letters to his son, 1749-第9章

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ne；　which　is　the　universal　rule　by　which　every　man　judges　of　another　man's　opinion。　　But；　whatever　may　have　been　the　cause　of　your　rheumatic　disorder；　the　effects　are　still　to　be　attended　to；　and　as　there　must　be　a　remaining　acrimony　in　your　blood；　you　ought　to　have　regard　to　that；　in　your　common　diet　as　well　as　in　your　medicines；　both　which　should　be　of　a　sweetening　alkaline　nature；　and　promotive　of　perspiration。　　Rheumatic　complaints　are　very　apt　to　return；　and　those　returns　would　be　very　vexatious　and　detrimental　to　you；　at　your　age；　and　in　your　course　of　travels。　　Your　time　is；　now　particularly；　inestimable；　and　every　hour　of　it；　at　present；　worth　more　than　a　year　will　be　to　you　twenty　years　hence。　　You　are　now　laying　the　foundation　of　your　future　character　and　fortune；　and　one　single　stone　wanting　in　that　foundation　is　of　more　consequence　than　fifty　in　the　superstructure；　which　can　always　be　mended　and　embellished　if　the　foundation　is　solid。　　To　carry　on　the　metaphor　of　building：　I　would　wish　you　to　be　a　Corinthian　edifice　upon　a　Tuscan　foundation；　the　latter　having　the　utmost　strength　and　solidity　to　support；　and　the　former　all　possible　ornaments　to　decorate。　　The　Tuscan　column　is　coarse；　clumsy；　and　unpleasant；　nobody　looks　at　it　twice；　the　Corinthian　fluted　column　is　beautiful　and　attractive；　but　without　a　solid　foundation；　can　hardly　be　seen　twice；　because　it　must　soon　tumble　down。　　Yours　affectionately。




LETTER　LXXVII

LONDON；　August　7；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　By　Mr。　Harte's　letter　to　me　of　the　18th　July　N。　S。；　which　I　received　by　the　last　post；　I　am　at　length　informed　of　the　particulars　both　of　your　past　distemper；　and　of　your　future　motions。　　As　to　the　former；　I　am　now　convinced；　and　so　is　Dr。　Shaw；　that　your　lungs　were　only　symptomatically　affected；　and　that　the　rheumatic　tendency　is　what　you　are　chiefly　now　to　guard　against；　but　（for　greater　security）　with　due　attention　still　to　your　lungs；　as　if　they　had　been；　and　still　were；　a　little　affected。　　In　either　case；　a　cooling；　pectoral　regimen　is　equally　good。　　By　cooling；　I　mean　cooling　in　its　consequences；　not　cold　to　the　palate；　for　nothing　is　more　dangerous　than　very　cold　liquors；　at　the　very　time　that　one　longs　for　them　the　most；　which　is；　when　one　is　very　hot。　Fruit；　when　full　ripe；　is　very　wholesome；　but　then　it　must　be　within　certain　bounds　as　to　quantity；　for　I　have　known　many　of　my　countrymen　die　of　bloody…fluxes；　by　indulging　in　too　great　a　quantity　of　fruit；　in　those　countries　where；　from　the　goodness　and　ripeness　of　it；　they　thought　it　could　do　them　no　harm。　　'Ne　quid　nimis'；　is　a　most　excellent　rule　in　everything；　but　commonly　the　least　observed；　by　people　of　your　age；　in　anything。

As　to　your　future　motions；　I　am　very　well　pleased　with　them；　and　greatly　prefer　your　intended　stay　at　Verona　to　Venice；　whose　almost　stagnating　waters　must；　at　this　time　of　the　year；　corrupt　the　air。　　Verona　has　a　pure　and　clear　air；　and；　as　I　am　informed；　a　great　deal　of　good　company。　Marquis　Maffei；　alone；　would　be　worth　going　there　for。　　You　may；　I　think；　very　well　leave　Verona　about　the　middle　of　September；　when　the　great　heats　will　be　quite　over；　and　then　make　the　best　of　your　way　to　Naples；　where；　I　own；　I　want　to　have　you　by　way　of　precaution　（I　hope　it　is　rather　over　caution）　in　case　of　the　last　remains　of　a　pulmonic　disorder。　The　amphitheatre　at　Verona　is　worth　your　attention；　as　are　also　many　buildings　there　and　at　Vicenza；　of　the　famous　Andrea　Palladio；　whose　taste　and　style　of　buildings　were　truly　antique。　　It　would　not　be　amiss；　if　you　employed　three　or　four　days　in　learning　the　five　orders　of　architecture；　with　their　general　proportions；　and　you　may　know　all　that　you　need　know　of　them　in　that　time。　　Palladio's　own　book　of　architecture　is　the　best　you　can　make　use　of　for　that　purpose；　skipping　over　the　mechanical　part　of　it；　such　as　the　materials；　the　cement；　etc。

