letters to his son, 1749-第19章

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THIS　HERE　place　is　very　dear。　　I　shall　be　VASTLY　BEHOLDEN　to　your　Lordship　for　THAT　THERE　mark　of　your　favor；　and　so　I　REST　or　REMAIN；　Your；　etc。


You　will　tell　me；　possibly；　that　this　is　a　caricatura　of　an　illiberal　and　inelegant　style：　I　will　admit　it；　but　assure　you；　at　the　same　time；　that　a　dispatch　with　less　than　half　these　faults　would　blow　you　up　forever。　It　is　by　no　means　sufficient　to　be　free　from　faults；　in　speaking　and　writing；　but　you　must　do　both　correctly　and　elegantly。　　In　faults　of　this　kind；　it　is　not　'ille　optimus　qui　minimis　arguetur'；　but　he　is　unpardonable　who　has　any　at　all；　because　it　is　his　own　fault：　he　need　only　attend　to；　observe；　and　imitate　the　best　authors。

It　is　a　very　true　saying；　that　a　man　must　be　born　a　poet；　but　that　he　may　make　himself　an　orator；　and　the　very　first　principle　of　an　orator　is　to　speak　his　own　language；　particularly；　with　the　utmost　purity　and　elegance。　　A　man　will　be　forgiven　even　great　errors　in　a　foreign　language；　but　in　his　own；　even　the　least　slips　are　justly　laid　hold　of　and　ridiculed。

A　person　of　the　House　of　Commons；　speaking　two　years　ago　upon　naval　affairs；　asserted；　that　we　had　then　the　finest　navy　UPON　THE　FACE　OF　THE　YEARTH。　　This　happy　mixture　of　blunder　and　vulgarism；　you　may　easily　imagine；　was　matter　of　immediate　ridicule；　but　I　can　assure　you　that　it　continues　so　still；　and　will　be　remembered　as　long　as　he　lives　and　speaks。　　Another；　speaking　in　defense　of　a　gentleman；　upon　whom　a　censure　was　moved；　happily　said　that　he　thought　that　gentleman　was　more　LIABLE　to　be　thanked　and　rewarded；　than　censured。　　You　know；　I　presume；　that　LIABLE　can　never　be　used　in　a　good　sense。

You　have　with　you　three　or　four　of　the　best　English　authors；　Dryden；　Atterbury；　and　Swift；　read　them　with　the　utmost　care；　and　with　a　particular　view　to　their　language；　and　they　may　possibly　correct　that　CURIOUS　INFELICITY　OF　DICTION；　which　you　acquired　at　Westminster。　Mr。　Harte　excepted；　I　will　admit　that　you　have　met　with　very　few　English　abroad；　who　could　improve　your　style；　and　with　many；　I　dare　say；　who　speak　as　ill　as　yourself；　and；　it　may　be；　worse；　you　must；　therefore；　take　the　more　pains；　and　consult　your　authors　and　Mr。　Harte　the　more。　I　need　not　tell　you　how　attentive　the　Romans　and　Greeks；　particularly　the　Athenians；　were　to　this　object。　　It　is　also　a　study　among　the　Italians　and　the　French；　witness　their　respective　academies　and　dictionaries　for　improving　and　fixing　their　languages。　　To　our　shame　be　it　spoken；　it　is　less　attended　to　here　than　in　any　polite　country；　but　that　is　no　reason　why　you　should　not　attend　to　it；　on　the　contrary；　it　will　distinguish　you　the　more。　　Cicero　says；　very　truly；　that　it　is　glorious　to　excel　other　men　in　that　very　article；　in　which　men　excel　brutes；　SPEECH。

Constant　experience　has　shown　me；　that　great　purity　and　elegance　of　style；　with　a　graceful　elocution；　cover　a　multitude　of　faults；　in　either　a　speaker　or　a　writer。　　For　my　own　part；　I　confess　（and　I　believe　most　people　are　of　my　mind）　that　if　a　speaker　should　ungracefully　mutter　or　stammer　out　to　me　the　sense　of　an　angel；　deformed　by　barbarism　and　solecisms；　or　larded　with　vulgarisms；　he　should　never　speak　to　me　a　second　time；　if　I　could　help　it。　　Gain　the　heart；　or　you　gain　nothing；　the　eyes　and　the　ears　are　the　only　roads　to　the　heart。　　Merit　and　knowledge　will　not　gain　hearts；　though　they　will　secure　them　when　gained。　Pray；　have　that　truth　ever　in　your　mind。　　Engage　the　eyes　by　your　address；　air；　and　motions；　soothe　the　ears　by　the　elegance　and　harmony　of　your　diction；　the　heart　will　certainly　follow；　and　the　whole　man；　or　woman；　will　as　certainly　follow　the　heart。　　I　must　repeat　it　to　you；　over　and　over　again；　that　with　all　the　knowledge　which　you　may　have　at　present；　or　hereafter　acquire；　and　with　all　merit　that　ever　man　had；　if　you　have　not　a　graceful　address；　liberal　and　engaging　manners；　a　prepossessing　air；　and　a　good　degree　of　eloquence　in　speaking　and　writing；　you　will　be　nobody；　but　will　have　the　daily　mortification　of　seeing　people；　with　not　one…tenth　part　of　your　merit　or　knowledge；　get　the　start　of　you；　and　disgrace　you；　both　in　company　and　in　business。

