letters to his son, 1751-第5部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


；　on　the　contrary；　will　tire　out　attention；　and　excite　disgust。　　We　are　so　made；　we　love　to　be　pleased　better　than　to　be　informed；　information　is；　in　a　certain　degree；　mortifying；　as　it　implies　our　previous　ignorance；　it　must　be　sweetened　to　be　palatable。

To　bring　this　directly　to　you：　know　that　no　man　can　make　a　figure　in　this　country；　but　by　parliament。　　Your　fate　depends　upon　your　success　there　as　a　speaker；　and；　take　my　word　for　it；　that　success　turns　much　more　upon　manner　than　matter。　　Mr。　Pitt　and　Mr。　Murray　the　solicitor…general；　uncle　to　Lord　Stormount；　are；　beyond　comparison；　the　best　speakers；　why？　only　because　they　are　the　best　orators。　　They　alone　can　inflame　or　quiet　the　House；　they　alone　are　so　attended　to；　in　that　numerous　and　noisy　assembly；　that　you　might　hear　a　pin　fall　while　either　of　them　is　speaking。　　Is　it　that　their　matter　is　better；　or　their　arguments　stronger；　than　other　people's？　　Does　the　House　expect　extraordinary　informations　from　them？　　Not；　in　the　least：　but　the　House　expects　pleasure　from　them；　and　therefore　attends；　finds　it；　and　therefore　approves。　　Mr。　Pitt；　particularly；　has　very　little　parliamentary　knowledge；　his　matter　is　generally　flimsy；　and　his　arguments　often　weak；　but　his　eloquence　is　superior；　his　action　graceful；　his　enunciation　just　and　harmonious；　his　periods　are　well　turned；　and　every　word　he　makes　use　of　is　the　very　best；　and　the　most　expressive；　that　can　be　used　in　that　place。　　This；　and　not　his　matter；　made　him　Paymaster；　in　spite　of　both　king　and　ministers。　　From　this　draw　the　obvious　conclusion。　　The　same　thing　holds　full　as　true　in　conversation；　where　even　trifles；　elegantly　expressed；　well　looked；　and　accompanied　with　graceful　action；　will　ever　please；　beyond　all　the　homespun；　unadorned　sense　in　the　world。　　Reflect；　on　one　side；　how　you　feel　within　yourself；　while　you　are　forced　to　suffer　the　tedious；　muddy；　and　ill…turned　narration　of　some　awkward　fellow；　even　though　the　fact　may　be　interesting；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　with　what　pleasure　you　attend　to　the　relation　of　a　much　less　interesting　matter；　when　elegantly　expressed；　genteelly　turned；　and　gracefully　delivered。　By　attending　carefully　to　all　these　agremens　in　your　daily　conversation；　they　will　become　habitual　to　you；　before　you　come　into　parliament；　and　you　will　have　nothing　then；　to　do；　but　to　raise　them　a　little　when　you　come　there。　　I　would　wish　you　to　be　so　attentive　to　this　object；　that　I；　would　not　have　you　speak　to　your　footman；　but　in　the　very　best　words　that　the　subject　admits　of；　be　the　language　what　it　will。　　Think　of　your　words；　and　of　their　arrangement；　before　you　speak；　choose　the　most　elegant；　and　place　them　in　the　best　order。　　Consult　your　own　ear；　to　avoid　cacophony；　and；　what　is　very　near　as　bad；　monotony。　　Think　also　of　your　gesture　and　looks；　when　you　are　speaking　even　upon　the　most　trifling　subjects。　　The　same　things；　differently　expressed；　looked；　and　delivered；　cease　to　be　the　same　things。　　The　most　passionate　lover　in　the　world　cannot　make　a　stronger　declaration　of　love　than　the　'Bourgeois　gentilhomme'　does　in　this　happy　form　of　words；　'Mourir　d'amour　me　font　belle　Marquise　vos　beaux　yeux'。　　I　defy　anybody　to　say　more；　and　yet　I　would　advise　nobody　to　say　that；　and　I　would　recommend　to　you　rather　to　smother　and　conceal　your　passion　entirely　than　to　reveal　it　in　these　words。　　Seriously；　this　holds　in　everything；　as　well　as　in　that　ludicrous　instance。　　The　French；　to　do　them　justice；　attend　very　minutely　to　the　purity；　the　correctness；　and　the　elegance　of　their　style　in　conversation　and　in　their　letters。　　'Bien　narrer'　is　an　object　of　their　study；　and　though　they　sometimes　carry　it　to　affectation；　they　never　sink　into　inelegance；　which　is　much　the　worst　extreme　of　the　two。　　Observe　them；　and　form　your　French　style　upon　theirs：　for　elegance　in　one　language　will　reproduce　itself　in　all。　　I　knew　a　young　man；　who；　being　just　elected　a　member　of　parliament；　was　laughed　at　for　being　discovered；　through　the　keyhole　of　his　chamber…door；　speaking　to　himself　in　the　glass；　and　forming　his　looks　and　gestures。　　I　could　not　join　in　that　laugh；　but；　on　the　contrary；　thought　him　much　wiser　than　those　who　laughed　at　him；　for　he　knew　the　importance　of　those　little　graces　in　a　public　assembly；　and　they　did　not。　　Your　little　person　（which　I　am　told；　by　the　way；　is　not　ill　turned）；　whether　in　a　laced　coat　or　a　blanket；　is　specifically　the　same；　but　yet；　I　believe；　you　choose　to　wear　the　former；　and　you　are　in　the　right；　for　the　sake　of　pleasing　more。　　The　worst…bred　man　in　Europe；　if　a　lady　let　fall　her　fan；　would　certainly　take　it　up　and　give　it　her；　the　best…bred　man　in　Europe　could　do　no　more。　　The　difference；　however；　would　be　considerable；　the　latter　would　please　by　doing　it　gracefully；　the　former　would　be　laughed　at　for　doing　it　awkwardly。　　I　repeat　it；　and　repeat　it　again；　and　shall　never　cease　repeating　it　to　you：　air；　manners；　graces；　style；　elegance；　and　all　those　ornaments；　must　now　be　the　only　objects　of　your　attention；　it　is　now；　or　never；　that　you　must　acquire　them。　　Postpone；　therefore；　all　other　considerations；　make　them　now　your　serious　study；　you　have　not　one　moment　to　lose。　　The　solid　and　the　ornamental　united；　are　undoubtedly　best；　but　were　I　reduced　to　make　an　option；　I　should　without　hesitation　choose　the　latter。

