letters to his son, 1750-第14节

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ntilian　lay　upon　it；　even　the　herb…women　at　Athens　were　correct　judges　of　it。　　Oratory；　with　all　its　graces；　that　of　enunciation　in　particular；　is　full　as　necessary　in　our　government　as　it　ever　was　in　Greece　or　Rome。　　No　man　can　make　a　fortune　or　a　figure　in　this　country；　without　speaking；　and　speaking　well　in　public。　　If　you　will　persuade；　you　must　first　please；　and　if　you　will　please；　you　must　tune　your　voice　to　harmony；　you　must　articulate　every　syllable　distinctly；　your　emphasis　and　cadences　must　be　strongly　and　properly　marked；　and　the　whole　together　must　be　graceful　and　engaging：　If　you　do　not　speak　in　that　manner；　you　had　much　better　not　speak　at　all。　All　the　learning　you　have；　or　ever　can　have；　is　not　worth　one　groat　without　it。　　It　may　be　a　comfort　and　an　amusement　to　you　in　your　closet；　but　can　be　of　no　use　to　you　in　the　world。　　Let　me　conjure　you；　therefore；　to　make　this　your　only　object；　till　you　have　absolutely　conquered　it；　for　that　is　in　your　power；　think　of　nothing　else；　read　and　speak　for　nothing　else。　　Read　aloud；　though　alone；　and　read　articulately　and　distinctly；　as　if　you　were　reading　in　public；　and　on　the　most　important　occasion。　　Recite　pieces　of　eloquence；　declaim　scenes　of　tragedies　to　Mr。　Harte；　as　if　he　were　a　numerous　audience。　　If　there　is　any　particular　consonant　which　you　have　a　difficulty　in　articulating；　as　I　think　you　had　with　the　R；　utter　it　millions　and　millions　of　times；　till　you　have　uttered　it　right。　　Never　speak　quick；　till　you　have　first　learned　to　speak　well。　　In　short；　lay　aside　every　book；　and　every　thought；　that　does　not　directly　tend　to　this　great　object；　absolutely　decisive　of　your　future　fortune　and　figure。

The　next　thing　necessary　in　your　destination；　is　writing　correctly；　elegantly；　and　in　a　good　hand　too；　in　which　three　particulars；　I　am　sorry　to　tell　you；　that　you　hitherto　fail。　　Your　handwriting　is　a　very　bad　one；　and　would　make　a　scurvy　figure　in　an　office…book　of　letters；　or　even　in　a　lady's　pocket…book。　　But　that　fault　is　easily　cured　by　care；　since　every　man；　who　has　the　use　of　his　eyes　and　of　his　right　hand；　can　write　whatever　hand　he　pleases。　　As　to　the　correctness　and　elegance　of　your　writing；　attention　to　grammar　does　the　one；　and　to　the　best　authors　the　other。　　In　your　letter　to　me　of　the　27th　June；　N。　S。；　you　omitted　the　date　of　the　place；　so　that　I　only　conjectured　from　the　contents　that　you　were　at　Rome。

Thus　I　have；　with　the　truth　and　freedom　of　the　tenderest　affection；　told　you　all　your　defects；　at　least　all　that　I　know　or　have　heard　of。　　Thank　God；　they　are　all　very　curable；　they　must　be　cured；　and　I　am　sure；　you　will　cure　them。　　That　once　done；　nothing　remains　for　you　to　acquire；　or　for　me　to　wish　you；　but　the　turn；　the　manners；　the　address；　and　the　GRACES；　of　the　polite　world；　which　experience；　observation；　and　good　company；　will　insensibly　give　you。　　Few　people　at　your　age　have　read；　seen；　and　known；　so　much　as　you　have；　and　consequently　few　are　so　near　as　yourself　to　what　I　call　perfection；　by　which　I　only；　mean　being　very　near　as　well　as　the　best。　　Far；　therefore；　from　being　discouraged　by　what　you　still　want；　what　you　already　have　should　encourage　you　to　attempt；　and　convince　you　that　by　attempting　you　will　inevitably　obtain　it。　　The　difficulties　which　you　have　surmounted　were　much　greater　than　any　you　have　now　to　encounter。　　Till　very　lately；　your　way　has　been　only　through　thorns　and　briars；　the　few　that　now　remain　are　mixed　with　roses。　Pleasure　is　now　the　principal　remaining　part　of　your　education。　　It　will　soften　and　polish　your　manners；　it　will　make　you　pursue　and　at　last　overtake　the　GRACES。　　Pleasure　is　necessarily　reciprocal；　no　one　feels；　who　does　not　at　the　same　time　give　it。　　To　be　pleased　one　must　please。　What　pleases　you　in　others；　will　in　general　please　them　in　you。　　Paris　is　indisputably　the　seat　of　the　GRACES；　they　will　even　court　you；　if　you　are　not　too　coy。　　Frequent　and　observe　the　best　companies　there；　and　you　will　soon　be　naturalized　among　them；　you　will　soon　find　how　particularly　attentive　they　are　to　the　correctness　and　elegance　of　their　language；　and　to　the　graces　of　their　enunciation：　they　would　even　call　the　understanding　of　a　man　in　question；　who　should　neglect　or　not　know　the　infinite　advantages　arising　from　them。　　'Narrer；　reciter；　declamer　bien'；　are　serious　studies　among　them；　and　well　deserve　to　be　so　everywhere。　The　conversations；　even　among　the　women；　frequently　turn　upon　the　elegancies　and　minutest　delicacies　of　the　French　language。　　An　'enjouement'；　a　gallant　turn；　prevails　in　all　their　companies；　to　women；　with　whom　they　neither　are；　nor　pretend　to　be；　in　love；　but　should　you　（as　may　very　possibly　happen）　fall　really　in　love　there　with　some　woman　of　fashion　and　sense　（for　I　do　not　suppose　you　capable　of　falling　in　love　with　a　strumpet）；　and　that　your　rival；　without　half　your　parts　or　knowledge；　should　get　the　better　of　you；　merely　by　dint　of　manners；　'enjouement；　badinage'；　etc。；　how　would　you　regret　not　having　sufficiently　attended　to　those　accomplishments　which　you　despised　as　superficial　and　trifling；　but　which　you　would　then　find　of　real　consequence　in　the　course　of　the　world！　　And　men；　as　well　as　women；　are　taken　by　those　external　graces。　　Shut　up　your　books；　then；　now　as　a　business；　and　open　them　only　as　a　pleasure；　but　let　the　great　book　of　the　world　be　your　serious　study；　read　it　over　and　over；　get　it　by　heart；　adopt　its　style；　and　make　it　your　own。

