letters to his son, 1749-第8章

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　only　expose　me。　　If　Sir　James　finds　anybody　whom　he　can　trust；　and　who　will　be　at　Venice　before　him；　he　will　send　them　by　that　person；　but　if　he　should　not；　and　that　you　should　be　gone　from　Venice　before　he　gets　there；　he　will　in　that　case　give　them　to　your　banker；　Monsieur　Cornet；　to　forward　to　you；　wherever　you　may　then　be。　　You　are　now　of　an　age；　at　which　the　adorning　your　person　is　not　only　not　ridiculous；　but　proper　and　becoming。　Negligence　would　imply　either　an　indifference　about　pleasing；　or　else　an　insolent　security　of　pleasing；　without　using　those　means　to　which　others　are　obliged　to　have　recourse。　　A　thorough　cleanliness　in　your　person　is　as　necessary　for　your　own　health；　as　it　is　not　to　be　offensive　to　other　people。　　Washing　yourself；　and　rubbing　your　body　and　limbs　frequently　with　a　fleshbrush；　will　conduce　as　much　to　health　as　to　cleanliness。　　A　particular　attention　to　the　cleanliness　of　your　mouth；　teeth；　hands；　and　nails；　is　but　common　decency；　in　order　not　to　offend　people's　eyes　and　noses。

I　send　you　here　inclosed　a　letter　of　recommendation　to　the　Duke　of　Nivernois；　the　French　Ambassador　at　Rome；　who　is；　in　my　opinion；　one　of　the　prettiest　men　I　ever　knew　in　my　life。　　I　do　not　know　a　better　model　for　you　to　form　yourself　upon；　pray　observe　and　frequent　him　as　much　as　you　can。　　He　will　show　you　what　manners　and　graces　are。　　I　shall；　by　successive　posts；　send　you　more　letters；　both　for　Rome　and　Naples；　where　it　will　be　your　own　fault　entirely　if　you　do　not　keep　the　very　best　company。

As　you　will　meet　swarms　of　Germans　wherever　you　go；　I　desire　that　you　will　constantly　converse　with　them　in　their　own　language；　which　will　improve　you　in　that　language；　and　be；　at　the　same　time；　an　agreeable　piece　of　civility　to　them。

Your　stay　in　Italy　will；　I　do　not　doubt；　make　you　critically　master　of　Italian；　I　know　it　may；　if　you　please；　for　it　is　a　very　regular；　and　consequently　a　very　easy　language。　　Adieu！　God　bless　you！




LETTER　LXXV

LONDON；　July　20；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　I　wrote　to　Mr。　Harte　last　Monday；　the　17th；　O。　S。；　in　answer　to　his　letter　of　the　20th　June；　N。　S。；　which　I　had　received　but　the　day　before；　after　an　interval　of　eight　posts；　during　which　I　did　not　know　whether　you　or　he　existed；　and　indeed　I　began　to　think　that　you　did　not。　By　that　letter　you　ought　at　this　time　to　be　at　Venice；　where　I　hope　you　are　arrived　in　perfect　health；　after　the　baths　of　Tiefler；　in　case　you　have　made　use　of　them。　　I　hope　they　are　not　hot　baths；　if　your　lungs　are　still　tender。

Your　friend；　the　Comte　d'Einsiedlen；　is　arrived　here：　he　has　been　at　my　door；　and　I　have　been　at　his；　but　we　have　not　yet　met。　　He　will　dine　with　me　some　day　this　week。　　Comte　Lascaris　inquires　after　you　very　frequently；　and　with　great　affection；　pray　answer　the　letter　which　I　forwarded　to　you　a　great　while　ago　from　him。　　You　may　inclose　your　answer　to　me；　and　I　will　take　care　to　give　it　him。　　Those　attentions　ought　never　to　be　omitted；　they　cost　little；　and　please　a　great　deal；　but　the　neglect　of　them　offends　more　than　you　can　yet　imagine。　　Great　merit；　or　great　failings；　will　make　you　be　respected　or　despised；　but　trifles；　little　attentions；　mere　nothings；　either　done；　or　neglected；　will　make　you　either　liked　or　disliked；　in　the　general　run　of　the　world。　　Examine　yourself　why　you　like　such　and　such　people；　and　dislike　such　and　such　others；　and　you　will　find；　that　those　different　sentiments　proceed　from　very　slight　causes。　　Moral　virtues　are　the　foundation　of　society　in　general；　and　of　friendship　in　particular；　but　attentions；　manners；　and　graces；　both　adorn　and　strengthen　them。　　My　heart　is　so　set　upon　your　pleasing；　and　consequently　succeeding　in　the　world；　that　possibly　I　have　already　（and　probably　shall　again）　repeat　the　same　things　over　and　over　to　you。　　However；　to　err；　if　I　do　err；　on　the　surer　side；　I　shall　continue　to　communicate　to　you　those　observations　upon　the　world　which　long　experience　has　enabled　me　to　make；　and　which　I　have　generally　found　to　hold　true。　　Your　youth　and　talents；　armed　with　my　experience；　may　go　a　great　way；　and　that　armor　is　very　much　at　your　service；　if　you　please　to　wear　it。　　I　premise　that　it　is　not　my　imagination；　but　my　memory；　that　gives　you　these　rules：　I　am　not　writing　pretty；　but　useful　reflections。　A　man　of　sense　soon　discovers；　because　he　carefully　observes；　where；　and　how　long；　he　is　welcome；　and　takes　care　to　leave　the　company；　at　least　as　soon　as　he　is　wished　out　of　it。　　Fools　never　perceive　where　they　are　either　ill…timed　or　illplaced。

