letters to his son, 1748-第13章

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ficulty　learned。　I　likewise　desire；　that　while　you　are　in　Germany；　you　will　take　all　opportunities　of　conversing　in　German；　which　is　the　only　way　of　knowing　that；　or　any　other　language；　accurately。　You　will　also　desire　your　German　master　to　teach　you　the　proper　titles　and　superscriptions　to　be　used　to　people　of　all　ranks；　which　is　a　point　so　material；　in　Germany；　that　I　have　known　many　a　letter　returned　unopened；　because　one　title　in　twenty　has　been　omitted　in　the　direction。

St。　Thomas's　day　now　draws　near；　when　you　are　to　leave　Saxony　and　go　to　Berlin；　and　I　take　it　for　granted；　that　if　anything　is　yet　wanting　to　complete　your　knowledge　of　the　state　of　that　electorate；　you　will　not　fail　to　procure　it　before　you　go　away。　　I　do　not　mean；　as　you　will　easily　believe；　the　number　of　churches；　parishes；　or　towns；　but　I　mean　the　constitution；　the　revenues；　the　troops；　and　the　trade　of　that　electorate。　A　few　questions；　sensibly　asked；　of　sensible　people；　will　produce　you　the　necessary　informations；　which　I　desire　you　will　enter　in　your　little　book；　Berlin　will　be　entirely　a　new　scene　to　you；　and　I　look　upon　it；　in　a　manner；　as　your　first　step　into　the　great　world；　take　care　that　step　be　not　a　false　one；　and　that　you　do　not　stumble　at　the　threshold。　　You　will　there　be　in　more　company　than　you　have　yet　been；　manners　and　attentions　will　therefore　be　more　necessary。　　Pleasing　in　company　is　the　only　way　of　being　pleased　in　it　yourself。　　Sense　and　knowledge　are　the　first　and　necessary　foundations　for　pleasing　in　company；　but　they　will　by　no　means　do　alone；　and　they　will　never　be　perfectly　welcome　if　they　are　not　accompanied　with　manners　and　attentions。　　You　will　best　acquire　these　by　frequenting　the　companies　of　people　of　fashion；　but　then　you　must　resolve　to　acquire　them；　in　those　companies；　by　proper　care　and　observation；　for　I　have　known　people；　who；　though　they　have　frequented　good　company　all　their　lifetime；　have　done　it　in　so　inattentive　and　unobserving　a　manner；　as　to　be　never　the　better　for　it；　and　to　remain　as　disagreeable；　as　awkward；　and　as　vulgar；　as　if　they　had　never　seen　any　person　of　fashion。　When　you　go　into　good　company　（by　good　company　is　meant　the　people　of　the　first　fashion　of　the　place　observe　carefully　their　turn；　their　manners；　their　address；　and　conform　your　own　to　them。　　But　this　is　not　all　neither；　go　deeper　still；　observe　their　characters；　and　pray；　as　far　as　you　can；　into　both　their　hearts　and　their　heads。　　Seek　for　their　particular　merit；　their　predominant　passion；　or　their　prevailing　weakness；　and　you　will　then　know　what　to　bait　your　hook　with　to　catch　them。　　Man　is　a　composition　of　so　many；　and　such　various　ingredients；　that　it　requires　both　time　and　care　to　analyze　him：　for　though　we　have　all　the　same　ingredients　in　our　general　composition；　as　reason；　will；　passions；　and　appetites；　yet　the　different　proportions　and　combinations　of　them　in　each　individual；　produce　that　infinite　variety　of　characters；　which；　in　some　particular　or　other；　distinguishes　every　individual　from　another。　　Reason　ought　to　direct　the　whole；　but　seldom　does。　　And　he　who　addresses　himself　singly　to　another　man's　reason；　without　endeavoring　to　engage　his　heart　in　his　interest　also；　is　no　more　likely　to　succeed；　than　a　man　who　should　apply　only　to　a　king's　nominal　minister；　and　neglect　his　favorite。　　I　will　recommend　to　your　attentive　perusal；　now　that　you　are　going　into　the　world；　two　books；　which　will　let　you　as　much　into　the　characters　of　men；　as　books　can　do。　　I　mean；　'Les　Reflections　Morales　de　Monsieur　de　la　Rochefoucault；　and　Les　Caracteres　de　la　Bruyere'：　but　remember；　at　the　same　time；　that　I　only　recommend　them　to　you　as　the　best　general　maps　to　assist　you　in　your　journey；　and　not　as　marking　out　every　particular　turning　and　winding　that　you　will　meet　with。　　There　your　own　sagacity　and　observation　must　come　to　their　aid。　　La　Rochefoucault；　is；　I　know；　blamed；　but　I　think　without　reason；　for　deriving　all　our　actions　from　the　source　of　self…love。　　For　my　own　part；　I　see　a　great　deal　of　truth；　and　no　harm　at　all；　in　that　opinion。　　It　is　certain　that　we　seek　our　own　happiness　in　everything　we　do；　and　it　is　as　certain；　that　we　can　only　find　it　in　doing　well；　and　in　conforming　all　our；　actions　to　the　rule　of　right　reason；　which　is　the　great　law　of　nature。　　It　is　only　a　mistaken　self…love　that　is　a　blamable　motive；　when　we　take　the　immediate　and　indiscriminate　gratification　of　a　passion；　or　appetite；　for　real　happiness。　　But　am　I　blamable　if　I　do　a　good　action；　upon　account　of　the　happiness　which　that　honest　consciousness　will　give　me？　　Surely　not。　On　the　contrary；　that　pleasing　consciousness　is　a　proof　of　my　virtue。　The　reflection　which　is　the　most　censured　in　Monsieur　de　la　Rochefoucault's　book　as　a　very　ill…natured　one；　is　this；　'On　trouve　dans　le　malheur　de　son　meilleur　ami；　quelque　chose　qui　ne　des　plait　pas'。　　And　why　not？　　Why　may　I　not　feel　a　very　tender　and　real　concern　for　the　misfortune　of　my　friend；　and　yet　at　the　same　time　feel　a　pleasing　consciousness　at　having　discharged　my　duty　to　him；　by　comforting　and　assisting　him　to　the　utmost　of　my　power　in　that　misfortune？　　Give　me　but　virtuous　actions；　and　I　will　not　quibble　and　chicane　about　the　motives。　And　I　will　give　anybody　their　choice　of　these　two　truths；　which　amount　to　the　same　thing：　He　who　loves　himself　best　is　the　honestest　man；　or；　The　honestest　man　loves　himself　best。

