letters to his son, 1752-第16章

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　by　no　means　do；　and　I　must　speak　not　only　correctly　but　elegantly；　and　not　only　elegantly　but　eloquently。　　In　order　to　do　this；　I　will　first　take　pains　to　get　an　habitual；　but　unaffected；　purity；　correctness　and　elegance　of　style　in　my　common　conversation；　I　will　seek　for　the　best　words；　and　take　care　to　reject　improper；　inexpressive；　and　vulgar　ones。　　I　will　read　the　greatest　masters　of　oratory；　both　ancient　and　modern；　and　I　will　read　them　singly　in　that　view。　　I　will　study　Demosthenes　and　Cicero；　not　to　discover　an　old　Athenian　or　Roman　custom；　nor　to　puzzle　myself　with　the　value　of　talents；　mines；　drachms；　and　sesterces；　like　the　learned　blockheads　in　us；　but　to　observe　their　choice　of　words；　their　harmony　of　diction；　their　method；　their　distribution；　their　exordia；　to　engage　the　favor　and　attention　of　their　audience；　and　their　perorations；　to　enforce　what　they　have　said；　and　to　leave　a　strong　impression　upon　the　passions。　　Nor　will　I　be　pedant　enough　to　neglect　the　modern；　for　I　will　likewise　study　Atterbury；　Dryden；　Pope；　and　Bolingbroke；　nay；　I　will　read　everything　that　I　do　read　in　that　intention；　and　never　cease　improving　and　refining　my　style　upon　the　best　models；　till　at　last　I　become　a　model　of　eloquence　myself；　which；　by　care；　it　is　in　every　man's　power　to　be。　　If　you　set　out　upon　this　principle；　and　keep　it　constantly　in　your　mind；　every　company　you　go　into；　and　every　book　you　read；　will　contribute　to　your　improvement；　either　by　showing　you　what　to　imitate；　or　what　to　avoid。　　Are　。you　to　give　an　account　of　anything　to　a　mixed　company？　　or　are　you　to　endeavor　to　persuade　either　man　or　woman？　　This　principle；　fixed　in　your　mind；　will　make　you　carefully　attend　to　the　choice　of　your　words；　and　to　the　clearness　and　harmony　of　your　diction。

So　much　for　your　parliamentary　object；　now　to　the　foreign　one。

Lay　down　first　those　principles　which　are　absolutely　necessary　to　form　a　skillful　and　successful　negotiator；　and　form　yourself　accordingly。　　What　are　they？　　First；　the　clear　historical　knowledge　of　past　transactions　of　that　kind。　　That　you　have　pretty　well　already；　and　will　have　daily　more　and　more；　for；　in　consequence　of　that　principle；　you　will　read　history；　memoirs；　anecdotes；　etc。；　in　that　view　chiefly。　　The　other　necessary　talents　for　negotiation　are：　the　great　art　of　pleasing　and　engaging　the　affection　and　confidence；　not　only　of　those　with　whom　you　are　to　cooperate；　but　even　of　those　whom　you　are　to　oppose：　to　conceal　your　own　thoughts　and　views；　and　to　discover　other　people's：　to　engage　other　people's　confidence　by　a　seeming　cheerful　frankness　and　openness；　without　going　a　step　too　far：　to　get　the　personal　favor　of　the　king；　prince；　ministers；　or　mistresses　of　the　court　to　which　you　are　sent：　to　gain　the　absolute　command　over　your　temper　and　your　countenance；　that　no　heat　may　provoke　you　to　say；　nor　no　change　of　countenance　to　betray；　what　should　be　a　secret：　to　familiarize　and　domesticate　yourself　in　the　houses　of　the　most　considerable　people　of　the　place；　so　as　to　be　received　there　rather　as　a　friend　to　the　family　than　as　a　foreigner。　　Having　these　principles　constantly　in　your　thoughts；　everything　you　do　and　everything　you　say　will　some　way　or　other　tend　to　your　main　view；　and　common　conversation　will　gradually　fit　you　for　it。　　You　will　get　a　habit　of　checking　any　rising　heat；　you　will　be　upon　your　guard　against　any　indiscreet　expression；　you　will　by　degrees　get　the　command　of　your　countenance；　so　as　not　to　change　it　upon　any　the　most　sudden　accident；　and　you　will；　above　all　things；　labor　to　acquire　the　great　art　of　pleasing；　without　which　nothing　is　to　be　done。　　Company　is；　in　truth；　a　constant　state　of　negotiation；　and；　if　you　attend　to　it　in　that　view；　will　qualify　you　for　any。　　By　the　same　means　that　you　make　a　friend；　guard　against　an　enemy；　or　gain　a　mistress；　you　will　make　an　advantageous　treaty；　baffle　those　who　counteract　you；　and　gain　the　court　you　are　sent　to。　　Make　this　use　of　all　the　company　you　keep；　and　your　very　pleasures　will　make　you　a　successful　negotiator。　　Please　all　who　are　worth　pleasing；　offend　none。　Keep　your　own　secret；　and　get　out　other　people's。　　Keep　your　own　temper　and　artfully　warm　other　people's。　　Counterwork　your　rivals；　with　diligence　and　dexterity；　but　at　the　same　time　with　the　utmost　personal　civility　to　them；　and　be　firm　without　heat。　　Messieurs　d'Avaux　and　Servien　did　no　more　than　this。　　I　must　make　one　observation；　in　confirmation　of　this　assertion；　which　is；　that　the　most　eminent　negotiators　have　allways　been　the　politest　and　bestbred　men　in　company；　even　what　the　women　call　the　PRETTIEST　MEN。　　For　God's　sake；　never　lose　view　of　these　two　your　capital　objects：　bend　everything　to　them；　try　everything　by　their　rules；　and　calculate　everything　for　their　purposes。　What　is　peculiar　to　these　two　objects；　is；　that　they　require　nothing；　but　what　one's　own　vanity；　interest；　and　pleasure；　would　make　one　do　independently　of　them。　　If　a　man　were　never　to　be　in　business；　and　always　to　lead　a　private　life；　would　he　not　desire　to　please　and　to　persuade？　So　that；　in　your　two　destinations；　your　fortune　and　figure　luckily　conspire　with　your　vanity　and　your　pleasures。　　Nay　more；　a　foreign　minister；　I　will　maintain　it；　can　never　be　a　good　man　of　business　if　he　is　not　an　agreeable　man　of　pleasure　too。　　Half　his　business　is　done　by　the　help　of　his　pleasures；　his　views　are　carried　on；　and　perhaps　best　and　most　unsuspectedly；　at　balls；　suppers；　assemblies；　and　parties　of　pleasure；　by　intrigues　with　women；　and　connections　insensibly　formed　with　men；　at　those　unguarded　hours　of　amusement。

