letters to his son, 1751-第2部分

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rs；　graces；　etc。；　I　know　nothing　which　you　may　not　aim　at；　and　in　time　hope　for。　　Your　great　point　at　present　at　Paris；　to　which　all　other　considerations　must　give　way；　is　to　become　entirely　a　man　of　fashion：　to　be　well…bred　without　ceremony；　easy　without　negligence；　steady　and　intrepid　with　modesty；　genteel　without　affectation；　insinuating　without　meanness；　cheerful　without　being　noisy；　frank　without　indiscretion；　and　secret　without　mysteriousness；　to　know　the　proper　time　and　place　for　whatever　you　say　or　do；　and　to　do　it　with　an　air　of　condition　all　this　is　not　so　soon　nor　so　easily　learned　as　people　imagine；　but　requires　observation　and　time。　　The　world　is　an　immense　folio；　which　demands　a　great　deal　of　time　and　attention　to　be　read　and　understood　as　it　ought　to　be；　you　have　not　yet　read　above　four　or　five　pages　of　it；　and　you　will　have　but　barely　time　to　dip　now　and　then　in　other　less　important　books。

Lord　Albemarle　has；　I　know；　wrote　｛It　is　a　pleasure　for　an　ordinary　mortal　to　find　Lord　Chesterfield　in　gramatical　errorand　he　did　it　again　in　the　last　sentence　of　this　paragraphbut　this　was　1751？　　D。W。｝　to　a　friend　of　his　here；　that　you　do　not　frequent　him　so　much　as　he　expected　and　desired；　that　he　fears　somebody　or　other　has　given　you　wrong　impressions　of　him；　and　that　I　may　possibly　think；　from　your　being　seldom　at　his　house；　that　he　has　been　wanting　in　his　attentions　to　you。　　I　told　the　person　who　told　me　this；　that；　on　the　contrary；　you　seemed；　by　your　letters　to　me；　to　be　extremely　pleased　with　Lord　Albemarle's　behavior　to　you：　but　that　you　were　obliged　to　give　up　dining　abroad　during　your　course　of　experimental　philosophy。　　I　guessed　the　true　reason；　which　I　believe　was；　that；　as　no　French　people　frequent　his　house；　you　rather　chose　to　dine　at　other　places；　where　you　were　likely　to　meet　with　better　company　than　your　countrymen　and　you　were　in　the　right　of　it。　　However；　I　would　have　you　show　no　shyness　to　Lord　Albemarle；　but　go　to　him；　and　dine　with　him　oftener　than　it　may　be　you　would　wish；　for　the　sake　of　having　him　speak　well　of　you　here　when　he　returns。　　He　is　a　good　deal　in　fashion　here；　and　his　PUFFING　you　（to　use　an　awkward　expression）　before　you　return　here；　will　be　of　great　use　to　you　afterward。　　People　in　general　take　characters；　as　they　do　most　things；　upon　trust；　rather　than　be　at　the　trouble　of　examining　them　themselves；　and　the　decisions　of　four　or　five　fashionable　people；　in　every　place；　are　final；　more　particularly　with　regard　to　characters；　which　all　can　hear；　and　but　few　judge　of。　　Do　not　mention　the　least　of　this　to　any　mortal；　and　take　care　that　Lord　Albemarle　do　not　suspect　that　you　know　anything　of　the　matter。

Lord　Huntingdon　and　Lord　Stormount　are；　I　hear；　arrived　at　Paris；　you　have；　doubtless；　seen　them。　　Lord　Stormount　is　well　spoken　of　here；　however；　in　your　connections；　if　you　form　any　with　them；　show　rather　a　preference　to　Lord　Huntingdon；　for　reasons　which　you　will　easily　guess。

Mr。　Harte　goes　this　week　to　Cornwall；　to　take　possession　of　his　living；　he　has　been　installed　at　Windsor；　he　will　return　here　in　about　a　month；　when　your　literary　correspondence　with　him　will　be　regularly　carried　on。　Your　mutual　concern　at　parting　was　a　good　sign　for　both。

I　have　this　moment　received　good　accounts　of　you　from　Paris。　　Go　on　'vous　etes　en　bon　train'。　　Adieu。




