letters to his son, 1752-第4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！


uted　by　Henry　III。　immediately　after　his　return；　or　rather　his　flight　from　Poland；　he　took　the　hint　of　it　at　Venice；　where　he　had　seen　the　original　manuscript　of　an　order　of　the　'St。　Esprit；　ou　droit　desir'；　which　had　been　instituted　in　1352；　by　Louis　d'Anjou；　King　of　Jerusalem　and　Sicily；　and　husband　to　Jane；　Queen　of　Naples；　Countess　of　Provence。　This　Order　was　under　the　protection　of　St。　Nicholas　de　Bari；　whose　image　hung　to　the　collar。　　Henry　III。　found　the　Order　of　St。　Michael　prostituted　and　degraded；　during　the　civil　wars；　he　therefore　joined　it　to　his　new　Order　of　the　St。　Esprit；　and　gave　them　both　together；　for　which　reason　every　knight　of　the　St。　Esprit　is　now　called　Chevalier　des　Ordres　du　Roi。　　The　number　of　the　knights　hath　been　different；　but　is　now　fixed　to　ONE　HUNDRED；　exclusive　of　the　sovereign。　　There；　are　many　officers　who　wear　the　riband　of　this　Order；　like　the　other　knights；　and　what　is　very　singular　is；　that　these　officers　frequently　sell　their　employments；　but　obtain　leave　to　wear　the　blue　riband　still；　though　the　purchasers　of　those　offices　wear　it　also。

As　you　will　have　been　a　great　while　in　France；　people　will　expect　that　you　should　be　'au　fait'　of　all　these　sort　of　things　relative　to　that　country。　　But　the　history　of　all　the　Orders　of　all　countries　is　well　worth　your　knowledge；　the　subject　occurs　often；　and　one　should　not　be　ignorant　of　it；　for　fear　of　some　such　accident　as　happened　to　a　solid　Dane　at　Paris；　who；　upon　seeing　'L'Ordre　du　St。　Esprit'；　said；　'Notre　St。　Esprit　chez　nous　c'est　un　Elephant'。　　Almost　all　the　princes　in　Germany　have　their　Orders　too；　not　dated；　indeed；　from　any　important　events；　or　directed　to　any　great　object；　but　because　they　will　have　orders；　to　show　that　they　may；　as　some　of　them；　who　have　the　'jus　cudendae　monetae'；　borrow　ten　shillings　worth　of　gold　to　coin　a　ducat。　　However；　wherever　you　meet　with　them；　inform　yourself；　and　minute　down　a　short　account　of　them；　they　take　in　all　the　colors　of　Sir　Isaac　Newton's　prisms。　　N。　B：　When　you　inquire　about　them；　do　not　seem　to　laugh。

I　thank　you　for　le　Mandement　de　Monseigneur　l'Archeveyue；　it　is　very　well　drawn；　and　becoming　an　archbishop。　　But　pray　do　not　lose　sight　of　a　much　more　important　object；　I　mean　the　political　disputes　between　the　King　and　the　parliament；　and　the　King　and　the　clergy；　they　seem　both　to　be　patching　up；　but；　however；　get　the　whole　clue　to　them；　as　far　as　they　have　gone。

I　received　a　letter　yesterday　from　Madame　Monconseil；　who　assures　me　you　have　gained　ground　'du　cote　des　maniires'；　and　that　she　looks　upon　you　to　be　'plus　qu'a　moitie　chemin'。　　I　am　very　glad　to　hear　this；　because；　if　you　are　got　above　half　way　of　your　journey；　surely　you　will　finish　it；　and　not　faint　in　the　course。　　Why　do　you　think　I　have　this　affair　so　extremely　at　heart；　and　why　do　I　repeat　it　so　often？　　Is　it　for　your　sake；　or　for　mine？　　You　can　immediately　answer　yourself　that　question；　you　certainly　haveI　cannot　possibly　have　any　interest　in　it。　　If　then　you　will　allow　me；　as　I　believe　you　may；　to　be　a　judge　of　what　is　useful　and　necessary　to　you；　you　must；　in　consequence；　be　convinced　of　the　infinite　importance　of　a　point　which　I　take　so　much　pains　to　inculcate。