These　objects　now　draw　very　near　you；　and　you　have　no　time　to　lose　in　preparing　yourself　to　meet　them。　　You　will　be　in　parliament　almost　as　soon　as　your　age　will　allow；　and　I　believe　you　will　have　a　foreign　department　still　sooner；　and　that　will　be　earlier　than　ever　any　other　body　had　one。　　If　you　set　out　well　at　one…and…twenty；　what　may　you　not　reasonably　hope　to　be　at　one…and…forty？　　All　that　I　could　wish　you！　Adieu。




LETTER　CLXXIX

LONDON；　September　29；　1752。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　There　is　nothing　so　necessary；　but　at　the　same　time　there　is　nothing　more　difficult　（I　know　it　by　experience）　for　you　young　fellows；　than　to　know　how　to　behave　yourselves　prudently　toward　those　whom　you　do　not　like。　　Your　passions　are　warm；　and　your　heads　are　light；　you　hate　all　those　who　oppose　your　views；　either　of　ambition　or　love；　and　a　rival；　in　either；　is　almost　a　synonymous　term　for　an　enemy。　　Whenever　you　meet　such　a　man；　you　are　awkwardly　cold　to　him；　at　best；　but　often　rude；　and　always　desirous　to　give　him　some　indirect　slap。　　This　is　unreasonable；　for　one　man　has　as　good　a　right　to　pursue　an　employment；　or　a　mistress；　as　another；　but　it　is；　into　the　bargain；　extremely　imprudent；　because　you　commonly　defeat　your　own　purpose　by　it；　and　while　you　are　contending　with　each　other；　a　third　often　prevails。　　I　grant　you　that　the　situation　is　irksome；　a　man　cannot　help　thinking　as　he　thinks；　nor　feeling　what　he　feels；　and　it　is　a　very　tender　and　sore　point　to　be　thwarted　and　counterworked　in　one's　pursuits　at　court；　or　with　a　mistress；　but　prudence　and　abilities　must　check　the　effects；　though　they　cannot　remove　the　cause。　　Both　the　pretenders　make　themselves　disagreeable　to　their　mistress；　when　they　spoil　the　company　by　their　pouting；　or　their　sparring；　whereas；　if　one　of　them　has　command　enough　over　himself　（whatever　he　may　feel　inwardly）　to　be　cheerful；　gay；　and　easily　and　unaffectedly　civil　to　the　other；　as　if　there　were　no　manner　of　competition　between　them；　the　lady　will　certainly　like　him　the　best；　and　his　rival　will　be　ten　times　more　humbled　and　discouraged；　for　he　will　look　upon　such　a　behavior　as　a　proof　of　the　triumph　and　security　of　his　rival；　he　will　grow　outrageous　with　the　lady；　and　the　warmth　of　his　reproaches　will　probably　bring　on　a　quarrel　between　them。　　It　is　the　same　in　business；　where　he　who　can　command　his　temper　and　his　countenance　the　best；　will　always　have　an　infinite　advantage　over　the　other。　　This　is　what　the　French　call　un　'procede　honnete　et　galant'；　to　PIQUE　yourself　upon　showing　particular　civilities　to　a　man；　to　whom　lesser　minds　would；　in　the　same　case；　show　dislike；　or　perhaps　rudeness。　　I　will　give　you　an　instance　of　this　in　my　own　case；　and　pray　remember　it；　whenever　you　come　to　be；　as　I　hope　you　will；　in　a　like　situation。

