letters to his son, 1750-第10章

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e　is　by　far　the　most　like　I　ever　saw　in　my　life）；　I　draw　good　conclusions　from　your　countenance；　which　has　both　spirit　and　finesse　in　it。　　In　bulk　you　are　pretty　well　increased　since　I　saw　you；　if　your　height　has　not　increased　in　proportion；　I　desire　that　you　will　make　haste　to；　complete　it。　　Seriously；　I　believe　that　your　exercises　at　Paris　will　make　you　shoot　up　to　a　good　size；　your　legs；　by　all　accounts；　seem　to　promise　it。　　Dancing　excepted；　the　wholesome　part　is　the　best　part　of　those　academical　exercises。　　'Ils　degraissent　leur　homme'。

'A　propos'　of　exercises；　I　have　prepared　everything　for　your　reception　at　Monsieur　de　la　Gueriniere's；　and　your　room；　etc。；　will　be　ready　at　your　arrival。　　I　am　sure　you　must　be　sensible　how　much　better　it　will　be　for　you　to　be　interne　in　the　Academy　for　the　first　six　or　seven　months　at　least；　than　to　be　'en　hotel　garni'；　at　some　distance　from　it；　and　obliged　to　go　to　it　every　morning；　let　the　weather　be　what　it　will；　not　to　mention　the　loss　of　time　too；　besides；　by　living　and　boarding　in　the　Academy；　you　will　make　an　acquaintance　with　half　the　young　fellows　of　fashion　at　Paris；　and　in　a　very　little　while　be　looked　upon　as　one　of　them　in　all　French　companies：　an　advantage　that　has　never　yet　happened　to　any　one　Englishman　that　I　have　known。　　I　am　sure　you　do　not　suppose　that　the　difference　of　the　expense；　which　is　but　a　trifle；　has　any　weight　with　me　in　this　resolution。　　You　have　the　French　language　so　perfectly；　and　you　will　acquire　the　French　'tournure'　so　soon；　that　I　do　not　know　anybody　likely　to　pass　their　time　so　well　at　Paris　as　yourself。　　Our　young　countrymen　have　generally　too　little　French；　and　too　bad　address；　either　to　present　themselves；　or　be　well　received　in　the　best　French　companies；　and；　as　a　proof　of　it；　there　is　no　one　instance　of　an　Englishman's　having　ever　been　suspected　of　a　gallantry　with　a　French　woman　of　condition；　though　every　French　woman　of　condition　is　more　than　suspected　of　having　a　gallantry。　　But　they　take　up　with　the　disgraceful　and　dangerous　commerce　of　prostitutes；　actresses；　dancing…women；　and　that　sort　of　trash；　though；　if　they　had　common　address；　better　achievements　would　be　extremely　easy。　　'Un　arrangement'；　which　is　in　plain　English　a　gallantry；　is；　at　Paris；　as　necessary　a　part　of　a　woman　of　fashion's　establishment；　as　her　house；　stable；　coach；　etc。　　A　young　fellow　must　therefore　be　a　very　awkward　one；　to　be　reduced　to；　or　of　a　very　singular　taste；　to　prefer　drabs　and　danger　to　a　commerce　（in　the　course　of　the　world　not　disgraceful）　with　a　woman　of　health；　education；　and　rank。　Nothing　sinks　a　young　man　into　low　company；　both　of　women　and　men；　so　surely　as　timidity　and　diffidence　of　himself。　　If　he　thinks　that　he　shall　not；　he　may　depend　upon　it　he　will　not　please。　　But　with　proper　endeavors　to　please；　and　a　degree　of　persuasion　that　he　shall；　it　is　almost　certain　that　he　will。　　How　many　people　does　one　meet　with　everywhere；　who；　with　very　moderate　parts；　and　very　little　knowledge；　push　themselves　pretty　far；　simply　by　being　sanguine；　enterprising；　and　persevering？　　They　will　take　no　denial　from　man　or　woman；　difficulties　do　not　discourage　them；　repulsed　twice　or　thrice；　they　rally；　they　charge　again；　and　nine　times　in　ten　prevail　at　last。　　The　same　means　will　much　sooner；　and；　more　certainly；　attain　the　same　ends；　with　your　parts　and　knowledge。　　You　have　a　fund　to　be　sanguine　upon；　and　good　forces　to　rally。　　In　business　（talents　supposed）　nothing　is　more　effectual　or　successful；　than　a　good；　though　concealed　opinion　of　one's　self；　a　firm　resolution；　and　an　unwearied　perseverance。　　None　but　madmen　attempt　impossibilities；　and　whatever　is　possible；　is　one　way　or　another　to　be　brought　about。　　If　one　method　fails；　try　another；　and　suit　your　methods　to　the　characters　you　have　to　do　with。　　At　the　treaty　of　the　Pyrenees；　which　Cardinal　Mazarin　and　Don　Louis　de　Haro　concluded；　'dans　l'Isle　des　Faisans'；　the　latter　carried　some　very　important　points　by　his　constant　and　cool　perseverance。

