letters to his son, 1749-第21章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


r　in　its　place。　　An　unharmonious　and　rugged　period；　at　this　time；　shocks　my　ears；　and　I；　like　all　the　rest　of　the　world；　will　willingly　exchange　and　give　up　some　degree　of　rough　sense；　for　a　good　degree　of　pleasing　sound。　　I　will　freely　and　truly　own　to　you；　without　either　vanity　or　false　modesty；　that　whatever　reputation　I　have　acquired　as　a　speaker；　is　more　owing　to　my　constant　attention　to　my　diction　than　to　my　matter；　which　was　necessarily　just　the　same　as　other　people's。　When　you　come　into　parliament；　your　reputation　as　a　speaker　will　depend　much　more　upon　your　words；　and　your　periods；　than　upon　the　subject。　　The　same　matter　occurs　equally　to　everybody　of　common　sense；　upon　the　same　question；　the　dressing　it　well；　is　what　excites　the　attention　and　admiration　of　the　audience。

It　is　in　parliament　that　I　have　set　my　heart　upon　your　making　a　figure；　it　is　there　that　I　want　to　have　you　justly　proud　of　yourself；　and　to　make　me　justly　proud　of　you。　　This　means　that　you　must　be　a　good　speaker　there；　I　use　the　word　MUST；　because　I　know　you　may　if　you　will。　　The　vulgar；　who　are　always　mistaken；　look　upon　a　speaker　and　a　comet　with　the　same　astonishment　and　admiration；　taking　them　both　for　preternatural　phenomena。　　This　error　discourages　many　young　men　from　attempting　that　character；　and　good　speakers　are　willing　to　have　their　talent　considered　as　something　very　extraordinary；　if　not；　a　peculiar　gift　of　God　to　his　elect。　　But　let　you　and　me　analyze　and　simplify　this　good　speaker；　let　us　strip　him　of　those　adventitious　plumes　with　which　his　own　pride；　and　the　ignorance　of　others；　have　decked　him；　and　we　shall　find　the　true　definition　of　him　to　be　no　more　than　this：　A　man　of　good　common　sense　who　reasons　justly　and　expresses　himself　elegantly　on　that　subject　upon　which　he　speaks。　　There　is；　surely；　no　witchcraft　in　this。　　A　man　of　sense；　without　a　superior　and　astonishing　degree　of　parts；　will　not　talk　nonsense　upon　any　subject；　nor　will　he；　if　he　has　the　least　taste　or　application；　talk　inelegantly。　　What　then　does　all　this　mighty　art　and　mystery　of　speaking　in　parliament　amount　to？　　Why；　no　more　than　this：　that　the　man　who　speaks　in　the　House　of　Commons；　speaks　in　that　House；　and　to　four　hundred　people；　that　opinion　upon　a　given　subject　which　he　would　make　no　difficulty　of　speaking　in　any　house　in　England；　round　the　fire；　or　at　table；　to　any　fourteen　people　whatsoever；　better　judges；　perhaps；　and　severer　critics　of　what　he　says；　than　any　fourteen　gentlemen　of　the　House　of　Commons。

I　have　spoken　frequently　in　parliament；　and　not　always　without　some　applause；　and　therefore　I　can　assure　you；　from　my　experience；　that　there　is　very　little　in　it。　　The　elegance　of　the　style；　and　the　turn　of　the　periods；　make　the　chief　impression　upon　the　hearers。　　Give　them　but　one　or　two　round　and　harmonious　periods　in　a　speech；　which　they　will　retain　and　repeat；　and　they　will　go　home　as　well　satisfied　as　people　do　from　an　opera；　humming　all　the　way　one　or　two　favorite　tunes　that　have　struck　their　ears；　and　were　easily　caught。　　Most　people　have　ears；　but　few　have　judgment；　tickle　those　ears；　and　depend　upon　it；　you　will　catch　their　judgments；　such　as　they　are。

Cicero；　conscious　that　he　was　at　the　top　of　his　profession　（for　in　his　time　eloquence　was　a　profession）；　in　order　to　set　himself　off；　defines　in　his　treatise　'De　Oratore'；　an　orator　to　be　such　a　man　as　never　was；　nor　never　will　be；　and；　by　his　fallacious　argument；　says　that　he　must　know　every　art　and　science　whatsoever；　or　how　shall　he　speak　upon　them？　　But；　with　submission　to　so　great　an　authority；　my　definition　of　an　orator　is　extremely　different　from；　and　I　believe　much　truer　than　his。　　I　call　that　man　an　orator；　who　reasons　justly；　and　expresses　himself　elegantly；　upon　whatever　subject　he　treats。　　Problems　in　geometry；　equations　in　algebra；　processes　in　chemistry；　and　experiments　in　anatomy；　are　never；　that　I　have　heard　of；　the　object　of　eloquence；　and　therefore　I　humbly　conceive；　that　a　man　may　be　a　very　fine　speaker；　and　yet　know　nothing　of　geometry；　algebra；　chemistry；　or　anatomy。　　The　subjects　of　all　parliamentary　debates　are　subjects　of　common　sense　singly。