I　am　this　moment　agreeably　stopped；　in　the　course　of　my　reflections；　by　the　arrival　of　Mr。　Harte's　letter　of　the　13th　July；　N。　S。；　to　Mr。　Grevenkop；　with　one　inclosed　for　your　Mamma。　　I　find　by　it　that　many　of　his　and　your　letters　to　me　must　have　miscarried；　for　he　says　that　I　have　had　regular　accounts　of　you：　whereas　all　those　accounts　have　been　only　his　letter　of　the　6th　and　yours　of　the　7th　June；　N。　S。；　his　of　the　20th　June；　N。　S。；　to　me；　and　now　his　of　the　13th　July；　N。　S。；　to　Mr。　Grevenkop。　　However；　since　you　are　so　well；　as　Mr。　Harte　says　you　are；　all　is　well。　　I　am　extremely　glad　that　you　have　no　complaint　upon　your　lungs；　but　I　desire　that　you　will　think　you　have；　for　three　or　four　months　to　come。　　Keep　in　a　course　of　asses'　or　goats'　milk；　for　one　is　as　good　as　the　other；　and　possibly　；the　latter　is　the　best；　and　let　your　common　food　be　as　pectoral　as　you　can　conveniently　make　it。　　Pray　tell　Mr。　Harte　that；　according　to　his　desire；　I　have　wrote　a　letter　of　thanks　to　Mr。　Firmian。　　I　hope　you　write　to　him　too；　from　time　to　time。　　The　letters　of　recommendation　of　a　man　of　his　merit　and　learning　will；　to　be　sure；　be　of　great　use　to　you　among　the　learned　world　in　Italy；　that　is；　provided　you　take　care　to　keep　up　to　the　character　he　gives　you　in　them；　otherwise　they　will　only　add　to　your　disgrace。

Consider　that　you　have　lost　a　good　deal　of　time　by　your　illness；　fetch　it　up　now　that　you　are　well。　　At　present　you　should　be　a　good　economist　of　your　moments；　of　which　company　and　sights　will　claim　a　considerable　share；　so　that　those　which　remain　for　study　must　be　not　only　attentively；　but　greedily　employed。　　But　indeed　I　do　not　suspect　you　of　one　single　moment's　idleness　in　the　whole　day。　　Idleness　is　only　the　refuge　of　weak　minds；　and　the　holiday　of　fools。　　I　do　not　call　good　company　and　liberal　pleasures；　idleness；　far　from　it：　I　recommend　to　you　a　good　share　of　both。

I　send　you　here　inclosed　a　letter　for　Cardinal　Alexander　Albani；　which　you　will　give　him；　as　soon　as　you　get　to　Rome；　and　before　you　deliver　any　others；　the　Purple　expects　that　preference；　go　next　to　the　Duc　de　Nivernois；　to　whom　you　are　recommended　by　several　people　at　Paris；　as　well　as　by　myself。　　Then　you　may　carry　your　other　letters　occasionally。

Remember　to　pry　narrowly　into　every　part　of　the　government　of　Venice：　inform　yourself　of　the　history　of　that　republic；　especially　of　its　most　remarkable　eras；　such　as　the　Ligue　de　eambray；　in　1509；　by　which　it　had　like　to　have　been　destroyed；　and　the　conspiracy　formed　by　the　Marquis　de　Bedmar；　the　Spanish　Ambassador；　to　subject　it　to　the　Crown　of　Spain。　　The　famous　disputes　between　that　republic　and　the　Pope　are　worth　your　knowledge；　and　the　writings　of　the　celebrated　and　learned　Fra　Paolo　di　Sarpi；　upon　that　occasion；　worth　your　reading。　　It　was　once　the　greatest　commercial　power　in　Europe；　and　in　the　14th　and　15th　centuries　made　a　considerable　figure；　but　at　present　its　commerce　is　decayed；　and　its　riches　consequently　decreased；　and；　far　from　meddling　now　with　the　affairs　of　the　Continent；　it　owes　its　security　to　its　neutrality　and　inefficiency；　and　that　security　will　last　no　longer　than　till　one　of　the　great　Powers　in　Europe　engrosses　the　rest　of　Italy；　an　event　which　this　century　possibly　may；　but　which　the　next　probably　will　see。

