letters to his son, 1750-第11节

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s　the　affectation　of　wit　will　make　a　man　of　parts　pass　for　a　coxcomb。　　By　this　modesty　I　do　not　mean　timidity　and　awkward　bashfulness。　On　the　contrary；　be　inwardly　firm　and　steady；　know　your　own　value　whatever　it　may　be；　and　act　upon　that　principle；　but　take　great　care　to。　let　nobody　discover　that　you　do　know　your　own　value。　　Whatever　real　merit　you　have；　other　people　will　discover；　and　people　always　magnify　their　own　discoveries；　as　they　lessen　those　of　others。

For　God's　sake；　revolve　all　these　things　seriously　in　your　thoughts；　before　you　launch　out　alone　into　the　ocean　of　Paris。　　Recollect　the　observations　that　you　have　yourself　made　upon　mankind；　compare　and　connect　them　with　my　instructions；　and　then　act　systematically　and　consequentially　from　them；　not　'au　jour　la　journee'。　　Lay　your　little　plan　now；　which　you　will　hereafter　extend　and　improve　by　your　own　observations；　and　by　the　advice　of　those　who　can　never　mean　to　mislead　you；　I　mean　Mr。　Harte　and　myself。




LETTER　CXIV

LONDON；　May　24。；　O。　S。　　1750

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　received　yesterday　your　letter　of　the　7th；　N。　S。；　from　Naples；　to　which　place　I　find　you　have　traveled；　classically；　critically；　and　'da　virtuoso'。　　You　did　right；　for　whatever　is　worth　seeing　at；　all；　is　worth　seeing　well；　and　better　than　most　people　see　it。　It　is　a　poor　and　frivolous　excuse；　when　anything　curious　is　talked　of　that　one　has　seen；　to　say；　I　SAW　IT；　BUT　REALLY　I　DID　NOT　MUCH　MIND　IT。　　Why　did　they　go　to　see　it；　if　they　would　not　mind　it？　　or　why　not　mind　it　when　they　saw　it？　　Now　that　you　are　at　Naples；　you　pass　part　of　your　time　there　'en　honnete　homme；　da　garbato　cavaliere'；　in　the　court　and　the　best　companies。　　I　am　told　that　strangers　are　received　with　the　utmost　hospitality　at　Prince　…'s；　'que　lui　il　fait　bonne　chere；　et　que　Madame　la　Princesse　donne　chere　entire；　mais　que　sa　chair　est　plus　que　hazardee　ou　mortifiee　meme'；　which　in　plain　English　means；　that　she　is　not　only　tender；　but　rotten。　　If　this　be　true；　as　I　am　pretty　sure　it　is；　one　may　say　to　her　in　a　little　sense；　'juvenumque　prodis；　publics　cura'。

Mr。　Harte　informs　me　that　you　are　clothed　in　sumptuous　apparel；　a　young　fellow　should　be　so；　especially　abroad；　where　fine　clothes　are　so　generally　the　fashion。　　Next　to　their　being　fine；　they　should　be　well　made；　and　worn　easily　for　a　man　is　only　the　less　genteel　for　a　fine　coat；　if；　in　wearing　it；　he　shows　a　regard　for　it；　and　is　not　as　easy　in　it　as　if　it　were　a　plain　one。

