letters to his son, 1749-第15章

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fessors　to　most　of　the　princes　of　Europe；　and　they　are　the　principal　missionaries　out　of　it；　which　three　articles　give　them　a　most　extensive　influence　and　solid　advantages；　witness　their　settlement　in　Paraguay。　　The　Catholics　in　general　declaim　against　that　society；　and　yet　are　all　governed　by　individuals　of　it。　　They　have；　by　turns；　been　banished；　and　with　infamy；　almost　every　country　in　Europe；　and　have　always　found　means　to　be　restored；　even　with　triumph。　　In　short；　I　know　no　government　in　the　world　that　is　carried　on　upon　such　deep　principles　of　policy；　I　will　not　add　morality。　　Converse　with　them；　frequent　them；　court　them；　but　know　them。

Inform　yourself；　too；　of　that　infernal　court；　the　Inquisition；　which；　though　not　so　considerable　at　Rome　as　in　Spain　and　Portugal；　will；　however；　be　a　good　sample　to　you　of　what　the　villainy　of　some　men　can　contrive；　the　folly　of　others　receive；　and　both　together　establish；　in　spite　of　the　first　natural　principles　of　reason；　justice；　and　equity。

These　are　the　proper　and　useful　objects　of　the　attention　of　a　man　of　sense；　when　he　travels；　and　these　are　the　objects　for　which　I　have　sent　you　abroad；　and　I　hope　you　will　return　thoroughly　informed　of　them。

I　receive　this　very　moment　Mr。　Harte's　letter　of　the　1st　October；　N。　S。；　but　I　never　received　his　former；　to　which　he　refers　in　this；　and　you　refer　in　your　last；　in　which　he　gave　me　the　reasons　for　your　leaving　Verona　so　soon；　nor　have　I　ever　received　that　letter　in　which　your　case　was　stated　by　your　physicians。　　Letters　to　and　from　me　have　worse　luck　than　other　people's；　for　you　have　written　to　me；　and　I　to　you；　for　these　last　three　months；　by　way　of　Germany；　with　as　little　success　as　before。

I　am　edified　with　your　morning　applications；　and　your　evening　gallantries　at　Venice；　of　which　Mr。　Harte　gives　me　an　account。　　Pray　go　on　with　both　there；　and　afterward　at　Rome；　where；　provided　you　arrive　in　the　beginning　of　December；　you　may　stay　at　Venice　as　much　longer　as　you　please。

Make　my　compliments　to　Sir　James　Gray　and　Mr。　Smith；　with　my　acknowledgments　for　the　great　civilities　they　show　you。

I　wrote　to　Mr。　Harte　by　the　last　post；　October　the　6th；　O。　S。；　and　will　write　to　him　in　a　post　or　two　upon　the　contents　of　his　last。　　Adieu！　'Point　de　distractions'；　and　remember　the　GRACES。




LETTER　LXXXVI

LONDON；　October　17；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　I　have　at　last　received　Mr。　Harte's　letter　of　the　19th　September；　N。　S。；　from　Verona。　　Your　reasons　for　leaving　that　place　were　very　good　ones；　and　as　you　stayed　there　long　enough　to　see　what　was　to　be　seen；　Venice　（as　a　capital）　is；　in　my　opinion；　a　much　better　place　for　your　residence。　　Capitals　are　always　the　seats　of　arts　and　sciences；　and　the　best　companies。　　I　have　stuck　to　them　all　my　lifetime；　and　I　advise　you　to　do　so　too。

You　will　have　received　in　my　three　or　four　last　letters　my　directions　for　your　further　motions　to　another　capital；　where　I　propose　that　your　stay　shall　be　pretty　considerable。　　The　expense；　I　am　well　aware；　will　be　so　too；　but　that；　as　I　told　you　before；　will　have　no　weight　when　your　improvement　and　advantage　are　in　the　other　scale。　　I　do　not　care　a　groat　what　it　is；　if　neither　vice　nor　folly　are　the　objects　of　it；　and　if　Mr。　Harte　gives　his　sanction。

I　am　very　well　pleased　with　your　account　of　Carniola；　those　are　the　kind　of　objects　worthy　of　your　inquiries　and　knowledge。　　The　produce；　the　taxes；　the　trade；　the　manufactures；　the　strength；　the　weakness；　the　government　of　the　several　countries　which　a　man　of　sense　travels　through；　are　the　material　points　to　which　he　attends；　and　leaves　the　steeples；　the　market…places；　and　the　signs；　to　the　laborious　and　curious　researches　of　Dutch　and　German　travelers。

