letters to his son, 1750-第6章

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t　Mr。　Addison；　to　save　himself　trouble；　has　taken　most　of　his　remarks　and　classical　references。　　I　am　told　that　it　is　an　excellent　book　for　a　traveler　in　Italy。

What　Italian　books　have　you　read；　or　are　you　reading？　　Ariosto。　　I　hope；　is　one　of　them。　　Pray　apply　yourself　diligently　to　Italian；　it　is　so　easy　a　language；　that　speaking　it　constantly；　and　reading　it　often；　must；　in　six　months　more；　make　you　perfect　master　of　it：　in　which　case　you　will　never　forget　it；　for　we　only　forget　those　things　of　which　we　know　but　little。

But；　above　all　things；　to　all　that　you　learn；　to　all　that　you　say；　and　to　all　that　you　do；　remember　to　join　the　Graces。　　All　is　imperfect　without　them；　with　them　everything　is　at　least　tolerable。　　Nothing　could　hurt　me　more　than　to　find　you　unattended　by　them。　　How　cruelly　should　I　be　shocked；　if；　at　our　first　meeting；　you　should　present　yourself　to　me　without　them！　Invoke　them；　and　sacrifice　to　them　every　moment；　they　are　always　kind；　where　they　are　assiduously　courted。　　For　God's　sake；　aim　at　perfection　in　everything：　'Nil　actum　reputans　si　quid　superesset　agendum。　Adieu。　　Yours　most　tenderly。




LETTER　CVIII

LONDON；　March　19；　O。　S。　　1750。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　acknowledge　your　last　letter　of　the　24th　February；　N。　S。　　In　return　for　your　earthquake；　I　can　tell　you　that　we　have　had　here　more　than　our　share　of　earthquakes；　for　we　had　two　very　strong　ones　in　eight…and…twenty　days。　　They　really　do　too　much　honor　to　our　cold　climate；　in　your　warm　one；　they　are　compensated　by　favors　from　the　sun；　which　we　do　not　enjoy。

I　did　not　think　that　the　present　Pope　was　a　sort　of　man　to　build　seven　modern　little　chapels　at　the　expense　of　so　respectable　a　piece　of　antiquity　as　the　Coliseum。　　However；　let　his　Holiness's　taste　of　'virtu'　be　ever　so　bad；　pray　get　somebody　to　present　you　to　him　before　you　leave　Rome；　and　without　hesitation　kiss　his　slipper；　or　whatever　else　the　etiquette　of　that　Court　requires。　　I　would　have　you　see　all　those　ceremonies；　and　I　presume　that　you　are；　by　this　time；　ready　enough　at　Italian　to　understand　and　answer　'il　Santo　Padre'　in　that　language。　I　hope；　too；　that　you　have　acquired　address　and　usage　enough　of　the　world　to　be　presented　to　anybody；　without　embarrassment　or　disapprobation。　If　that　is　not　yet　quite　perfect；　as　I　cannot　suppose　it　is　entirely；　custom　will　improve　it　daily；　and　habit　at　last　complete　it。　　I　have　for　some　time　told　you；　that　the　great　difficulties　are　pretty　well　conquered。　　You　have　acquired　knowledge；　which　is　the　'principium　et　fons'；　but　you　have　now　a　variety　of　lesser　things　to　attend　to；　which　collectively　make　one　great　and　important　object。　　You　easily　guess　that　I　mean　the　graces；　the　air；　address；　politeness；　and；　in　short；　the　whole　'tournure'　and　'agremens'　of　a　man　of　fashion；　so　many　little　things　conspire　to　form　that　'tournure'；　that　though　separately　they　seem　too　insignificant　to　mention；　yet　aggregately　they　are　too　material　for　me　（who　think　for　you　down　to　the　very　lowest　things）　to　omit。　　For　instance；　do　you　use　yourself　to　carve；　eat　and　drink　genteelly；　and　with　ease？　　Do　you　take　care　to　walk；　sit；　stand；　and　present　yourself　gracefully？　　Are　you　sufficiently　upon　your　guard　against　awkward　attitudes；　and　illiberal；　ill…bred；　and　disgusting　habits；　such　as　scratching　yourself；　putting　your　fingers　in　your　mouth；　nose；　and　ears？　　Tricks　always　acquired　at　schools；　often　too　much　neglected　afterward；　but；　however；　extremely　ill…bred　and　nauseous。　　For　I　do　not　conceive　that　any　man　has　a　right　to　exhibit；　in　company；　any　one　excrement　more　than　another。　　Do　you　dress　well；　and　think　a　little　of　the　brillant　in　your　person？　　That；　too；　is　necessary；　because　it　is　'prevenant'。　　Do　you　aim　at　easy；　engaging；　but；　at　the　same　time；　civil　or　respectful　manners；　according　to　the　company　you　are　in？　　These；　and　a　thousand　other　things；　which　you　will　observe　in　people　of　fashion　better　than　I　can　describe　them；　are　absolutely　necessary　for　every　man；　but　still　more　for　you；　than　for　almost　any　man　living。　　The　showish；　the　shining；　the　engaging　parts　of　the　character　of　a　fine　gentleman；　should　（considering　your　destination）　be　the　principal　objects；　of　your　present　attention。

