letters to his son, 1752-第6章

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the　place　be　not　secured　beforehand；　and　garrisoned；　nine　times　in　ten　you　will　take　it。　　By　attentions　and　respect　you　may　always　get　into　the　highest　company：　and　by　some　admiration　and　applause；　whether　merited　or　not；　you　may　be　sure　of　being　welcome　among　'les　savans　et　les　beaux　esprits'。　　There　are　but　these　three　sorts　of　company　for　a　young　fellow；　there　being　neither　pleasure　nor　profit　in　any　other。

My　uneasiness　with　regard　to　your　health　is　this　moment　removed　by　your　letter　of　the　8th　N。　S。；　which；　by　what　accident　I　do　not　know；　I　did　not　receive　before。

I　long　to　read　Voltaire's　'Rome　Sauvee'；　which；　by　the　very　faults　that　your　SEVERE　critics　find　with　it；　I　am　sure　I　shall　like；　for　I　will　at　an　any　time　give　up　a　good　deal　of　regularity　for　a　great　deal　of　brillant；　and　for　the　brillant　surely　nobody　is　equal　to　Voltaire。　Catiline's　conspiracy　is　an　unhappy　subject　for　a　tragedy；　it　is　too　single；　and　gives　no　opportunity　to　the　poet　to　excite　any　of　the　tender　passions；　the　whole　is　one　intended　act　of　horror；　Crebillon　was　sensible　of　this　defect；　and　to　create　another　interest；　most　absurdly　made　Catiline　in　love　with　Cicero's　daughter；　and　her　with　him。

I　am　very　glad　that　you　went　to　Versailles；　and　dined　with　Monsieur　de　St。　Contest。　　That　is　company　to　learn　'les　bonnes　manieres'　in；　and　it　seems　you　had　'les　bonnes　morceaux'　into　the　bargain。　　Though　you　were　no　part　of　the　King　of　France's　conversation　with　the　foreign　ministers；　and　probably　not　much　entertained　with　it；　do　you　think　that　it　is　not　very　useful　to　you　to　hear　it；　and　to　observe　the　turn　and　manners　of　people　of　that　sort？　　It　is　extremely　useful　to　know　it　well。　　The　same　in　the　next　rank　of　people；　such　as　ministers　of　state；　etc。；　in　whose　company；　though　you　cannot　yet；　at　your　age；　bear　a　part；　and　consequently　be　diverted；　you　will　observe　and　learn；　what　hereafter　it　may　be　necessary　for　you　to　act。

Tell　Sir　John　Lambert　that　I　have　this　day　fixed　Mr。　Spencer's　having　his　credit　upon　him；　Mr。　Hoare　had　also　recommended　him。　　I　believe　Mr。　Spencer　will　set　out　next　month　for　some　place　in　France；　but　not　Paris。　I　am　sure　he　wants　a　great　deal　of　France；　for　at　present　he　is　most　entirely　English：　and　you　know　very　well　what　I　think　of　that。　　And　so　we　bid　you　heartily　good…night。




