letters to his son, 1746-47-第2章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


care；　and　by　attention　to　the　best　living　models。　　These　are　the
qualifications　more　particularly　necessary　for　you；　in　your　department；
which　you　may　be　possessed　of；　if　you　please；　and　which；　I　tell　you
fairly；　I　shall　be　very　angry　at　you；　if　you　are　not；　because；　as　you
have　the　means　in　your　hands；　it　will　be　your　own　fault　only。

If　care　and　application　are　necessary　to　the　acquiring　of　those
qualifications；　without　which　you　can　never　be　considerable；　nor　make　a
figure　in　the　world；　they　are　not　less　necessary　with　regard　to　the
lesser　accomplishments；　which　are　requisite　to　make　you　agreeable　and
pleasing　in　society。　　In　truth；　whatever　is　worth　doing　at　all；　is　worth
doing　well；　and　nothing　can　be　done　well　without　attention：　I　therefore
carry　the　necessity　of　attention　down　to　the　lowest　things；　even　to
dancing　and　dress。　　Custom　has　made　dancing　sometimes　necessary　for　a
young　man；　therefore　mind　it　while　you　learn　it　that　you　may　learn　to　do
it　well；　and　not　be　ridiculous；　though　in　a　ridiculous　act。　　Dress　is　of
the　same　nature；　you　must　dress；　therefore　attend　to　it；　not　in　order　to
rival　or　to　excel　a　fop　in　it；　but　in　order　to　avoid　singularity；　and
consequently　ridicule。　　Take　great　care　always　to　be　dressed　like　the
reasonable　people　of　your　own　age；　in　the　place　where　you　are；　whose
dress　is　never　spoken　of　one　way　or　another；　as　either　too　negligent　or
too　much　studied。

What　is　commonly　called　an　absent　man；　is　commonly　either　a　very　weak；
or　a　very　affected　man；　but　be　he　which　he　will；　he　is；　I　am　sure；　a　very
disagreeable　man　in　company。　　He　fails　in　all　the　common　offices　of
civility；　he　seems　not　to　know　those　people　to…day；　whom　yesterday　he
appeared　to　live　in　intimacy　with。　　He　takes　no　part　in　the　general
conversation；　but；　on　the　contrary；　breaks　into　it　from　time　to　time；
with　some　start　of　his　own；　as　if　he　waked　from　a　dream。　　This　（as　I　said
before）　is　a　sure　indication；　either　of　a　mind　so　weak　that　it　is　not
able　to　bear　above　one　object　at　a　time；　or　so　affected；　that　it　would　be
supposed　to　be　wholly　engrossed　by；　and　directed　to；　some　very　great　and
important　objects。　　Sir　Isaac　Newton；　Mr。　Locke；　and　（it　may　be）　five　or
six　more；　since　the　creation　of　the　world；　may　have　had　a　right　to
absence；　from　that　intense　thought　which　the　things　they　were
investigating　required。　　But　if　a　young　man；　and　a　man　of　the　world；
who　has　no　such　avocations　to　plead；　will　claim　and　exercise　that　right
of　absence　in　company；　his　pretended　right　should；　in　my　mind；　be　turned
into　an　involuntary　absence；　by　his　perpetual　exclusion　out　of　company。
However　frivolous　a　company　may　be；　still；　while　you　are　among　them；
do　not　show　them；　by　your　inattention；　that　you　think　them　so；　but　rather
take　their　tone；　and　conform　in　some　degree　to　their　weakness；　instead　of
manifesting　your　contempt　for　them。　　There　is　nothing　that　people　bear
more　impatiently；　or　forgive　less；　than　contempt；　and　an　injury　is　much
sooner　forgotten　than　an　insult。　　If；　therefore；　you　would　rather　please
than　offend；　rather　be　well　than　ill　spoken　of；　rather　be　loved　than
hated；　remember　to　have　that　constant　attention　about　you　which　flatters
every　man's　little　vanity；　and　the　want　of　which；　by　mortifying　his
pride；　never　fails　to　excite　his　resentment；　or　at　least　his　ill　will。
For　instance；　most　people　（I　might　say　all　people）　have　their　weaknesses；
they　have　their　aversions　and　their　likings；　to　such　or　such　things；　so
that；　if　you　were　to　laugh　at　a　man　for　his　aversion　to　a　cat；　or　cheese
（which　are　common　antipathies）；　or；　by　inattention　and　negligence；　to　let
them　come　in　his　way；　where　you　could　prevent　it；　he　would；　in　the　first
case；　think　himself　insulted；　and；　in　the　second；　slighted；　and　would
remember　both。　　Whereas　your　care　to　procure　for　him　what　he　likes；　and
to　remove　from　him　what　he　hates；　shows　him　that　he　is　at　least　an　object
of　your　attention；　flatters　his　vanity；　and　makes　him　possibly　more　your
friend；　than　a　more　important　service　would　have　done。　　With　regard　to
women；　attentions　still　below　these　are　necessary；　and；　by　the　custom　of
the　world；　in　some　measure　due；　according　to　the　laws　of　good…breeding。

