letters to his son, 1751-第20部分

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judiciously　used）　proper　and　pleasing　in　familiar　letters；　upon　common　and　trite　subjects。　　In　business；　an　elegant　simplicity；　the　result　of　care；　not　of　labor；　is　required。　Business　must　be　well；　not　affectedly　dressed；　but　by　no　means　negligently。　　Let　your　first　attention　be　to　clearness；　and　read　every　paragraph　after　you　have　written　it；　in　the　critical　view　of　discovering　whether　it　is　possible　that　any　one　man　can　mistake　the　true　sense　of　it：　and　correct　it　accordingly。

Our　pronouns　and　relatives　often　create　obscurity　or　ambiguity；　be　therefore　exceedingly　attentive　to　them；　and　take　care　to　mark　out　with　precision　their　particular　relations。　　For　example；　Mr。　Johnson　acquainted　me　that　he　had　seen　Mr。　Smith；　who　had　promised　him　to　speak　to　Mr。　Clarke；　to　return　him　（Mr。　Johnson）　those　papers；　which　he　（Mr。　Smith）　had　left　some　time　ago　with　him　（Mr。　Clarke）：　it　is　better　to　repeat　a　name；　though　unnecessarily；　ten　times；　than　to　have　the　person　mistaken　once。　　WHO；　you　know；　is　singly　relative　to　persons；　and　cannot　be　applied　to　things；　WHICH　and　THAT　are　chiefly　relative　to　things；　but　not　absolutely　exclusive　of　persons；　for　one　may　say；　the　man　THAT　robbed　or　killed　such…a…one；　but　it　is　better　to　say；　the　man　WHO　robbed　or　killed。　　One　never　says；　the　man　or　the　woman　WHICH。　　WHICH　and　THAT；　though　chiefly　relative　to　things；　cannot　be　always　used　indifferently　as　to　things；　and　the　'euoovca'　must　sometimes　determine　their；　place。　　For　instance；　the　letter　WHICH　I　received　from　you；　WHICH　you　referred　to　in　your　last；　WHICH　came　by　Lord　Albemarle's　messenger　WHICH　I　showed　to　such…a…one；　I　would　change　it　thusThe　letter　THAT　I　received　from　you；　WHICH　you　referred　to　in　your　last；　THAT　came　by　Lord　Albemarle's　messenger；　and　WHICH　I　showed　to　such…a…one。

Business　does　not　exclude　（as　possibly　you　wish　it　did）　the　usual　terms　of　politeness　and　good…breeding；　but；　on　the　contrary；　strictly　requires　them：　such　as；　I　HAVE　THE　HONOR　TO　ACQUAINT　YOUR　LORDSHIP；　PERMIT　ME　TO　ASSURE　YOU；　IF　I　MAY　BE　ALLOWED　TO　GIVE　MY　OPINION；　etc。　　For　the　minister　abroad；　who　writes　to　the　minister　at　home；　writes　to　his　superior；　possibly　to　his　patron；　or　at　least　to　one　who　he　desires　should　be　so。

Letters　of　business　will　not　only　admit　of；　but　be　the　better　for　CERTAIN　GRACESbut　then；　they　must　be　scattered　with　a　sparing　and　skillful　hand；　they　must　fit　their　place　exactly。　　They　must　decently　adorn　without　encumbering；　and　modestly　shine　without　glaring。　　But　as　this　is　the；　utmost　degree　of　perfection　in　letters　of　business；　I　would　not　advise　you　to　attempt　those　embellishments；　till　you　have　first　laid　your　foundation　well。

Cardinal　d'Ossat's　letters　are　the　true　letters　of　business；　those　of　Monsieur　d'Avaux　are　excellent；　Sir　William　Temple's　are　very　pleasing；　but；　I　fear；　too　affected。　　Carefully　avoid　all　Greek　or　Latin　quotations；　and　bring　no　precedents　from　the　VIRTUOUS　SPARTANS；　THE　POLITE　ATHENIANS；　AND　THE　BRAVE　ROMANS。　　Leave　all　that　to　futile　pedants。　　No　flourishes；　no　declamation。　　But　（I　repeat　it　again）　there　is　an　elegant　simplicity　and　dignity　of　style　absolutely　necessary　for　good　letters　of　business；　attend　to　that　carefully。　　Let　your　periods　be　harmonious；　without　seeming　to　be　labored；　and　let　them　not　be　too　long；　for　that　always　occasions　a　degree　of　obscurity。　　I　should　not　mention　correct　orthography；　but　that　you　very　often　fail　in　that　particular；　which　will　bring　ridicule　upon　you；　for　no　man　is　allowed　to　spell　ill。　I　wish　too　that　your　handwriting　were　much　better；　and　I　cannot　conceive　why　it　is　not；　since　every　man　may　certainly　write　whatever　hand　he　pleases。　　Neatness　in　folding　up；　sealing；　and　directing　your　packets；　is　by　no　means　to　be　neglected；　though；　I　dare　say；　you　think　it　is。　　But　there　is　something　in　the　exterior；　even　of　a　packet；　that　may　please　or　displease；　and　consequently　worth　some　attention。