LETTER　CLXIII

LONDON；　March　16；　O。　S。　　1752

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　How　do　you　go　on　with　the　most　useful　and　most　necessary　of　all　studies；　the　study　of　the　world？　　Do　you　find　that　you　gain　knowledge？　　And　does　your　daily　experience　at　once　extend　and　demonstrate　your　improvement？　　You　will　possibly　ask　me　how　you　can　judge　of　that　yourself。　　I　will　tell　you　a　sure　way　of　knowing。　　Examine　yourself；　and　see　whether　your　notions　of　the　world　are　changed；　by　experience；　from　what　they　were　two　years　ago　in　theory；　for　that　alone　is　one　favorable　symptom　of　improvement。　　At　that　age　（I　remember　it　in　myself）　every　notion　that　one　forms　is　erroneous；　one　hath　seen　few　models；　and　those　none　of　the　best；　to　form　one's　self　upon。　　One　thinks　that　everything　is　to　be　carried　by　spirit　and　vigor；　that　art　is　meanness；　and　that　versatility　and　complaisance　are　the　refuge　of　pusilanimity　and　weakness。　This　most　mistaken　opinion　gives　an　indelicacy；　a　'brusquerie'；　and　a　roughness　to　the　manners。　　Fools；　who　can　never　be　undeceived；　retain　them　as　long　as　they　live：　reflection；　with　a　little　experience；　makes　men　of　sense　shake　them　off　soon。　　When　they　come　to　be　a　little　better　acquainted　with　themselves；and　with　their　own　species；　they　discover　that　plain　right　reason　is；　nine　times　in　ten；　the　fettered　and　shackled　attendant　of　the　triumph　of　the　heart　and　the　passions；　and；　consequently；　they　address　themselves　nine　times　in　ten　to　the　conqueror；　not　to　the　conquered：　and　conquerors；　you　know；　must　be　applied　to　in　the　gentlest；　the　most　engaging；　and　the　most　insinuating　manner。　　Have　you　found　out　that　every　woman　is　infallibly　to　be　gained　by　every　sort　of　flattery；　and　every　man　by　one　sort　or　other？　　Have　you　discovered　what　variety　of　little　things　affect　the　heart；　and　how　surely　they　collectively　gain　it？　　If　you　have；　you　have　made　some　progress。　　I　would　try　a　man's　knowledge　of　the　world；　as　I　would　a　schoolboy's　knowledge　of　Horace：　not　by　making　him　construe　'Maecenas　atavis　edite　regibus'；　which　he　could　do　in　the　first　form；　but　by　examining　him　as　to　the　delicacy　and　'curiosa　felicitas'　of　that　poet。　　A　man　requires　very　little　knowledge　and　experience　of　the　world；　to　understand　glaring；　high…　colored；　and　decided　characters；　they　are　but　few；　and　they　strike　at　first：　but　to　distinguish　the　almost　imperceptible　shades；　and　the　nice　gradations　of　virtue　and　vice；　sense　and　folly；　strength　and　weakness　（of　which　characters　are　commonly　composed）；　demands　some　experience；　great　observation；　and　minute　attention。　　In　the　same　cases；　most　people　do　the　same　things；　but　with　this　material　difference；　upon　which　the　success　commonly　turns：　A　man　who　hath　studied　the　world　knows　when　to　time；　and　where　to　place　them；　he　hath　analyzed　the　characters　he　applies　to；　and　adapted　his　address　and　his　arguments　to　them：　but　a　man；　of　what　is　called　plain　good　sense；　who　hath　only　reasoned　by　himself；　and　not　acted　with　mankind；　mistimes；　misplaces；　runs　precipitately　and　bluntly　at　the　mark；　and　falls　upon　his　nose　in　the　way。　　In　the　common　manners　of　social　life；　every　man　of　common　sense　hath　the　rudiments；　the　A　B　C　of　civility；　he　means　not　to　offend；　and　even　wishes　to　please：　and；　if　he　hath　any　real　merit；　will　be　received　and　tolerated　in　good　company。　But　that　is　far　from　being　enough；　for；　though　he　may　be　received；　he　will　never　be　desired；　though　he　does　not　offend；　he　will　never　be　loved；　but；　like　some　little；　insignificant；　neutral　power；　surrounded　by　great　ones；　he　will　neither　be　feared　nor　courted　by　any；　but；　by　turns；　invaded　by　all；　whenever　it　is　their　interest。　　A　most　contemptible　situation！　　Whereas；　a　man　who　hath　carefully　attended　to；　and　experienced；　the　various　workings　of　the　heart；　and　the　artifices　of　the　head；　and　who；　by　one　shade；　can　trace　the　progression　of　the　whole　color；　who　can；　at　the　proper　times；　employ　all　the　several　means　of　persuading　the　understanding；　and　engaging　the　heart；　may　and　will　have　enemies；　but　will　and　must　have　friends：　he　may　be　opposed；　but　he　will　be　supported　too；　his　talents　may　excite　the　jealousy　of　some；　but　his　engaging　arts　will　make　him　beloved　by　many　more；　he　will　be　considerable；　he　will　be　considered。　　Many　different　qualifications　must　conspire　to　form　such　a　man；　and　to　make　him　at　once　respectable　and　amiable；　the　least　must　be　joined　to　the　greatest；　the　latter　would　be　unavailing　without　the　former；　and　the　former　would　be　futile　and　frivolous；　without　the　latter。　　Learning　is　acquired　by　reading　books；　but　the　much　more　necessary　learning；　the　knowledge　of　the　world；　is　only　to　be　acquired　by　reading　men；　and　studying　all　the　various　editions　of　them。　　Many　words　in　every　language　are　generally　thought　to　be　synonymous；　but　those　who　study　the　language　attentively　will　find；　that　there　is　no　such　thing；　they　will　discover　some　little　difference；　some　distinction　between　all　those　words　that　are　vulgarly　called　synonymous；　one　hath　always　more　energy；　extent；　or　delicacy；　than　another。　　It　is　the　same　with　men；　all　are　in　general；　and　yet　no　two　in　particular；　exactly　alike。　　Those　who　have　not　accurately　studied；　perpetually　mistake　them；　they　do　not　discern　the　shades　and　gradations　that　distinguish　characters　seemingly　alike。　　Company；　various　company；　is　the　only　school　for　this　knowledge。　　You　ought　to　be；　by　this　time；　at　least　in　the　third　form　of　that　school；　from　whence　the　rise　to　the　uppermost　is　easy　and　quick；　but　then　you　must　have　application　and　vivacity；　and　you　must　not　only　bear　with；　but　even　seek　restraint　in　most　companies；　instead　of　stagnating　in　one　or　two　only；　where　indolence　and　love　of　ease　may　be　indulged。