I　hope　you　assiduously　frequent　Marcell　＇At　that　time　the　most　celebrated　dancing…master　at　Paris。＇　and　carry　graces　from　him；　nobody　had　more　to　spare　than　he　had　formerly。　　Have　you　learned　to　carve？　for　it　is　ridiculous　not　to　carve　well。　　A　man　who　tells　you　gravely　that　he　cannot　carve；　may　as　well　tell　you　that　he　cannot　blow　his　nose：　it　is　both　as　necessary；　and　as　easy。

Make　my　compliments　to　Lord　Huntingdon；　whom　I　love　and　honor　extremely；　as　I　dare　say　you　do；　I　will　write　to　him　soon；　though　I　believe　he　has　hardly　time　to　read　a　letter；　and　my　letters　to　those　I　love　are；　as　you　know　by　experience；　not　very　short　ones：　this　is　one　proof　of　it；　and　this　would　have　been　longer；　if　the　paper　had　been　so。　　Good　night　then；　my　dear　child。




LETTER　CXXXII

LONDON；　February　28；　O。　S。　　1751。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　This　epigram　in　Martial

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Non　amo　te；　Sabidi；　nec　possum　dicere　quare；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Hoc　tantum　possum　dicere；　non　amo　te〃…

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　＇OR：　〃I　do　not　love　thee　Dr。　Fell　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　reason　why　I　cannot　tell。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　But　this　I　know　and　know　full　well：　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　do　not　love　thee　Dr。　Fell。〃　　　D。W。＇

has　puzzled　a　great　many　people；　who　cannot　conceive　how　it　is　possible　not　to　love　anybody；　and　yet　not　to　know　the　reason　why。　　I　think　I　conceive　Martial's　meaning　very　clearly；　though　the　nature　of　epigram；　which　is　to　be　short；　would　not　allow　him　to　explain　it　more　fully；　and　I　take　it　to　be　this：　O　Sabidis；　you　are　a　very　worthy　deserving　man；　you　have　a　thousand　good　qualities；　you　have　a　great　deal　of　learning；　I　esteem；　I　respect；　but　for　the　soul　of　me　I　cannot　love　you；　though　I　cannot　particularly　；say　why。　　You　are　not　aimable：　you　have　not　those　engaging　manners；　those　pleasing　attentions；　those　graces；　and　that　address；　which　are　absolutely　necessary　to　please；　though　impossible　to　define。　　I　cannot　say　it　is　this　or　that　particular　thing　that　hinders　me　from　loving　you；　it　is　the　whole　together；　and　upon　the　whole　you　are　not　agreeable。

