letters to his son, 1749-第23章

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There　are　two　inconsistent　passions；　which；　however；　frequently　accompany　each　other；　like　man　and　wife；　and　which；　like　man　and　wife　too；　are　commonly　clogs　upon　each　other。　　I　mean　ambition　and　avarice：　the　latter　is　often　the　true　cause　of　the　former；　and　then　is　the　predominant　passion。　　It　seems　to　have　been　so　in　Cardinal　Mazarin；　who　did　anything；　submitted　to　anything；　and　forgave　anything；　for　the　sake　of　plunder。　He　loved　and　courted　power；　like　a　usurer；　because　it　carried　profit　along　with　it。　　Whoever　should　have　formed　his　opinion；　or　taken　his　measures；　singly；　from　the　ambitious　part　of　Cardinal　Mazarin's　character；　would　have　found　himself　often　mistaken。　　Some　who　had　found　this　out；　made　their　fortunes　by　letting　him　cheat　them　at　play。　　On　the　contrary；　Cardinal　Richelieu's　prevailing　passion　seems　to　have　been　ambition；　and　his　immense　riches　only　the　natural　consequences　of　that　ambition　gratified；　and　yet；　I　make　no　doubt；　but　that　ambition　had　now　and　then　its　turn　with　the　former；　and　avarice　with　the　latter。　Richelieu　（by　the　way）　is　so　strong　a　proof　of　the　inconsistency　of　human　nature；　that　I　cannot　help　observing　to　you；　that　while　he　absolutely　governed　both　his　king　and　his　country；　and　was；　in　a　great　degree；　the　arbiter　of　the　fate　of　all　Europe；　he　was　more　jealous　of　the　great　reputation　of　Corneille　than　of　the　power　of　Spain；　and　more　flattered　with　being　thought　（what　he　was　not）　the　best　poet；　than　with　being　thought　（what　he　certainly　was）　the　greatest　statesman　in　Europe；　and　affairs　stood　still　while　he　was　concerting　the　criticism　upon　the　Cid。　Could　one　think　this　possible；　if　one　did　not　know　it　to　be　true？　　Though　men　are　all　of　one　composition；　the　several　ingredients　are　so　differently　proportioned　；in　each　individual；　that　no　two　are　exactly　alike；　and　no　one　at　all　times　like　himself。　　The　ablest　man　will　sometimes　do　weak　things；　the　proudest　man；　mean　things；　the　honestest　man；　ill　things；　and　the　wickedest　man；　good　ones。　　Study　individuals　then；　and　if　you　take　（as　you　ought　to　do；）　their　outlines　from　their　prevailing　passion；　suspend　your　last　finishing　strokes　till　you　have　attended　to；　and　discovered　the　operations　of　their　inferior　passions；　appetites；　and　humors。　　A　man's　general　character　may　be　that　of　the　honestest　man　of　the　world：　do　not　dispute　it；　you　might　be　thought　envious　or　ill…natured；　but；　at　the　same　time；　do　not　take　this　probity　upon　trust　to　such　a　degree　as　to　put　your　life；　fortune；　or　reputation　in　his　power。　　This　honest　man　may　happen　to　be　your　rival　in　power；　in　interest；　or　in　love；　three　passions　that　often　put　honesty　to　most　severe　trials；　in　which　it　is　too　often　cast；　but　first　analyze　this　honest　man　yourself；　and　then　only　you　will　be　able　to　judge　how　far　you　may；　or　may　not；　with　safety　trust　him。

Women　are　much　more　like　each　other　than　men：　they　have；　in　truth；　but　two　passions；　vanity　and　love；　these　are　their　universal　characteristics。　An　Agrippina　may　sacrifice　them　to　ambition；　or　a　Messalina　to　lust；　but　those　instances　are　rare；　and；　in　general；　all　they　say；　and　all　they　do；　tends　to　the　gratification　of　their　vanity　or　their　love。　　He　who　flatters　them　most；　pleases　them　best；　and　they　are　the　most　in　love　with　him；　who　they　think　is　the　most　in　love　with　them。　　No　adulation　is　too　strong　for　them；　no　assiduity　too　great；　no　simulation　of　passion　too　gross；　as；　on　the　other　hand；　the　least　word　or　action　that　can　possibly　be　construed　into　a　slight　or　contempt；　is　unpardonable；　and　never　forgotten。　　Men　are　in　this　respect　tender　too；　and　will　sooner　forgive　an　injury　than　an　insult。　　Some　men　are　more　captious　than　others；　some　are　always　wrongheaded；　but　every　man　living　has　such　a　share　of　vanity；　as　to　be　hurt　by　marks　of　slight　and　contempt。　　Every　man　does　not　pretend　to　be　a　poet；　a　mathematician；　or　a　statesman；　and　considered　as　such；　but　every　man　pretends　to　common　sense；　and　to　fill　his　place　in　the　world　with　common　decency；　and；　consequently；　does　not　easily　forgive　those　negligences；　inattentions　and　slights　which　seem　to　call　in　question；　or　utterly　deny　him　both　these　pretensions。