When　I　cast　up　your　account　as　it　now　stands；　I　rejoice　to　see　the　balance　so　much　in　your　favor；　and　that　the　items　per　contra　are　so　few；　and　of　such　a　nature；　that　they　may　be　very　easily　cancelled。　　By　way　of　debtor　and　creditor；　it　stands　thus：

Creditor。　　　By　French　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Debtor。　To　English　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　German　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Enunciation　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Italian　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Manners　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Latin　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Greek　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Logic　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Ethics　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　History　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　｜Naturae　　　　　　　　　　　　Jus　｜Gentium　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　｜Publicum

This；　my　dear　friend；　is　a　very　true　account；　and　a　very　encouraging　one　for　you。　　A　man　who　owes　so　little　can　clear　it　off　in　a　very　little　time；　and；　if　he　is　a　prudent　man；　will；　whereas　a　man　who；　by　long　negligence；　owes　a　great　deal；　despairs　of　ever　being　able　to　pay；　and　therefore　never　looks　into　his　account　at　all。

When　you　go　to　Genoa；　pray　observe　carefully　all　the　environs　of　it；　and　view　them　with　somebody　who　can　tell　you　all　the　situations　and　operations　of　the　Austrian　army；　during　that　famous　siege；　if　it　deserves　to　be　called　one；　for　in　reality　the　town　never　was　besieged；　nor　had　the　Austrians　any　one　thing　necessary　for　a　siege。　　If　Marquis　Centurioni；　who　was　last　winter　in　England；　should　happen　to　be　there；　go　to　him　with　my　compliments；　and　he　will　show　you　all　imaginable　civilities。

I　could　have　sent　you　some　letters　to　Florence；　but　that　I　knew　Mr。　Mann　would　be　of　more　use　to　you　than　all　of　them。　　Pray　make　him　my　compliments。　　Cultivate　your　Italian；　while　you　are　at　Florence；　where　it　is　spoken　in　its　utmost　purity；　but　ill　pronounced。

Pray　save　me　the　seed　of　some　of　the　best　melons　you　eat；　and　put　it　up　dry　in　paper。　　You　need　not　send　it　me；　but　Mr。　Harte　will　bring　it　in　his　pocket　when　he　comes　over。　　I　should　likewise　be　glad　of　some　cuttings　of　the　best　figs；　especially　la　Pica　gentile　and　the　Maltese；　but　as　this　is　not　the　season　for　them；　Mr。　Mann　will；　I　dare　say；　undertake　that　commission；　and　send　them　to　me　at　the　proper　time　by　Leghorn。　　Adieu。　　Endeavor　to　please　others；　and　divert　yourself　as　much　as　ever　you　can；　in　'honnete　et　galant　homme'。

P。　　S。　　I　send　you　the　inclosed　to　deliver　to　Lord　Rochford；　upon　your　arrival　at　Turin。




LETTER　CXVIII。

LONDON；　August　6；　O。　S。　　1750

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　Since　your　letter　from　Sienna；　which　gave　me　a　very　imperfect　account　both　of　your　illness　and　your　recovery；　I　have　not　received　one　word　either　from　you　or　Mr。　Harte。　　I　impute　this　to　the　carelessness　of　the　post　simply：　and　the　great　distance　between　us　at　present　exposes　our　letters　to　those　accidents。　　But　when　you　come　to　Paris；　from　whence　the　letters　arrive　here　very　regularly；　I　shall　insist　upon　you　writing　to　me　constantly　once　a　week；　and　that　upon　the　same　day；　for　instance；　every　Thursday；　that　I　may　know　by　what　mail　to　expect　your　letter。　　I　shall　also　require　you　to　be　more　minute　in　your　account　of　yourself　than　you　have　hitherto　been；　or　than　I　have　required；　because　of　the　informations　which　I　receive　from　time　to　time　from　Mr。　Harte。　At　Paris　you　will　be　out　of　your　time；　and　must　set　up　for　yourself；　it　is　then　that　I　shall　be　very　solicitous　to　know　how　you　carry　on　your　business。　　While　Mr。　Harte　was　your　partner；　the　care　was　his　share；　and　the　profit　yours。　　But　at　Paris；　if　you　will　have　the　latter；　you　must　take　the　former　along　with　it。　　It　will　be　quite　a　new　world　to　you；　very　different　from　the　little　world　that　you　have　hitherto　seen；　and　you　will　have　much　more　to　do　in　it。　　You　must　keep　your　little　accounts　constantly　every　morning；　if　you　would　not　have　them　run　into　confusion；　and　swell　to　a　bulk　that　would　frighten　you　from　ever　looking　into　them　at　all。　　You