I　thank　you　for　your　drawing；　which　I　am　impatient　to　see；　and　which　I　shall　hang　up　in　a　new　gallery　that　I　am　building　at　Blackheath；　and　very　fond　of；　but　I　am　still　more　impatient　for　another　copy；　which　I　wonder　I　have　not　yet　received；　I　mean　the　copy　of　your　countenance。　　I　believe；　were　that　a　whole　length；　it　would　still　fall　a　good　deal　short　of　the　dimensions　of　the　drawing　after　Dominichino；　which　you　say　is　about　eight　feet　high；　and　I　take　you；　as　well　as　myself；　to　be　of　the　family　of　the　Piccolomini。　　Mr。　Bathurst　tells　me　that　he　thinks　you　rather　taller　than　I　am；　if　so；　you　may　very　possibly　get　up　to　five　feet　eight　inches；　which　I　would　compound　for；　though　I　would　wish　you　five　feet　ten。　　In　truth；　what　do　I　not　wish　you；　that　has　a　tendency　to　perfection？　　I　say　a　tendency　only；　for　absolute　perfection　is　not　in　human　nature；　so　that　it　would　be　idle　to　wish　it。　　But　I　am　very　willing　to　compound　for　your　coming　nearer　to　perfection　than　the　generality　of　your　contemporaries：　without　a　compliment　to　you；　I　think　you　bid　fair　for　that。　　Mr。　Harte　affirms　（and　if　it　were　consistent　with　his　character　would；　I　believe；　swear）　that　you　have　no　vices　of　the　heart；　you　have　undoubtedly　a　stock　of　both　ancient　and　modern　learning；　which　I　will　venture　to　say　nobody　of　your　age　has；　and　which　must　now　daily　increase；　do　what　you　will。　What；　then；　do　you　want　toward　that　practicable　degree　of　perfection　which　I　wish　you？　　Nothing　but　the　knowledge；　the　turn；　and　the　manners　of　the　world；　I　mean　the　'beau　monde'。　　These　it　is　impossible　that　you　can　yet　have　quite　right；　they　are　not　given；　they　must　be　learned。　　But　then；　on　the　other　hand；　it　is　impossible　not　to　acquire　them；　if　one　has　a　mind　to　them；　for　they　are　acquired　insensibly；　by　keeping　good　company；　if　one　has　but　the　least　attention　to　their　characters　and　manners。

Every　man　becomes；　to　a　certain　degree；　what　the　people　he　generally　converses　with　are。　　He　catches　their　air；　their　manners；　and　even　their　way　of　thinking。　　If　he　observes　with　attention；　he　will　catch　them　soon；　but　if　he　does　not；　he　will　at　long　run　contract　them　insensibly。　　I　know　nothing　in　the　world　but　poetry　that　is　not　to　be　acquired　by　application　and　care。　　The　sum　total　of　this　is　a　very　comfortable　one　for　you；　as　it　plainly　amounts　to　this　in　your　favor；　that　you　now　want　nothing　but　what　even　your　pleasures；　if　they　are　liberal　ones；　will　teach　you。　　I　congratulate　both　you　and　myself　upon　your　being　in　such　a　situation；　that；　excepting　your　exercises；　nothing　is　now　wanting　but　pleasures　to　complete　you。　　Take　them；　but　（as　I　am　sure　you　will）　with　people　of　the　first　fashion；　whereever　you　are；　and　the　business　is　done；　your　exercises　at　Paris；　which　I　am　sure　you　will　attend　to；　will　supple　and　fashion　your　body；　and　the　company　you　will　keep　there　will；　with　some　degree　of　observation　on　your　part；　soon　give　you　their　air；　address；　manners；　in　short；　'le　ton　de　la　bonne　compagnie'。　　Let　not　these　considerations；　however；　make　you　vain：　they　are　only　between　you　and　me　but　as　they　are　very　comfortable　ones；　they　may　justly　give　you　a　manly　assurance；　a　firmness；　a　steadiness；　without　which　a　man　can　neither　be　well…bred；　or　in　any　light　appear　to　advantage；　or　really　what　he　is。　They　may　justly　remove　all；　timidity；　awkward　bashfulness；　low　diffidence　of　one's　self；　and　mean　abject　complaisance　to　every　or　anybody's　opinion。　　La　Bruyere　says；　very　truly；　'on　ne　vaut　dans　ce　monde；　que　ce　que　l'on　veut　valoir'。　　It　is　a　right　principle　to　proceed　upon　in　the　world；　taking　care　only　to　guard　against　the　appearances　and　outward　symptoms　of　vanity。　　Your　whole　then；　you　see；　turns　upon　the　company　you　keep　for　the　future。　　I　have　laid　you　in　variety　of　the　best　at　Paris；　where；　at　your　arrival　you　will　find　a　cargo　of　letters　to　very　different　sorts　of　people；　as　'beaux　esprils；　savants；　et　belles　dames'。　　These；　if　you　will　frequent　them；　will　form　you；　not　only　by　their　examples；　advice；　and　admonitions　in　private；　as　I　have　desired　them　to　do；　and　consequently　add　to　what　you　have　the　only　one　thing　now　needful。