Thus　I　write　whatever　occurs　to　me；　that　I　think　may　contribute　either　to　form　or　inform　you。　　May　my　labor　not　be　in　vain！　and　it　will　not；　if　you　will　but　have　half　the　concern　for　yourself　that　I　have　for　you。　　Adieu。




LETTER　XCV

LONDON；　December　12；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　Lord　Clarendon　in　his　history　says　of　Mr。　John　Hampden　THAT　HE　HAD　A　HEAD　TO　CONTRIVE；　A　TONGUE　TO　PERSUADE；　AND　A　HAND　TO　EXECUTE　ANY　MISCHIEF。　　I　shall　not　now　enter　into　the　justness　of　this　character　of　Mr。　Hampden；　to　whose　brave　stand　against　the　illegal　demand　of　ship…　money　we　owe　our　present　liberties；　but　I　mention　it　to　you　as　the　character；　which　with　the　alteration　of　one　single　word；　GOOD；　instead　of　MISCHIEF；　I　would　have　you　aspire　to；　and　use　your　utmost　endeavors　to　deserve。　　The　head　to　contrive；　God　must　to　a　certain　degree　have　given　you；　but　it　is　in　your　own　power　greatly　to　improve　it；　by　study；　observation；　and　reflection。　　As　for　the　TONGUE　TO　PERSUADE；　it　wholly　depends　upon　yourself；　and　without　it　the　best　head　will　contrive　to　very　little　purpose。　　The　hand　to　execute　depends　likewise；　in　my　opinion；　in　a　great　measure　upon　yourself。　　Serious　reflection　will　always　give　courage　in　a　good　cause；　and　the　courage　arising　from　reflection　is　of　a　much　superior　nature　to　the　animal　and　constitutional　courage　of　a　foot　soldier。　　The　former　is　steady　and　unshaken；　where　the　'nodus'　is　'dignus　vindice'；　the　latter　is　oftener　improperly　than　properly　exerted；　but　always　brutally。

The　second　member　of　my　text　（to　speak　ecclesiastically）　shall　be　the　subject　of　my　following　discourse；　THE　TONGUE　TO　PERSUADEas　judicious；　preachers　recommend　those　virtues；　which　they　think　their　several　audiences　want　the　most；　such　as　truth　and　continence；　at　court；　disinterestedness；　in　the　city；　and　sobriety；　in　the　country。

You　must　certainly；　in　the　course　of　your　little　experience；　have　felt　the　different　effects　of　elegant　and　inelegant　speaking。　　Do　you　not　suffer；　when　people　accost　you　in　a　stammering　or　hesitating　manner；　in　an　untuneful　voice；　with　false　accents　and　cadences；　puzzling　and　blundering　through　solecisms；　barbarisms；　and　vulgarisms；　misplacing　even　their　bad　words；　and　inverting　all　method？　　Does　not　this　prejudice　you　against　their　matter；　be　it　what　it　will；　nay；　even　against　their　persons？　　I　am　sure　it　does　me。　　On　the　other　hand；　do　you　not　feel　yourself　inclined；　prepossessed；　nay；　even　engaged　in　favor　of　those　who　address　you　in　the　direct　contrary　manner？　　The　effects　of　a　correct　and　adorned　style　of　method　and　perspicuity；　are　incredible　toward　persuasion；　they　often　supply　the　want　of　reason　and　argument；　but；　when　used　in　the　support　of　reason　and　argument；　they　are　irresistible。　　The　French　attend　very　much　to　the　purity　and　elegance　of　their　style；　even　in　common　conversation；　insomuch　that　it　is　a　character　to　say　of　a　man　'qu'il　narre　bien'。　　Their　conversations　frequently　turn　upon　the　delicacies　of　their　language；　and　an　academy　is　employed　in　fixing　it。　The　'Crusca'；　in　Italy；　has　the　same　object；　and　I　have　met　with　very　few　Italians；　who　did　not　speak　their　own　language　correctly　and　elegantly。　How　much　more　necessary　is　it　for　an　Englishman　to　do　so；　who　is　to　speak　it　in　a　public　assembly；　where　the　laws　and　liberties　of　his　country　are　the　subjects　of　his　deliberation？　　The　tongue　that　would　persuade　there；　must　not　content　itself　with　mere　articulation。　　You　know　what　pains　Demosthenes　took　to　correct　his　naturally　bad　elocution；　you　know　that　he　declaimed　by　the　seaside　in　storms；　to　prepare　himself　for　the　noise　of　the　tumultuous　assemblies　he　was　to　speak　to；　and　you　can　now　judge　of　the　correctness　and　elegance　of　his　style。　　He　thought　all　these　things　of　consequence；　and　he　thought　right；　pray　do　you　think　so　too？　　It　is　of　the　utmost　consequence　to　you　to　be　of　that　opinion。　　If　you　have　the　least　defect　in　your　elocution；　take　the　utmost　care　and　pains　to　correct　it。　　Do　not　neglect　your　style；　whatever　language　you　speak　in；　or　whoever　you　speak　to；　were　it　your　footman。　　Seek　always　for　the　best　words　and　the　happiest　expressions　you　can　find。　　Do　not　content　yourself　with　being　barely　understood；　but　adorn　your　thoughts；　and　dress　them　as　you　would　your　person；　which；　however　well　proportioned　it　might　be；　it　would　be　very　improper　and　indecent　to　exhibit　naked；　or　even　worse　dressed　than　people　of　your　sort　are。

