letters to his son, 1748-第8章

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tion　may；　if　you　please；　be　of　use　to　you；　in　this　view；　every　public　event；　which　is　the　common　topic　of　conversation；　gives　you　an　opportunity　of　getting　some　information。　　For　example；　the　preliminaries　of　peace；　lately　concluded　at　Aix…la…Chapelle；　will　be　the　common　subject　of　most　conversations；　in　which　you　will　take　care　to　ask　the　proper　questions：　as；　what　is　the　meaning　of　the　Assiento　contract　for　negroes；　between　England　and　Spain；　what　the　annual　ship；　when　stipulated；　upon　what　account　suspended；　etc。　　You　will　likewise　inform　yourself　about　Guastalla；　now　given　to　Don　Philip；　together　with　Parma　and　Placentia；　who　they　belonged　to　before；　what　claim　or　pretensions　Don　Philip　had　to　them；　what　they　are　worth；　in　short；　everything　concerning　them。　　The　cessions　made　by　the　Queen　of　Hungary　to　the　King　of　Sardinia；　are；　by　these　preliminaries；　confirmed　and　secured　to　him：　you　will　inquire；　therefore；　what　they　are；　and　what　they　are　worth。　　This　is　the　kind　of　knowledge　which　you　should　be　most　thoroughly　master　of；　and　in　which　conversation　will　help　you　almost　as　much　as　books：　but　both　are　best。　　There　are　histories　of　every　considerable　treaty；　from　that　of　Westphalia　to　that　of　Utrecht；　inclusively；　all　which　I　would　advise　you　to　read。　　Pore　Bougeant's；　of　the　treaty　of　Westphalia；　is　an　excellent　one；　those　of　Nimeguen；　Ryswick；　and　Utrecht；　are　not　so　well　written；　but　are；　however；　very　useful。　　'L'Histoire　des　Traites　de　Paix'；　in　two　volumes；　folio；　which　I　recommended　to　you　some　time　ago；　is　a　book　that　you　should　often　consult；　when　you　hear　mention　made　of　any　treaty　concluded　in　the　seventeenth　century。

Upon　the　whole；　if　you　have　a　mind　to　be　considerable；　and　to　shine　hereafter；　you　must　labor　hard　now。　　No　quickness　of　parts；　no　vivacity；　will　do　long；　or　go　far；　without　a　solid　fund　of　knowledge；　and　that　fund　of　knowledge　will　amply　repay　all　the　pains　that　you　can　take　in　acquiring　it。　　Reflect　seriously；　within　yourself；　upon　all　this；　and　ask　yourself　whether　I　can　have　any　view；　but　your　interest；　in　all　that　I　recommend　to　you。　　It　is　the　result　of　my　experience；　and　flows　from　that　tenderness　and　affection　with　which；　while　you　deserve　them；　I　shall　be；　Yours。

Make　my　compliments　to　Mr。　Harte；　and　tell　him　that　I　have　received　his　letter　of　the　24th；　N。　S。




LETTER　XLI

LONDON；　May　31；　O。　S。　　1748

DEAR　BOY：　I　have　received；　with　great　satisfaction；　your　letter　of　the　28th　N。　S。；　from　Dresden：　it　finishes　your　short　but　clear　account　of　the　Reformation　which　is　one　of　those　interesting　periods　of　modern　history；　that　can　not　be　too　much　studied　nor　too　minutely　known　by　you。　　There　are　many　great　events　in　history；　which；　when　once　they　are　over；　leave　things　in　the　situation　in　which　they　found　them。　　As；　for　instance；　the　late　war；　which；　excepting　the　establishment　in　Italy　for　Don　Philip；　leave　things　pretty　much　in　state　quo；　a　mutual　restitution　of　all　acquisitions　being　stipulated　by　the　preliminaries　of　the　peace。　　Such　events　undoubtedly　deserve　your　notice；　but　yet　not　so　minutely　as　those；　which　are　not　only　important　in　themselves；　but　equally　（or　it　may　be　more）　important　by　their　consequences　too：　of　this　latter　sort　were　the　progress　of　the　Christian　religion　in　Europe；　the　Invasion　of　the　Goths；　the　division　of　the　Roman　empire　into　Western　and　Eastern；　the　establishment　and　rapid　progress　of　Mahometanism；　and；　lastly；　the　Reformation；　all　which　events　produced　the　greatest　changes　in　the　affairs　of　Europe；　and　to　one　or　other　of　which；　the　present　situation　of　all　the　parts　of　it　is　to　be　traced　up。

