letters to his son, 1752-第5章

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ces'。　　When　you　are　with　'des　gens　de　robe'；　suck　them　with　regard　to　the　constitution；　and　civil　government；　and　'sic　de　caeteris'。　　This　shows　you　the　advantage　of　keeping　a　great　deal　of　different　French　company；　an　advantage　much　superior　to　any　that　you　can　possibly　receive　from　loitering　and　sauntering　away　evenings　in　any　English　company　at　Paris；　not　even　excepting　Lord　A。　　Love　of　ease；　and　fear　of　restraint　（to　both　which　I　doubt　you　are；　for　a　young　fellow；　too　much　addicted）　may　invite　you　among　your　countrymen：　but　pray　withstand　those　mean　temptations；　'et　prenez　sur　vous'；　for　the　sake　of　being　in　those　assemblies；　which　alone　can　inform　your　mind　and　improve　your　manners。　You　have　not　now　many　months　to　continue　at　Paris；　make　the　most　of　them；　get　into　every　house　there；　if　you　can；　extend　acquaintance；　know　everything　and　everybody　there；　that　when　you　leave　it　for　other　places；　you　may　be　'au　fait'；　and　even　able　to　explain　whatever　you　may　hear　mentioned　concerning　it。　　Adieu。




LETTER　CLXI

LONDON；　March　2；　O。　S。　　1752。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　Whereabouts　are　you　in　Ariosto？　　Or　have　you　gone　through　that　most　ingenious　contexture　of　truth　and　lies；　of　serious　and　extravagant；　of　knights…errant；　magicians；　and　all　that　various　matter　which　he　announces　in　the　beginning　of　his　poem：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Le　Donne；　I　Cavalier；　l'arme；　gli　amori；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Le　cortesie；　l'audaci　impreso　io　canto。

I　am　by　no　means　sure　that　Homer　had　superior　invention；　or　excelled　more　in　description　than　Ariosto。　　What　can　be　more　seducing　and　voluptuous；　than　the　description　of　Alcina's　person　and　palace？　　What　more　ingeniously　extravagant；　than　the　search　made　in　the　moon　for　Orlando's　lost　wits；　and　the　account　of　other　people's　that　were　found　there？　　The　whole　is　worth　your　attention；　not　only　as　an　ingenious　poem；　but　as　the　source　of　all　modern　tales；　novels；　fables；　and　romances；　as　Ovid's　〃Metamorphoses；〃　was　of　the　ancient　ones；　besides；　that　when　you　have　read　this　work；　nothing　will　be　difficult　to　you　in　the　Italian　language。　You　will　read　Tasso's　'Gierusalemme'；　and　the　'Decamerone　di　Boccacio'；　with　great　facility　afterward；　and　when　you　have　read　those　three　authors；　you　will；　in　my　opinion；　have　read　all　the　works　of　invention　that　are　worth　reading　in　that　language；　though　the　Italians　would　be　very　angry　at　me　for　saying　so。

A　gentleman　should　know　those　which　I　call　classical　works；　in　every　language；　such　as　Boileau；　Corneille；　Racine；　Moliere；　etc。；　in　French；　Milton；　Dryden；　Pope；　Swift；　etc。；　in　English；　and　the　three　authors　above　mentioned　in　Italian；　whether　you　have　any　such　in　German　I　am　not　quite　sure；　nor；　indeed；　am　I　inquisitive。　　These　sort　of　books　adorn　the　mind；　improve　the　fancy；　are　frequently　alluded　to　by；　and　are　often　the　subjects　of　conversations　of　the　best　companies。　　As　you　have　languages　to　read；　and　memory　to　retain　them；　the　knowledge　of　them　is　very　well　worth　the　little　pains　it　will　cost　you；　and　will　enable　you　to　shine　in　company。　　It　is　not　pedantic　to　quote　and　allude　to　them；　which　it　would　be　with　regard　to　the　ancients。