How　often　have　I；　in　the　course　of　my　life；　found　myself　in　this　situation；　with　regard　to　many　of　my　acquaintance；　whom　I　have　honored　and　respected；　without　being　able　to　love。　　I　did　not　know　why；　because；　when　one　is　young；　one　does　not　take　the　trouble；　nor　allow　one's　self　the　time；　to　analyze　one's　sentiments　and　to　trace　them　up　to　their　source。　　But　subsequent　observation　and　reflection　have　taught　me　why。　There　is　a　man；　whose　moral　character；　deep　learning；　and　superior　parts；　I　acknowledge；　admire；　and　respect；　but　whom　it　is　so　impossible　for　me　to　love；　that　I　am　almost　in　a　fever　whenever　I　am　in　his　company。　　His　figure　（without　being　deformed）　seems　made　to　disgrace　or　ridicule　the　common　structure　of　the　human　body。　　His　legs　and　arms　are　never　in　the　position　which；　according　to　the　situation　of　his　body；　they　ought　to　be　in；　but　constantly　employed　in　committing　acts　of　hostility　upon　the　Graces。　　He　throws　anywhere；　but　down　his　throat；　whatever　he　means　to　drink；　and　only　mangles　what　he　means　to　carve。　　Inattentive　to　all　the　regards　of　social　life；　he　mistimes　or　misplaces　everything。　　He　disputes　with　heat；　and　indiscriminately；　mindless　of　the　rank；　character；　and　situation　of　those　with　whom　he　disputes；　absolutely　ignorant　of　the　several　gradations　of　familiarity　or　respect；　he　is　exactly　the　same　to　his　superiors；　his　equals；　and　his　inferiors；　and　therefore；　by　a　necessary　consequence；　absurd　to　two　of　the　three。　　Is　it　possible　to　love　such　a　man？　　No。　　The　utmost　I　can　do　for　him；　is　to　consider　him　as　a　respectable　Hottentot。　＇This　'mot'　was　aimed　at　Dr。　　Johnson　in　retaliation　for　his　famous　letter。＇

I　remember；　that　when　I　came　from　Cambridge；　I　had　acquired；　among　the　pedants　of　that　illiberal　seminary；　a　sauciness　of　literature；　a　turn　to　satire　and　contempt；　and　a　strong　tendency　to　argumentation　and　contradiction。　　But　I　had　been　but　a　very　little　while　in　the　world；　before　I　found　that　this　would　by　no　means　do；　and　I　immediately　adopted　the　opposite　character；　I　concealed　what　learning　I　had；　I　applauded　often；　without　approving；　and　I　yielded　commonly　without　conviction。　'Suaviter　in　modo'　was　my　law　and　my　prophets；　and　if　I　pleased　（between　you　and　me）　it　was　much　more　owing　to　that；　than　to　any　superior　knowledge　or　merit　of　my　own。　　Apropos；　the　word　PLEASING　puts　one　always　in　mind　of　Lady　Hervey；　pray　tell　her；　that　I　declare　her　responsible　to　me　for　your　pleasing；　that　I　consider　her　as　a　pleasing　Falstaff；　who　not　only　pleases；　herself；　but　is　the　cause　of　pleasing　in　others；　that　I　know　she　can　make　anything　of　anybody；　and　that；　as　your　governess；　if　she　does　not　make　you　please；　it　must　be　only　because　she　will　not；　and　not　because　she　cannot。　　I　hope　you　are　'dubois　don't　on　en　fait'；　and　if　so；　she　is　so　good　a　sculptor；　that　I　am　sure　she　can　give　you　whatever　form　she　pleases。　　A　versatility　of　manners　is　as　necessary