letters to his son, 1752-第1节

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Letters　to　His　Son；　1752
by　The　Earl　of　Chesterfield




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　LETTERS　TO　HIS　SON
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　By　the　EARL　OF　CHESTERFIELD

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　on　the　Fine　Art　of　becoming　a

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MAN　OF　THE　WORLD

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　and　a

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　GENTLEMAN





LETTER　CLV

LONDON；　January　2；　O。　S。　1752。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　Laziness　of　mind；　or　inattention；　are　as　great　enemies　to　knowledge　as　incapacity；　for；　in　truth；　what　difference　is　there　between　a　man　who　will　not；　and　a　man　who　cannot　be　informed？　　This　difference　only；　that　the　former　is　justly　to　be　blamed；　the　latter　to　be　pitied。　And　yet　how　many　there　are；　very　capable　of　receiving　knowledge；　who　from　laziness；　inattention；　and　incuriousness；　will　not　so　much　as　ask　for　it；　much　less　take　the　least　pains　to　acquire　it！

Our　young　English　travelers　generally　distinguish　themselves　by　a　voluntary　privation　of　all　that　useful　knowledge　for　which　they　are　sent　abroad；　and　yet；　at　that　age；　the　most　useful　knowledge　is　the　most　easy　to　be　acquired；　conversation　being　the　book；　and　the　best　book　in　which　it　is　contained。　　The　drudgery　of　dry　grammatical　learning　is　over；　and　the　fruits　of　it　are　mixed　with；　and　adorned　by；　the　flowers　of　conversation。　　How　many　of　our　young　men　have　been　a　year　at　Rome；　and　as　long　at　Paris；　without　knowing　the　meaning　and　institution　of　the　Conclave　in　the　former；　and　of　the　parliament　in　the　latter？　and　this　merely　for　want　of　asking　the　first　people　they　met　with　in　those　several　places；　who　could　at　least　have　given　them　some　general　notions　of　those　matters。

You　will；　I　hope；　be　wiser；　and　omit　no　opportunity　（for　opportunities　present　themselves　every　hour　of　the　day）　of　acquainting　yourself　with　all　those　political　and　constitutional　particulars　of　the　kingdom　and　government　of　France。　　For　instance；　when　you　hear　people　mention　le　Chancelier；　or　'le　Garde　de　Sceaux'；　is　it　any　great　trouble　for　you　to　ask；　or　for　others　to　tell　you；　what　is　the　nature；　the　powers；　the　objects；　and　the　profits　of　those　two　employments；　either　when　joined　together；　as　they　often　are；　or　when　separate；　as　they　are　at　present？　When　you　hear　of　a　gouverneur；　a　lieutenant　du　Roi；　a　commandant；　and　an　intendant　of　the　same　province；　is；　it　not　natural；　is　it　not　becoming；　is　it　not　necessary；　for　a　stranger　to　inquire　into　their　respective　rights　and　privileges？　　And　yet；　I　dare　say；　there　are　very　few　Englishmen　who　know　the　difference　between　the　civil　department　of　the　Intendant；　and　the　military　powers　of　the　others。　　When　you　hear　（as　I　am　persuaded　you　must）　every　day　of　the　'Vingtieme'；　which　is　one　in　twenty；　and　consequently　five　per　cent。；　inquire　upon　what　that　tax　is　laid；　whether　upon　lands；　money；　merchandise；　or　upon　all　three；　how　levied；　and　what　it　is　supposed　to　produce。　　When　you　find　in　books：　（as　you　will　sometimes）　allusion　to　particular　laws　and　customs；　do　not　rest　till　you　have　traced　them　up　to　their　source。　　To　give　you　two　examples：　you　will　meet　in　some　French　comedies；　'Cri'；　or　'Clameur　de　Haro'；　ask　what　it　means；　and　you　will　be　told　that　it　is　a　term　of　the　law　in　Normandy；　and　means　citing；　arresting；　or　obliging　any　person　to　appear　in　the　courts　of　justice；　either　upon　a　civil　or　a　criminal　account；　and　that　it　is　derived　from　'a　Raoul'；　which　Raoul　was　anciently　Duke　of　Normandy；　and　a　prince　eminent　for　his　justice；　insomuch；　that　when　any　injustice　was　committed；　the　cry　immediately　was；　'Venez；　a　Raoul；　a　Raoul'；　which　words　are　now　corrupted　and　jumbled　into　'haro'。　　Another；　'Le　vol　du　Chapon；　that　is；　a　certain　district　of　ground　immediately　contiguous　to　the　mansion…seat　of　a　family；　and　answers　to　what　we　call　in　English　DEMESNES。　　It　is　in　France　computed　at　about　1；600　feet　round　the　house；　that　being　supposed　to　be　the　extent　of　the　capon's　flight　from　'la　basse　cour'。　　This　little　district　must　go　along　with　the　mansion…seat；　however　the　rest　of　the　estate　may　be　divided。

I　do　not　mean　that　you　should　be　a　French　lawyer；　but　I　would　not　have　you　unacquainted　with　the　general　principles　of　their　law；　in　matters　that　occur　every　day：　　Such　is　the　nature　of　their　descents；　that　is；　the　inheritance　of　lands：　　Do　they　all　go　to　the　eldest　son；　or　are　they　equally　divided　among　the　children　of　the　deceased？　　In　England；　all　lands　unsettled　descend　to　the　eldest　son；　as　heir…at…law；　unless　otherwise　disposed　of　by　the　father's　will；　except　in　the　county　of　Kent；　where　a　particular　custom　prevails；　called　Gavelkind；　by　which；　if　the　father　dies　intestate；　all　his　children　divide　his　lands　equally　among　them。　　In　Germany；　as　you　know；　all　lands　that；　are　not　fiefs　are　equally　divided　among　all　the　children；　which　ruins　those　families；　but　all　male　fiefs　of　the　empire　descend　unalienably　to　the　next　male　heir；　which　preserves　those　families。　　In　France；　I　believe；　descents　vary　in　different　provinces。