Suspect；　in　general；　those　who　remarkably　affect　any　one　virtue；　who　raise　it　above　all　others；　and　who；　in　a　manner；　intimate　that　they　possess　it　exclusively。　　I　say　suspect　them；　for　they　are　commonly　impostors；　but　do　not　be　sure　that　they　are　always　so；　for　I　have　sometimes　known　saints　really　religious；　blusterers　really　brave；　reformers　of　manners　really　honest；　and　prudes　really　chaste。　　Pry　into　the　recesses　of　their　hearts　yourself；　as　far　as　you　are　able；　and　never　implicitly　adopt　a　character　upon　common　fame；　which；　though　generally　right　as　to　the　great　outlines　of　characters；　is　always　wrong　in　some　particulars。

Be　upon　your　guard　against　those　who　upon　very　slight　acquaintance；　obtrude　their　unasked　and　unmerited　friendship　and　confidence　upon　you；　for　they　probably　cram　you　with　them　only　for　their　own　eating；　but；　at　the　same　time；　do　not　roughly　reject　them　upon　that　general　supposition。　Examine　further；　and　see　whether　those　unexpected　offers　flow　from　a　warm　heart　and　a　silly　head；　or　from　a　designing　head　and　a　cold　heart；　for　knavery　and　folly　have　often　the　same　symptoms。　　In　the　first　case；　there　is　no　danger　in　accepting　them；　'valeant　quantum　valere　possunt'。　　In　the　latter　case；　it　may　be　useful　to　seem　to　accept　them；　and　artfully　to　turn　the　battery　upon　him　who　raised　it。

There　is　an　incontinency　of　friendship　among　young　fellows；　who　are　associated　by　their　mutual　pleasures　only；　which　has；　very　frequently；　bad　consequences。　　A　parcel　of　warm　hearts　and　inexperienced　heads；　heated　by　convivial　mirth；　and　possibly　a　little　too　much　wine；　vow；　and　really　mean　at　the　time；　eternal　friendships　to　each　other；　and　indiscreetly　pour　out　their　whole　souls　in　common；　and　without　the　least　reserve。　　These　confidences　are　as　indiscreetly　repealed　as　they　were　made；　for　new　pleasures　and　new　places　soon　dissolve　this　ill…cemented　connection；　and　then　very　ill　uses　are　made　of　these　rash　confidences。　Bear　your　part；　however；　in　young　companies；　nay；　excel；　if　you　can；　in　all　the　social　and　convivial　joy　and　festivity　that　become　youth。　　Trust　them　with　your　love　tales；　if　you　please；　but　keep　your　serious　views　secret。　　Trust　those　only　to　some　tried　friend；　more　experienced　than　yourself；　and　who；　being　in　a　different　walk　of　life　from　you；　is　not　likely　to　become　your　rival；　for　I　would　not　advise　you　to　depend　so　much　upon　the　heroic　virtue　of　mankind；　as　to　hope　or　believe　that　your　competitor　will　ever　be　your　friend；　as　to　the　object　of　that　competition。

These　are　reserves　and　cautions　very　necessary　to　have；　but　very　imprudent　to　show；　the　'volto　sciolto'　should　accompany　them。　　Adieu。




LETTER　XCVIII

DEAR　BOY：　　Great　talents　and　great　virtues　（if　you　should　have　them）　will　procure　you　the　respect　and　the　admiration　of　mankind；　but　it　is　the　lesser　talents；　the　'leniores　virtutes'；　which　must　procure　you　their　love　and　affection。　　The　former；　unassisted　and　unadorned　by　the　latter；　will　extort　praise；　but　will；　at　the　same　time；　excite　both　fear　and　envy；　two　sentiments　absolutely　incompatible　with　love　and　affection。