Among　the　many　advantages　which　you　have　had　in　your　education；　I　do　not　consider　your　knowledge　of　several　languages　as　the　least。　　You　need　not　trust　to　translations；　you　can　go　to　the　source；　you　can　both　converse　and　negotiate　with　people　of　all　nations；　upon　equal　terms；　which　is　by　no　means　the　case　of　a　man；　who　converses　or　negotiates　in　a　language　which　those　with　whom　he　hath　to　do　know　much　better　than　himself。　　In　business；　a　great　deal　may　depend　upon　the　force　and　extent　of　one　word；　and；　in　conversation；　a　moderate　thought　may　gain；　or　a　good　one　lose；　by　the　propriety　or　impropriety；　the　elegance　or　inelegance　of　one　single　word。　　As　therefore　you　now　know　four　modern　languages　well；　I　would　have　you　study　（and；　by　the　way；　it　will　be　very　little　trouble　to　you）　to　know　them　correctly；　accurately；　and　delicately。　　Read　some　little　books　that　treat　of　them；　and　ask　questions　concerning　their　delicacies；　of　those　who　are　able　to　answer　you。　　As；　for　instance；　should　I　say　in　French；　'la　lettre　que　je　vous　ai　ECRIT'；　or；　'la　lettre　que　je　vous　ai　ECRITE'？　　in　which；　I　think；　the　French　differ　among　themselves。　　There　is　a　short　French　grammar　by　the　Port　Royal；　and　another　by　Pere　Bufiier；　both　which　are　worth　your　reading；　as　is　also　a　little　book　called　'Les　Synonymes　Francois。　　There　are　books　of　that　kind　upon　the　Italian　language；　into　some　of　which　I　would　advise　you　to　dip；　possibly　the　German　language　may　have　something　of　the　same　sort；　and　since　you　already　speak　it；　the　more　properly　you　speak　it　the　better；　one　would；　I　think；　as　far　as　possible；　do　all　one　does　correctly　and　elegantly。　It　is　extremely　engaging　to　people　of　every　nation；　to　meet　with　a　foreigner　who　hath　taken　pains　enough　to　speak　their　language　correctly；　it　flatters　that　local　and　national　pride　and　prejudice　of　which　everybody　hath　some　share。

Francis's　〃Eugenia；〃　which　I　will　send　you；　pleased　most　people　of　good　taste　here；　the　boxes　were　crowded　till　the　sixth　night；　when　the　pit　and　gallery　were　totally　deserted；　and　it　was　dropped。　　Distress；　without　death；　was　not　sufficient　to　affect　a　true　British　audience；　so　long　accustomed　to　daggers；　racks；　and　bowls　of　poison：　contrary　to　Horace's　rule；　they　desire　to　see　Medea　murder　her　children　upon　the　stage。　　The　sentiments　were　too　delicate　to　move　them；　and　their　hearts　are　to　be　taken　by　storm；　not　by　parley。

Have　you　got　the　things；　which　were　taken　from　you　at　Calais；　restored？　and；　among　them；　the　little　packet　which　my　sister　gave　you　for　Sir　Charles　Hotham？　　In　this　case；　have　you　forwarded　it　to　him？　　If　you　have　not　had　an　opportunity；　you　will　have　one　soon；　which　I　desire　you　will　not　omit；　it　is　by　Monsieur　d'Aillion；　whom　you　will　see　in　a　few　days　at　Paris；　in　his　way　to　Geneva；　where　Sir　Charles　now　is；　and　will　remain　some　time。　　Adieu：




LETTER　CLXII

LONDON；　March　5；　O。　S。　　1752

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　As　I　have　received　no　letter　from　you　by　the　usual　post；　I　am　uneasy　upon　account　of　your　health；　for；　had　you　been　well；　I　am　sure　you　would　have　written；　according　to　your　engagement　and　my　requisition。　　You　have　not　the　least　notion　of　any　care　of　your　health；　but　though　I　would　not　have　you　be　a　valetudinarian；　I　must　tell　you　that　the　best　and　most　robust　health　requires　some　degree　of　attention　to　preserve。　　Young　fellows；　thinking　they　have　so　much　health　and　time　before　them；　are　very　apt　to　neglect　or　lavish　both；　and　beggar　themselves　before　they　are　aware：　whereas　a　prudent　economy　in　both　would　make　them　rich　indeed；　and　so　far　from　breaking　in　upon　their　pleasures；　would　improve；　and　almost　perpetuate　them。　　Be　you　wiser；　and；　before　it　is　too　late；　manage　both　with　care　and　frugality；　and　lay　out　neither；　but　upon　good　interest　and　security。

I　will　now　confine　myself　to　the　employment　of　your　time；　which；　though　I　have　often　touched　upon　formerly；　is　a　subject　that；　from　its　importance；　will　bear　repetition。　　You　have　it　is　true；　a　great　deal　of　time　before　you；　but；　in　this　period　of　your　life；　one　hour　usefully　employed　may　be　worth　more　than　four…and…twenty　hereafter；　a　minute　is　precious　to　you　now；　whole　days　may　possibly　not　be　so　forty　years　hence。　　Whatever　time　you　allow；　or　can　snatch　for　serious　reading　（I　say　snatch；　because　company　and　the　knowledge　of　the　world　is　now　your　chief　object）；　employ　it　in　the　reading　of　some　one　book；　and　that　a　good　one；　till　you　have　finished　it：　and　do　not　distract　your　mind　with　various　matters　at　the　same　time。　　In　this　light　I　would　recommend　to　you　to　read　'tout　de　suite'　Grotius　'de　Jure　Belli　et　Pacis'；　translated　by　Barbeyrac；　and　Puffendorff's　'Jus　Gentium'；　translated　by　the　same　hand。　　For　accidental　quarters　of　hours；　read　works　of　invention；　wit　and　humor；　of　the　best；　and　not　of　trivial　authors；　either　ancient　or　modern。