When　you　return　here；　I　am　apt　to　think　that　you　will　find　something　better　to　do　than　to　run　to　Mr。　Osborne's　at　Gray's　Inn；　to　pick　up　scarce　books。　　Buy　good　books　and　read　them；　the　best　books　are　the　commonest；　and　the　last　editions　are　always　the　best；　if　the　editors　are　not　blockheads；　for　they　may　profit　of　the　former。　　But　take　care　not　to　understand　editions　and　title…pages　too　well。　　It　always　smells　of　pedantry；　and　not　always　of　learning。　　What　curious　books　I　havethey　are　indeed　but　fewshall　be　at　your　service。　　I　have　some　of　the　old　Collana；　and　the　Machiavel　of　1550。　　Beware　of　the　'Bibliomanie'。

In　the　midst　of　either　your　studies　or　your　pleasures；　pray　never　lose　view　of　the　object　of　your　destination：　I　mean　the　political　affairs　of　Europe。　　Follow　them　politically；　chronologically；　and　geographically；　through　the　newspapers；　and　trace　up　the　facts　which　you　meet　with　there　to　their　sources：　as；　for　example；　consult　the　treaties　Neustadt　and　Abo；　with　regard　to　the　disputes；　which　you　read　of　every　day　in　the　public　papers；　between　Russia　and　Sweden。　　For　the　affairs　of　Italy；　which　are　reported　to　be　the　objects　of　present　negotiations；　recur　to　the　quadruple　alliance　of　the　year　1718；　and　follow　them　down　through　their　several　variations　to　the　treaty　of　Aix…la…Chapelle；　1748；　in　which　（by　the　bye）　you　will　find　the　very　different　tenures　by　which　the　Infant　Don　Philip；　your　namesake；　holds　Parma　and　Placentia。　　Consult；　also；　the　Emperor　Charles　the　Sixth's　Act　of　Cession　of　the　kingdoms　of　Naples　and　Sicily；　being　a　point　which；　upon　the　death　of　the　present　King　of　Spain；　is　likely　to　occasion　some　disputes；　do　not　lose　the　thread　of　these　matters；　which　is　carried　on　with　great　ease；　but　if　once　broken；　is　resumed　with　difficulty。

Pray　tell　Mr。　Harte；　that　I　have　sent　his　packet　to　Baron　Firmian　by　Count　Einsiedlen；　who　is　gone　from　hence　this　day　for　Germany；　and　passes　through　Vienna　in　his　way　to　Italy；　where　he　is　in　hopes　of　crossing　upon　you　somewhere　or　other。　　Adieu；　my　friend。




LETTER　CIX

LONDON；　March　29；　O。　S。　　1750

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　You　are　now；　I　suppose；　at　Naples；　in　a　new　scene　of　'Virtu'；　examining　all　the　curiosities　of　Herculaneum；　watching　the　eruptions　of　Mount　Vesuvius；　and　surveying　the　magnificent　churches　and　public　buildings；　by　which　Naples　is　distinguished。

You　have　a　court　there　into　the　bargain；　which；　I　hope；　you　frequent　and　attend　to。　　Polite　manners；　a　versatility　of　mind；　a　complaisance　even　to　enemies；　and　the　'volto　sciolto'；　with　the　'pensieri　stretti'；　are　only　to　be　learned　at　courts；　and　must　be　well　learned　by　whoever　would　either　shine　or　thrive　in　them。　　Though　they　do　not　change　the　nature；　they　smooth　and　soften　the　manners　of　mankind。　　Vigilance；　dexterity；　and　flexibility　supply　the　place　of　natural　force；　and　it　is　the　ablest　mind；　not　the　strongest　body　that　prevails　there。　　Monsieur　and　Madame　Fogliani　will；　I　am　sure；　show　you　all　the　politeness　of　courts；　for　I　know　no　better　bred　people　than　they　are。　　Domesticate　yourself　there　while　you　stay　at　Naples；　and　lay　aside　the　English　coldness　and　formality。　　You　have　also　a　letter　to　Comte　Mahony；　whose　house　I　hope　you　frequent；　as　it　is　the　resort　of　the　best　company。　　His　sister；　Madame　Bulkeley；　is　now　here；　and　had　I　known　of　your　going　so　soon　to　Naples；　I　would　have　got　you；　'ex　abundanti'；　a　letter　from　her　to　her　brother。　　The　conversation　of　the　moderns　in　the　evening　is　full　as　necessary　for　you；　as　that　of　the　ancients　in　the　morning。