You　have　read　〃Quintilian；〃　the　best　book　in　the　world　to　form　an　orator；　pray　read　'Cicero　de　Oratore'；　the　best　book　in　the　world　to　finish　one。　Translate　and　retranslate　from　and　to　Latin；　Greek；　and　English；　make　yourself　a　pure　and　elegant　English　style：　it　requires　nothing　but　application。　　I　do　not　find　that　God　has　made　you　a　poet；　and　I　am　very　glad　that　he　has　not：　therefore；　for　God's　sake；　make　yourself　an　orator；　which　you　may　do。　　Though　I　still　call　you　boy；　I　consider　you　no　longer　as　such；　and　when　I　reflect　upon　the　prodigious　quantity　of　manure　that　has　been　laid　upon　you；　I　expect　that　you　should　produce　more　at　eighteen；　than　uncultivated　soils　do　at　eight…and…twenty。

Pray　tell　Mr。　Harte　that　I　have　received　his　letter　of　the　13th；　N。　S。　Mr。　Smith　was　much　in　the　right　not　to　let　you　go；　at　this　time　of　the　year；　by　sea；　in　the　summer　you　may　navigate　as　much　as　you　please；　as；　for　example；　from　Leghorn　to　Genoa；　etc。　　Adieu。




LETTER　XCII

LONDON；　November　27；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　While　the　Roman　Republic　flourished；　while　glory　was　pursued；　and　virtue　practiced；　and　while　even　little　irregularities　and　indecencies；　not　cognizable　by　law；　were；　however；　not　thought　below　the　public　care；　censors　were　established；　discretionally　to　supply；　in　particular　cases；　the　inevitable　defects　of　the　law；　which　must　and　can　only　be　general。　　This　employment　I　assume　to　myself　with　regard　to　your　little　republic；　leaving　the　legislative　power　entirely　to　Mr。　Harte；　I　hope；　and　believe；　that　he　will　seldom；　or　rather　never；　have　occasion　to　exert　his　supreme　authority；　and　I　do　by　no　means　suspect　you　of　any　faults　that　may　require　that　interposition。　　But；　to　tell　you　the　plain　truth；　I　am　of　opinion　that　my　censorial　power　will　not　be　useless　to　you；　nor　a　sinecure　to　me。　　The　sooner　you　make　it　both；　the　better　for　us　both。　　I　can　now　exercise　this　employment　only　upon　hearsay；　or；　at　most；　written　evidence；　and　therefore　shall　exercise　it　with　great　lenity　and　some　diffidence；　but　when　we　meet；　and　that　I　can　form　my　judgment　upon　ocular　and　auricular　evidence；　I　shall　no　more　let　the　least　impropriety；　indecorum；　or　irregularity　pass　uncensured；　than　my　predecessor　Cato　did。　　I　shall　read　you　with　the　attention　of　a　critic；　not　with　the　partiality　of　an　author：　different　in　this　respect；　indeed；　from　most　critics；　that　I　shall　seek　for　faults　only　to　correct　and　not　to　expose　them。　　I　have　often　thought；　and　still　think；　that　there　are　few　things　which　people　in　general　know　less；　than　how　to　love　and　how　to　hate。　　They　hurt　those　they　love　by　a　mistaken　indulgence；　by　a　blindness；　nay；　often　by　a　partiality　to　their　faults。　　Where　they　hate　they　hurt　themselves；　by　ill…timed　passion　and　rage。　　Fortunately　for　you；　I　never　loved　you　in　that　mistaken　manner。　　From　your　infancy；　I　made　you　the　object　of　my　most　serious　attention；　and　not　my　plaything。　I　consulted　your　real　good；　not　your　humors　or　fancies；　and　I　shall　continue　to　do　so　while　you　want　it；　which　will　probably　be　the　case　during　our　joint　lives；　for；　considering　the　difference　of　our　ages；　in　the　course　of　nature；　you　will　hardly　have　acquired　experience　enough　of　your　own；　while　I　shall　be　in　condition　of　lending　you　any　of　mine。　People　in　general　will　much　better　bear　being；　told　of　their　vices　or　crimes；　than　of　their　little　failings　and　weaknesses。　　They；　in　some　degree；　justify　or　excuse　（as　they　think）　the　former；　by　strong　passions；　seductions；　and　artifices　of　others；　but　to　be　told　of；　or　to　confess；　their　little　failings　and　weaknesses；　implies　an　inferiority　of　parts；　too　mortifying　to　that　self…love　and　vanity；　which　are　inseparable　from　our　natures。　　I　have　been　intimate　enough　with　several　people　to　tell　them　that　they　had　said　or　done　a　very　criminal　thing；　but　I　never　was　intimate　enough　with　any　man；　to　tell　him；　very　seriously；　that　he　had　said　or　done　a　very　foolish　one。　　Nothing　less　than　the　relation　between　you　and　me　can　possibly　authorize　that　freedom；　but　fortunately　for　you；　my　parental　rights；　joined　to　my　censorial　powers；　give　it　me　in　its　fullest　extent；　and　my　concern　for　you　will　make　me　exert　it。　　Rejoice；　therefore；　that　there　is　one　person　in　the　world　who　can　and　will　tell　you　what　will　be　very　useful　to　you　to　know；　and　yet　what　no　other　man　living　could　or　would　tell　you。　　Whatever　I　shall　tell　you　of　this　kind；　you　are　very　sure；　can　have　no　other　motive　than　your　interest；　I　can　neither　be　jealous　nor　envious　of　your　reputation　or　fortune；　which　I　must　be　both　desirous　and　proud　to　establish　and　promote；　I　cannot　be　your　rival　either　in　love　or　in　business；　on　the　contrary；　I　want　the　rays　of　your　rising　to　reflect　new　lustre　upon　my　setting　light。　　In　order　to　this；　I　shall　analyze　you　minutely；　and　censure　you　freely；　that　you　may　not　（if　possible）　have　one　single　spot；　when　in　your　meridian。