Whatever　business　you　have；　do　it　the　first　moment　you　can；　never　by　halves；　but　finish　it　without　interruption；　if　possible。　　Business　must　not　be　sauntered　and　trifled　with；　and　you　must　not　say　to　it；　as　Felix　did　to　Paul；　〃At　a　more　convenient　season　I　will　speak　to　thee。〃　The　most　convenient　season　for　business　is　the　first；　but　study　and　business　in　some　measure　point　out　their　own　times　to　a　man　of　sense；　time　is　much　oftener　squandered　away　in　the　wrong　choice　and　improper　methods　of　amusement　and　pleasures。

Many　people　think　that　they　are　in　pleasures；　provided　they　are　neither　in　study　nor　in　business。　　Nothing　like　it；　they　are　doing　nothing；　and　might　just　as　well　be　asleep。　　They　contract　habitudes　from　laziness；　and　they）　only　frequent　those　places　where　they　are　free　from　all　restraints　and　attentions。　　Be　upon　your　guard　against　this　idle　profusion　of　time；　and　let　every　place　you　go　to　be　either　the　scene　of　quick　and　lively　pleasures；　or　the　school　of　your　own　improvements；　let　every　company　you　go　into　either　gratify　your　senses；　extend　your　knowledge；　or　refine　your　manners。　　Have　some　decent　object　of　gallantry　in　view　at　some　places；　frequent　others；　where　people　of　wit　and　taste　assemble；　get　into　others；　where　people　of　superior　rank　and　dignity　command　respect　and　attention　from　the　rest　of　the　company；　but　pray　frequent　no　neutral　places；　from　mere　idleness　and　indolence。　　Nothing　forms　a　young　man　so　much　as　being　used　to　keep　respectable　and　superior　company；　where　a　constant　regard　and　attention　is　necessary。　　It　is　true；　this　is　at　first　a　disagreeable　state　of　restraint；　but　it　soon　grows　habitual；　and　consequently　easy；　and　you　are　amply　paid　for　it；　by　the　improvement　you　make；　and　the　credit　it　gives　you。　　What　you　said　some　time　ago　was　very　true；　concerning　'le　Palais　Royal'；　to　one　of　your　age　the　situation　is　disagreeable　enough：　you　cannot　expect　to　be　much　taken　notice　of；　but　all　that　time　you　can　take　notice　of　others；　observe　their　manners；　decipher　their　characters；　and　insensibly　you　will　become　one　of　the　company。

All　this　I　went　through　myself；　when　I　was　of　your　age。　　I　have　sat　hours　in　company　without　being　taken　the　least　notice　of；　but　then　I　took　notice　of　them；　and　learned　in　their　company　how　to　behave　myself　better　in　the　next；　till　by　degrees　I　became　part　of　the　best　companies　myself。　But　I　took　great　care　not　to　lavish　away　my　time　in　those　companies　where　there　were　neither　quick　pleasures　nor　useful　improvements　to　be　expected。

Sloth；　indolence；　and　'mollesse'　are　pernicious　and　unbecoming　a　young　fellow；　let　them　be　your　'ressource'　forty　years　hence　at　soonest。　Determine；　at　all　events；　and　however　disagreeable　it　may　to　you　in　some　respects；　and　for　some　time；　to　keep　the　most　distinguished　and　fashionable　company　of　the　place　you　are　at；　either　for　their　rank；　or　for　their　learning；　or　'le　bel　esprit　et　le　gout'。　　This　gives　you　credentials　to　the　best　companies；　wherever　you　go　afterward。　　Pray；　therefore；　no　indolence；　no　laziness；　but　employ　every　minute　in　your　life　in　active　pleasures；　or　useful　employments。　　Address　yourself　to　some　woman　of　fashion　and　beauty；　wherever　you　are；　and　try　how　far　that　will　go。　　If　the　place　be　not　secured　beforehand；　and　garrisoned；　nine　times　in　ten　you　will　take　it。　　By　attenti