letters to his son, 1749-第12章

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you。　　After　that；　I　promise　that　you　shall　be　your　own　master；　and　that　I　will　pretend　to　no　other　title　than　that　of　your　best　and　truest　friend。　　You　shall　receive　advice；　but　no　orders；　from　me；　and　in　truth　you　will　want　no　other　advice　but　such　as　youth　and　inexperience　must　necessarily　require。　　You　shall　certainly　want　nothing　that　is　requisite；　not　only　for　your　conveniency；　but　also　for　your　pleasures；　which　I　always　desire　shall　be　gratified。　　You　will　suppose　that　I　mean　the　pleasures　'd'un　honnete　homme'。

While　you　are　learning　Italian；　which　I　hope　you　do　with　diligence；　pray　take　care　to　continue　your　German；　which　you　may　have　frequent　opportunities　of　speaking。　　I　would　also　have　you　keep　up　your　knowledge　of　the　'Jus　Publicum　Imperii'；　by　looking　over；　now　and　then；　those　INESTIMABLE　MANUSCRIPTS　which　Sir　Charles　Williams；　who　arrived　here　last　week；　assures　me　you　have　made　upon　that　subject。　　It　will　be　of　very　great　use　to　you；　when　you　come　to　be　concerned　in　foreign　affairs；　as　you　shall　be　（if　you　qualify　yourself　for　them）　younger　than　ever　any　other　was：　I　mean　before　you　are　twenty。　　Sir　Charles　tells　me；　that　he　will　answer　for　your　learning；　and　that；　he　believes；　you　will　acquire　that　address；　and　those　graces；　which　are　so　necessary　to　give　it　its　full　lustre　and　value。　　But　he　confesses；　that　he　doubts　more　of　the　latter　than　of　the　former。　　The　justice　which　he　does　Mr。　Harte；　in　his　panegyrics　of　him；　makes　me　hope　that　there　is　likewise　a　great　deal　of　truth　in　his　encomiums　of　you。　　Are　you　pleased　with；　and　proud　of　the　reputation　which　you　have　already　acquired？　　Surely　you　are；　for　I　am　sure　I　am。　　Will　you　do　anything　to　lessen　or　forfeit　it？　　Surely　you　will　not。　　And　will　you　not　do　all　you　can　to　extend　and　increase　it？　Surely　you　will。　　It　is　only　going　on　for　a　year　and　a　half　longer；　as　you　have　gone　on　for　the　two　years　last　past；　and　devoting　half　the　day　only　to　application；　and　you　will　be　sure　to　make　the　earliest　figure　and　fortune　in　the　world；　that　ever　man　made。　　Adieu。




LETTER　LXXXII

LONDON；　September　22；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　If　I　had　faith　in　philters　and　love　potions；　I　should　suspect　that　you　had　given　Sir　Charles　Williams　some；　by　the　manner　in　which　he　speaks　of　you；　not　only　to　me；　but　to　everybody　else。　　I　will　not　repeat　to　you　what　he　says　of　the　extent　and　correctness　of　your　knowledge；　as　it　might　either　make　you　vain；　or　persuade　you　that　you　had　already　enough　of　what　nobody　can　have　too　much。　　You　will　easily　imagine　how　many　questions　I　asked；　and　how　narrowly　I　sifted　him　upon　your　subject；　he　answered　me；　and　I　dare　say　with　truth；　just　as　I　could　have　wished；　till　satisfied　entirely　with　his　accounts　of　your　character　and　learning；　I　inquired　into　other　matters；　intrinsically　indeed　of　less　consequence；　but　still　of　great　consequence　to　every　man；　and　of　more　to　you　than　to　almost　any　man：　I　mean；　your　address；　manners；　and　air。　　To　these　questions；　the　same　truth　which　he　had　observed　before；　obliged　him　to　give　me　much　less　satisfactory　answers。　　And　as　he　thought　himself；　in　friendship　both　to　you　and　me；　obliged　to　tell　me　the　disagreeable　as　well　as　the　agreeable　truths；　upon　the　same　principle　I　think　myself　obliged　to　repeat　them　to　you。

He　told　me　then；　that　in　company　you　were　frequently　most　PROVOKINGLY　inattentive；　absent；　and　distrait；　that　you　came　into　a　room；　and　presented　yourself；　very　awkwardly；　that　at　table　you　constantly　threw　down　knives；　forks；　napkins；　bread；　etc。；　and　that　you　neglected　your　person　and　dress；　to　a　degree　unpardonable　at　any　age；　and　much　more　so　at　yours。