The　characters　of　La　Bruyere　are　pictures　from　the　life；　most　of　them　finely　drawn；　and　highly　colored。　　Furnish　your　mind　with　them　first；　and　when　you　meet　with　their　likeness；　as　you　will　every　day；　they　will　strike　you　the　more。　　You　will　compare　every　feature　with　the　original；　and　both　will　reciprocally　help　you　to　discover　the　beauties　and　the　blemishes。

As　women　are　a　considerable；　or；　at　least　a　pretty　numerous　part　of　company；　and　as　their　suffrages　go　a　great　way　toward　establishing　a　man's　character　in　the　fashionable　part　of　the　world　（which　is　of　great　importance　to　the　fortune　and　figure　he　proposes　to　make　in　it）；　it　is　necessary　to　please　them。　　I　will　therefore；　upon　this　subject；　let　you　into　certain　Arcana　that　will　be　very　useful　for　you　to　know；　but　which　you　must；　with　the　utmost　care；　conceal　and　never　seem　to　know。　　Women；　then；　are　only　children　of　a　larger　growth；　they　have　an　entertaining　tattle；　and　sometimes　wit；　but　for　solid　reasoning；　good　sense；　I　never　knew　in　my　life　one　that　had　it；　or　who　reasoned　or　acted　consequentially　for　four…and…twenty　hours　together。　　Some　little　passion　or　humor　always　breaks　upon　their　best　resolutions。　　Their　beauty　neglected　or　controverted；　their　age　increased；　or　their　supposed　understandings　depreciated；　instantly　kindles　their　little　passions；　and　overturns　any　system　of　consequential　conduct；　that　in　their　most　reasonable　moments　they　might　have　been　capable　of　forming。　　A　man　of　sense　only　trifles　with　them；　plays　with　them；　humors　and　flatters　them；　as　he　does　with　a　sprightly　forward　child；　but　he　neither　consults　them　about；　nor　trusts　them　with　serious　matters；　though　he　often　makes　them　believe　that　he　does　both；　which　is　the　thing　in　the　world　that　they　are　proud　of；　for　they　love　mightily　to　be　dabbling　in　business　（which　by　the　way　they　always　spoil）；　and　being　justly　distrustful　that　men　in　general　look　upon　them　in　a　trifling　light；　they　almost　adore　that　man　who　talks　more　seriously　to　them；　and　who　seems　to　consult　and　trust　them；　I　say；　who　seems；　for　weak　men　really　do；　but　wise　ones　only　seem　to　do　it。　　No　flattery　is　either　too　high　or　too　low　for　them。　　They　will　greedily　swallow　the　highest；　and　gratefully　accept　of　the　lowest；　and　you　may　safely　flatter　any　woman　from　her　understanding　down　to　the　exquisite　taste　of　her　fan。　　Women　who　are　either　indisputably　beautiful；　or　indisputably　ugly；　are　best　flattered；　upon　the　score　of　their　understandings；　but　those　who　are　in　a　state　of　mediocrity；　are　best　flattered　upon　their　beauty；　or　at　least　their　graces；　for　every　woman　who　is　not　absolutely　ugly　thinks　herself　handsome；　but　not　hearing　often　that　she　is　so；　is　the　more　grateful　and　the　more　obliged　to　the　few　who　tell　her　so；　whereas　a　decided　and　conscious　beauty　looks　upon　every　tribute　paid　to　her　beauty　only　as　her　due；　but　wants　to　shine；　and　to　be　considered　on　the　side　of　her　understanding；　and　a　woman　who　is　ugly　enough　to　know　that　she　is　so；　knows　that　she　has　nothing　left　for　it　but　her　understanding；　which　is　consequently　and　probably　（in　more　senses　than　one　her　weak　side。　　