Next　to　these；　are　those　events　which　more　immediately　effect　particular　states　and　kingdoms；　and　which　are　reckoned　entirely　local；　though　their　influence　may；　and　indeed　very　often　does；　indirectly；　extend　itself　further；　such　as　civil　wars　and　revolutions；　from　which　a　total　change　in　the　form　of　government　frequently　flows。　　The　civil　wars　in　England；　in　the　reign　of　King　Charles　I。；　produced　an　entire　change　of　the　government　here；　from　a　limited　monarchy　to　a　commonwealth；　at　first；　and　afterward　to　absolute　power；　usurped　by　Cromwell；　under　the　pretense　of　protection；　and　the　title　of　Protector。

The　Revolution　in　1688；　instead　of　changing；　preserved　one　form　of　government；　which　King　James　II。　intended　to　subvert；　and　establish　absolute　power　in　the　Crown。

These　are　the　two　great　epochs　in　our　English　history；　which　I　recommend　to　your　particular　attention。

The　league　formed　by　the　House　of　Guise；　and　fomented　by　the　artifices　of　Spain；　is　a　most　material　part　of　the　history　of　France。　　The　foundation　of　it　was　laid　in　the　reign　of　Henry　II。；　but　the　superstructure　was　carried　on　through　the　successive　reigns　of　Francis　II。；　Charles　IX。　　and　Henry　III。；　till　at　last　it　was　crushed；　partly；　by　the　arms；　but　more　by　the　apostasy　of　Henry　IV。

In　Germany；　great　events　have　been　frequent；　by　which　the　imperial　dignity　has　always　either　gotten　or　lost；　and　so　it　they　have　affected　the　constitution　of　the　empire。　　The　House　of　Austria　kept　that　dignity　to　itself　for　near　two　hundred　years；　during　which　time　it　was　always　attempting　extend　its　power；　by　encroaching　upon　the　rights　and　privileges　of　the　other　states　of　the　empire；　till　at　the　end　of　the　bellum　tricennale；　the　treaty　of　Munster；　of　which　France　is　guarantee；　fixed　the　respective　claims。


Italy　has　been　constantly　torn　to　pieces；　from　the　time　of　the　Goths；　by　the　Popes　and　the　Anti…popes；　severally　supported　by　other　great　powers　of　Europe；　more　as　their　interests　than　as　their　religion　led　them；　by　the　pretensions　also　of　France；　and　the　House　of　Austria；　upon　Naples；　Sicily；　and　the　Milanese；　not　to　mention　the　various　lesser　causes　of　squabbles　there；　for　the　little　states；　such　as　Ferrara；　Parma；　Montserrat；　etc。

The　Popes；　till　lately；　have　always　taken　a　considerable　part；　and　had　great　influence　in　the　affairs　of　Europe；　their　excommunications；　bulls；　and　indulgences；　stood　instead　of　armies　in　the　time　of　ignorance　and　bigotry；　but　now　that　mankind　is　better　informed；　the　spiritual　authority　of　the　Pope　is　not　only　less　regarded；　but　even　despised　by　the　Catholic　princes　themselves；　and　his　Holiness　is　actually　little　more　than　Bishop　of　Rome；　with　large　temporalities；　which　he　is　not　likely　to　keep　longer　than　till　the　other　greater　powers　in　Italy　shall　find　their　conveniency　in　taking　them　from　him。　　Among　the　modern　Popes；　Leo　the　Tenth；　Alexander　the　Sixth；　and　Sextus　Quintus；　deserve　your　particular　notice；　the　first；　among　other　things；　for　his　own　learning　and　taste；　and　for　his　encouragement　of　the　reviving　arts　and　sciences　in　Italy。　　Under　his　protection；　the　Greek　and　Latin　classics　were　most　excellently　translated　into　Italian；　painting　flourished　and　arrived　at　its　perfection；　and　sculpture　came　so　near　the　ancients；　that　the　works　of　his　time；　both　in　marble　and　bronze；　are　now　called　Antico…Moderno。

Alexander　the　Sixth；　together　with　his　natural　son　Caesar　Borgia；　was　famous　for　his　wickedness；　in　which　he；　and　his　son　too；　surpassed　all　imagination。　　Their　lives　are　well　worth　your　reading。　　They　were　poisoned　themselves　by　the　poisoned　wine　which　they　had　prepared　for　others；　the　father　died　of　it；　but　Caesar　recovered。

Sixtus　the　Fifth　was　the　son　of　a　swineherd；　and　raised　himself　to　the　popedom　by　his　abilities：　he　was　a　great　knave；　but　an　able　and　singular　one。