Mr。　Harte　tells　me；　that　he　intends　to　give　you；　by　means　of　Signor　Vicentini；　a　general　notion　of　civil　and　military　architecture；　with　which　I　am　very　well　pleased。　　They　are　frequent　subjects　of　conversation；　and　it　is　very　right　that　you　should　have　some　idea　of　the　latter；　and　a　good　taste　of　the　former；　and　you　may　very　soon　learn　as　much　as　you　need　know　of　either。　　If　you　read　about　one…third　of　Palladio's　book　of　architecture　with　some　skillful　person；　and　then；　with　that　person；　examine　the　best　buildings　by　those　rules；　you　will　know　the　different　proportions　of　the　different　orders；　the　several　diameters　of　their　columns；　their　intercolumniations；　their　several　uses；　etc。　　The　Corinthian　Order　is　chiefly　used　in　magnificent　buildings；　where　ornament　and　decoration　are　the　principal　objects；　the　Doric　is　calculated　for　strength；　and　the　Ionic　partakes　of　the　Doric　strength；　and　of　the　Corinthian　ornaments。　　The　Composite　and　the　Tuscan　orders　are　more　modern；　and　were　unknown　to　the　Greeks；　the　one　is　too　light；　the　other　too　clumsy。　　You　may　soon　be　acquainted　with　the　considerable　parts　of　civil　architecture；　and　for　the　minute　and　mechanical　parts　of　it；　leave　them　to　masons；　bricklayers；　and　Lord　Burlington；　who　has；　to　a　certain　extent；　lessened　himself　by　knowing　them　too　well。　　Observe　the　same　method　as　to　military　architecture；　understand　the　terms；　know　the　general　rules；　and　then　see　them　in　execution　with　some　skillful　person。　Go　with　some　engineer　or　old　officer；　and　view　with　care　the　real　fortifications　of　some　strong　place；　and　you　will　get　a　clearer　idea　of　bastions；　half…moons；　horn…works；　ravelins；　glacis；　etc。；　than　all　the　masters　in　the　world　could　give　you　upon　paper。　　And　thus　much　I　would；　by　all　means；　have　you　know　of　both　civil　and　military　architecture。

I　would　also　have　you　acquire　a　liberal　taste　of　the　two　liberal　arts　of　painting　and　sculpture；　but　without　descending　into　those　minutia；　which　our　modern　virtuosi　most　affectedly　dwell　upon。　　Observe　the　great　parts　attentively；　see　if　nature　be　truly　represented；　if　the　passions　are　strongly　expressed；　if　the　characters　are　preserved；　and　leave　the　trifling　parts；　with　their　little　jargon；　to　affected　puppies。　　I　would　advise　you　also；　to　read　the　history　of　the　painters　and　sculptors；　and　I　know　none　better　than　Felibien's。　　There　are　many　in　Italian；　you　will　inform　yourself　which　are　the　best。　　It　is　a　part　of　history　very　entertaining；　curious　enough；　and　not　quite　useless。　　All　these　sort　of　things　I　would　have　you　know；　to　a　certain　degree；　but　remember；　that　they　must　only　be　the　amusements；　and　not　the　business　of　a　man　of　parts。

Since　writing　to　me　in　German　would　take　up　so　much　of　your　time；　of　which　I　would　not　now　have　one　moment　wasted；　I　will　accept　of　your　composition；　and　content　myself　with　a　moderate　German　letter　once　a　fortnight；　to　Lady　Chesterfield　or　Mr。　Gravenkop。　　My　meaning　was　only　that　you　should　not　forget　what　you　had　already　learned　of　the　German　language　and　character；　but；　on　the　contrary；　that　by　frequent　use　it　should　grow　more　easy　and　familiar。　　Provided　you　take　care　of　that；　I　do　not　care　by　what　means：　but　I　do　desire　that　you　will　every　day　of　your　life　speak　German　to　somebody　or　other　（for　you　will　meet　with　Germans　enough）；　and　write　a　line　or　two　of　it　every　day　to　keep　your　hand　in。　Why　should　you　not　（for　instance）　write　your　little　memorandums　and　accounts　in　that　language　and　character？　　by　which；　too；　you　would　have　this　advantage　into　the　bargain；　that；　if　mislaid；　few　but　yourself　could　read　them。

