letters to his son, 1750-第10节

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！


gh　possibly　in　themselves　not　more　moral）　are　more　delicate；　more　refined；　less　dangerous；　and　less　disgraceful；　and；　in　the　common　course　of　things；　not　reckoned　disgraceful　at　all。　　In　short；　pleasure　must　not；　nay；　cannot；　be　the　business　of　a　man　of　sense　and　character；　but　it　may　be；　and　is；　his　relief；　his　reward。　　It　is　particularly　so　with　regard　to　the　women；　who　have　the　utmost　contempt　for　those　men；　that；　having　no　character　nor　consideration　with　their　own　sex；　frivolously　pass　their　whole　time　in　'ruelles'　and　at　'toilettes'。　　They　look　upon　them　as　their　lumber；　and　remove　them　whenever　they　can　get　better　furniture。　　Women　choose　their　favorites　more　by　the　ear　than　by　any　other　of　their　senses　or　even　their　understandings。　　The　man　whom　they　hear　the　most　commended　by　the　men；　will　always　be　the　best　received　by　them。　　Such　a　conquest　flatters　their　vanity；　and　vanity　is　their　universal；　if　not　their　strongest　passion。　　A　distinguished　shining　character　is　irresistible　with　them；　they　crowd　to；　nay；　they　even　quarrel　for　the　danger　in　hopes　of　the　triumph。　　Though；　by　the　way　（to　use　a　vulgar　expression）；　she　who　conquers　only　catches　a　Tartar；　and　becomes　the　slave　of　her　captive。　　'Mais　c'est　la　leur　affaire'。　　Divide　your　time　between　useful　occupations　and　elegant　pleasures。　　The　morning　seems　to　belong　to　study；　business；　or　serious　conversations　with　men　of　learning　and　figure；　not　that　I　exclude　an　occasional　hour　at　a　toilette。　From　sitting　down　to　dinner；　the　proper　business　of　the　day　is　pleasure；　unless　real　business；　which　must　never　be　postponed　for　pleasure；　happens　accidentally　to　interfere。　　In　good　company；　the　pleasures　of　the　table　are　always　carried　to　a　certain　point　of　delicacy　and　gratification；　but　never　to　excess　and　riot。　　Plays；　operas；　balls；　suppers；　gay　conversations　in　polite　and　cheerful　companies；　properly　conclude　the　evenings；　not　to　mention　the　tender　looks　that　you　may　direct　and　the　sighs　that　you　may　offer；　upon　these　several　occasions；　to　some　propitious　or　unpropitious　female　deity；　whose　character　and　manners　will　neither　disgrace　nor　corrupt　yours。　　This　is　the　life　of　a　man　of　real　sense　and　pleasure；　and　by　this　distribution　of　your　time；　and　choice　of　your　pleasures；　you　will　be　equally　qualified　for　the　busy；　or　the　'beau　monde'。　　You　see　I　am　not　rigid；　and　do　not　require　that　you　and　I　should　be　of　the　same　age。　　What　I　say　to　you；　therefore；　should　have　the　more　weight；　as　coming　from　a　friend；　not　a　father。　　But　low　company；　and　their　low　vices；　their　indecent　riots　and　profligacy；　I　never　will　bear　nor　forgive。

I　have　lately　received　two　volumes　of　treaties；　in　German　and　Latin；　from　Hawkins；　with　your　orders；　under　your　own　hand；　to　take　care　of　them　for　you；　which　orders　I　shall　most　dutifully　and　punctually　obey；　and　they　wait　for　you　in　my　library；　together　with　your　great　collection　of　rare　books；　which　your　Mamma　sent　me　upon　removing　from　her　old　house。

I　hope　you　not　only　keep　up；　but　improve　in　your　German；　for　it　will　be　of　great　use　to　you　when　you　cone　into　business；　and　the　more　so；　as　you　will　be　almost　the　only　Englishman　who　either　can　speak　or　understand　it。　Pray　speak　it　constantly　to　all　Germans；　wherever　you　meet　them；　and　you　will　meet　multitudes　of　them　at　Paris。　　Is　Italian　now　become　easy　and　familiar　to　you？　　Can　you　speak　it　with　the　same　fluency　that　you　can　speak　German？　　You　cannot　conceive　what　an　advantage　it　will　give　you　in　negotiations　to　possess　Italian；　German；　and　French　perfectly；　so　as　to　understand　all　the　force　and　finesse　of　those　three　languages。　　If　two　men　of　equal　talents　negotiate　together；　he　who　best　understands　the　language　in　which　the　negotiation　is　carried　on；　will　infallibly　get　the　better　of　the　other。　　The　signification　and　force　of　one　single　word　is　often　of　great　consequence　in　a　treaty；　and　even　in　a　letter。