Your　friend　Comte　d'Ensiedlen　and　his　governor；　have　been　with　me　this　moment；　and　delivered　me　your　letter　from　Berlin；　of　February　the　28th；　N。　S。　　I　like　them　both　so　well　that　I　am　glad　you　did；　and　still　gladder　to　hear　what　they　say　of　you。　　Go　on；　and　continue　to　deserve　the　praises　of　those　who　deserve　praises　themselves。　　Adieu。

I　break　open　this　letter　to　acknowledge　yours　of　the　30th　June；　N。　S。；　which　I　have　but　this　instant　received；　though　thirteen　days　antecedent　in　date　to　Mr。　Harte's　last。　　I　never　in　my　life　heard　of　bathing　four　hours　a　day；　and　I　am　impatient　to　hear　of　your　safe　arrival　at　Venice；　after　so　extraordinary　an　operation。




LETTER　LXXVI

LONDON；　July　30；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　Mr。　Harte's　letters　and　yours　drop　in　upon　me　most　irregularly；　for　I　received；　by　the　last　post；　one　from　Mr。　Harte；　of　the　9th；　N。　S。；　and　that　which　Mr。　Grevenkop　had　received　from　him；　the　post　before；　was　of　the　13th；　at　last；　I　suppose；　I　shall　receive　them　all。

I　am　very　glad　that　my　letter；　with　Dr。　Shaw's　opinion；　has　lessened　your　bathing；　for　since　I　was　born；　I　never　heard　of　bathing　four　hours　a…day；　which　would　surely　be　too　much；　even　in　Medea's　kettle；　if　you　wanted　（as　you　do　not　yet）　new　boiling。

Though；　in　that　letter　of　mine；　I　proposed　your　going　to　Inspruck；　it　was　only　in　opposition　to　Lausanne；　which　I　thought　much　too　long　and　painful　a　journey　for　you；　but　you　will　have　found；　by　my　subsequent　letters；　that　I　entirely　approved　of　Venice；　where　I　hope　you　have　now　been　some　time；　and　which　is　a　much　better　place　for　you　to　reside　at；　till　you　go　to　Naples；　than　either　Tieffer　or　Laubach。　　I　love　capitals　extremely；　it　is　in　capitals　that　the　best　company　is　always　to　be　found；　and　consequently；　the　best　manners　to　be　learned。　　The　very　best　provincial　places　have　some　awkwardness；　that　distinguish　their　manners　from　those　of　the　metropolis。　　'A　propos'　of　capitals；　I　send　you　here　two　letters　of　recommendation　to　Naples；　from　Monsieur　Finochetti；　the　Neapolitan　Minister　at　The　Hague；　and　in　my　next　I　shall　send　you　two　more；　from　the　same　person；　to　the　same　place。

I　have　examined　Comte　d'Einsiedlen　so　narrowly　concerning　you；　that　I　have　extorted　from　him　a　confession　that　you　do　not　care　to　speak　German；　unless　to　such　as　understand　no　other　language。　　At　this　rate；　you　will　never　speak　it　well；　which　I　am　very　desirous　that　you　should　do；　and　of　which　you　would；　in　time；　find　the　advantage。　　Whoever　has　not　the　command　of　a　language；　and　does　not　speak　it　with　facility；　will　always　appear　below　himself　when　he　converses　in　that　language；　the　want　of　words　and　phrases　will　cramp　and　lame　his　thoughts。　　As　you　now　know　German　enough　to　express　yourself　tolerably；　speaking　it　very　often　will　soon　make　you　speak　it　very　well：　and　then　you　will　appear　in　it　whatever　you　are。　　What　with　your　own　Saxon　servant　and　the　swarms　of　Germans　you　will　meet　with　wherever　you　go；　you　may　have　opportunities　of　conversing　in　that　language　half　the　day；　and　I　do　very　seriously　desire　that　you　will；　or　else　all　the　pains　that　you　have　already　taken　about　it　are　lost。　　You　will　remember　likewise；　that；　till　you　can　write　in　Italian；　you　are　always　to　write　to　me　in　German。

Mr。　Harte's　conjecture　concerning　your　distemper　seems　to　be　a　very　reasonable　one；　it　agrees　entirely　with　mine；　which　is　the　universal　rule　by　which　every　man　judges　of　another　man's　opinion。　　But；　whatever　m