letters to his son, 1752-第4章

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veral　parts　of　their　then　extensive　dominions；　which　reflections　would　have　justified　the　Cardinal　to　him；　in　the　affair　of　the　Valtelline。　　But　it　was　easier　to　him　to　remember　facts；　than　to　combine　and　reflect。

One　observation　I　hope　you　will　make　in　reading　history；　for　it　is　an　obvious　and　a　true　one。　　It　is；　that　more　people　have　made　great　figures　and　great　fortunes　in　courts　by　their　exterior　accomplishments；　than　by　their　interior　qualifications。　　Their　engaging　address；　the　politeness　of　their　manners；　their　air；　their　turn；　hath　almost　always　paved　the　way　for　their　superior　abilities；　if　they　have　such；　to　exert　themselves。　They　have　been　favorites　before　they　have　been　ministers。　　In　courts；　an　universal　gentleness　and　'douceur　dans　les　manieres'　is　most　absolutely　necessary：　an　offended　fool；　or　a　slighted　valet　de　chambre；　may　very　possibly　do　you　more　hurt　at　court；　than　ten　men　of　merit　can　do　you　good。　　Fools；　and　low　people；　are　always　jealous　of　their　dignity；　and　never　forget　nor　forgive　what　they　reckon　a　slight：　on　the　other　hand；　they　take　civility　and　a　little　attention　as　a　favor；　remember；　and　acknowledge　it：　this；　in　my　mind；　is　buying　them　cheap；　and　therefore　they　are　worth　buying。　　The　prince　himself；　who　is　rarely　the　shining　genius　of　his　court；　esteems　you　only　by　hearsay　but　likes　you　by　his　senses；　that　is；　from　your　air；　your　politeness；　and　your　manner　of　addressing　him；　of　which　alone　he　is　a　judge。　　There　is　a　court　garment；　as　well　as　a　wedding　garment；　without　which　you　will　not　be　received。　That　garment　is　the　'volto　sciolto'；　an　imposing　air；　an　elegant　politeness；　easy　and　engaging　manners；　universal　attention；　an　insinuating　gentleness；　and　all　those　'je　ne　sais　quoi'　that　compose　the　GRACES。

I　am　this　moment　disagreeably　interrupted　by　a　letter；　not　from　you；　as　I　expected；　but　from　a　friend　of　yours　at　Paris；　who　informs　me　that　you　have　a　fever　which　confines　you　at　home。　　Since　you　have　a　fever；　I　am　glad　you　have　prudence　enough　in　it　to　stay　at　home；　and　take　care　of　yourself；　a　little　more　prudence　might　probably　have　prevented　it。　　Your　blood　is　young；　and　consequently　hot；　and　you　naturally　make　a　great　deal　by　your　good　stomach　and　good　digestion；　you　should；　therefore；　necessarily　attenuate　and　cool　it；　from　time　to　time；　by　gentle　purges；　or　by　a　very　low　diet；　for　two　or　three　days　together；　if　you　would　avoid　fevers。　　Lord　Bacon；　who　was　a　very　great　physician　in　both　senses　of　the　word；　hath　this　aphorism　in　his　〃Essay　upon　Health；〃　'Nihil　magis　ad　Sanitatem　tribuit　quam　crebrae　et　domesticae　purgationes'。　　By　'domesticae'；　he　means　those　simple　uncompounded　purgatives　which　everybody　can　administer　to　themselves；　such　as　senna…tea；　stewed　prunes　and　senria；　chewing　a　little　rhubarb；　or　dissolving　an　ounce　and　a　half　of　manna　in　fair　water；　with　the　juice　of　a　lemon　to　make　it　palatable。　Such　gentle　and　unconfining　evacuations　would　certainly　prevent　those　feverish　attacks　to　which　everybody　at　your　age　is　subject。

By　the　way；　I　do　desire；　and　insist；　that　whenever；　from　any　indisposition；　you　are　not　able　to　write　to　me　upon　the　fixed　days；　that　Christian　shall；　and　give　me　a　TRUE　account　how　you　are。　　I　do　not　expect　from　him　the　Ciceronian　epistolary　style；　but　I　will　content　myself　with　the　Swiss　simplicity　and　truth。

I　hope　you　extend　your　acquaintance　at　Paris；　and　frequent　variety　of　companies；　the　only　way　of　knowing　the　world；　every　set　of　company　differs　in　some　particulars　from　another；　and　a　man　of　business　must；　in　the　course　of　his　life；　have　to　do　with　all　sorts。　　It　is　a　very　great　advantage　to　know　the　languages　of　the　several　countries　one　travels　in；　and　different　companies　may；　in　some　degree；　be　considered　as　different　countries；　each　hath　its　distinctive　language；　customs；　and　manners：　know　them　all；　and　you　will　wonder　at　none。