Mr。　Harte　tells　me；　that　your　acquaintance　with　the　classics　is　renewed；　the　suspension　of　which　has　been　so　short；　that　I　dare　say　it　has　produced　no　coldness。　　I　hope　and　believe；　you　are　now　so　much　master　of　them；　that　two　hours　every　day；　uninterruptedly；　for　a　year　or　two　more；　will　make　you　perfectly　so；　and　I　think　you　cannot　now　allot　them　a　greater　share　than　that　of　your　time；　considering　the　many　other　things　you　have　to　learn　and　to　do。　　You　must　know　how　to　speak　and　write　Italian　perfectly；　you　must　learn　some　logic；　some　geometry；　and　some　astronomy；　not　to　mention　your　exercises；　where　they　are　to　be　learned；　and；　above　all；　you　must　learn　the　world；　which　is　not　soon　learned；　and　only　to　be　learned　by　frequenting　good　and　various　companies。

Consider；　therefore；　how　precious　every　moment　of　time　is　to　you　now。　The　more　you　apply　to　your　business；　the　more　you　will　taste　your　pleasures。　　The　exercise　of　the　mind　in　the　morning　whets　the　appetite　for　the　pleasures　of　the　evening；　as　much　as　the　exercise　of　the　body　whets　the　appetite　for　dinner。　　Business　and　pleasure；　rightly　understood；　mutually　assist　each　other；　instead　of　being　enemies；　as　silly　or　dull　people　often　think　them。　　No　man　tastes　pleasures　truly；　who　does　not　earn　them　by　previous　business；　and　few　people　do　business　well；　who　do　nothing　else。　　Remember　that　when　I　speak　of　pleasures；　I　always　mean　the　elegant　pleasures　of　a　rational　being；　and；　not　the　brutal　ones　of　a　swine。　　I　mean　'la　bonne　Chere'；　short　of　gluttony；　wine；　infinitely　short　of　drunkenness；　play；　without　the　least　gaming；　and　gallantry　without　debauchery。　　There　is　a　line　in　all　these　things　which　men　of　sense；　for　greater　security；　take　care　to　keep　a　good　deal　on　the　right　side　of；　for　sickness；　pain；　contempt　and　infamy；　lie　immediately　on　the　other　side　of　it。　　Men　of　sense　and　merit；　in　all　other　respects；　may　have　had　some　of　these　failings；　but　then　those　few　examples；　instead　of　inviting　us　to　imitation；　should　only　put　us　the　more　upon　our　guard　against　such　weaknesses：　and　whoever　thinks　them　fashionable；　will　not　be　so　himself；　I　have　often　known　a　fashionable　man　have　some　one　vice；　but　I　never　in　my　life　knew　a　vicious　man　a　fashionable　man。　　Vice　is　as　degrading　as　it　is　criminal。　　God　bless　you；　my　dear　child！




LETTER　LXXVIII

LONDON；　August　20；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　Let　us　resume　our　reflections　upon　men；　their　characters；　their　manners；　in　a　word；　our　reflections　upon　the　world。　　They　may　help　you　to　form　yourself；　and　to　know　others；　a　knowledge　very　useful　at　all　ages；　very　rare　at　yours。　　It　seems　as　if　it　were　nobody's　business　to　communicate　it　to　young　men。　　Their　masters　teach　them；　singly；　the　languages　or　the　sciences　of　their　several　departments；　and　are　indeed　generally　incapable　of　teaching　them　the　world：　their　parents　are　often　so　too；　or　at　least　neglect　doing　it；　either　from　avocations；　indifference；　or　from　an　opinion　that　throwing　them　into　the　world　（as　they　call　it）　is　the　best　way　of　teaching　it　them。　　This　last　notion　is　in　a　great　degree　true；　that　is；　the　world　can　doubtless　never　be　well　known　by　theory：　practice　is　absolutely　necessary；　but　surely　it　is　of　great　use　to　a　young　man；　before　he　sets　out　for　that　country　full　of　mazes；　windings；　and　turnings；　to　have　at　least　a　general　map　of　it；　made　by　some　experienced　traveler。

There　is　a　certain　dignity　of　manners　absolutely　necessary；　to　make　even　the　most　valuable　character　either　respected　or　respectable。＇Meaning　worthy　of　respect。＇

