letters to his son, 1749-第14节

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Englishman。　　Pooh！　you　would　have　one　angry　letter　from　the　old　fellow；　and　there　would　be　an　end　of　it。

Stanhope。　　You　mistake　him　mightily；　he　always　does　more　than　he　says。　He　has　never　been　angry　with　me　yet；　that　I　remember；　in　his　life；　but　if　I　were　to　provoke　him；　I　am　sure　he　would　never　forgive　me；　he　would　be　coolly　immovable；　and　I　might　beg　and　pray；　and　write　my　heart　out　to　no　purpose。

Englishman。　　Why；　then；　he　is　an　old　dog；　that's　all　I　can　say；　and　pray　are　you　to　obey　your　dry…nurse　too；　this　same；　and　what's　his　nameMr。　Harte？

Stanhope。　　Yes。

Englishman。　　So　he　stuffs　you　all　morning　with　Greek；　and　Latin；　and　Logic；　and　all　that。　　Egad　I　have　a　dry…nurse　too；　but　I　never　looked　into　a　book　with　him　in　my　life；　I　have　not　so　much　as　seen　the　face　of　him　this　week；　and　don't　care　a　louse　if　I　never　see　it　again。

Stanhope。　　My　dry…nurse　never　desires　anything　of　me　that　is　not　reasonable；　and　for　my　own　good；　and　therefore　I　like　to　be　with　him。

Englishman。　　Very　sententious　and　edifying；　upon　my　word！　at　this　rate　you　will　be　reckoned　a　very　good　young　man。

Stanhope。　　Why；　that　will　do　me　no　harm。

Englishman。　　Will　you　be　with　us　to…morrow　in　the　evening；　then？　　We　shall　be　ten　with　you；　and　I　have　got　some　excellent　good　wine；　and　we'll　be　very　merry。

Stanhope。　　I　am　very　much　obliged　to　you；　but　I　am　engaged　for　all　the　evening；　to…morrow；　first　at　Cardinal　Albani's；　and　then　to　sup　at　the　Venetian　Ambassadress's。

Englishman。　　How　the　devil　can　you　like　being　always　with　these　foreigners？　　I　never　go　among　them　with　all　their　formalities　and　ceremonies。　　I　am　never　easy　in　company　with　them；　and　I　don't　know　why；　but　I　am　ashamed。

Stanhope。　　I　am　neither　ashamed　nor　afraid；　I　am　very；　easy　with　them；　they　are　very　easy　with　me；　I　get　the　language；　and　I　see　their　characters；　by　conversing　with　them；　and　that　is　what　we　are　sent　abroad　for；　is　it　not？

Englishman。　　I　hate　your　modest　women's　company；　your　women　of　fashion　as　they　call　'em；　I　don't　know　what　to　say　to　them；　for　my　part。

Stanhope。　　Have　you　ever　conversed　with　them？

Englishman。　　No；　I　never　conversed　with　them；　but　have　been　sometimes　in　their　company；　though　much　against　my　will。

Stanhope。　　But　at　least　they　have　done　you　no　hurt；　which　is；　probably；　more　than　you　can　say　of　the　women　you　do　converse　with。

Englishman。　　That's　true；　I　own；　but　for　all　that；　I　would　rather　keep　company　with　my　surgeon　half　the　year；　than　with　your　women　of　fashion　the　year　round。

Stanhope。　　Tastes　are　different；　you　know；　and　every　man　follows　his　own。

Englishman。　　That's　true；　but　thine's　a　devilish　odd　one；　Stanhope。　　All　morning　with　thy　dry…nurse；　all　the　evening　in　formal　fine　company；　and　all　day　long　afraid　of　Old　Daddy　in　England。　　Thou　art　a　queer　fellow；　and　I　am　afraid　there　is　nothing　to　be　made　of　thee。

Stanhope。　　I　am　afraid　so　too。

Englishman。　　Well；　then；　good　night　to　you；　you　have　no　objection；　I　hope；　to　my　being　drunk　to…night；　which　I　certainly　will　be。