You　say　that　your　time　is　very　well　employed；　and　so　it　is；　though　as　yet　only　in　the　outlines；　and　first　ROUTINE　of　business。　　They　are　previously　necessary　to　be　known；　they　smooth　the　way　for　parts　and　dexterity。　Business　requires　no　conjuration　nor　supernatural　talents；　as　people　unacquainted　with　it　are　apt　to　think。　　Method；　diligence；　and　discretion；　will　carry　a　man；　of　good　strong　common　sense；　much　higher　than　the　finest　parts；　without　them；　can　do。　　'Par　negotiis；　neque　supra'；　is　the　true　character　of　a　man　of　business；　but　then　it　implies　ready　attention　and　no　ABSENCES；　and　a　flexibility　and　versatility　of　attention　from　one　object　to　another；　without　being　engrossed　by　anyone。

Be　upon　your　guard　against　the　pedantry　and　affectation　of　business　which　young　people　are　apt　to　fall　into；　from　the　pride　of　being　concerned　in　it　young。　　They　look　thoughtful；　complain　of　the　weight　of　business；　throw　out　mysterious　hints；　and　seem　big　with　secrets　which　they　do　not　know。　　Do　you；　on　the　contrary；　never　talk　of　business　but　to　those　with　whom　you　are　to　transact　it；　and　learn　to　seem　vacuus　and　idle；　when　you　have　the　most　business。　　Of　all　things；　the　'volte　sciollo'；　and　the　'pensieri　stretti'；　are　necessary。　　Adieu。




LETTER　CLIV

LONDON；　December　30；　O。　S。　　1751

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　The　parliaments　are　the　courts　of　justice　of　France；　and　are　what　our　courts　of　justice　in　Westminster…Hall　are　here。　　They　used　anciently　to　follow　the　court；　and　administer　justice　in　presence　of　the　King。　　Philip　le　Bel　first　fixed　it　at　Paris；　by　an　edict　of　1302。　　It　consisted　then　of　but　one　chambre；　which　was　called　'la　Chambre　des　Prelats'；　most　of　the　members　being　ecclesiastics；　but　the　multiplicity　of　business　made　it　by　degrees　necessary　to　create　several　other　chambres。　　It　consists　now　of　seven　chambres：

'La　Grande　Chambre'；　which　is　the　highest　court　of　justice；　and　to　which　appeals　lie　from　the　others。

'Les　cinq　Chambres　des　Enquetes'；　which　are　like　our　Common　Pleas；　and　Court　of　Exchequer。

'La　Tournelle'；　which　is　the　court　for　criminal　justice；　and　answers　to　our　Old　Bailey　and　King's　Bench。

There　are　in　all　twelve　parliaments　in　France：　1。　　Paris　2。　　Toulouse　3。　　Grenoble　4。　　Bourdeaux　5。　　Dijon　6。　　Rouen　7。　　Aix　en　Provence　8。　　Rennes　en　Bretagne　9。　　Pau　en　Navarre　10。　　Metz　11。　　Dole　en　Franche　Comte　12。　　Douay

There　are　three　'Conseils　Souverains'；　which　may　almost　be　called　parliaments；　they　are　those　of：