My　long　and　frequent　letters；　which　I　send　you；　in　great　doubt　of　their
success；　put　me　in　mind　of　certain　papers；　which　you　have　very　lately；
and　I　formerly；　sent　up　to　kites；　along　the　string；　which　we　called
messengers；　some　of　them　the　wind　used　to　blow　away；　others　were　torn　by
the　string；　and　but　few　of　them　got　up　and　stuck　to　the　kite。　　But　I　will
content　myself　now；　as　I　did　then；　if　some　of　my　present　messengers　do
but　stick　to　you。　　Adieu！




LETTER　II

DEAR　BOY：　You　are　by　this　time　（I　suppose）　quite　settled　and　at　home　at
Lausanne；　therefore　pray　let　me　know　how　you　pass　your　time　there；　and
what　your　studies；　your　amusements；　and　your　acquaintances　are。　　I　take
it　for　granted；　that　you　inform　yourself　daily　of　the　nature　of　the
government　and　constitution　of　the　Thirteen　Cantons；　and　as　I　am　ignorant
of　them　myself；　must　apply　to　you　for　information。　　I　know　the　names；　but
I　do　not　know　the　nature　of　some　of　the　most　considerable　offices　there；
such　as　the　Avoyers；　the　Seizeniers；　the　Banderets；　and　the　Gros　Sautier。
I　desire；　therefore；　that　you　will　let　me　know　what　is　the　particular
business；　department；　or　province　of　these　several　magistrates。　　But　as
I　imagine　that　there　may　be　some；　though；　I　believe；　no　essential
difference；　in　the　governments　of　the　several　Cantons；　I　would　not　give
you　the　trouble　of　informing　yourself　of　each　of　them；　but　confine　my
inquiries；　as　you　may　your　informations；　to　the　Canton　you　reside　in；
that　of　Berne；　which　I　take　to　be　the　principal　one。　　I　am　not　sure
whether　the　Pays　de　Vaud；　where　you　are；　being　a　conquered　country；　and
taken　from　the　Dukes　of　Savoy；　in　the　year　1536；　has　the　same　share　in
the　government　of　the　Canton；　as　the　German　part　of　it　has。　　Pray　inform
yourself　and　me　about　it。

I　have　this　moment　received　yours　from　Berne；　of　the　2d　October；　N。　S。
and　also　one　from　Mr。　Harte；　of　the　same　date；　under　Mr。　Burnaby's　cover。
I　find　by　the　latter；　and　indeed　I　thought　so　before；　that　some　of　your
letters　and　some　of　Mr。　Harte's　have　not　reached　me。　　Wherefore；　for　the
future；　I　desire；　that　both　he　and　you　will　direct　your　letters　for　me；
to　be　left　ches　Monsieur　Wolters；　Agent　de　S。　M。　Britanique；　a　Rotterdam；
who　will　take　care　to　send　them　to　me　safe。　　The　reason　why　you　have　not
received　letters　either　from　me　or　from　Grevenkop　was　that　we　directed
them　to　Lausanne；　where　we　thought　you　long　ago：　and　we　thought　it　to　no
purpose　to　direct　to　you　upon　your　ROUTE；　where　it　was　little　likely　that
our　letters　would　meet　with　you。　　But　you　have；　since　your　arrival　at
Lausanne；　I　believe；　found　letters　enough　from　me；　and　it　may　be　more
than　you　have　read；　at　least　with　attention。

I　am　glad　that　you　like　Switzerland　so　well；　and　am　impatient　to　hear　how
other　matters　go；　after　your　settlement　at　Lausanne。　　God　bless　you！




LETTER　III

LONDON；　December　2；　O。S。　　1746。

DEAR　BOY：　I　have　not；　in　my　present　situation；　＇His　Lordship　was；　in
the　year　1746；　appointed　one　of　his　Majesty's　secretaries　of　state。＇
time　to　write　to　you；　either　so　much　or　so　often　as　I　used；　while　I　was
in　a　place　of　much　more　leisure　and　profit；　but　my　affection　for　you　must
not　be　judged　of　by　the　number　of　my　letters；　and；　though　the　one
lessens；　the　other；　I　assure　you；　does　not。

