letters to his son, 1750-第16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！


o'　there。　　It　is　very　often　more　necessary　to　conceal　contempt　than　resentment；　the　former　forgiven；　but　the　latter　sometimes　forgot。

There　is　a　small　quarto　book　entitled；　'Histoire　Chronologique　de　la　France'；　lately　published　by　Le　President　Henault；　a　man　of　parts　and　learning；　with　whom　you　will　probably　get　acquainted　at　Paris。　　I　desire　that　it　may　always　lie　upon　your　table；　for　your　recourse　as　often　as　you　read　history。　　The　chronology；　though　chiefly　relative　to　the　history　of　France；　is　not　singly　confined　to　it；　but　the　most　interesting　events　of　all　the　rest　of　Europe　are　also　inserted；　and　many　of　them　adorned　by　short；　pretty；　and　just　reflections。　　The　new　edition　of　'Les　Memoires　de　Sully'；　in　three　quarto　volumes；　is　also　extremely　well　worth　your　reading；　as　it　will　give　you　a　clearer；　and　truer　notion　of　one　of　the　most　interesting　periods　of　the　French　history；　than　you　can　yet　have　formed　from　all　the　other　books　you　may　have　read　upon　the　subject。　　That　prince；　I　mean　Henry　the　Fourth；　had　all　the　accomplishments　and　virtues　of　a　hero；　and　of　a　king；　and　almost　of　a　man。　　The　last　are　the　most　rarely　seen。　　May　you　possess　them　all！　　Adieu。

Pray　make　my　compliments　to　Mr。　Harte；　and　let　him　know　that　I　have　this　moment　received　his　letter　of　the　12th；　N。　S。；　from　Antibes。　　It　requires　no　immediate　answer；　I　shall　therefore　delay　mine　till　I　have　another　from　him。　　Give　him　the　inclosed；　which　I　have　received　from　Mr。　Eliot。




LETTER　CXX

LONDON；　November　1；　O。　S。　　1750

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　I　hope　that　this　letter　will　not　find　you　still　at　Montpelier；　but　rather　be　sent　after　you　from　thence　to　Paris；　where；　I　am　persuaded；　that　Mr。　Harte　could　find　as　good　advice　for　his　leg　as　at　Montpelier；　if　not　better；　but　if　he　is　of　a　different　opinion；　I　am　sure　you　ought　to　stay　there；　as　long　as　he　desires。

While　you　are　in　France；　I　could　wish　that　the　hours　you　allot　for　historical　amusement　should　be　entirely　devoted　to　the　history　of　France。　One　always　reads　history　to　most　advantage　in　that　country　to　which　it　is　relative；　not　only　books；　but　persons　being　ever　at　hand　to　solve　doubts　and　clear　up　difficulties。　　I　do　by　no　means　advise　you　to　throw　away　your　time　in　ransacking；　like　a　dull　antiquarian；　the　minute　and　unimportant　parts　of　remote　and　fabulous　times。　　Let　blockheads　read　what　blockheads　wrote。　　And　a　general　notion　of　the　history　of　France；　from　the　conquest　of　that　country　by　the　Franks；　to　the　reign　of　Louis　the　Eleventh；　is　sufficient　for　use；　consequently　sufficient　for　you。　　There　are；　however；　in　those　remote　times；　some　remarkable　eras　that　deserve　more　particular　attention；　I　mean　those　in　which　some　notable　alterations　happened　in　the　constitution　and　form　of　government。　　As；　for　example；　in　the　settlement　of　Clovis　in　Gaul；　and　the　form　of　government　which　he　then　established；　for；　by　the　way；　that　form　of　government　differed　in　this　particular　from　all　the　other　Gothic　governments；　that　the　people；　neither　collectively　nor　by　representatives；　had　any　share　in　it。　　It　was　a　mixture　of　monarchy　and　aristocracy：　and　what　were　called　the　States　General　of　France　consisted　only　of　the　nobility　and　clergy　till　the　time　of　Philip　le　Bel；　in　the　very　beginning　of　the　fourteenth　century；　who　first　called　the　people　to　those　assemblies；　by　no　means　for　the　good　of　the　people；　who　were　only　amused　by　this　pretended　honor；　but；　in　truth；　to　check　the　nobility　and　clergy；　and　induce　them　to　grant　the　money　he　wanted　for　his　profusion；　this　was　a　scheme　of　Enguerrand　de　Marigny；　his　minister；　who　governed　both　him　and　his　kingdom　to　such　a　degree　as　to；　be　called　the　coadjutor　and　governor　of　the　kingdom。　　Charles　Martel　laid　aside　these　assemblies；　and　governed　by　open　force。　　Pepin　restored　them；　and　attached　them　to　him；　and　with　them　the　nation；　by　which　means　he　deposed　Childeric　and　mounted　the　throne。　　This　is　a　second　period　worth　your　attention。　　The　third　race　of　kings；　which　begins　with　Hugues　Capet；　is　a　third　period。　　A　judicious　reader　of　history　will　save　himself　a　great　deal　of　time　and　trouble　by　attending　with　care　only　to　those　interesting　periods　of　history　which　furnish　remarkable　events；　and　make　eras；　and　going　slightly　over　the；　common　run　of　events。　　Some　people　read　history　as　others　read　the　〃Pilgrim's　Progress〃；　giving　equal　attention　to；　and　indiscriminately　loading　their　memories　with　every　part　alike。　　But　I　would　have　you　read　it　in　a　different　manner；　take　the　shortest　general　history　you　can　find　of　every　country；　and　mark　down　in　that　history　the　most　important　periods；　such　as　conquests；　changes　of　kings；　and　alterations　of　the　form　of　government；　and　then　have　recourse　to　more　extensive　histories　or　particular　treatises；　relative　to　those　great　points。　　Consider　them　well；　trace　up　their　causes；　and　follow　their　consequences。　　For　instance；　there　is　a　most　excellent；　though　very　short　history　of　France；　by　Le　Gendre。　　Read　that　with　attention；　and　you　will　know　enough　of　the　general　history；　but　when　you　find　there　such　remarkable　periods　as　are　above　mentioned；　consult　Mezeray；　and　other　of　the　best　and　minutest　historians；　as　well　as　political　treatises　upon　those　subjects。　　In　later　times；　memoirs；　from　those　of　Philip　de　Commines；　down　to　the　innumerble　ones　in　the　reign　of　Louis　the　Fourteenth；　have　been　of　great　use；　and　thrown　great　light　upon　particular　parts　of　history。