I　hear　that　the　new　Duke　of　Orleans　'a　remercie　Monsieur　de　Melfort；　and　I　believe；　'pas　sans　raison'；　having　had　obligations　to　him；　'mais　il　ne　l'a　pas　remercie　en　mari　poli'；　but　rather　roughly。　　Il　faut　que　ce　soit　un　bourru'。　　I　am　told；　too；　that　people　get　bits　of　his　father's　rags；　by　way　of　relies；　I　wish　them　joy；　they　will　do　them　a　great　deal　of　good。　　See　from　hence　what　weaknesses　human　nature　is　capable　of；　and　make　allowances　for　such　in　all　your　plans　and　reasonings。　　Study　the　characters　of　the　people　you　have　to　do　with；　and　know　what　they　are；　instead　of　thinking　them　what　they　should　be；　address　yourself　generally　to　the　senses；　to　the　heart；　and　to　the　weaknesses　of　mankind；　but　very　rarely　to　their　reason。

Good…night　or　good…morrow　to　you；　according　to　the　time　you　shall　receive　this　letter　from；　Yours。




LETTER　CLIX

LONDON；　February　14；　O。　S。　　1752。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　In　a　month's　time；　I　believe　I　shall　have　the　pleasure　of　sending　you；　and　you　will　have　the　pleasure　of　reading；　a　work　of　Lord　Bolingbroke's；　in　two　volumes　octavo；　〃Upon　the　Use　of　History；〃　in　several　letters　to　Lord　Hyde；　then　Lord　Cornbury。　　It　is　now　put　into　the　press。　　It　is　hard　to　determine　whether　this　work　will　instruct　or　please　most：　the　most　material　historical　facts；　from　the　great　era　of　the　treaty　of　Munster；　are　touched　upon；　accompanied　by　the　most　solid　reflections；　and　adorned　by　all　that　elegance　of　style　which　was　peculiar　to　himself；　and　in　which；　if　Cicero　equals；　he　certainly　does　not　exceed　him；　but　every　other　writer　falls　short　of　him。　　I　would　advise　you　almost　to　get　this　book　by　heart。　　I　think　you　have　a　turn　to　history；　you　love　it；　and　have　a　memory　to　retain　it：　this　book　will　teach　you　the　proper　use　of　it。　　Some　people　load　their　memories　indiscriminately　with　historical　facts；　as　others　do　their　stomachs　with　food；　and　bring　out　the　one；　and　bring　up　the　other；　entirely　crude　and　undigested。　You　will　find　in　Lord　Bolingbroke's　book　an　infallible　specific　against　that　epidemical　complaint。　＇It　is　important　to　remember　that　at　this　time　Lord　Bolingbroke's　philosophical　works　had　not　appeared；　which　accounts　for　Lord　Chesterfield's　recommending　to　his　son；　in　this；　as　well　as　in　some　foregoing　passages；　the　study　of　Lord　Bolingbroke's　writings。＇

I　remember　a　gentleman　who　had　read　history　in　this　thoughtless　and　undistinguishing　manner；　and　who；　having　traveled；　had　gone　through　the　Valtelline。　　He　told　me　that　it　was　a　miserable　poor　country；　and　therefore　it　was；　surely；　a　great　error　in　Cardinal　Richelieu　to　make　such　a　rout；　and　put　France　to　so　much　expense　about　it。　　Had　my　friend　read　history　as　he　ought　to　have　done；　he　would　have　known　that　the　great　object　of　that　great　minister　was　to　reduce　the　power　of　the　House　of　Austria；　and　in　order　to　that；　to　cut　off　as　much　as　he　could　the　communication　between　the　several　parts　of　their　then　extensive　dominions；　which　reflections　would　have　justified　the　Cardinal　to　him；　in　the　affair　of　the　Valtelline。　　But　it　was　easier　to　him　to　remember　facts；　than　to　combine　and　reflect。