There　is　nothing　that　a　young　fellow；　at　his　first　appearance　in　the　world；　has　more　reason　to　dread；；　and　consequently　should　take　more　pains　to　avoid；　than　having　any　ridicule　fixed　upon　him。　　It　degrades　him　with　the　most　reasonable　part　of　mankind；　but　it　ruins　him　with　the　rest；　and　I　have　known　many　a　man　undone　by　acquiring　a　ridiculous　nickname：　I　would　not；　for　all　the　riches　in　the　world；　that　you　should　acquire　one　when　you　return　to　England。　　Vices　and　crimes　excite　hatred　and　reproach；　failings；　weaknesses；　and　awkwardnesses；　excite　ridicule；　they　are　laid　hold　of　by　mimics；　who；　though　very　contemptible　wretches　themselves；　often；　by　their　buffoonery；　fix　ridicule　upon　their　betters。　　The　little　defects　in　manners；　elocution；　address；　and　air　（and　even　of　figure；　though　very　unjustly）；　are　the　objects　of　ridicule；　and　the　causes　of　nicknames。　　You　cannot　imagine　the　grief　it　would　give　me；　and　the　prejudice　it　would　do　you；　if；　by　way　of　distinguishing　you　from　others　of　your　name；　you　should　happen　to　be　called　Muttering　Stanhope；　Absent　Stanhope；　Ill…bred　Stanhope；　or　Awkward；　Left…legged　Stanhope：　therefore；　take　great　care　to　put　it　out　of　the　power　of　Ridicule　itself　to　give　you　any　of　these　ridiculous　epithets；　for；　if　you　get　one；　it　will　stick　to　you；　like　the　envenomed　shirt。　　The　very　first　day　that　I　see　you；　I　shall　be　able　to　tell　you；　and　certainly　shall　tell　you；　what　degree　of　danger　you　are　in；　and　I　hope　that　my　admonitions；　as　censor；　may　prevent　the　censures　of　the　public。　　Admonitions　are　always　useful；　is　this　one　or　not？　　You　are　the　best　judge；　it　is　your　own　picture　which　I　send　you；　drawn；　at　my　request；　by　a　lady　at　Venice：　pray　let　me　know　how　far；　in　your　conscience；　you　think　it　like；　for　there　are　some　parts　of　it　which　I　wish　may；　and　others；　which　I　should　be　sorry　were。　　I　send　you；　literally；　the　copy　of　that　part　of　her　letter；　to　her　friend　here；　which　relates　to　you。　＇In　compliance　to　your　orders；　I　have　examined　young　Stanhope　carefully；　and　think　I　have　penetrated　into　his　character。　　This　is　his　portrait；　which　I　take　to　be　a　faithful　one。　　His　face　is　pleasing；　his　countenance　sensible；　and　his　look　clever。　　His　figure　is　at　present　rather　too　square；　but　i