Stanhope。　　Not　in　the　least；　nor　to　your　being　sick　tomorrow；　which　you　as　certainly　will　be；　and　so　good　night；　too。


You　will　observe；　that　I　have　not　put　into　your　mouth　those　good　arguments　which　upon　such　an　occasion　would；　I　am　sure；　occur　to　you；　as　piety　and　affection　toward　me；　regard　and　friendship　for　Mr。　Harte；　respect　for　your　own　moral　character；　and　for　all　the　relative　duties　of　man；　son；　pupil；　and　citizen。　　Such　solid　arguments　would　be　thrown　away　upon　such　shallow　puppies。　　Leave　them　to　their　ignorance　and　to　their　dirty；　disgraceful　vices。　　They　will　severely　feel　the　effects　of　them；　when　it　will　be　too　late。　　Without　the　comfortable　refuge　of　learning；　and　with　all　the　sickness　and　pains　of　a　ruined　stomach；　and　a　rotten　carcass；　if　they　happen　to　arrive　at　old　age；　it　is　an　uneasy　and　ignominious　one。　　The　ridicule　which　such　fellows　endeavor　to　throw　upon　those　who　are　not　like　them；　is；　in　the　opinion　of　all　men　of　sense；　the　most　authentic　panegyric。　　Go　on；　then；　my　dear　child；　in　the　way　you　are　in；　only　for　a　year　and　a　half　more：　that　is　all　I　ask　of　you。　　After　that；　I　promise　that　you　shall　be　your　own　master；　and　that　I　will　pretend　to　no　other　title　than　that　of　your　best　and　truest　friend。　　You　shall　receive　advice；　but　no　orders；　from　me；　and　in　truth　you　will　want　no　other　advice　but　such　as　youth　and　inexperience　must　necessarily　require。　　You　shall　certainly　want　nothing　that　is　requisite；　not　only　for　your　conveniency；　but　also　for　your　pleasures；　which　I　always　desire　shall　be　gratified。　　You　will　suppose　that　I　mean　the　pleasures　'd'un　honnete　homme'。

While　you　are　learning　Italian；　which　I　hope　you　do　with　diligence；　pray　take　care　to　continue　your　German；　which　you　may　have　frequent　opportunities　of　speaking。　　I　would　also　have　you　keep　up　your　knowledge　of　the　'Jus　Publicum　Imperii'；　by　looking　over；　now　and　then；　those　INESTIMABLE　MANUSCRIPTS　which　Sir　Charles　Williams；　who　arrived　here　last　week；　assures　me　you　have　made　upon　that　subject。　　It　will　be　of　very　great　use　to　you；　when　you　come　to　be　concerned　in　foreign　affairs；　as　you　shall　be　（if　you　qualify　yourself　for　them）　younger　than　ever　any　other　was：　I　mean　before　you　are　twenty。　　Sir　Charles　tells　me；　that　he　will　answer　for　your　learning；　and　that；　he　believes；　you　will　acquire　that　address；　and　those　graces；　which　are　so　necessary　to　give　it　its　full　lustre　and　value。　　But　he　confesses；　that　he　doubts　more　of　the　latter　than　of　the　former。　　The　justice　which　he　does　Mr。　Harte；　in　his　panegyrics　of　him；　makes　me　hope　that　there　is　likewise　a　great　deal　of　truth　in　his　encomiums　of　you。　　Are　you　pleased　with；　and　proud　of　the　reputation　which　you　have　already　acquired？　　Surely　you　are；　for　I　am　sure　I　am。　　Will　you　do　anything　to　lessen　or　forfeit　it？　　Surely　you　will　not。　　And　will　you　not　do　all　you　can　to　extend　and　increase　it？　Surely　you　will。　　It　is　only　going　on　for　a　year　and　a　half　longer；　as　you　have　gone　on　for　the　two　years　last　past；　and　devoting　half　the　day　only　to　application；　and　you　will　be　sure　to　make　the　earliest　figure　and　fortune　in　the　world；　that　ever　man　made。　　Adieu。




