letters to his son, 1749-第13章

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Mr。　Harte　tells　me　that　you　have　grown　very　much　since　your　illness；　if　you　get　up　to　five　feet　ten；　or　even　nine　inches；　your　figure　will　probably　be　a　good　one；　and　if　well　dressed　and　genteel；　will　probably　please；　which　is　a　much　greater　advantage　to　a　man　than　people　commonly　think。　　Lord　Bacon　calls　it　a　letter　of　recommendation。

I　would　wish　you　to　be　the　omnis　homo；　'l'homme　universel'。　　You　are　nearer　it；　if　you　please；　than　ever　anybody　was　at　your　age；　and　if　you　will　but；　for　the　course　of　this　next　year　only；　exert　your　whole　attention　to　your　studies　in　the　morning；　and　to　your　address；　manners；　air　and　tournure　in　the　evenings；　you　will　be　the　man　I　wish　you；　and　the　man　that　is　rarely　seen。

Our　letters　go；　at　best；　so　irregularly；　and　so　often　miscarry　totally；　that　for　greater　security　I　repeat　the　same　things。　　So；　though　I　acknowledged　by　last　post　Mr。　Harte's　letter　of　the　8th　September；　N。　S。；　I　acknowledge　it　again　by　this　to　you。　　If　this　should　find　you　still　at　Verona；　let　it　inform　you　that　I　wish　you　would　set　out　soon　for　Naples；　unless　Mr。　Harte　should　think　it　better　for　you　to　stay　at　Verona；　or　any　other　place　on　this　side　Rome；　till　you　go　there　for　the　Jubilee。　　Nay；　if　he　likes　it　better；　I　am　very　willing　that　you　should　go　directly　from　Verona　to　Rome；　for　you　cannot　have　too　much　of　Rome；　whether　upon　account　of　the　language；　the　curiosities；　or　the　company。　　My　only　reason　for　mentioning　Naples；　is　for　the　sake　of　the　climate；　upon　account　of　your　health；　but　if　Mr。　Harte　thinks　that　your　health　is　now　so　well　restored　as　to　be　above　climate；　he　may　steer　your　course　wherever　he　thinks　proper：　and；　for　aught　I　know；　your　going　directly　to　Rome；　and　consequently　staying　there　so　much　the　longer；　may　be　as　well　as　anything　else。　　I　think　you　and　I　cannot　put　our　affairs　in　better　hands　than　in　Mr。　Harte's；　and　I　will　stake　his　infallibility　against　the　Pope's；　with　some　odds　on　his　side。　　Apropos　of　the　Pope：　remember　to　be　presented　to　him　before　you　leave　Rome；　and　go　through　the　necessary　ceremonies　for　it；　whether　of　kissing　his　slipper　or　his　b…h；　for　I　would　never　deprive　myself　of　anything　that　I　wanted　to　do　or　see；　by　refusing　to　comply　with　an　established　custom。　　When　I　was　in　Catholic　countries；　I　never　declined　kneeling　in　their　churches　at　the　elevation；　nor　elsewhere；　when　the　Host　went　by。　　It　is　a　complaisance　due　to　the　custom　of　the　place；　and　by　no　means；　as　some　silly　people　have　imagined；　an　implied　approbation　of　their　doctrine。　　Bodily　attitudes　and　situations　are　things　so　very　indifferent　in　themselves；　that　I　would　quarrel　with　nobody　about　them。　　It　may；　indeed；　be　improper　for　Mr。　Harte　to　pay　that　tribute　of　complaisance；　upon　account　of　his　character。

This　letter　is　a　very　long；　and　possibly　a　very　tedious　one；　but　my　anxiety　for　your　perfection　is　so　great；　and　particularly　at　this　critical　and　decisive　period　of　your　life；　that　I　am　only　afraid　of　omitting；　but　never　of　repeating；　or　dwelling　too　long　upon　anything　that　I　think　may　be　of　the　least　use　to　you。　　Have　the　same　anxiety　for　yourself；　that　I　have　for　you；　and　all　will　do　well。　　Adieu！　my　dear　child。




LETTER　LXXXIII

LONDON；　September　27；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　　A　vulgar；　ordinary　way　of　thinking；　acting；　or　speaking；　implies　a　low　education；　and　a　habit　of　low　company。　　Young　people　contract　it　at　school；　or　among　servants；　with　whom　they　are　too　often　used　to　converse；　but　after　they　frequent　good　company；　they　must　want　attention　and　observation　very　much；　if　they　do　not　lay　it　quite　aside；　and；　indeed；　if　they　do　not；　good　company　will　be　very　apt　to　lay　them　aside。　　The　various　kinds　of　vulgarisms　are　infinite；　I　cannot　pretend　to　point　them　out　to　you；　but　I　will　give　some　samples；　by　which　you　may　guess　at　the　rest。