Adieu；　child。　　Take　care　of　your　health；　there　are　no　pleasures　without　it。




LETTER　CLX

LONDON；　February　20；　O。　S。　　1752。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　In　all　systems　whatsoever；　whether　of　religion；　government；　morals；　etc。；　perfection　is　the　object　always　proposed；　though　possibly　unattainable；　hitherto；　at　least；　certainly　unattained。　However；　those　who　aim　carefully　at　the　mark　itself；　will　unquestionably　come　nearer　it；　than　those　who　from　despair；　negligence；　or　indolence；　leave　to　chance　the　work　of　skill。　　This　maxim　holds　equally　true　in　common　life；　those　who　aim　at　perfection　will　come　infinitely　nearer　it　than　those　desponding　or　indolent　spirits；　who　foolishly　say　to　themselves：　Nobody　is　perfect；　perfection　is　unattainable；　to　attempt　it　is　chimerical；　I　shall　do　as　well　as　others；　why　then　should　I　give　myself　trouble　to　be　what　I　never　can；　and　what；　according　to　the　common　course　of　things；　I　need　not　be；　PERFECT？

I　am　very　sure　that　I　need　not　point　out　to　you　the　weakness　and　the　folly　of　this　reasoning；　if　it　deserves　the　name　of　reasoning。　　It　would　discourage　and　put　a　stop　to　the　exertion　of　any　one　of　our　faculties。　On　the　contrary；　a　man　of　sense　and　spirit　says　to　himself：　　Though　the　point　of　perfection　may　（considering　the　imperfection　of　our　nature）　be　unattainable；　my　care；　my　endeavors；　my　attention；　shall　not　be　wanting　to　get　as　near　it　as　I　can。　　I　will　approach　it　every　day；　possibly；　I　may　arrive　at　it　at　last；　at　least；　what　I　；am　sure　is　in　my　own　power；　I　will　not　be　distanced。　　Many　fools　（speaking　of　you）　say　to　me：　What！　would　you　have　him　perfect？　　I　answer：　Why　not？　　What　hurt　would　it　do　him　or　me？　　O；　but　that　is　impossible；　say　they；　I　reply；　I　am　not　sure　of　that：　perfection　in　the　abstract；　I　admit　to　be　unattainable；　but　what　is　commonly　called　perfection　in　a　character　I　maintain　to　be　attainable；　and　not　only　that；　but　in　every　man's　power。　　He　hath；　continue　they；　a　good　head；　a　good　heart；　a　good　fund　of　knowledge；　which　would　increase　daily：　What　would　you　have　more？　　Why；　I　would　have　everything　more　that　can　adorn　and　complete　a　character。　　Will　it　do　his　head；　his　heart；　or　his　knowledge　any　harm；　to　have　the　utmost　delicacy　of　manners；　the　most　shining　advantages　of　air　and　address；　the　most　endearing　attentions；　and　the　most　engaging　graces？　　But　as　he　is；　say　they；　he　is　loved　wherever　he　is　known。　　I　am　very　glad　of　it；　say　I　；　but　I　would　have　him　be　liked　before　he　is　known；　and　loved　afterward。　　I　would　have　him；　by　his　first　abord　and　address；　make　people　wish　to　know　him；　and　inclined　to　love　him：　he　will　save　a　great　deal　of　time　by　it。　　Indeed；　reply　they；　you　are　too　nice；　too　exact；　and　lay　too　much　stress　upon　things　that　are　of　very　little　consequence。　　Indeed；　rejoin　I；　you　know　very　little　of　the　nature　of　mankind；　if　you　take　those　things　to　be　of　little　consequence：　one　cannot　be　too　attentive　to　them；　it　is　they　that　always　engage　the　heart；　of　which　the　understanding　is　commonly　the　bubble。　　And　I　would　much　rather　that　he　erred　in　a　point　of　grammar；　of　history；　of　philosophy；　etc。；　than　in　point　of　manners　and　address。　　But　consider；　he　is　very　young；　all　this　will　come　in　time。　　I　hope　so；　but　that　time　must　be　when　he　is　young；　or　it　will　never　be　at　all；　the　right　'pli'　must　be　taken　young；　or　it　will　never　be　easy　or　seem　natural。　　Come；　come；　say　they　（substituting；　as　is　frequently　done；　assertion　instead　of　argument）；　depend　upon　it　he　will　do　very　well：　and　you　have　a　great　deal　of　reason　to　be　satisfied　with　him。　　I　hope　and　believe　he　will　do　well；　but　I　would　have　him　do　better　than　well。　　I　am　very　well　pleased　with　him；　but　I　would　be　more；　I　would　be　proud　of　him。　　I　would　have　him　have　lustre　as　well　as　weight。　　Did　you　ever　know　anybody　that　reunited　all　these　talents？　　Yes；　I　did；　Lord　Bolingbroke　joined　all　the　politeness；　the　manners；　and　the　graces　of　a　courtier；　to　the　solidity　of　a　statesman；　and　to　the　learning　of　a　pedant。　　He　was　'omnis　homo'；　and　pray　what　should　hinder　my　boy　from　being　so　too；　if　he　'hath；　as　I　think　he　hath；　all　the　other　qualifications　that　you　allow　him？　　Nothing　can　hinder　him；　but　neglect　of　or　inattention　to；　those　objects　which　his　own　good　sense　must　tell　him　are；　of　infinite　consequence　to　him；　and　which　therefore　I　will　not　suppose　him　capable　of　either　neglecting　or　despising。