I　have　sent　you　in　a　packet　which　your　Leipsig　acquaintance；　Duval；　sends　to　his　correspondent　at　Rome；　Lord　Bolingbroke's　book；＇〃Letters　on　the　Spirit　of　Patriotism；〃　on　the　Idea　of　a　Patriot　King　which　he　published　about　a　year　ago。＇　I　desire　that　you　will　read　it　over　and　over　again；　with　particular　attention　to　the　style；　and　to　all　those　beauties　of　oratory　with　which　it　is　adorned。　　Till　I　read　that　book；　I　confess　I　did　not　know　all　the　extent　and　powers　of　the　English　language。　　Lord　Bolingbroke　has　both　a　tongue　and　a　pen　to　persuade；　his　manner　of　speaking　in　private　conversation　is　full　as　elegant　as　his　writings；　whatever　subject　he　either　speaks　or　writes　upon；　he　adorns　with　the　most　splendid　eloquence；　not　a　studied　or　labored　eloquence；　but　such　a　flowing　happiness　of　diction；　which　（from　care　perhaps　at　first）　is　become　so　habitual　to　him；　that　even　his　most　familiar　conversations；　if　taken　down　in　writing；　would　bear　the　press；　without　the　least　correction　either　as　to　method　or　style。　　If　his　conduct；　in　the　former　part　of　his　life；　had　been　equal　to　all　his　natural　and　acquired　talents；　he　would　most　justly　have　merited　the　epithet　of　all…accomplished。　　He　is　himself　sensible　of　his　past　errors：　those　violent　passions　which　seduced　him　in　his　youth；　have　now　subsided　by　age；　and　take　him　as　he　is　now；　the　character　of　all…accomplished　is　more　his　due　than　any　man's　I　ever　knew　in　my　life。

But　he　has　been　a　most　mortifying　instance　of　the　violence　of　human　passions　and　of　the　weakness　of　the　most　exalted　human　reason。　　His　virtues　and　his　vices；　his　reason　and　his　passions；　did　not　blend　themselves　by　a　gradation　of　tints；　but　formed　a　shining　and　sudden　contrast。　　Here　the　darkest；　there　the　most　splendid　colors；　and　both　rendered　more　shining　from　their　proximity。　　Impetuosity；　excess；　and　almost　extravagance；　characterized　not　only　his　passions；　but　even　his　senses。　　His　youth　was　distinguished　by　all　the　tumult　and　storm　of　pleasures；　in　which　he　most　licentiously　triumphed；　disdaining　all　decorum。　　His　fine　imagination　has　often　been　heated　and　exhausted；　with　his　body；　in　celebrating　and　deifying　the　prostitute　of　the　night；　and　his　convivial　joys　were　pushed　to　all　the　extravagance　of　frantic　Bacchanals。　　Those　passions　were　interrupted　but　by　a　stronger　ambition。　The　former　impaired　both　his　constitution　and　his　character；　but　the　latter　destroyed　both　his　fortune　and　his　reputation。

He　has　noble　and　generous　sentiments；　rather　than　fixed　reflected　principles　of　good　nature　and　friendship；　but　they　are　more　violent　than　lasting；　and　suddenly　and　often　varied　to　their　opposite　extremes；　with　regard　to　the　same　persons。　　He　receives　the　common　attentio