The　Cardinal　had　all　the　Italian　vivacity　and　impatience；　Don　Louis　all　the　Spanish　phlegm　and　tenaciousness。　　The　point　which　the　Cardinal　had　most　at　heart　was；　to　hinder　the　re…establishment　of　the　Prince　of　Conde；　his　implacable　enemy；　but　he　was　in　haste　to　conclude；　and　impatient　to　return　to　Court；　where　absence　is　always　dangerous。　　Don　Louis　observed　this；　and　never　failed　at　every　conference　to　bring　the　affair　of　the　Prince　of　Conde　upon　the　tapis。　　The　Cardinal　for　some　time　refused　even　to　treat　upon　it。　　Don　Louis；　with　the　same　'sang　froid'；　as　constantly　persisted；　till　he　at　last　prevailed：　contrary　to　the　intentions　and　the　interest　both　of　the　Cardinal　and　of　his　Court。　　Sense　must　distinguish　between　what　is　impossible；　and　what　is　only　difficult；　and　spirit　and　perseverance　will　get　the　better　of　the　latter。　　Every　man　is　to　be　had　one　way　or　another；　and　every　woman　almost　any　way。　　I　must　not　omit　one　thing；　which　is　previously　necessary　to　this；　and；　indeed；　to　everything　else；　which　is　attention；　a　flexibility　of　attention；　never　to　be　wholly　engrossed　by　any　past　or　future　object；　but　instantly　directed　to　the　present　one；　be　it　what　it　will。　　An　absent　man　can　make　but　few　observations；　and　those　will　be　disjointed　and　imperfect　ones；　as　half　the　circumstance　must　necessarily　escape　him。　　He　can　pursue　nothing　steadily；　because　his　absences　make　him　lose　his　way。　　They　are　very　disagreeable；　and　hardly　to　be　tolerated　in　old　age；　but　in　youth　they　cannot　be　forgiven。　　If　you　find　that　you　have　the　least　tendency　to　them；　pray　watch　yourself　very　carefully；　and　you　may　prevent　them　now；　but　if　you　let　them　grow　into　habit；　you　will　find　it　very　difficult　to　cure　them　hereafter；　and　a　worse　distemper　I　do　not　know。

I　heard　with　great　satisfaction　the　other　day；　from　one　who　has　been　lately　at　Rome；　that　nobody　was　better　received　in　the　best　companies　than　yourself。　　The　same　thing；　I　dare　say；　will　happen　to　you　at　Paris；　where　they　are　particularly　kind　to　all　strangers；　who　will　be　civil　to　them；　and　show　a　desire　of　pleasing。　　But　they　must　be　flattered　a　little；　not　only　by　words；　but　by　a　seeming　preference　given　to　their　country；　their　manners；　and　their　customs；　which　is　but　a　very　small　price　to　pay　for　a　very　good　reception。　　Were　I　in　Africa；　I　would　pay　it　to　a　negro　for　his　goodwill。　　Adieu。




LETTER　CXVI

LONDON；　June　11；　O。　S。　　1750

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　The　President　Montesquieu　（whom　you　will　be　acquainted　with　at　Paris）；　after　having　laid　down　in　his　book；　'De　l'Esprit　des　Lois'；　the　nature　and　principles　of　the　three　different　kinds　of　government；　viz；　the　democratical；　the　monarchical；　and　the　despotic；　treats　of　the　education　necessary　for　each　respective　form。　　His　chapter　upon　the　education　proper　for　the　monarchical　I　thought　worth　transcribing　and　sending　to　you。　　You　will　observe　that　the　monarchy　which　he　has　in　his　eye　is　France：

〃In　monarchies；　the　principal　branch　of　education　is　not　taught　in　colleges　or　academies。　　It　commences；　in　some　measure；　at　our　setting　out　in　the　world；　for　this　is　the　school　of　what　we　call　honor；　that　universal　preceptor；　which　ought　everywhere　to　be　our　guide。

〃Here　it　is　that　we　constantly　hear　three　rules　or　maxims；　viz　：　That　we　should　have　a　certain　nobleness　in　our　virtues；　a　kind　of　frankness　in　our　morals；　and　a　particular　politeness　in　our　behavior。