Conversation　in　France；　if　you　have　the　address　and　dexterity　to　turn　it　upon　useful　subjects；　will　exceedingly　improve　your　historical　knowledge；　for　people　there；　however　classically　ignorant　they　may　be；　think　it　a　shame　to　be　ignorant　of　the　history　of　their　own　country：　they　read　that；　if　they　read　nothing　else；　and　having　often　read　nothing　else；　are　proud　of　having　read　that；　and　talk　of　it　willingly；　even　the　women　are　well　instructed　in　that　sort　of　reading。　　I　am　far　from　meaning　by　this　that　you　should　always　be　talking　wisely　in　company；　of　books；　history；　and　matters　of　knowledge。　　There　are　many　companies　which　you　will；　and　ought　to　keep；　where　such　conversations　would　be　misplaced　and　ill…timed；　your　own　good　sense　must　distinguish　the　company　and　the　time。　　You　must　trifle　only　with　triflers；　and　be　serious　only　with　the　serious；　but　dance　to　those　who　pipe。　　'Cur　in　theatrum　Cato　severs　venisti？'　　was　justly　said　to　an　old　man：　how　much　more　so　would　it　be　to　one　of　your　age？　　From　the　moment　that　you　are　dressed　and　go　out；　pocket　all　your　knowledge　with　your　watch；　and　never　pull　it　out　in　company　unless　desired：　the　producing　of　the　one　unasked；　implies　that　you　are　weary　of　the　company；　and　the　producing　of　the　other　unrequired；　will　make　the　company　weary　of　you。　　Company　is　a　republic　too　jealous　of　its　liberties；　to　suffer　a　dictator　even　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　and　yet　in　that；　as　in　republics；　there　are　some　few　who　really　govern；　but　then　it　is　by　seeming　to　disclaim；　instead　of　attempting　to　usurp　the　power；　that　is　the　occasion　in　which　manners；　dexterity；　address；　and　the　undefinable　'je　ne　sais　quoi'　triumph；　if　properly　exerted；　their　conquest　is　sure；　and　the　more　lasting　for　not　being　perceived。　　Remember；　that　this　is　not　only　your　first　and　greatest；　but　ought　to　be　almost　your　only　object；　while　you　are　in　France。

I　know　that　many　of　your　countrymen　are　apt　to　call　the　freedom　and　vivacity　of　the　French　petulancy　and　illbreeding；　but；　should　you　think　so；　I　desire　upon　many　accounts　that　you　will　not　say　so；　I　admit　that　it　may　be　so　in　some　instances　of　'petits　maitres　Etourdis'；　and　in　some　young　people　unbroken　to　the　world；　but　I　can　assure　you；　that　you　will　find　it　much　otherwise　with　people　of　a　certain　rank　and　age；　upon　whose　model　you　will　do　very　well　to　form　yourself。　　We　call　their　steady　assurance；　impudence　why？　　Only　because　what　we　call　modesty　is　awkward　bashfulness　and　'mauvaise　honte'。　　For　my　part；　I　see　no　impudence；　but；　on　the　contrary；　infinite　utility　and　advantage　in　presenting　one's　self　with　the　same　coolness　and　unconcern　in　any　and　every　company。　　Till　one　can　do　that；　I　am　very　sure　that　one　can　never　present　one's　self　well。　Whatever　is　done　under　concern　and　embarrassment；　must　be　ill　done；　and；　till　a　man　is　absolutely　easy　and　unconcerned　in　every　company；　he　will　never　be　thought　to　have　kept　good　company；　nor　be　very　welcome　in　it。　A　steady　assurance；　with　seeming　modesty；　is　possibly　the　most　useful　qualification　that　a　man　can　have　in　every　part　of　life。　　A　man　would　certainly　make　a　very　considerable　fortune　and　figure　in　the　world；　whose　modesty　and　timidity　should　often；　as　bashfulness　always　does　（put　him　in　the　deplorable　and　lamentable　situation　of　the　pious　AEneas；　when　'obstupuit；　steteruntque　comae；　et　vox　faucibus　haesit！）。　　Fortune　（as　well　as　women）

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

Assurance　and　intrepidity；　under　the　white　banner　of　seeming　modesty；　clear　the　way　for　merit；　that　would　otherwise　be　discouraged　by　difficulties　in　its　journey；　whereas　barefaced　impudence　is　the　noisy　and　blustering　harbinger　of　a　worthless　and　senseless　usurper。

You　will　think　that　I　shall　never　have　done　recommending　to　you　these　ex