LETTER　LXXXII

LONDON；　September　22；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　If　I　had　faith　in　philters　and　love　potions；　I　should　suspect　that　you　had　given　Sir　Charles　Williams　some；　by　the　manner　in　which　he　speaks　of　you；　not　only　to　me；　but　to　everybody　else。　　I　will　not　repeat　to　you　what　he　says　of　the　extent　and　correctness　of　your　knowledge；　as　it　might　either　make　you　vain；　or　persuade　you　that　you　had　already　enough　of　what　nobody　can　have　too　much。　　You　will　easily　imagine　how　many　questions　I　asked；　and　how　narrowly　I　sifted　him　upon　your　subject；　he　answered　me；　and　I　dare　say　with　truth；　just　as　I　could　have　wished；　till　satisfied　entirely　with　his　accounts　of　your　character　and　learning；　I　inquired　into　other　matters；　intrinsically　indeed　of　less　consequence；　but　still　of　great　consequence　to　every　man；　and　of　more　to　you　than　to　almost　any　man：　I　mean；　your　address；　manners；　and　air。　　To　these　questions；　the　same　truth　which　he　had　observed　before；　obliged　him　to　give　me　much　less　satisfactory　answers。　　And　as　he　thought　himself；　in　friendship　both　to　you　and　me；　obliged　to　tell　me　the　disagreeable　as　well　as　the　agreeable　truths；　upon　the　same　principle　I　think　myself　obliged　to　repeat　them　to　you。

He　told　me　then；　that　in　company　you　were　frequently　most　PROVOKINGLY　inattentive；　absent；　and　distrait；　that　you　came　into　a　room；　and　presented　yourself；　very　awkwardly；　that　at　table　you　constantly　threw　down　knives；　forks；　napkins；　bread；　etc。；　and　that　you　neglected　your　person　and　dress；　to　a　degree　unpardonable　at　any　age；　and　much　more　so　at　yours。

These　things；　howsoever　immaterial　they　may　seem　to　people　who　do　not　know　the　world；　and　the　nature　of　mankind；　give　me；　who　know　them　to　be　exceedingly　material；　very　great　concern。　　I　have　long　distrusted　you；　and　therefore　frequently　admonished　you；　upon　these　articles；　and　I　tell　you　plainly；　that　I　shall　not　be　easy　till　I　hear　a　very　different　account　of　them。　　I　know　no　one　thing　more　offensive　to　a　company　than　that　inattention　and　DISTRACTION。　　It　is　showing　them　the　utmost　contempt；　and　people　never　forgive　contempt。　　No　man　is　distrait　with　the　man　he　fears；　or　the　woman　he　loves；　which　is　a　proof　that　every　man　can　get　the　better　of　that　DISTRACTION；　when　he　thinks　it　worth　his　while　to　do　so；　and；　take　my　word　for　it；　it　is　always　worth　his　while。　　For　my　own　part；　I　would　rather　be　in　company　with　a　dead　man；　than　with　an　absent　one；　for　if　the　dead　man　gives　me　no　pleasure；　at　least　he　shows　me　no　contempt；　whereas；　the　absent　man；　silently　indeed；　but　very　plainly；　tells　me　that　he　does　not　think　me　worth　his　attention。　Besides；　can　an　absent　man　make　any　observations　upon　the　characters。　customs；　and　manners　of　the　company？　　No。　　He　may　be　in　the　best　companies　all　his　lifetime　（if　they　will　admit　him；　which；　if　I　were　they；　I　would　not）　and　never　be　one　jot　the　wiser。　　I　never　will　converse　with　an　absent　man；　one　may　as　well　talk　to　a　deaf　one。　　It　is；　in　truth；　a　practical　blunder；　to　address　ourselves　to　a　man　who　we　see　plainly　neither　hears；　min