A　vulgar　man　is　captious　and　jealous；　eager　and　impetuous　about　trifles。　He　suspects　himself　to　be　slighted；　thinks　everything　that　is　said　meant　at　him：　if　the　company　happens　to　laugh；　he　is　persuaded　they　laugh　at　him；　he　grows　angry　and　testy；　says　something　very　impertinent；　and　draws　himself　into　a　scrape；　by　showing　what　he　calls　a　proper　spirit；　and　asserting　himself。　　A　man　of　fashion　does　not　suppose　himself　to　be　either　the　sole　or　principal　object　of　the　thoughts；　looks；　or　words　of　the　company；　and　never　suspects　that　he　is　either　slighted　or　laughed　at；　unless　he　is　conscious　that　he　deserves　it。　　And　if　（which　very　seldom　happens）　the　company　is　absurd　or　ill…bred　enough　to　do　either；　he　does　not　care　twopence；　unless　the　insult　be　so　gross　and　plain　as　to　require　satisfaction　of　another　kind。　　As　he　is　above　trifles；　he　is　never　vehement　and　eager　about　them；　and；　wherever　they　are　concerned；　rather　acquiesces　than　wrangles。　　A　vulgar　man's　conversation　always　savors　strongly　of　the　lowness　of　his　education　and　company。　　It　turns　chiefly　upon　his　domestic　affairs；　his　servants；　the　excellent　order　he　keeps　in　his　own　family；　and　the　little　anecdotes　of　the　neighborhood；　all　which　he　relates　with　emphasis；　as　interesting　matters。　　He　is　a　man　gossip。

Vulgarism　in　language　is　the　next　and　distinguishing　characteristic　of　bad　company　and　a　bad　education。　　A　man　of　fashion　avoids　nothing　with　more　care　than　that。　　Proverbial　expressions　and　trite　sayings　are　the　flowers　of　the　rhetoric　of　a　vulgar　man。　　Would　he　say　that　men　differ　in　their　tastes；　he　both　supports　and　adorns　that　opinion　by　the　good　old　saying；　as　he　respectfully　calls　it；　that　WHAT　IS　ONE　MAN'S　MEAT；　IS　ANOTHER　MAN'S　P01SON。　　If　anybody　attempts　being　SMART；　as　he　calls　it；　upon　him；　he　gives　them　TIT　FOR　TAT；　aye；　that　he　does。　　He　has　always　some　favorite　word　for　the　time　being；　which；　for　the　sake　of　using　often；　he　commonly　abuses。　　Such　as　VASTLY　angry；　VASTLY　kind；　VASTLY　handsome；　and　VASTLY　ugly。　　Even　his　pronunciation　of　proper　words　carries　the　mark　of　the　beast　along　with　it。　　He　calls　the　earth　YEARTH；　he　is　OBLEIGED；　not　OBLIGED　to　you。　　He　goes　TO　WARDS；　and　not　TOWARDS；　such　a　place。　　He　sometimes　affects　hard　words；　by　way　of　ornament；　which　he　always　mangles　like　a　learned　woman。　　A　man　of　fashion　never　has　recourse　to　proverbs　and　vulgar　aphorisms；　uses　neither　favorite　words　nor　hard　words；　but　takes　great　care　to　speak　very　correctly　and　grammatically；　and　to　pronounce　properly；　that　is；　according　to　the　usage　of　the　best　companies。

An　awkward　address；　ungraceful　attitudes　and　actions；　and　a　certain　left…　handedness　（if　I　may　use　that　word）；　loudly　proclaim　low　education　and　low　company；　for　it　is　impossible　to　suppose　that　a　man　can　have　frequented　good　company；　without　having　catched　something；　at　least；　of　their　air　and　motions。　　A　new　raised　man　is　distinguished　in　a　regiment　by　his　awkwardness；　but　he　must　be　impenetrably　dull；　if；　in　a　month　or　two's　time；　he　cannot　perform　at　least　the　common　manual　exercise；　and　look　like　a　soldier。　　The　very　accoutrements　of　a　man　of　fashion　are　grievous　encumbrances　to　a　vulgar　man。　　He　is　at　a　loss　what　to　do　with　his　hat；　when　it　is　not　upon　his　head；　his　cane　（if　unfortunately　he　wears　one）　is　at　perpetual　war　with　every　cup　of　tea　or　coffee　he　drinks；　destroys　them　first；　and　then　accompanies　them　in　their　fall。　　His　sword　is　formidable　only　to　his　own　legs；　which　would　possibly　carry　him　fast　enough　out　of　the　way　of　any　sword　but　his　own。　　His　clothes　fit　him　so　ill；　and　constrain　him　so　much；　that　he　seems　rather；　their　prisoner　than　their　proprietor。　　He　presents　himself　in　company　like　a　criminal　in　a　court　of　justice；　his　very　air　condemns　him；　and　people　of　fashion　will　no　more　connect　themselves　with　the　one；　than　people　of　character　will　with　the　other。　　This　repulse　drives　and　sinks　him　into　low　company；　a　gulf　from　whence　no　man；　after　a　certain　age；　ever　emerged。