You　would　do　well；　while　you　are　at　Naples；　to　read　some　very　short　history　of　that　kingdom。　　It　has　had　great　variety　of　masters；　and　has　occasioned　many　wars；　the　general　history　of　which　will　enable　you　to　ask　many　proper　questions；　and　to　receive　useful　informations　in　return。　Inquire　into　the　manner　and　form　of　that　government；　for　constitution　it　has　none；　being　an　absolute　one；　but　the　most　absolute　governments　have　certain　customs　and　forms；　which　are　more　or　less　observed　by　their　respective　tyrants。　　In　China　it　is　the　fashion　for　the　emperors；　absolute　as　they　are；　to　govern　with　justice　and　equity；　as　in　the　other　Oriental　monarchies；　it　is　the　custom　to　govern　by　violence　and　cruelty。　The　King　of　France；　as　absolute；　in　fact；　as　any　of　them；　is　by　custom　only　more　gentle；　for　I　know　of　no　constitutional　bar　to　his　will。　England　is　now；　the　only　monarchy　in　the　world；　that　can　properly　be　said　to　have　a　constitution；　for　the　people's　rights　and　liberties　are　secured　by　laws；　and　I　cannot　reckon　Sweden　and　Poland　to　be　monarchies；　those　two　kings　having　little　more　to　say　than　the　Doge　of　Venice。　　I　do　not　presume　to　say　anything　of　the　constitution　of　the　empire　to　you；　who　are　'jurisperitorum　Germanicorum　facile　princeps'。

When　you　write　to　me；　which；　by　the　way；　you　do　pretty　seldom；　tell　me　rather　whom　you　see；　than　what　you　see。　　Inform　me　of　your　evening　transactions　and　acquaintances；　where；　and　how　you　pass　your　evenings；　what　people　of　learning　you　have　made　acquaintance　with；　and；　if　you　will　trust　me　with　so　important　an　affair；　what　belle　passion　inflames　you。　I　interest　myself　most　in　what　personally　concerns　you　most；　and　this　is　a　very　critical　year　in　your　life。　　To　talk　like　a　virtuoso；　your　canvas　is；　I　think；　a　good　one；　and　RAPHAEL　HARTE　has　drawn　the　outlines　admirably；　nothing　is　now　wanting　but　the　coloring　of　Titian；　and　the　Graces；　the　'morbidezza'　of　Guido；　but　that　is　a　great　deal。　　You　must　get　them　soon；　or　you　will　never　get　them　at　all。　　'Per　la　lingua　Italiana；　sono　sicuro　ch'ella　n'e　adesso　professore；　a　segno　tale　ch'io　non　ardisca　dirle　altra　cosa　in　quela　lingua　se　non。　　Addio'。




LETTER　CX

LONDON；　April　26；　O。　S。　　1756。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　As　your　journey　to　Paris　approaches；　and　as　that　period　will；　one　way　or　another；　be　of　infinite　consequence　to　you；　my　letters　will　henceforward　be　principally　calculated　for　that　meridian。　　You　will　be　left　there　to　your　own　discretion；　instead　of　Mr。　Harte's；　and　you　will　allow　me；　I　am　sure；　to　distrust　a　little　the　discretion　of　eighteen。　　You　will　find　in　the　Academy　a　number　of　young　fellows　much　less　discreet　than　yourself。　　These　will　all　be　your　acquaintances；　but　look　about　you　first；　and　inquire　into　their　respective　characters；　before　you　form　any　connections　among　them；　and；　'caeteris　paribus'；　single　out　those　of　the　most　considerable　rank　and　family。　　Show　them　a　distinguishing　attention；　by　which　means　you　will　get　into　their　respective　houses；　and　keep　the　best　company。　　All　those　French　young　fellows　are　excessively　'etourdis'；　be　upon　your　guard　against　scrapes　and　quarrels；　have　no　corporal　pleasantries　with　them；　no　'jeux　de　mains'；　no　'coups　de　chambriere'；　which　frequently　bring　on　quarrels。　Be　as　lively　as　they；　if　you　please；　but　at　the　same　time　be　a　little　wiser　than　they。　　As　to　letters；　you　will　find　most　of　them　ignorant；　do　not　reproach　them　with　that　ignorance；　nor　make　them　feel　your　superiority。　　It　is　not　their　faults；　they　are　all　bred　up　for　the　army；　but；