letters to his son, 1752-第24节

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I　shall　go　to　town　in　four　or　five　days；　and　carry　back　with　me　a　little　more　hearing　than　I　brought；　but　yet；　not　half　enough　for　common　wants。　One　wants　ready　pocket…money　much　oftener　than　one　wants　great　sums；　and　to　use　a　very　odd　expression；　I　want　to　hear　at　sight。　　I　love　every…day　senses；　every…day　wit　and　entertainment；　a　man　who　is　only　good　on　holydays　is　good　for　very　little。　　Adieu。




LETTER　CLXXXIV

Christmas　Day；　1752

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　A　tyrant　with　legions　at　his　com　mand　may　say；　Oderint　modo　timeant；　though　he　is　a　fool　if　he　says　it；　and　a　greater　fool　if　he　thinks　it。　　But　a　private　man　who　can　hurt　but　few；　though　he　can　please　many；　must　endeavor　to　be　loved；　for　he　cannot　be　feared　in　general。　Popularity　is　his　only　rational　and　sure　foundation。　　The　good…will；　the　affections；　the　love　of　the　public；　can　alone　raise　him　to　any　considerable　height。　　Should　you　ask　me　how　he　is　to　acquire　them；　I　will　answer；　By　desiring　them。　No　man　ever　deserved；　who　did　not　desire　them；　and　no　man　both　deserved　and　desired　them　who　had　them　not；　though　many　have　enjoyed　them　merely　by　desiring；　and　without　deserving　them。　　You　do　not　imagine；　I　believe；　that　I　mean　by　this　public　love　the　sentimental　love　of　either　lovers　or　intimate　friends；　no；　that　is　of　another　nature；　and　confined　to　a　very　narrow　circle；　but　I　mean　that　general　good…will　which　a　man　may　acquire　in　the　world；　by　the　arts　of　pleasing　respectively　exerted　according　to　the　rank；　the　situation；　and　the　turn　of　mind　of　those　whom　he　hath　to　do　with。　　The　pleasing　impressions　which　he　makes　upon　them　will　engage　their　affections　and　their　good　wishes；　and　even　their　good　offices　as　far　（that　is）　as　they　are　not　inconsistent　with　their　own　interests；　for　further　than　that　you　are　not　to　expect　from　three　people　in　the　course　of　your　life；　even　were　it　extended　to　the　patriarchal　term。　　Could　I　revert　to　the　age　of　twenty；　and　carry　back　with　me　all　the　experience　that　forty　years　more　have　taught　me；　I　can　assure　you；　that　I　would　employ　much　the　greatest　part　of　my　time　in　engaging　the　good…will；　and　in　insinuating　myself　into　the　predilection　of　people　in　general；　instead　of　directing　my　endeavors　to　please　（as　I　was　too　apt　to　do）　to　the　man　whom　I　immediately　wanted；　or　the　woman　I　wished　for；　exclusively　of　all　others。　　For　if　one　happens　（and　it　will　sometimes　happen　to　the　ablest　man）　to　fail　in　his　views　with　that　man　or　that　woman；　one　is　at　a　loss　to　know　whom　to　address　one's　self　to　next；　having　offended　in　general；　by　that　exclusive　and　distinguished　particular　application。　I　would　secure　a　general　refuge　in　the　good…will　of　the　multitude；　which　is　a　great　strength　to　any　man；　for　both　ministers　and　mistresses　choose　popular　and　fashionable　favorites。　　A　man　who　solicits　a　minister；　backed　by　the　general　good…will　and　good　wishes　of　mankind；　solicits　with　great　weight　and　great　probability　of　success；　and　a　woman　is　strangely　biassed　in　favor　of　a　man　whom　she　sees　in　fashion；　and　hears　everybody　speak　well　of。　This　useful　art　of　insinuation　consists　merely　of　various　little　things。　　A　graceful　motion；　a　significant　look；　a　trifling　attention；　an　obliging　word　dropped　'a　propos'；　air；　dress；　and　a　thousand　other　undefinable　things；　all　severally　little　ones；　joined　together；　make　that　happy　and　inestimable　composition；　THE　ART　OF　PLEASING。　　I　have　in　my　life　seen　many　a　very　handsome　woman　who　has　not　pleased　me；　and　many　very　sensible　men　who　have　disgusted　me。　　Why？　only　for　want　of　those　thousand　little　means　to　please；　which　those　women；　conscious　of　their　beauty；　and　those　men　of　their　sense；　have　been　grossly　enough　mistaken　to　neglect。　　I　never　was　so　much　in　love　in　my　life；　as　I　was　with　a　woman　who　was　very　far　from　being　handsome；　but　then　she　was　made　up　of　graces；　and　had　all　the　arts　of　pleasing。　　The　following　verses；　which　I　have　read　in　some　congratulatory　poem　prefixed　to　some　work；　I　have　forgot　which；　express　what　I　mean　in　favor　of　what　pleases　preferably　to　what　is　generally　called　mare　solid　and　instructive：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃I　would　an　author　like　a　mistress　try；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Not　by　a　nose；　a　lip；　a　cheek；　or　eye；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　But　by　some　nameless　power　to　give　me　joy。〃

Lady　Chesterfield　bids　me　make　you　many　compliments；　she　showed　me　your　letter　of　recommendation　of　La　Vestres；　with　which　I　was　very　well　pleased：　there　is　a　pretty　turn　in　it；　I　wish　you　would　always　speak　as　genteelly。　　I　saw　another　letter　from　a　lady　at　Paris；　in　which　there　was　a　high　panegyrical　paragraph　concerning　you。　　I　wish　it　were　every　word　of　it　literally　true；　but；　as　it　comes　from　a　very　little；　pretty；　white　hand；　which　is　suspected；　and　I　hope　justly；　of　great　partiality　to　you：　'il　en　faut　rabattre　quelque　chose；　et　meme　en　le　faisant　it　y　aura　toujours　d'assez　beaux　restes'。　　Adieu。










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