I　am　extremely　glad　to　hear　that　you　like　the　assemblies　at　Venice　well　enough　to　sacrifice　some　suppers　to　them；　for　I　hear　that　you　do　not　dislike　your　suppers　neither。　　It　is　therefore　plain；　that　there　is　somebody　or　something　at　those　assemblies；　which　you　like　better　than　your　meat。　　And　as　I　know　that　there　is　none　but　good　company　at　those　assemblies；　I　am　very　glad　to　find　that　you　like　good　company　so　well。　I　already　imagine　that　you　are　a　little；　smoothed　by　it；　and　that　you　have　either　reasoned　yourself；　or　that　they　have　laughed　you　out　of　your　absences　and　DISTRACTIONS；　for　I　cannot　suppose　that　you　go　there　to　insult　them。　　I　likewise　imagine；　that　you　wish　to　be　welcome　where　you　wish　to　go；　and　consequently；　that　you　both　present　and　behave　yourself　there　'en　galant　homme；　et　pas　in　bourgeois'。

If　you　have　vowed　to　anybody　there　one　of　those　eternal　passions　which　I　have　sometimes　known；　by　great　accident；　last　three　months；　I　can　tell　you　that　without　great　attention；　infinite　politeness；　and　engaging　air　and　manners；　the　omens　will　be　sinister；　and　the　goddess　unpropitious。　Pray　tell　me　what　are　the　amusements　of　those　assemblies？　　Are　they　little　commercial　play；　are　they　music；　are　they　'la　belle　conversation'；　or　are　they　all　three？　　'Y　file…t…on　le　parfait　amour？　　Y　debite…t…on　les　beaux　sentimens？　　Ou　est…ce　yu'on　y　parle　Epigramme？　　And　pray　which　is　your　department？　　'Tutis　depone　in　auribus'。　　Whichever　it　is；　endeavor　to　shine　and　excel　in　it。　　Aim　at　least　at　the　perfection　of　everything　that　is　worth　doing　at　all；　and　you　will　come　nearer　it　than　you　would　imagine；　but　those　always　crawl　infinitely　short　of　it　whose　aim　is　only　mediocrity。　　Adieu。

P。　S。　　By　an　uncommon　diligence　of　the　post；　I　have　this　moment　received　yours　of　the　9th；　N。　S。




LETTER　LXXXVII

LONDON；　October　24；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　By　my　last　I　only　acknowledged；　by　this　I　answer；　your　letter　of　the　9th　October；　N。　S。

I　am　very　glad　that　you　approved　of　my　letter　of　September　the　12th；　O。　S。；　because　it　is　upon　that　footing　that　I　always　propose　living　with　you。　　I　will　advise　you　seriously；　as　a　friend　of　some　experience；　and　I　will　converse　with　you　cheerfully　as　a　companion；　the　authority　of　a　parent　shall　forever　be　laid　aside；　for；　wherever　it　is　exerted；　it　is　useless；　since；　if　you　have　neither　sense　nor　sentiments　enough　to　follow　my　advice　as　a　friend；　your　unwilling　obedience　to　my　orders　as　a　father　will　be　a　very　awkward　and　unavailing　one　both　to　yourself　and　me。　Tacitus；　speaking　of　an　army　that　awkwardly　and　unwillingly　obeyed　its　generals　only　from　the　fear　of　punishment；　says；　they　obeyed　indeed；　'Sed　ut　qua　mallent　jussa　Imperatorum　interpretari；　quam　exequi'。　　For　my　own　part；　I　disclaim　such　obedience。

You　think；　I　find；　that　you　do　not　understand　Italian；　but　I　can　tell　you；　that；　like　the　'Bourgeois　Gentilhomme'；　who　spoke　prose　without　knowing　it；　you　understand　a　great　deal；　though　you　do　not　know　that　you　do；　for　whoever　understands　French　and　Latin　so　well　as　you　do；　understands　at　least　half　the　Italian　language；　and　has　very　little　occasion　for　a　dictionary。　　And　for　the　idioms；　the　phrases；　and　the　delicacies　of　it；　conversation　and　a　little　attention　will　teach　them　you；　and　that　soon；　therefore；　pray　speak　it　in　company；　right　or　wrong；　'a　tort　ou　a　travers'；　as　soon　as　ever　you　have　got　words　enough　to　ask　a　common　question；　or　give　a　common　answer。　　If　you　can　only　say　'buon　giorno'；　say　it；　instead　of　saying　'bon　jour'；　I　mean　to　every　Italian；　the　answer　to　it　will　teach　you　more　words；　and　insensibly　you　will　be　very　soon　master　of　that　easy　language。　　You　are　quite　right　in　not　neglecting　your　German　for　it；　and　in　thinking　that　it　will　be　of　more　use　to　you；　it　certainly　will；　in　the　course　of　your　business；　but　Italian　has　its　use　too；　and　is　an　ornament　into　the　bargain；　there　being　many　very　polite　and　good　authors　in　that　language。　　The　reason　you　assign　f