In　the　plan　which　I　gave　you　in　my　last；＇That　letter　is　missing。＇　for　your　future　motions；　I　forgot　to　tell　you；　that；　if　a　king　of　the　Romans　should　be　chosen　this　year；　you　shall　certainly　be　at　that　election；　and　as；　upon　those　occasions；　all　strangers　are　excluded　from　the　place　of　the　election；　except　such　as　belong　to　some　ambassador；　I　have　already　eventually　secured　you　a　place　in　the　suite　of　the　King's　Electoral　Ambassador；　who　will　be　sent　upon　that　account　to　Frankfort；　or　wherever　else　the　election　may　be。　　This　will　not　only　secure　you　a　sight　of　the　show；　but　a　knowledge　of　the　whole　thing；　which　is　likely　to　be　a　contested　one；　from　the　opposition　of　some　of　the　electors；　and　the　protests　of　some　of　the　princes　of　the　empire。　　That　election；　if　there　is　one；　will；　in　my　opinion；　be　a　memorable　era　in　the　history　of　the　empire；　pens　at　least；　if　not　swords；　will　be　drawn；　and　ink；　if　not　blood；　will　be　plentifully　shed　by　the　contending　parties　in　that　dispute。　　During　the　fray；　you　may　securely　plunder；　and　add　to　your　present　stock　of　knowledge　of　the　'jus　publicum　imperii'。　　The　court　of　France　hath；　I　am　told；　appointed　le　President　Ogier；　a　man　of　great　abilities；　to　go　immediately　to　Ratisbon；　'pour　y　souffler　la　discorde'。　It　must　be　owned　that　France　hath　always　profited　skillfully　of　its　having　guaranteed　the　treaty　of　Munster；　which　hath　given　it　a　constant　pretense　to　thrust　itself　into　the　affairs　of　the　empire。　　When　France　got　Alsace　yielded　by　treaty；　it　was　very　willing　to　have　held　it　as　a　fief　of　the　empire；　but　the　empire　was　then　wiser。　　Every　power　should　be　very　careful　not　to　give　the　least　pretense　to　a　neighboring　power　to　meddle　with　the　affairs　of　its　interior。　　Sweden　hath　already　felt　the　effects　of　the　Czarina's　calling　herself　Guarantee　of　its　present　form　of　government；　in　consequence　of　the　treaty　of　Neustadt；　confirmed　afterward　by　that　of　Abo；　though；　in　truth；　that　guarantee　was　rather　a　provision　against　Russia's　attempting　to　alter　the　then　new　established　form　of　government　in　Sweden；　than　any　right　given　to　Russia　to　hinder　the　Swedes　from　establishing　what　form　of　government　they　pleased。　　Read　them　both；　if　you　can　get　them。　　Adieu。




LETTER　CLXIV

LONDON；　April　73；　O。　　S。　　1752

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　receive　this　moment　your　letter　of　the　19th；　N。　S。；　with　the　inclosed　pieces　relative　to　　the　present　dispute　between　the　King　and　the　parliament。　　I　shall　return　them　by　Lord　Huntingdon；　whom　you　will　soon　see　at　Paris；　and　who　will　likewise　carry　you　the　piece；　which　I　forgot　in　making　up　the　packet　I　sent　you　by　the　Spanish　Ambassador。　　The　representation　of　the　parliament　is　very　well　drawn；　'suaviter　in　modo；　fortiter　in　re'。　　They　tell　the　King　very　respectfully；　that；　in　a　certain　case；　WHICH　THEY　SHOULD　THINK　IT　CRIMINAL　To　SUPPOSE；　they　would　not　obey　him。　　This　hath　a　tendency　to　what　we　call　here　revolution　principles。　　I　do　not　know　what　the　Lord's　anointed；　his　vicegerent　upon　earth；　divinely　appointed　by　him；　and　accountable　to　none　but　him　for　his　actions；　will　either　think　or　do；　upon　these　symptoms　of　reason　and　good　sense；　which　seem　to　be　breaking　out　all　over　France：　but　this　I　foresee；　that；　before　the　end　of　this　century；　the　trade　of　both　king　and　pries