a　figure。　　Use　does　a　great　deal；　but　care　and　attention　must　be　joined　to　it。　　The　first　thing　necessary　in　writing　letters　of　business；　is　extreme　clearness　and　perspicuity；　every　paragraph　should　be　so　clear　and　unambiguous；　that　the　dullest　fellow　in　the　world　may　not　be　able　to　mistake　it；　nor　obliged　to　read　it　twice　in　order　to　understand　it。　　This　necessary　clearness　implies　a　correctness；　without　excluding　an　elegance　of　style。　　Tropes；　figures；　antitheses；　epigrams；　etc。；　would　be　as　misplaced　and　as　impertinent　in　letters　of　business；　as　they　are　sometimes　（if　judiciously　used）　proper　and　pleasing　in　familiar　letters；　upon　common　and　trite　subjects。　　In　busin