Caesar　had　all　the　great　vices；　and　Cato　all　the　great　virtues；　that　men　could　have。　　But　Caesar　had　the　'leniores　virtutes'　which　Cato　wanted；　and　which　made　him　beloved；　even　by　his　enemies；　and　gained　him　the　hearts　of　mankind；　in　spite　of　their　reason：　while　Cato　was　not　even　beloved　by　his　friends；　notwithstanding　the　esteem　and　respect　which　they　could　not　refuse　to　his　virtues；　；and　I　am　apt　to　think；　that　if　Caesar　had　wanted；　and　Cato　possessed；　those　'leniores　virtutes'；　the　former　would　not　have　attempted　（at　least　with　success）；　and　the　latter　could　have　protected；　the　liberties　of　Rome。　　Mr。　Addison；　in　his　〃Cato；〃　says　of　Caesar　（and　I　believe　with　truth）；

　　　　　　　　　　〃Curse　on　his　virtues；　they've　undone　his　country。〃

By　which　he　means　those　lesser；　but　engaging　virtues　of　gentleness；　affability；　complaisance；　and　good　humor。　　The　knowledge　of　a　scholar；　the　courage　of　a　hero；　and　the　virtue　of　a　Stoic；　will　be　admired；　but　if　the　knowledge　be　accompanied　with　arrogance；　the　courage　with　ferocity；　and　the　virtue　with　inflexible　severity；　the　man　will　never　be　loved。　The　heroism　of　Charles　XII。　of　Sweden　（if　his　brutal　courage　deserves　that　name）　was　universally　admired；　but　the　man　nowhere　beloved。　　Whereas　Henry　IV。　of　France；　who　had　full　as　much　courage；　and　was　much　longer　engaged　in　wars；　was　generally　beloved　upon　account　of　his　lesser　and　social　virtues。　　We　are　all　so　formed；　that　our　understandings　are　generally　the　DUPES　of　our　hearts；　that　is；　of　our　passions；　and　the　surest　way　to　the　former　is　through　the　latter；　which　must　be　engaged　by　the　'leniores　virtutes'　alone；　and　the　manner　of　exerting　them。　　The　insolent　civility　of　a　proud　man　is　（for　example）　if　possible；　more　shocking　than　his　rudeness　could　be；　because　he　shows　you　by　his　manner　that　he　thinks　it　mere　condescension　in　him；　and　that　his　goodness　alone　bestows　upon　you　what　you　have　no　pretense　to　claim。　　He　intimates　his　protection；　instead　of　his　friendship；　by　a　gracious　nod；　instead　of　a　usual　bow；　and　rather　signifies　his　consent　that　you　may；　than　his　invitation　that　you　should　sit；　walk；　eat；　or　drink　with　him。

The　costive　liberality　of　a　purse…proud　man　insults　the　distresses　it　sometimes　relieves；　he　takes　care　to　make　you　feel　your　own　misfortunes；　and　the　difference　between　your　situation　and　his；　both　which　he　insinuates　to　be　justly　merited：　yours；　by　your　folly；　his；　by　his　wisdom。　　The　arrogant　pedant　does　not　communicate；　but　promulgates　his　knowledge。　　He　does　not　give　it　you；　but　he　inflicts　it　upon　you；　and　is　（if　possible）　more　desirous　to　show　you　your　own　ignorance　than　his　own　learning。　　Such　manners　as　these；　not　only　in　the　particular　instances　which　I　have　mentioned；　but　likewise　in　all　others；　shock　and　revolt　that　little　pride　and　vanity　which　every　man　has　in　his　heart；　and　obliterate　in　us　the　obligation　for　the　favor　conferred；　by　reminding　us　of　the　motive　which　produced；　and　the　manner　which　accompanied　it。

These　faults　point　out　their　opposite　perfections；　and　your　own　good　sense　will　naturally　suggest　them　to　you。

But　besides　these　lesser　virtues；　there　are　what　may　be　called　the　lesser　talents；　or　accomplishments；　which　are　of　great　use　to　adorn　and　recommend　all　the　greater；　and　the　more　so；　as　all　people　are　judges　of　the　one；　and　but　few　are　of　the　other。　　Everybody　feels　the　impression；　which　an　engaging　address；　an　agreeable　manner　of　speaking；　and　an　easy　politeness；　makes　upon　them；　and　they　prepare　the　way　for　the　favorable　reception　of　their　betters。　　Adieu。




LETTER　XCIX

LONDON；　December　26；　O。　S。　　1749。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　The　new　year　is　the　season　in　which　custom　seems　more　particularly　to　authorize　civil　and　harmless　lies；　under　the　name　of　compliments。　　People　reciprocally　profess　wishes　which　they　seldom　form；　and　concern；　which　they　seldom　feel。　　This　is　not　the　case　between　you　and　me；　where　truth　leaves　no　room　for　compliments。

'Dii　tibi　dent　annos；　de　to　nam　caetera　sumes'；　was　said　formerly　to　one　by　a　man　who