One　observation　I　hope　you　will　make　in　reading　history；　for　it　is　an　obvious　and　a　true　one。　　It　is；　that　more　people　have　made　great　figures　and　great　fortunes　in　courts　by　their　exterior　accomplishments；　than　by　their　interior　qualifications。　　Their　engaging　address；　the　politeness　of　their　manners；　their　air；　their　turn；　hath　almost　always　paved　the　way　for　their　superior　abilities；　if　they　have　such；　to　exert　themselves。　They　have　been　favorites　before　they　have　been　ministers。　　In　courts；　an　universal　gentleness　and　'douceur　dans　les　manieres'　is　most　absolutely　necessary：　an　offended　fool；　or　a　slighted　valet　de　chambre；　may　very　possibly　do　you　more　hurt　at　court；　than　ten　men　of　merit　can　do　you　good。　　Fools；　and　low　people；　are　always　jealous　of　their　dignity；　and　never　forget　nor　forgive　what　they　reckon　a　slight：　on　the　other　hand；　they　take　civility　and　a　little　attention　as　a　favor；　remember；　and　acknowledge　it：　this；　in　my　mind；　is　buying　them　cheap；　and　therefore　they　are　worth　buying。　　The　prince　himself；　who　is　rarely　the　shining　genius　of　his　court；　esteems　you　only　by　hearsay　but　likes　you　by　his　senses；　that　is；　from　your　air；　your　politeness；　and　your　manner　of　addressing　him；　of　which　alone　he　is　a　judge。　　There　is　a　court　garment；　as　well　as　a　wedding　garment；　without　which　you　will　not　be　received。　That　garment　is　the　'volto　sciolto'；　an　imposing　air；　an　elegant　politeness；　easy　and　engaging　manners；　universal　attention；　an　insinuating　gentleness；　and　all　those　'je　ne　sais　quoi'　that　compose　the　GRACES。

I　am　this　moment　disagreeably　interrupted　by　a　letter；　not　from　you；　as　I　expected；　but　from　a　friend　of　yours　at　Paris；　who　informs　me　that　you　have　a　fever　which　confines　you　at　home。　　Since　you　have　a　fever；　I　am　glad　you　have　prudence　enough　in　it　to　stay　at　home；　and　take　care　of　yourself；　a　little　more　prudence　might　probably　have　prevented　it。　　Your　blood　is　young；　and　consequently　hot；　and　you　naturally　make　a　great　deal　by　your　good　stomach　and　good　digestion；　you　should；　therefore；　necessarily　attenuate　and　cool　it；　from　time　to　time；　by　gentle　purges；　or　by　a　very　low　diet；　for　two　or　three　days　together；　if　you　would　avoid　fevers。　　Lord　Bacon；　who　was　a　very　great　physician　in　both　senses　of　the　word；　hath　this　aphorism　in　his　〃Essay　upon　Health；〃　'Nihil　magis　ad　Sanitatem　tribuit　quam　crebrae　et　domesticae　purgationes'。　　By　'domesticae'；　he　means　those　simple　uncompounded　purgatives　which　everybody　can　administer　to　themselves；　such　as　senna…tea；　stewed　prunes　and　senria；　chewing　a　little　rhubarb；　or　dissolving　an　ounce　and　a　half　of　manna　in　fair　water；　with　the　juice　of　a　lemon　to　make　it　palatable。　Such　gentle　and　unconfining　evacuations　would　certainly　prevent　those　feverish　attacks　to　which　everybody　at　your　age　is　subject。

By　the　way；　I　do　desire；　and　insist；　that　whenever；　from　any　indisposition；　you　are　not　able　to　write　to　me　upon　the　fixed　days；　that