Remember　the　GRACES；　for　without　them　'ogni　fatica　e　vana'。　　Adieu。




LETTER　CXIII

LONDON；　May　17；　O。　S。　　1750

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　Your　apprenticeship　is　near　out；　and　you　are　soon　to　set　up　for　yourself；　that　approaching　moment　is　a　critical　one　for　you；　and　an　anxious　one　for　me。　　A　tradesman　who　would　succeed　in　his　way；　must　begin　by　establishing　a　character　of　integrity　and　good　manners；　without　the　former；　nobody　will　go　to　his　shop　at　all；　without　the　latter；　nobody　will　go　there　twice。　　This　rule　does　not　exclude　the　fair　arts　of　trade。　He　may　sell　his　goods　at　the　best　price　he　can；　within　certain　bounds。　He　may　avail　himself　of　the　humor；　the　whims；　and　the　fantastical　tastes　of　his　customers；　but　what　he　warrants　to　be　good　must　be　really　so；　what　he　seriously　asserts　must　be　true；　or　his　first　fraudulent　profits　will　soon　end　in　a　bankruptcy。　　It　is　the　same　in　higher　life；　and　in　the　great　business　of　the　world。　　A　man　who　does　not　solidly　establish；　and　really　deserve；　a　character　of　truth；　probity；　good　manners；　and　good　morals；　at　his　first　setting　out　in　the　world；　may　impose；　and　shine　like　a　meteor　for　a　very　short　time；　but　will　very　soon　vanish；　and　be　extinguished　with　contempt。　　People　easily　pardon；　in　young　men；　the　common　irregularities　of　the　senses：　but　they　do　not　forgive　the　least　vice　of　the　heart。　　The　heart　never　grows　better　by　age；　I　fear　rather　worse；　always　harder。　　A　young　liar　will　be　an　old　one；　and　a　young　knave　will　only　be　a　greater　knave　as　he　grows　older。　　But　should　a　bad　young　heart；　accompanied　with　a　good　head　（which；　by　the　way；　very　seldom　is　the　case）；　really　reform　in　a　more　advanced　age；　from　a　consciousness　of　its　folly；　as　well　as　of　its　guilt；　such　a　conversion　would　only　be　thought　prudential　and　political；　but　never　sincere。　　I　hope　in　God；　and　I　verily。　　believe；　that　you　want　no　moral　virtue。　　But　the　possession　of　all　the　moral　virtues；　in　'actu　primo'；　as　the　logicians　call　it；　is　not　sufficient；　you　must　have　them　in　'actu　secundo'　too；　nay；　that　is　not　sufficient　neitheryou　must　have　the　reputation　of　them　also。　　Your　character　in　the　world　must　be　built　upon　that　solid　foundation；　or　it　will　soon　fall；　and　upon　your　own　head。　　You　cannot；　therefore；　be　too　careful；　too　nice；　too　scrupulous；　in　establishing　this　character　at　first；　upon　which　your　whole　depends。　　Let　no　conversation；　no　example；　no　fashion；　no　'bon　mot'；　no　silly　desire　of　seeming　to　be　above；　what　most　knaves；　and　many　fools；　call　prejudices；　ever　tempt　you　to　avow；　excuse；　extenuate；　or　laugh　at　the　least　breach　of　morality；　but　show　upon　all　occasions；　and　take　all　occasions　to　show；　a　detestation　and　abhorrence　of　it。　　There；　though　young；　you　ought　to　be　strict；　and　there　only；　while　young；　it　becomes　you　to　be　strict　and　severe。　　But　there；　too；　spare　the　persons　while　you　lash　the　crimes。　　All　this　relates；　as　you　easily　judge；　to　the　vices　of　the　heart；　such　as　lying；　fraud；　envy；　malice；　detraction；　etc。；　and　I　do　not　extend　it　to　the　little　frailties　of　youth；　flowing　from　high　spirits　and　warm　blood。　　It　would　ill　become　you；　at　your　age；　to　declaim　against　them；　and　sententiously　censure　a　gallantry；　an　accidental　excess　of　the　table；　a　frolic；　an　inadvertency；　no；　keep　as　free　from　them　yourself　as　you　can：　but　say　nothing　against　them　in　others。　　They　certainly　mend　by　time；　often　by　reason；　and　a　man's　worldly　character　is　not　affected　by　them；　provided　it　be　pure　in　all　other　respects。

To　come　now　to　a　point　of　much　less；　but　yet　of　very　great　consequence　at　your　first　setting　out。　　Be　extremely　upon　your　guard　against　vanity；　the　common　failing　of　inexperienced　youth；　but　particularly　against　that　kind　of　vanity　that　dubs　a　man　a　coxcomb；　a　character　which；　once　acquired；　is　more　indelible　than　that　of　the　priesthood。　　It　is　not　to　be　imagined　by　how　many　different　ways　vanity　defeats　its　own　purposes。　　One　man　decides　peremptorily　upon　every　subject；　betrays　his　ignorance　upon　many；　and　shows　a　disgusting　presumption　upon　the　rest。　　Another　desires　to　appear　successful　among　the　women；　he　hints　at　the　encouragement　he　has　received；　from　those　of　the　most　distinguished　rank　and　beauty；　and　intimates　a　particular　connection　with　some　one；　if　it　is　true；　it　is　ungenerous；　if　false；　it　is　infamous：　but　in　either　case　he　destroys　the　reputation　he　wants　to　get。　　Some　flatter　their　vanity　by　little　extraneous　objects；　which　have　not　the　least　relation　to　themselves；　such　as　being　descended　from；　related　to；　or　acquainted　with；　people　of　distinguished　merit　and　eminent　characters。　　They　talk　perpetually　of　their　grandfather　such…a…one；　their　uncle　such…a…one；　and　their　intimate　friend　Mr。　Such…a…one；　with　whom；　possibly；　they　are　hardly　acquainted。　But　admitting　it　all　to　be　as　they　would　have　it；　what　then？　　Have　they　the　more　merit　for　those　accidents？　　Certainly　not。　　On　the　contrary；　their　taking　up　adventitious；　proves　their　want　of　intrinsic　merit；　a　rich　man　never　borrows。　　Take　this　rule　for　granted；　as　a　never…failing　one：　That　you　must　never　seem　to　affect　the　character　in　which　you　have　a　mind　to　shine。　　Modesty　is　the　only　sure　bait　when　you　angle　for　praise。　The　affectation　of　courage　will　make　even　a　brave　man　pass　only　for　a　bully；　as　the　affectation　of　wit　will　make　a　man　of　parts　pass　for　a　coxcomb。　　By　this　modesty　I　do　not　mean