When　I　went　to　The　Hague；　in　1744；　it　was　to　engage　the　Dutch　to　come　roundly　into　the　war；　and　to　stipulate　their　quotas　of　troops；　etc。；　your　acquaintance；　the　Abbe　de　la　Ville；　was　there　on　the　part　of　France；　to　endeavor　to　hinder　them　from　coming　into　the　war　at　all。　　I　was　informed；　and　very　sorry　to　hear　it；　that　he　had　abilities；　temper；　and　industry。　　We　could　not　visit；　our　two　masters　being　at　war；　but　the　first　time　I　met　him　at　a　third　place；　I　got　somebody　to　present　me　to　him；　and　I　told　him；　that　though　we　were　to　be　national　enemies；　I　flattered　myself　we　might　be；　however；　personal　friends；　with　a　good　deal　more　of　the　same　kind；　which　he　returned　in　full　as　polite　a　manner。　Two　days　afterward；　I　went；　early　in　the　morning；　to　solicit　the　Deputies　of　Amsterdam；　where　I　found　l'Abbe　de　la　Ville；　who　had　been　beforehand　with　me；　upon　which　I　addressed　myself　to　the　Deputies；　and　said；　smilingly；　I　am　very　sorry；　Gentlemen；　to　find　my　enemy　with　you；　my　knowledge　of　his　capacity　is　already　sufficient　to　make　me　fear　him；　we　are　not　upon　equal　terms；　but　I　trust　to　your　own　interest　against　his　talents。　　If　I　have　not　this　day　had　the　first　word；　I　shall　at　least　have　the　last。　　They　smiled：　the　Abbe　was　pleased　with　the　compliment；　and　the　manner　of　it；　stayed　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　and　then　left　me　to　my　Deputies；　with　whom　I　continued　upon　the　same　tone；　though　in　a　very　serious　manner；　and　told　them　that　I　was　only　come　to　state　their　own　true　interests　to　them；　plainly　and　simply；　without　any　of　those　arts；　which　it　was　very　necessary　for　my　friend　to　make　use　of　to　deceive　them。　　I　carried　my　point；　and　continued　my　'procede'　with　the　Abb6；　and　by　this　easy　and　polite　commerce　with　him；　at　third　places；　I　often　found　means　to　fish　out　from　him　whereabouts　he　was。

Remember；　there　are　but　two　'procedes'　in　the　world　for　a　gentleman　and　a　man　of　parts；　either　extreme　politeness　or　knocking　down。　　If　a　man　notoriously　and　designedly　insults　and　affronts　you；　knock　him　down；　but　if　he　only　injures　you；　your　best　revenge　is　to　be　extremely　civil　to　him　in　your　outward　behavior；　though　at　the　same　time　you　counterwork　him；　and　return　him　the　compliment；　perhaps　with　interest。　　This　is　not　perfidy　nor　dissimulation；　it　would　be　so　if　you　were；　at　the　same　time；　to　make　professions　of　esteem　and　friendship　to　this　man；　which　I　by　no　means　recommend；　but　on　the　contrary　abhor。　　But　all　acts　of　civility　are；　by　common　consent；　understood　to　be　no　more　than　a　conformity　to　custom；　for　the　quiet　and　conveniency　of　society；　the　'agremens'　of　which　are　not　to　be　disturbed　by　private　dislikes　and　jealousies。　　Only　women　and　little　minds　pout　and　spar　for　the　entertainment　of　the　company；　that　always　laughs　at；　and　never　pities　them。　　For　my　own　part；　though　I　would　by　no　means　give　up　any　point　to　a　competitor；　yet　I　would　pique　myself　upon　showing　him　rather　more　ci