〃The　virtues　we　are　here　taught；　are　less　what　we　owe　to　others；　than　to　ourselves；　they　are　not　so　much　what　draws　us　toward　society；　as　what　distinguishes　us　from　our　fellow…citizens。

〃Here　the　actions　of　men　are　judged；　not　as　virtuous；　but　as　shining；　not　as　just；　but　as　great；　not　as　reasonable；　but　as　extraordinary。

〃When　honor　here　meets　with　anything　noble　in　our　actions；　it　is　either　a　judge　that　approves　them；　or　a　sophister　by　whom　they　are　excused。

〃It　allows　of　gallantry；　when　united　with　the　idea　of　sensible　affection；　or　with　that　of　conquest；　this　is　the　reason　why　we　never　meet　with　so　strict　a　purity　of　morals　in　monarchies　as　in　republican　governments。

〃It　allows　of　cunning　and　craft；　when　joined　with　the　notion　of　greatness　of　soul　or　importance　of　affairs；　as；　for　instance；　in　politics；　with　whose　finenesses　it　is　far　from　being　offended。

〃It　does　not　forbid　adulation；　but　when　separate　from　the　idea　of　a　large　fortune；　and　connected　only　with　the　sense　of　our　mean　condition。

〃With　regard　to　morals；　I　have　observed；　that　the　education　of　monarchies　ought　to　admit　of　a　certain　frankness　and　open　carriage。　　Truth；　therefore；　in　conversation；　is　here　a　necessary　point。　　But　is　it　for　the　sake　of　truth。　　By　no　means。　　Truth　is　requisite　only；　because　a　person　habituated　to　veracity　has　an　air　of　boldness　and　freedom。　　And；　indeed；　a　man　of　this　stamp　seems　to　lay　a　stress　only　on　the　things　themselves；　not　on　the　manner　in　which　they　are　received。

〃Hence　it　is；　that　in　proportion　as　this　kind　of　frankness　is　commended；　that　of　the　common　people　is　despised；　which　has　nothing　but　truth　and　simplicity　for　its　object。

〃In　fine；　the　education　of　monarchies　requires　a　certain　politeness　of　behavior。　　Man；　a　sociable　animal；　is　formed　to　please　in　society；　and　a　person　that　would　break　through　the　rules　of　decency；　so　as　to　shock　those　he　conversed　with；　would　lose　the　public　esteem；　and　become　incapable　of　doing　any　good。

〃But　politeness；　generally　speaking；　does　not　derive　its　original　from　so　pure　a　source。　　It　arises　from　a　desire　of　distinguishing　ourselves。　　It　is　pride　that　renders　us　polite；　we　are　flattered　with　being　taken　notice　of　for　a　behavior　that　shows　we　are　not　of　a　mean　condition；　and　that　we　have　not　been　bred　up　with　those　who　in　all　ages　are　considered　as　the　scum　of　the　people。

〃Politeness；　in　monarchies；　is　naturalized　at　court。　　One　man　excessively　great　renders　everybody　else　little。　　Hence　that　regard　which　is　paid　to　our　fellow…subjects；　hence　that　politeness；　equally　pleasing　to　those　by　whom；　as　to　those　toward　whom；　it　is　practiced；　because　it　gives　people　to　understand　that　a　person　actually　belongs；　or　at　least　deserves　to　belong；　to　the　court。

〃A　court　air　consists　in　quitting　a　real　for　a　borrowed　greatness。　　The　latter　pleases　the　courtier　more　than　the　former。　　It　inspires　him　with　a　certain　disdainful　modesty；　which　shows　itself　externally；　but　whose　pride　insensibly　diminishes　in　proportion　to　his　distance　from　the　source　of　this　greatness。

〃At　court　we　find　a　delicacy　of　taste　in　everything；　a　delicacy　arising　from　the　constant　use　of　the　superfluities　of　life；　from　the　variety；　and　especially　the　satiety　of　pleasures；　from　the　multiplicity　and　even　confusion　of　fancies；　which；　if　they　are　not　agreeable；　are　sure　of　being　well　received。

〃These　are　the　things　which　properly　fall　within　the　province　of　education；　in　order　to　form　what　we　call　a　man　of　honor；　a　man　possessed　of　all　the　qualities　and　virtues　requisite　in　this　kind　of　government。

〃Here　it　is　that　honor　interferes　with　everything；　mixing　even　with　people's　manner　of　thinking；　and　directing　their　very　principles。

〃To　this　whimsical　honor　it　is　owing　that　the　virtues　are　only　just　what　it　pleases；　it　adds　rules　of　its　own　invention　to　everything　prescribed　to　us；　it　extends　or　limit