The　nature　of　marriage　contracts　deserves　inquiry。　　In　England；　the　general　practice　is；　the　husband　takes　all　the　wife's　fortune；　and　in　consideration　of　it　settles　upon　her　a　proper　pin…money；　as　it　is　called；　that　is；　an；　annuity　during　his　life；　and　a　jointure　after　his　death。　　In　France　it　is　not　so；　particularly　at　Paris；　where　'la　communaute　des　biens'　is　established。　　Any　married　woman　at　Paris　（IF　YOU　ARE　ACQUAINTED　WITH　ONE　can　inform　you　of　all　these　particulars。

These　and　other　things　of　the　same　nature；　are　the　useful　and　rational　objects　of　the　curiosity　of　a　man　of　sense　and　business。　　Could　they　only　be　attained　by　laborious　researches　in　folio…books；　and　wormeaten　manuscripts；　I　should　not　wonder　at　a　young　fellow's　being　ignorant　of　them；　but　as　they　are　the　frequent　topics　of　conversation；　and　to　be　known　by　a　very　little　degree　of　curiosity；　inquiry　and　attention；　it　is　unpardonable　not　to　know　them。

Thus　I　have　given　you　some　hints　only　for　your　inquiries；　'l'Etat　de　la　France；　l'Almanach　Royal'；　and　twenty　other　such　superficial　books；　will　furnish　you　with　a　thousand　more。　　'Approfondissez。'

How　often；　and　how　justly；　have　I　since　regretted　negligences　of　this　kind　in　my　youth！　　And　how　often　have　I　since　been　at　great　trouble　to　learn　many　things　which　I　could　then　have　learned　without　any！　　Save　yourself　now；　then；　I　beg　of　you；　that　regret　and　trouble　hereafter。　　Ask　questions；　and　many　questions；　and　leave　nothing　till　you　are　thoroughly　informed　of　it。　　Such　pertinent　questions　are　far　from　being　illbred　or　troublesome　to　those　of　whom　you　ask　them；　on　the　contrary；　they　are　a　tacit　compliment　to　their　knowledge；　and　people　have　a　better　opinion　of　a　young　man；　when　they　see　him　desirous　to　be　informed。

I　have　by　last　post　received　your　two　letters　of　the　1st　and　5th　of　January；　N。　S。　　I　am　very　glad　that　you　have　been　at　all　the　shows　at　Versailles：　frequent　the　courts。　　I　can　conceive　the　murmurs　of　the　French　at　the　poorness　of　the　fireworks；　by　which　they　thought　their　king　of　their　country　degraded；　and；　in　truth；　were　things　always　as　they　should　be；　when　kings　give　shows　they　ought　to　be　magnificent。

I　thank　you　for　the　'These　de　la　Sorbonne'；　which　you　intend　to　send　me；　and　which　I　am　impatient　to　receive。　　But　pray　read　it　carefully　yourself　first；　and　inform　yourself　what　the　Sorbonne　is　by　whom　founded；　and　for　what　puraoses。

Since　you　have　time；　you　have　done　very　well　to　take　an　Italian　and　a　German　master；　but　pray　take　care　to　leave　yourelf　time　enough　for　company；　for　it　is　in　company　only　that　you　can　learn　what　will　be　much　more　useful　to　you　than　either　Italian　or　German；　I　mean　'la　politesse；　les　manieres　et　les　graces；　without　which；　as　I　told　you　long　ago；　and　I　told　you　true；　'ogni　fatica　a　vana'。　　Adieu。

Pray　make　my　compliments　to　Lady　Brown。




LETTER　CLVI

LONDON；　January　6；　O。　S。　　1752。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND

I　recommended　to　you；　in　my　last；　some　inquiries　into　the　constitution　of　that　famous　society　the　Sorbonne；　but　as　I　cannot　wholly　trust　to　the　diligence　of　those　inquiries；　I　will　give　you　here　the　outlines　of　that　establishment；　which　may　possibly　excite　you　to　inform　yourself　of　particulars；　which　you　are　more　'a　portee'　to　know　than　I　am。

It　was　founded　by　Robert　de　Sorbon；　in　the　year　1256　for　sixteen　poor　scholars　in　divinity；　four　of　each　nation；　of　the　university　of　which　it　made　a　part；　since　that　it　hath　been　much　extended　and　enriched；　especially　by　the　liberality　and　pride　of　Cardinal　Richelieu；　who　made　it　a　magnificent　building　for　six…and…thirty　doctors　of　that　society　to　live　in；　besides　which；　there　are　six　professors　and　schools　for　divinity。　This　society　has　long　been　famous　for　theological　knowledge　and　exercitations。　　There　unintelligible　points　are　debated　with　passion；　though　they　can　never　be　determined　by　reason。　　Logical　subtilties　set　common　sense　at　defiance；　and　mystical　refinements　disfigure　and　disguise　the　native　beauty　and　simplicity　of　true　natural　religion；　wild　imaginations　form　systems；　which　weak　minds　adopt　implicitly；　and　which　sense　and　reason　oppose　in　vain；　their　voice　is　not　strong　enough　to　be　heard　in　schools　of　divinity。　　Political　views　are　by　no　means　neglected　in　those　sacr