LETTER　CXXVIII

LONDON；　January　21；　O。　S。。　　1751

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　In　all　my　letters　from　Paris；　I　have　the　pleasure　of　finding；　among　many　other　good　things；　your　docility　mentioned　with　emphasis；　this　is　the　sure　way　of　improving　in　those　things；　which　you　only　want。　　It　is　true　they　are　little；　but　it　is　as　true　too　that　they　are　necessary　things。　　As　they　are　mere　matters　of　usage　and　mode；　it　is　no　disgrace　for　anybody　of　your　age　to　be　ignorant　of　them；　and　the　most　compendious　way　of　learning　them　is；　fairly　to　avow　your　ignorance；　and　to　consult　those　who；　from　long　usage　and　experience；　know　them　best。　Good　sense　and　good…nature　suggest　civility　in　general；　but；　in　good…　breeding　there　are　a　thousand　little　delicacies；　which　are　established　only　by　custom；　and　it　is　these　little　elegances　of　manners　which　distinguish　a　courtier　and　a　man　of　fashion　from　the　vulgar。　　I　am　assured　by　different　people；　that　your　air　is　already　much　improved；　and　one　of　my　correspondents　makes　you　the　true　French　compliment　of　saying；　'F'ose　vous　promettre　qu'il　sera　bientot　comme　un　de　nos　autres'。　However　unbecoming　this　speech　may　be　in　the　mouth　of　a　Frenchman；　I　am　very　glad　that　they　think　it　applicable　to　you；　for　I　would　have　you　not　only　adopt；　but　rival；　the　best　manners　and　usages　of　the　place　you　are　at；　be　they　what　they　will；　that　is　the　versatility　of　manners　which　is　so　useful　in　the　course　of　the　world。　　Choose　your　models　well　at　Paris；　and　then　rival　them　in　their　own　way。　　There　are　fashionable　words；　phrases；　and　even　gestures；　at　Paris；　which　are　called　'du　bon　ton'；　not　to　mention　'certaines　Petites　politesses　et　attentions；　qui　ne　sont　rien　en　elle…memes'；　which　fashion　has　rendered　necessary。　　Make　yourself　master　of　all　these　things；　and　to　such　a　degree；　as　to　make　the　French　say；　'qu'on　diroit　que　c'est　un　Francois'；　and　when　hereafter　you　shall　be　at　other　courts；　do　the　same　thing　there；　and　conform　to　the　fashionable　manners　and　usage　of　the　place；　that　is　what　the　French　themselves　are　not　apt　to　do；　wherever　they　go；　they　retain　their　own　manners；　as　thinking　them　the　best；　but；　granting　them　to　be　so；　they　are　still　in　the　wrong　not　to　conform　to　those　of　the　place。　　One　would　desire　to　please；　wherever　one　is；　and　nothing　is　more　innocently　flattering　than　an　approbation；　and　an　imitation　of　the　people　one　converses　with。

I　hope　your　colleges　with　Marcel　go　on　prosperously。　　In　these　ridiculous；　though；　at　the　same　time；　really　important　lectures；　pray　attend；　and　desire　your　professor　also　to　attend；　more　particularly　to　the　chapter　of　the　arms。　　It　is　they　that　decide　of　a　man's　being　genteel　or　otherwise；　more　than　any　other　part　of　the　body。　　A　twist　or　stiffness　in　the　wrist；　will　make　any　man　in　Europe　look　awkward。　　The　next　thing　to　be　attended　to　is；　your　coming　into　a　room；　and　presenting　yourself　to　a　company。　　This　gives　the　first　impression；　and　the　first　impression　is　often　a　lasting　one。　　Therefore；　pray　desire　Professor　Marcel　to　make　you　come　in　and　go　out　of　his　room　frequently；　and　in　the　supposition　of　different　companies　being　there；　such　as　ministers；　women；　mixed　companies；　etc。　　Those　who　present　themselves　well；　have　a　certain　dignity　in　their　air；　which；　without　the　least　seeming　mixture　of　pride；　at　once　engages；　and　is　respected。