Horse…play；　romping；　frequent　and　loud　fits　of　laughter；　jokes；　waggery；　and　indiscriminate　familiarity；　will　sink　both　merit　and　knowledge　into　a　degree　of　contempt。　　They　compose　at　most　a　merry　fellow；　and　a　merry　fellow　was　never　yet　a　respectable　man。　　Indiscriminate　familiarity　either　offends　your　superiors；　or　else　dubbs　you　their　dependent　and　led　captain。　　It　gives　your　inferiors　just；　but　troublesome　and　improper　claims　of　equality。　　A　joker　is　near　akin　to　a　buffoon；　and　neither　of　them　is　the　least　related　to　wit。　　Whoever　is　admitted　or　sought　for；　in　company；　upon　any　other　account　than　that　of　his　merit　and　manners；　is　never　respected　there；　but　only　made　use　of。　　We　will　have　such…a…one；　for　he　sings　prettily；　we　will　invite　such…a…one　to　a　ball；　for　he　dances　well；　we　will　have　such…a…one　at　supper；　for　he　is　always　joking　and　laughing；　we　will　ask　another；　because　he　plays　deep　at　all　games；　or　because　he　can　drink　a　great　deal。　　These　are　all　vilifying　distinctions；　mortifying　preferences；　and　exclude　all　ideas　of　esteem　and　regard。　Whoever　is　HAD　（as　it　is　called）　in　company　for　the　sake　of　any　one　thing　singly；　is　singly　that　thing　and　will　never　be　considered　in　any　other　light；　consequently　never　respected；　let　his　merits　be　what　they　will。

This　dignity　of　manners；　which　I　recommend　so　much　to　you；　is　not　only　as　different　from　pride；　as　true　courage　is　from　blustering；　or　true　wit　from　joking；　but　is　absolutely　inconsistent　with　it；　for　nothing　vilifies　and　degrades　more　than　pride。　　The　pretensions　of　the　proud　man　are　oftener　treated　with　sneer　and　contempt；　than　with　indignation；　as　we　offer　ridiculously　too　little　to　a　tradesman；　who　asks　ridiculously　too　much　for　his　goods；　but　we　do　not　haggle　with　one　who　only　asks　a　just　and　reasonable　price。

Abject　flattery　and　indiscriminate　assentation　degrade　as　much　as　indiscriminate　contradiction　and　noisy　debate　disgust。　　But　a　modest　assertion　of　one's　own　opinion；　and　a　complaisant　acquiescence　to　other　people's；　preserve　dignity。

Vulgar；　low　expressions；　awkward　motions　and　address；　vilify；　as　they　imply　either　a　very　low　turn　of　mind；　or　low　education　and　low　company。

Frivolous　curiosity　about　trifles；　and　a　laborious　attention　to　little　objects　which　neither　require　nor　deserve　a　moment's　thought；　lower　a　man；　who　from　thence　is　thought　（and　not　unjustly）　incapable　of　greater　matters。　　Cardinal　de　Retz；　very　sagaciously；　marked　out　Cardinal　Chigi　for　a　little　mind；　from　the　moment　that　he　told　him　he　had　wrote　three　years　with　the　same　pen；　and　that　it　was　an　excellent　good　one　still。

A　certain　degree　of　exterior　seriousness　in　looks　and　motions　gives　dignity；　without　excluding　wit　and　decent　cheerfulness；　which　are　always　serious　themselves。　　A　constant　smirk　upon　the　face；　and　a　whifing　activity　of　the　body；　are　strong　indications　of　futility。　　Whoever　is　in　a　hurry；　shows　that　the　thing　he　is　about　is　too　big　for　him。　　Haste　and　hurry　are　very　different　things。

I　have　only　mentioned　some　of　those　things　which　may；　and　do；　in　the　opinion　of　the　world；　lower　and　sink　characters；　in　other　respects　valuable　enough；but　I　have　taken　no　notice　of　those　that　affect　and　sink　the　moral　characters。　　They　are　sufficiently　obvious。　　A　man　who　has　patiently　been　kicked　may　as　well　pretend　to　courage；　as　a　man　blasted　by　vices　and　crimes　may　to　dignity　of　any　kind。　　But　an　exterior　decency　and　dignity　of　manners　will　even　keep　such　a　man　longer　from　sinking；　than　otherwise　he　would　be：　of　such　consequence　is　the　＇****＇；　even　though　affected　and　put　on！　　Pray　read　frequently；　and　with　the　utmost　attention；　nay；　get　by　heart；　if　you　can；　that　incomparable　chapter　in　Cicero's　〃Offices；〃　upon　the　＇****＇；　or　the　Decorum。　　It　contains　whatever　is　necessary　for　the　dignity　of　manners。

In　my　next　I　will　send　you　a　general　map　of　c