These　things；　howsoever　immaterial　they　may　seem　to　people　who　do　not　know　the　world；　and　the　nature　of　mankind；　give　me；　who　know　them　to　be　exceedingly　material；　very　great　concern。　　I　have　long　distrusted　you；　and　therefore　frequently　admonished　you；　upon　these　articles；　and　I　tell　you　plainly；　that　I　shall　not　be　easy　till　I　hear　a　very　different　account　of　them。　　I　know　no　one　thing　more　offensive　to　a　company　than　that　inattention　and　DISTRACTION。　　It　is　showing　them　the　utmost　contempt；　and　people　never　forgive　contempt。　　No　man　is　distrait　with　the　man　he　fears；　or　the　woman　he　loves；　which　is　a　proof　that　every　man　can　get　the　better　of　that　DISTRACTION；　when　he　thinks　it　worth　his　while　to　do　so；　and；　take　my　word　for　it；　it　is　always　worth　his　while。　　For　my　own　part；　I　would　rather　be　in　company　with　a　dead　man；　than　with　an　absent　one；　for　if　the　dead　man　gives　me　no　pleasure；　at　least　he　shows　me　no　contempt；　whereas；　the　absent　man；　silently　indeed；　but　very　plainly；　tells　me　that　he　does　not　think　me　worth　his　attention。　Besides；　can　an　absent　man　make　any　observations　upon　the　characters。　customs；　and　manners　of　the　company？　　No。　　He　may　be　in　the　best　companies　all　his　lifetime　（if　they　will　admit　him；　which；　if　I　were　they；　I　would　not）　and　never　be　one　jot　the　wiser。　　I　never　will　converse　with　an　absent　man；　one　may　as　well　talk　to　a　deaf　one。　　It　is；　in　truth；　a　practical　blunder；　to　address　ourselves　to　a　man　who　we　see　plainly　neither　hears；　minds；　or　understands　us。　　Moreover；　I　aver　that　no　man　is；　in　any　degree；　fit　for　either　business　or　conversation；　who　cannot　and　does　not　direct　and　command　his　attention　to　the　present　object；　be　that　what　it　will。　　You　know；　by　experience；　that　I　grudge　no　expense　in　your　education；　but　I　will　positively　not　keep　you　a　Flapper。　　You　may　read；　in　Dr。　Swift；　the　description　of　these　flappers；　and　the　use　they　were　of　to　your　friends　the　Laputans；　whose　minds　（Gulliver　says）　are　so　taken　up　with　intense　speculations；　that　they　neither　can　speak　nor　attend　to　the　discourses　of　others；　without　being　roused　by　some　external　traction　upon　the　organs　of　speech　and　hearing；　for　which　reason；　those　people　who　are　able　to　afford　it；　always　keep　a　flapper　in　their　family；　as　one　of　their　domestics；　nor　ever　walk　about；　or　make　visits　without　him。　　This　flapper　is　likewise　employed　diligently　to　attend　his　master　in　his　walks；　and；　upon　occasion；　to　give　a　soft　flap　upon　his　eyes；　because　he　is　always　so　wrapped　up　in　cogitation；　that　he　is　in　manifest　danger　of　falling　down　every　precipice；　and　bouncing　his　head　against　every　post；　and；　in　the　streets；　of　jostling　others；　or　being　jostled　into　the　kennel　himself。　　If　CHRISTIAN　will　undertake　this　province　into　the　bargain；　with　all　my　heart；　but　I　will　not　allow　him　any　increase　of　wages　upon　that　score。　　In　short；　I　give　you　fair　warning；　that；　when　we　meet；　if　you　are　absent　in　mind；　I　will　soon　be　absent　in　body；　for　it　will　be　impossible　for　me　to　stay　in　the　room；　and　if　at　table　you　throw　down　your　knife；　plate；　bread；　etc。；　and　hack　the　wing　of　a　chicken　for　half　an　hour；　without　being　able　to　cut　it　off；　and　your　sleeve　all　the　time　in　another　dish；　I　must　rise　from　the　table　to　escape　the　fever　you　would　certainly　give　me。　　Good　God！　how　I　should　be　shocked；　if　you　came　into　my　room；　for　the　first　time；　with　two　left　legs；　presenting　yourself　with　all　the　graces　and　dignity　of　a　tailor；　and　your　clothes　hanging　upon　you；　like　those　in　Monmouth　street；　upon　tenter…hooks！　whereas；　I　expect；　nay；　require；　to　see　you　present　yourself　with　the　easy　and　genteel　air　of　a　man　of　fashion；　who　has　kept　good　company。　　I　expect　you　not　only　well　dressed　but　very　well　dressed；　I　expect　a　gracefulness　in　all　your　motions；　and　something　particularly　engaging　in　your　address；　All　this　I　expect；　and　all　this　it　is　in　your　power；　by　care　and　attention；　to　make　me　find；　but　to　tell　you　the　plain　truth；　if　I　do　not　find　it；　we　shall　not　converse　very　much　together；　for　I　cannot　stand　inattention　and　awkwardness；　it　would　endanger　my　health。　　You　have　often　seen；　and　I　have　as　often　made　you　observe　L's　distinguished　inattention　and　awkwardness。　　Wrapped　up；　like　a　Laputan；　in　intense　thought；　and　possibly　sometimes　in　no　thought　at　all　（which；　I　believe；　is　very　often　the　case　with　absent　people）；　he　does　not　know　his　most　intimate　acquaintance　by　sight；　or　answers　them　as　if　he　were　at　cross　purposes。　　He　leaves　his　hat　in　one　room；　his　sword　in　another；　and　would　leave　his　shoes　in　a　third；　if　his　buckles；　though　awry；　did　not　save　them：　his　legs　and　arms；　by　his　awkward　management　of　them；　seem　to　have　undergone　the　question　extraordinaire；　and　his　head；　always　hanging　upon　one　or　other　of　his　shoulders；　seems　to　have　received　the　first　stroke　upon　a　block。　　I　sincerely　value　and　esteem　him　for　his　parts；　learning；　and　virtue；　but；　for　the　soul　of　me；　I　cannot　love　him　in　company。　　This　will　be　universally　the　case；　in　common　life；　of　every　inattentive；　awkward　man；　let　his　real　merit　and　knowledge　be　ever　so　great。　　When　I　was　of　your　age；　I　desired　to　shine；　as　far　as　I　was　able；　in　every　part　of　life；　and　was　as　attentive　to　my　manners；　my　dress；　and　my　air；　in　company　of　evenings；　as　to　my　books　and　my　tutor　in　the　mornings。　　A　young　fellow　should　be　ambitious　to　shine　in　everythingand；　of　the　two；　always　rather　overdo　than　underdo。　　These　things　are　by　no　means　trifles：　they　are　of　infinite　consequence　to　those　who　are　to　be　thrown　into　the　great　world；　and　who　would　make　a　figure　or　a　fortune　in　it。　　It　is　not　sufficient　to　deserve　well；　one　must　please　well　too。　　Awkward；　disagreeable　merit　will　never　carry　anybody　far。　　Wherever　you　find　a　good　dancing…master；　pray　let　him　put　you　upon　your　haunches；　not　so　much　for　the　sake　of　dancing；　as　for　coming　into　a　room；　and　presenting　yourself　genteelly　and　gracefully。　　Women；　whom　you　ought　to　endeavor　to　please；　cannot　forgive　vulgar　and　awkward　air　and　gestures；　'il　leur　faut　du　brillant'。　　The　generality　of　men　are　pretty　like　them；　and　are　equally　taken　by　the　same　exterior　graces。