This　（to　tell　you　the　whole　truth）　is　the　result　of　a　controversy　that　passed　yesterday；　between　Lady　Hervey　and　myself；　upon　your　subject；　and　almost　in　the　very　words。　　I　submit　the　decision　of　it　to　yourself；　let　your　own　good　sense　determine　it；　and　make　you　act　in　consequence　of　that　determination。　　The　receipt　to　make　this　composition　is　short　and　infallible；　here　I　give　it　to　you：

Take　variety　of　the　best　company；　wherever　you　are；　be　minutely　attentive　to　every　word　and　action；　imitate　respectively　those　whom　you　observe　to　be　distinguished　and　considered　for　any　one　accomplishment；　then　mix　all　those　several　accomplishments　together；　and　serve　them　up　yourself　to　others。

I　hope　your　fair；　or　rather　your　brown　AMERICAN　is　well。　　I　hear　that　she　makes　very　handsome　presents；　if　she　is　not　so　herself。　　I　am　told　there　are　people　at　Paris　who　expect；　from　this　secret　connection；　to　see　in　time　a　volume　of　letters；　superior　to　Madame　de　Graffiny's　Peruvian　ones；　I　lay　in　my　claim　to　one　of　the　first　copies。

Francis's　Genie　…＇Francis's　〃Eugenia。〃＇　hath　been　acted　twice；　with　most　universal　applause；　to…night　is　his　third　night；　and　I　am　going　to　it。　　I　did　not　think　it　would　have　succeeded　so　well；　considering　how　long　our　British　audiences　have　been　accustomed　to　murder；　racks；　and　poison；　in　every　tragedy；　but　it　affected　the　heart　so　much；　that　it　triumphed　over　habit　and　prejudice。　　All　the　women　cried；　and　all　the　men　were　moved。　　The　prologue；　which　is　a　very　good　one；　was　made　entirely　by　Garrick。　　The　epilogue　is　old　Cibber's　；　but　corrected；　though　not　enough；　by　Francis。　　He　will　get　a　great　deal　of；　money　by　it；　and；　consequently；　be　better　able　to　lend　you　sixpence；　upon　any　emergency。

The　parliament　of　Paris；　I　find　by　the　newspapers；　has　not　carried　its　point　concerning　the　hospitals；　and；　though　the　King　hath　given　up　the　Archbishop；　yet　as　he　has　put　them　under　the　management　and　direction　'du　Grand　Conseil'；　the　parliament　is　equally　out　of　the　question。　　This　will　naturally　put　you　upon　inquiring　into　the　constitution　of　the　'Grand　Conseil'。　　You　will；　doubtless；　inform　yourself　who　it　is　composed　of；　what　things　are　'de　son　ressort'；　whether　or　not　there　lies　an　appeal　from　thence　to　any　other　place；　and　of　all　other　particulars；　that　may　give　you　a　clear　notion　of　this　assembly。　　There　are　also　three　or　four　other　Conseils　in　France；　of　which　you　ought　to　know　the　constitution　and　the　objects；　I　dare　say　you　do　know　them　already；　but　if　you　do　not；　lose　no　time　in　informing　yourself。　　These　things；　as　I　have　often　told　you；　are　best　learned　in　various　French　companies：　but　in　no　English　ones；　for　none　of　our　countrymen　trouble　their　heads　about　them。　　To　use　a　very　trite　image；　collect；　like　the　bee；　your　store　from　every　quarter。　　In　some　companies　（'parmi　les　fermiers　generaux　nommement'）　you　may；　by　proper　inquiries；　get　a　general　knowledge；　at　least；　of　'les　affaires　des　finances'。　　When　you　are　with　'des　gens　de　robe'；　suck　them　with　regard　to　the　constitution；　and　civil　go