Perpignan　　　　　　Arras　　　　　Alsace

For　further　particulars　of　the　French　parliaments；　read　'Bernard　de　la　Rochefavin　des　Parlemens　de　France'；　and　other　authors；　who　have　treated　that　subject　constitutionally。　　But　what　will　be　still　better；　converse　upon　it　with　people　of　sense　and　knowledge；　who　will　inform　you　of　the　particular　objects　of　the　several　chambres；　and　the　businesses　of　the　respective　members；　as；　'les　Presidens；　les　Presidens　a　Mortier'　（these　last　so　called　from　their　black　velvet　caps　laced　with　gold）；　'les　Maitres　tres　des　Requetes；　les　Greffiers；　le　Procureur　General；　les　Avocats　Generaux；　les　Conseillers'；　etc。　　The　great　point　in　dispute　is　concerning　the　powers　of　the　parliament　of　Paris　in　matters　of　state；　and　relatively　to　the　Crown。　　They　pretend　to　the　powers　of　the　States…　General　of　France　when　they　used　to　be　assembled　（which；　I　think；　they　have　not　been　since　the　reign　of　Lewis　the　Thirteenth；　in　the　year　1615）。　The　Crown　denies　those　pretensions；　and　considers　them　only　as　courts　of　justice。　　Mezeray　seems　to　be　on　the　side　of　the　parliament　in　this　question；　which　is　very　well　worth　your　inquiry。　　But；　be　that　as　it　will；　the　parliament　of　Paris　is　certainly　a　very　respectable　body；　and　much　regarded　by　the　whole　kingdom。　　The　edicts　of　the　Crown；　especially　those　for　levying　money　on　the　subjects；　ought　to　be　registered　in　parliament；　I　do　not　say　to　have　their　effect；　for　the　Crown　would　take　good　care　of　that；　but　to　have　a　decent　appearance；　and　to　procure　a　willing　acquiescence　in　the　nation。　　And　the　Crown　itself；　absolute　as　it　is；　does　not　love　that　strong　opposition；　and　those　admirable　remonstrances；　which　it　sometimes　meets　with　from　the　parliaments。　Many　of　those　detached　pieces　are　very　well　worth　your　collecting；　and　I　remember；　a　year　or　two　ago；　a　remonstrance　of　the　parliament　of　Douay；　upon　the　subject；　as　I　think；　of　the　'Vingtieme'；　which　was　in　my　mind　one　of　the　finest　and　most　moving　compositions　I　ever　read。　They　owned　themselves；　indeed；　to　be　slaves；　and　showed　their　chains：　but　humbly　begged　of　his　Majesty　to　make　them　a　little　lighter；　and　less　galling。

THE　STATES　OF　FRANCE　were　general　assemblies　of　the　three　states　or　orders　of　the　kingdom；　the　Clergy；　the　Nobility；　and　the　'Tiers　Etat'；　that　is；　the　people。　　They　used　to　be　called　together　by　the　King；　upon　the　most　important　affairs　of　state；　like　our　Lords　and　Commons　in　parliament；　and　our　Clergy　in　convocation。　　Our　parliament　is　our　states；　and　the　French　parliaments　are　only　their　courts　of　justice。　The　Nobility　consisted　of　all　those　of　noble　extraction；　whether　belonging　to　the　SWORD　or　to　the　ROBE；　excepting　such　as　were　chosen　（which　sometimes　happened）　by　the　Tiers　Etat　as　their　deputies　to　the　States…General。　　The　Tiers　Etat　was　exactly　our　House　of　Commons；　that　is；　the　people；　represented　by　deputies　of　their　own　choosing。　　Those　who　had　the　most　considerable　places；　'dans　la　robe'；　assisted　at　those　assemblies；　as　commissioners　on　the　part　of　the　Crown。　　The　States　met；　for　the　first　time　that　I　can　find　（I　mean　by　the　name　of　'les　etats'）；　in　the　reign　of　Pharamond；　424；　when　they　confirmed　the　Salic　law。　　From　that　time　they　have　been　very　frequently　assembled；　sometimes　upon　important　occasions；　as　making　war　and　peace；　reforming　abuses；　etc。；　at　other　times；　upon　seemingly　trifling　ones；　as　coronations；　marriages；　etc。　　Francis　the　First　assembled　them；　in　1526；　to　declare　null　and　void　his　famous　treaty　of　Madrid；　signed　and　sworn　to　by　him　during　his　captivity　there。　　They　grew　troublesome　to　the　kings　and　to　their　ministers；　and　were　but　seldom　called　after　the　power　of　the　Crown　grew　strong；　and　they　have　never　been　heard　of　since　the　year　1615。　　Richelieu　came　and　shackled　the　nation；　and　Mazarin　and　Lewis　the　Fourteenth　riveted　the　shackles。

There　still　subsist　in　some　provinces　in　France；　whic