Here　is　history　enough　for　to…day：　you　shall　have　some　more　soon。　　Adieu。




LETTER　XLII

LONDON；　June　21；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　Your　very　bad　enunciation　runs　so　much　in　my　head；　and　gives　me　such　real　concern；　that　it　will　be　the　subject　of　this；　and；　I　believe；　of　many　more　letters。　　I　congratulate　both　you　and　myself；　that；　was　informed　of　it　（as　I　hope）　in　time　to　prevent　it：　and　shall　ever　think　myself；　as　hereafter　you　will；　I　am　sure　think　yourself；　infinitely　obliged　to　Sir　Charles　Williams　for　informing　me　of　it。　　Good　God！　if　this　ungraceful　and　disagreeable　manner　of　speaking　had；　either　by　your　negligence　or　mine；　become　habitual　to　you；　as　in　a　couple　of　years　more　it　would　have　been；　what　a　figure　would　you　have　made　in　company；　or　in　a　public　assembly？　　Who　would　have　liked　you　in　the　one　or　attended　you；　in　the　other？　　Read　what　Cicero　and　Quintilian　say　of　enunciation；　and　see　what　a　stress　they　lay　upon　the　gracefulness　of　it；　nay；　Cicero　goes　further；　and　even　maintains；　that　a　good　figure　is　necessary　for　an　orator；　and　particularly　that　he　must　not　be　vastus；　that　is；　overgrown　and　clumsy。　　He　shows　by　it　that　he　knew　mankind　well；　and　knew　the　powers　of　an　agreeable　figure　and　a　graceful；　manner。　　Men；　as　well　as　women；　are　much　oftener　led　by　their　hearts　than　by　their　understandings。　The　way　to　the　heart　is　through　the　senses；　please　their　eyes　and　their　ears　and　the　work　is　half　done。　　I　have　frequently　known　a　man's　fortune　decided　for　ever　by　his　first　address。　　If　it　is　pleasing；　people　are　hurried　involuntarily　into　a　persuasion　that　he　has　a　merit；　which　possibly　he　has　not；　as；　on　the　other　hand；　if　it　is　ungraceful；　they　are　immediately　prejudiced　against　him；　and　unwilling　to　allow　him　the　merit　which　it　may　be　he　has。　　Nor　is　this　sentiment　so　unjust　and　unreasonable　as　at　first　it　may　seem；　for　if　a　man　has　parts；　he　must　know　of　what　infinite　consequence　it　is　to　him　to　have　a　graceful　manner　of　speaking；　and　a　genteel　and　pleasing　address；　he　will　cultivate　and　improve　them　to　the　utmost。　　Your　figure　is　a　good　one；　you　have　no　natural　defect　in　the　organs　of　speech；　your　address　may　be　engaging；　and　your　manner　of　speaking　graceful；　if　you　will；　so　that　if　you　are　not　so；　neither　I　nor　the　world　can　ascribe　it　to　anything　but　your　want　of　parts。　　What　is　the　constant　and　just　observation　as　to　all　actors　upon　the　stage？　　Is　it　not；　that　those　who　have　the　best　sense；　always　speak　the　best；　though　they　may　happen　not　to　have　the　best　voices？　　They　will　speak　plainly；　distinctly；　and　with　the　proper　emphasis；　be　their　voices　ever　so　bad。　Had　Roscius　spoken　QUICK；　THICK；　and　UNGRACEFULLY；　I　will　answer　for　it；　that　Cicero　would　not　have　thought　him　worth　the　oration　which　he　made　in　his　favor。　　Words　were　given　us　to　communicate　our　ideas　by：　and　there　must　be　something　inconceivably　absurd　in　uttering　them　in　such　a　manner　as　that　either　people　cannot　understand　them；　or　will　not　desire　to　understand　them。　　I　tell　you；　truly　and　sincerely；　that　I　shall　judge　of　your　parts　by　your　speaking　gracefully　or　ungracefully。　　If　you　have　parts；　you　will　never　be　at　rest　till　you　have　brought　yourself　to　a　habit　of　speaking　most　gracefully；　for　I　aver；　that　it　is　in　your　power　You　will　desire　Mr。　Harte；　that　you　may　read　aloud　to　him　every　day；　and　that　he　will　interrupt　and　correct　you　every　time　that　you　read　too　fast；　do　not　observe　the　proper　stops；　or　lay　a　wrong　emphasis。　　You　will　take　care　to　open　your　teeth　when　you　speak；　to　articulate　every　word　distinctly；　and　to　beg　of　Mr。　Harte；　Mr。　Eliot；　or　whomsoever　you　speak　to；　to　remind　and　stop　you；　if　you　ever　fall　into　the　rapid　and　unintelligible　mutter。　　You　will　even　read　aloud　to　yourself；　and　time　your　utterance　to　your　own　ear；　and　read　at　first　much　slower　than　you　need　to　do；　in　order　to　corre