I　am　very　glad　that　you　have　received　the　diamond　buckles　safe；　all　I　desire　in　return　for　them　is；　that　they　may　be　buckled　even　upon　your　feet；　and　that　your　stockings　may　not　hide　them。　　I　should　be　sorry　that　you　were　an　egregious　fop；　but；　I　protest；　that　of　the　two；　I　would　rather　have　you　a　fop　than　a　sloven。　　I　think　negligence　in　my　own　dress；　even　at　my　age；　when　certainly　I　expect　no　advantages　from　my　dress；　would　be　indecent　with　regard　to　others。　　I　have　done　with　fine　clothes；　but　I　will　have　my　plain　clothes　fit　me；　and　made　like　other　people's：　In　the　evenings；　I　recommend　to　you　the　company　of　women　of　fashion；　who　have　a　right　to　attention　and　will　be　paid　it。　　Their　company　will　smooth　your　manners；　and　give　you　a　habit　of　attention　and　respect；　of　which　you　will　find　the　advantage　among　men。

My　plan　for　you；　from　the　beginning；　has　been　to　make　you　shine　equally　in　the　learned　and　in　the　polite　world；　the　former　part　is　almost　completed　to　my　wishes；　and　will；　I　am　persuaded；　in　a　little　time　more；　be　quite　so。　　The　latter　part　is　still　in　your　power　to　complete；　and　I　flatter　myself　that　you　will　do　it；　or　else　the　former　part　will　avail　you　very　little；　especially　in　your　department；　where　the　exterior　address　and　graces　do　half　the　business；　they　must　be　the　harbingers　of　your　merit；　or　your　merit　will　be　very　coldly　received；　all　can；　and　do　judge　of　the　former；　few　of　the　latter。

Mr。　Harte　tells　me　that　you　have　grown　very　much　since　your　illness；　if　you　get　up　to　five　feet　ten；　or　even　nine　inc