Pray　tell　me　what　Italian　books　you　have　read；　and　whether　that　language　is　now　become　familiar　to　you。

Read　Ariosto　and　Tasso　through；　and　then　you　will　have　read　all　the　Italian　poets　who　in　my　opinion　are　worth　reading。　　In　all　events；　when　you　get　to　Paris；　take　a　good　Italian　master　to　read　Italian　with　you　three　times　a　week；　not　only　to　keep　what　you　have　already；　which　you　would　otherwise　forget；　but　also　to　perfect　you　in　the　rest。　　It　is　a　great　pleasure；　as　well　as　a　great　advantage；　to　be　able　to　speak　to　people　of　all　nations；　and　well；　in　their　own　language。　　Aim　at　perfection　in　everything；　though　in　most　things　it　is　unattainable；　however；　they　who　aim　at　it；　and　persevere；　will　come　much　nearer　it；　than　those　whose　laziness　and　despondency　make　them　give　it　up　as　unattainable。　　'Magnis　tamen　excidit　ausis'　is　a　degree　of　praise　which　will　always　attend　a　noble　and　shining　temerity；　and　a　much　better　sign　in　a　young　fellow；　than　'serpere　humi；　tutus　nimium　timidusque　procellae'。　　For　men　as　well　as　women：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃…born　to　be　controlled；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Stoop　to　the　forward　and　the　bold。〃

A　man　who　sets　out　in　the　world　with　real　timidity　and　diffidence　has　not　an　equal　chance　for　it；　he　will　be　discouraged；　put　by；　or　trampled　upon。　But　to　succeed；　a　man；　especially　a　young　one；　should　have　inward　firmness；　steadiness；　and　intrepidity；　with　exterior　modesty　and　SEEMING　diffidence。　　He　must　modestly；　but　resolutely；　assert　his　own　rights　and　privileges。　　'Suaviter　in　modo'；　but　'fortiter　in　re'。　　He　should　have　an　apparent　frankness　and　openness；　but　with　inward　caution　and　closeness。　All　these　things　will　come　to　you　by　frequenting　and　observing　good　company。　　And　by　good　company；　I　mean　that　sort　of　company　which　is　called　good　company　by　everybody　of　that　place。　　When　all　this　is　over；　we　shall　meet；　and　then　we　will　talk　over；　tete…a…tete；　the　various　little　finishing　strokes　which　conversation　and；　acquaintance　occasionally　suggest；　and　which　cannot　be　methodically　written。

Tell　Mr。　Harte　that　I　have　received　his　two　letters　of　the　2d　and　8th　N。　S。；　which；　as　soon　as　I　have　received　a　third；　I　will　answer。　　Adieu；　my　dear！　　I　find　you　will　do。




LETTER　CXV

LONDON；　June　5；　O。　S。　　1750

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　have　received　your　picture；　which　I　have　long　waited　for　with　impatience：　I　wanted　to　see　your　countenance　from　whence　I　am　very　apt；　as　I　believe　most　people　are；　to　form　some　general　opinion　of　the　mind。　　If　the　painter　has　taken　you　as　well　as　he　has　done　Mr。　Harte　（for　his　picture　is　by　far　the　most　like　I　ever　saw　in　my　life）；　I　draw　good　conclusions　from　your　countenance；　whi