I　have　just　now　received　your　letter　of　the　25th　past；　N。　S。；　and；　by　the
former　post；　one　from　Mr。　Harte；　with　both　which　I　am　very　well　pleased：
with　Mr。　Harte's；　for　the　good　account　which　he　gives　me　of　you；　with
yours；　for　the　good　account　which　you　gave　me　of　what　I　desired　to　be
informed　of。　　Pray　continue　to　give　me　further　information　of　the　form　of
government　of　the　country　you　are　now　in；　which　I　hope　you　will　know　most
minutely　before　you　leave　it。　　The　inequality　of　the　town　of　Lausanne
seems　to　be　very　convenient　in　this　cold　weather；　because　going　up　hill
and　down　will　keep　you　warm。　　You　say　there　is　a　good　deal　of　good
company；　pray；　are　you　got　into　it？　　Have　you　made　acquaintances；　and
with　whom？　　Let　me　know　some　of　their　names。　　Do　you　learn　German　yet；　to
read；　write；　and　speak　it？

Yesterday；　I　saw　a　letter　from　Monsieur　Bochat　to　a　friend　of　mine；　which
gave　me　the　greatest　pleasure　that　I　have　felt　this　great　while；　because
it　gives　so　very　good　an　account　of　you。　　Among　other　things　which
Monsieur　Bochat　says　to　your　advantage；　he　mentions　the　tender　uneasiness
and　concern　that　you　showed　during　my　illness；　for　which　（though　I　will
say　that　you　owe　it　to　me）　I　am　obliged　to　you：　sentiments　of　gratitude
not　being　universal；　nor　even　common。　　As　your　affection　for　me　can　only
proceed　from　your　experience　and　conviction　of　my　fondness　for　you　（for
to　talk　of　natural　affection　is　talking　nonsense）；　the　only　return　I
desire　is；　what　it　is　chiefly　your　interest　to　make　me；　I　mean　your
invariable　practice　of　virtue；　and　your　indefatigable　pursuit　of
knowledge。　　Adieu！　and　be　persuaded　that　I　shall　love　you　extremely；
while　you　deserve　it；　but　not　one　moment　longer。




LETTER　IV

LONDON；　December　9；　O。　S。　　1746。

DEAR　BOY：　Though　I　have　very　little　time；　and　though　I　write　by　this　post
to　Mr。　Harte；　yet　I　cannot　send　a　packet　to　Lausanne　without　a　word　or
two　to　yourself。　　I　thank　you　for　your　letter　of　congratulation　which　you
wrote　me；　notwithstanding　the　pain　it　gave　you。　　The　accident　that　caused
the　pain　was；　I　presume；　owing　to　that　degree　of　giddiness；　of　which　I
have　sometimes　taken　the　liberty　to　speak　to　you。　　The　post　I　am　now　in；
though　the　object　of　most　people's　views　and　desires；　was　in　some　degree
inflicted　upon　me；　and　a　certain　concurrence　cf　circumstances　obliged　me
to　engage　in　it。　　But　I　feel　that　to　go　through　with　it　requires　more
strength　of　body　and　mind　than　I　have：　were　you　three　or　four　years
older；　you　should　share　in　my　trouble；　and　I　would　have　taken　you　into　my
office；　but　I　hope　you　will　employ　these　three　or　four　years　so　well　as
to　make　yourself　capable　of　being　of　use　to　me；　if　I　should　continue　in
it　so　long。　　The　reading；　writing；　and　speaking　the　modern　languages
correctly；　the　knowledge　of　the　laws　of　nations；　and　the　particular
constitution　of　the　empire；　of　history；　geography；　and　chronology；　are
absolutely　necessary　to　this　business；　for　which　I　have　always　intended
you。　　With　these　qualifications　you　may　very　possibly　be　my　successor；
though　not　my　immediate　one。

I　hope　you　employ　your　whole　time；　which　few　people　do；　and　that　you　put
every　moment　to；　profit　of　some　kind　or　other。　　I　call　company；　walking；
riding；　etc。；　employing　one's　time；　and；　upon　proper　occasions；　very
usefully；　but　what　I　cannot　forgive　in　anybody　is　sauntering；　and　doing
nothing　at　all；　with　a　thing　so　precious　as　time；　and　so　irrecoverable
when　lost。

Are　you　acquainted　with　any　ladies　at　Lausanne？　　and　do　you　behave
yourself　with　politeness　enough　to　make　them　desire　your　company？

I　must　finish：　God　bless　you！




LETTER　V

LONDON；　February　24；　O。　S。　　1747

SIR：　In　order　that　we