I　should　not　so　often　repeat；　nor　so　long　dwell　upon　such　trifles；　with　anybody　that　had　less　solid　and　valuable　knowledge　than　you　have。　Frivolous　people　attend　to　those　things；　'par　preference'；　they　know　nothing　else；　my　fear　with　you　is；　that；　from　knowing　better　things；　you　should　despise　these　too　much；　and　think　them　of　much　less　consequence　than　they　really　are；　for　they　are　of　a　great　deal；　and　more　especially　to　you。

Pleasing　and　governing　women　may；　in　time；　be　of　great　service　to　you。　They　often　please　and　govern　others。　　'A　propos'；　are　you　in　love　with　Madame　de　Berkenrode　still；　or　has　some　other　taken　her　place　in　your　affections？　　I　take　it　for　granted；　that　'qua　to　cumque　domat　Venus；　non　erubescendis　adurit　ignibus。　　Un　arrangement　honnete　sied　bien　a　un　galant　homme'。　　In　that　case　I　recommend　to　you　the　utmost　discretion；　and　the　profoundest　silence。　　Bragging　of；　hinting　at；　intimating；　or　even　affectedly　disclaiming　and　denying　such　an　arrangement　will　equally　discredit　you　among　men　and　women。　　An　unaffected　silence　upon　that　subject　is　the　only　true　medium。

In　your　commerce　with　women；　and　indeed　with　men　too；　'une　certaine　douceur'　is　particularly　engaging；　it　is　that　which　constitutes　that　character　which　the　French　talk　of　so　much；　and　so　justly　value；　I　mean　'l'aimable'。　　This　'douceur'　is　not　so　easily　described　as　felt。　　It　is　the　compound　result　of　different　things；　a　complaisance；　a　flexibility；　but　not　a　servility　of　manners；　an　air　of　softness　in　the　countenance；　gesture；　and　expression；　equally　whether　you　concur　or　differ　with　the　person　you　converse　with。　　Observe　those　carefully　who　have　that　'douceur'　that　charms　you　and　others；　and　your　own　good　sense　will　soon　enable　you　to　discover　the　different　ingredients　of　which　it　is　composed。　You　must　be　more　particularly　attentive　to　this　'douceur'；　whenever　you　are　obliged　to　refuse　what　is　asked　of　you；　or　to　say　what　in　itself　cannot　be　very　agreeable　to　those　to　whom　you　say　it。　　It　is　then　the　necessary　gilding　of　a　disagreeable　pill。　　'L'aimable'　consists　in　a　thousand　of　these　little　things　aggregately。　　It　is　the　'suaviter　in　modo'；　which　I　have　so　often　recommended　to　you。　　The　respectable；　Mr。　Harte　assures　me；　you　do　not　want；　and　I　believe　him。　　Study；　then；　carefully；　and　acquire　perfectly；　the　'Aimable'；　and　you　will　have　everything。

Abbe　Guasco；　who　is　another　of　your　panegyrists；　writes　me　word　that　he　has　taken　you　to　dinner　at　Marquis　de　St。　Germain's；　where　you　will　be　welcome　as　often　as　you　please；　and　the　oftener　the　better。　　Profit　of　that；　upon　the　principle　of　traveling　in　different　countries；　without　changing　places。　　He　says；　too；　that　he　will　take　you　to　the　parliament；　when　any　remarkable　cause　is　to　be　tried。　　That　is　very　well；　go　through　the　several　chambers　of　the　parliament；　and　see　and　hear　what　they　are　doing；　join　practice　and　observation　to　your　theoretical　knowledge　of　their　rights　and　privileges。　　No　Englishman　has　the　least　notion　of　them。

I　need　not　recommend　you　to　go　to　the　bottom　of　the　constitutional　and　political　knowledge　of　countries；　for　Mr。　Harte　tells　me　that　you　have　a　peculiar　turn　that　way；　and　have　informed　yourself　most　correctly　of　them。

I　must　now　put　some　queries　to　you；　as　to　a　'juris　publici　peritus'；　which　I　am　sure　you　can　answer　me；　and　which　I　own　I　cannot　answer　myself；　they　are　upon　a　subject　now　much　talked　of。

1st。　　Are　there　any　particular　forms　requisite　for　the　election　of　a　King　of　the　Romans；　different　from　those　which　are　necessary　for　the　election　of　an　Emperor？

2d。　　Is　not　a　Ki