'Les　manieres　nobles　et　aisees；　la　tournure　d'un　homme　de　condition；　le　ton　de　la　bonne　compagnie；　les　graces；　le　jeune　sais　quoi；　qui　plait'；　are　as　necessary　to　adorn　and　introduce　your　intrinsic　merit　and　knowledge；　as　the　polish　is　to　the　diamond；　which；　without　that　polish；　would　never　be　worn；　whatever　it　might　weigh。　　Do　not　imagine　that　these　accomplishments　are　only　useful　with　women；　they　are　much　more　so　with　men。　　In　a　public　assembly；　what　an　advantage　has　a　graceful　speaker；　with　genteel　motions；　a　handsome　figure；　and　a　liberal　air；　over　one　who　shall　speak　full　as　much　good　sense；　but　destitute　of　these　ornaments？　In　business；　how　prevalent　are　the　graces；　how　detrimental　is　the　want　of　them？　　By　the　help　of　these　I　have　known　some　men　refuse　favors　less　offensively　than　others　granted　them。　　The　utility　of　them　in　courts　and　negotiations　is　inconceivable。　　You　gain　the　hearts；　and　consequently　the　secrets；　of　nine　in　ten；　that　you　have　to　do　with；　in　spite　even　of　their　prudence；　which　will；　nine　times　in　ten；　be　the　dupe　of　their　hearts　and　of　their　senses。　　Consider　the　importance　of　these　things　as　they　deserve；　and　you　will　not　lose　one　minute　in　the　pursuit　of　them。

You　are　traveling　now　in　a　country　once　so　famous　both　for　arts　and　arms；　that　（however　degenerate　at　present）　it　still　deserves　your　attention　and　reflection。　　View　it　therefore　with　care；　compare　its　former　with　its　present　state；　and　examine　into　the　causes　of　its　rise　and　its　decay。　Consider　it　classically　and　politically；　and　do　not　run　through　it；　as　too　many　of　your　young　countrymen　do；　musically；　and　（to　use　a　ridiculous　word）　KNICK…KNACKICALLY。　　No　piping　nor　fiddling；　I　beseech　you；　no　days　lost　in　poring　upon　almost　imperceptible　'intaglios　and　cameos'：　and　do　not　become　a　virtuoso　of　small　wares。　　Form　a　taste　of　painting；　sculpture；　and　architecture；　if　you　please；　by　a　careful　examination　of　the　works　of　the　best　ancient　and　modern　artists；　those　are　liberal　arts；　and　a　real　taste　and　knowledge　of　them　become　a　man　of　fashion　very　well。　But；　beyond　certain　bounds；　the　man　of　taste　ends；　and　the　frivolous　virtuoso　begins。

Your　friend　Mendes；　the　good　Samaritan；　dined　with　me　yesterday。　　He　has　more　good…nature　and　generosity　than　parts。　　However；　I　will　show　him　all　the　civilities　that　his　kindness　to　you　so　justly　deserves。　　He　tells　me　that　you　are　taller　than　I　am；　which　I　am　very　glad　of：　I　desire　that　you　may　excel　me　in　everything　else　too；　and；　far　from　repining；　I　shall　rejoice　at　your　superiority。　　He　commends　your　friend　Mr。　Stevens　extremely；　of　whom　too　I　have　heard　so　good　a　character　from　other　people；　that　I　am　very　glad　of　your　connection　with　him。　　It　may　prove　of　use　to　you　hereafter。　　When　you　meet　with　such　sort　of　Englishmen　abroad；　who；　either　from　their　parts　or　their　rank；　are　likely　to　make　a　figure　at　home；　I　would　advise　you　to　cultivate　them；　and　get　their　favorable　testimony　of　you　here；　especially　those　who　are　to　return　to　England　before　you。　　Sir　Charles　Williams　has　puffed　you　（as　the　mob　call　it）　here　extremely。　　If　three　or　four　more　people　of　parts　do　the　same；　before　you　come　back；　your　first　appearance　in　London　will　be　to　great　advantage。　　Many　people　do；　and　indeed　ought；　to　take　things　upon　trust；　many　more　do；　who　need　not；　and　few　dare　dissent　from　an　established　opinion。　　Adieu！




LETTER　LXXXIV

LONDON；　October　2；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　I　received　by　the　last　post　your　letter　of　the　22d