But　these　are　secrets　which　you　must　keep　inviolably；　if　you　would　not；　like　Orpheus；　be　torn　to　pieces　by　the　whole　sex；　on　the　contrary；　a　man　who　thinks　of　living　in　the　great　world；　must　be　gallant；　polite；　and　attentive　to　please　the　women。　　They　have；　from　the　weakness　of　men；　more　or　less　influence　in　all　courts；　they　absolutely　stamp　every　man's　character　in　the　beau　monde；　and　make　it　either　current；　or　cry　it　down；　and　stop　it　in　payments。　　It　is；　therefore；　absolutely　necessary　to　manage；　please；　and　flatter　them　and　never　to　discover　the　least　marks　of　contempt；　which　is　what　they　never　forgive；　but　in　this　they　are　not　singular；　for　it　is　the　same　with　men；　who　will　much　sooner　forgive　an　injustice　than　an　insult。　　Every　man　is　not　ambitious；　or　courteous；　or　passionate；　but　every　man　has　pride　enough　in　his　composition　to　feel　and　resent　the　least　slight　and　contempt。　　Remember；　therefore；　most　carefully　to　conceal　your　contempt；　however　just；　wherever　you　would　riot　make　an　implacable　enemy。　　Men　are　much　more　unwilling　to　have　their　weaknesses　and　their　imperfections　known　than　their　crimes；　and　if　you　hint　to　a　man　that　you　think　him　silly；　ignorant；　or　even　ill…bred；　or　awkward；　he　will　hate　you　more　and　longer；　than　if　you　tell　him　plainly；　that　you　think　him　a　rogue。　　Never　yield　to　that　temptation；　which　to　most　young　men　is　very　strong；　of　exposing　other　people's　weaknesses　and　infirmities；　for　the　sake　either　of　diverting　the　company；　or　showing　your　own　superiority。　　You　may　get　the　laugh　on　your　side　by　it　for　the　present；　but　you　will　make　enemies　by　it　forever；　and　even　those　who　laugh　with　you　then；　will；　upon　reflection；　fear；　and　consequently　hate　you；　besides　that　it　is　ill…　natured；　and　a　good　heart　desires　rather　to　conceal　than　expose　other　people's　weaknesses　or　misfortunes。　　If　you　have　wit；　use　it　to　please；　and　not　to　hurt：　you　may　shine；　like　the　sun　in　the　temperate　zones；　without　scorching。　　Here　it　is　wished　for；　under　the　Line　it　is　dreaded。

These　are　some　of　the　hints　which　my　long　experience　in　the　great　world　enables　me　to　give　you；　and　which；　if　you　attend　to　them；　may　prove　useful　to　you　in　your　journey　through　it。　　I　wish　it　may　be　a　prosperous　one；　at　least；　I　am　sure　that　it　must　be　your　own　fault　if　it　is　not。

Make　my　compliments　to　Mr。　Harte；　who；　I　am　very　sorry　to　hear；　is　not　well。　　I　hope　by　this　time　he　is　recovered。　　Adieu！




LETTER　L

LONDON；　September　13；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　have　more　than　once　recommended　to　you　the　〃Memoirs〃　of　the　Cardinal　de　Retz；　and　to　attend　particularly　to　the　political　reflections　interspersed　in　that　excellent　work。　　I　will　now　preach　a　little　upon　two　or　three　of　those　texts。

In　the　disturbances　at　Paris；　Monsieur　de　Beaufort；　w