letters to his son, 1749-第24节

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and　consequently　should　take　more　pains　to　avoid；　than　having　any　ridicule　fixed　upon　him。　　It　degrades　him　with　the　most　reasonable　part　of　mankind；　but　it　ruins　him　with　the　rest；　and　I　have　known　many　a　man　undone　by　acquiring　a　ridiculous　nickname：　I　would　not；　for　all　the　riches　in　the　world；　that　you　should　acquire　one　when　you　return　to　England。　　Vices　and　crimes　excite　hatred　and　reproach；　failings；　weaknesses；　and　awkwardnesses；　excite　ridicule；　they　are　laid　hold　of　by　mimics；　who；　though　very　contemptible　wretches　themselves；　often；　by　their　buffoonery；　fix　ridicule　upon　their　betters。　　The　little　defects　in　manners；　elocution；　address；　and　air　（and　even　of　figure；　though　very　unjustly）；　are　the　objects　of　ridicule；　and　the　causes　of　nicknames。　　You　cannot　imagine　the　grief　it　would　give　me；　and　the　prejudice　it　would　do　you；　if；　by　way　of　distinguishing　you　from　others　of　your　name；　you　should　happen　to　be　called　Muttering　Stanhope；　Absent　Stanhope；　Ill…bred　Stanhope；　or　Awkward；　Left…legged　Stanhope：　therefore；　take　great　care　to　put　it　out　of　the　power　of　Ridicule　itself　to　give　you　any　of　these　ridiculous　epithets；　for；　if　you　get　one；　it　will　stick　to　you；　like　the　envenomed　shirt。　　The　very　first　day　that　I　see　you；　I　shall　be　able　to　tell　you；　and　certainly　shall　tell　you；　what　degree　of　danger　you　are　in；　and　I　hope　that　my　admonitions；　as　censor；　may　prevent　the　censures　of　the　public。　　Admonitions　are　always　useful；　is　this　one　or　not？　　You　are　the　best　judge；　it　is　your　own　picture　which　I　send　you；　drawn；　at　my　request；　by　a　lady　at　Venice：　pray　let　me　know　how　far；　in　your　conscience；　you　think　it　like；　for　there　are　some　parts　of　it　which　I　wish　may；　and　others；　which　I　should　be　sorry　were。　　I　send　you；　literally；　the　copy　of　that　part　of　her　letter；　to　her　friend　here；　which　relates　to　you。　＇In　compliance　to　your　orders；　I　have　examined　young　Stanhope　carefully；　and　think　I　have　penetrated　into　his　character。　　This　is　his　portrait；　which　I　take　to　be　a　faithful　one。　　His　face　is　pleasing；　his　countenance　sensible；　and　his　look　clever。　　His　figure　is　at　present　rather　too　square；　but　if　he　shoots　up；　which　he　has　matter　and　years　for；　he　will　then　be　of　a　good　size。　　He　has；　undoubtedly；　a　great　fund　of　acquired　knowledge；　I　am　assured　that　he　is　master　of　the　learned　languages。　　As　for　French；　I　know　he　speaks　it　perfectly；　and；　I　am　told；　German　as　well。　　The　questions　he　asks　are　judicious；　and　denote　a　thirst　after　knowledge。　　I　cannot　say　that　he　appears　equally　desirous　of　pleasing；　for　he　seems　to　neglect　attentions　and　the　graces。　　He　does　not　come　into　a　room　well；　nor　has　he　that　easy；　noble　carriage；　which　would　be　proper　for　him。　　It　is　true；　he　is　as　yet　young　and　inexperienced；　one　may　therefore　reasonably　hope　that　his　exercises；　which　he　has　not　yet　gone　through；　and　good　company；　in　which　he　is　still　a　novice；　will　polish；　and　give　all　that　is　wanting　to　complete　him。　What　seems　necessary　for　that　purpose；　would；　be　an　attachment　to　some　woman　of　fashion；　and　who　knows　the　world。　　Some　Madame　de　l'Ursay　would　be　the　proper　person。　　In　short；　I　can　assure　you；　that　he　has　everything　which　Lord　Chesterfield　can　wish　him；　excepting　that　carriage；　those　graces；　and　the　style　used　in　the　best　company；　which　he　will　certainly　acquire　in　time；　and　by　frequenting　the　polite　world。　　If　he　should　not；　it　would　be　great　pity；　since　he　so　well　deserves　to　possess　them。　　You　know　their　importance。　　My　Lord；　his　father；　knows　it　too；　he　being　master　of　them　all。　　To　conclude；　if　little　Stanhope　acquires　the　graces；　I　promise　you　he　will　make　his　way；　if　not；　he　will　be　stopped　in　a　course；　the　goal　of　which　he　might　attain　with　honor。＇

Tell　Mr。　Harte　that　I　have　this　moment　received　his　letter　of　the　22d；　N。　S。；　and　that　I　approve　extremely　of　the　long　stay　you　have　made　at　Venice。　　I　love　long　residences　at　capitals；　running　post　through　different　places　is　a　most　unprofitable　way　of　traveling；　and　admits　of　no　application。　　Adieu。

You　see；　by　this　extract；　of　what　consequence　other　people　think　these　things。　　Therefore；　I　hope　you　will　no　longer　look　upon　them　as　trifles。　It　is　the　character　of　an　able　man　to　despise　little　things　in　great　business：　but　then　he　knows　what　things　are　little；　and　what　not。　　He　does　not　suppose　things　are　little；　because　they　are　commonly　called　so：　but　by　the　consequences　that　may　or　may　not　attend　them。　　If　gaining　people's　affections；　and　interesting　their　hearts　in　your　favor；　be　of　consequence；　as　it　undoubtedly　is；　he　knows　very　well　that　a　happy　concurrence　of　all　those；　commonly　called　little　things；　manners；　air；　address；　graces；　etc。；　is　of　the　utmost　consequence；　and　will　never　be　at　rest　till　he　has　acquired　them。　　The　world　is　taken　by　the　outside　of　things；　and　we　must　take　the　world　as　it　is；　you　nor　I　cannot　set　it　right。　　I　know；　at　this　time；　a　man　of　great　quality　and　station；　who　has　not　the　parts　of　a　porter；　but　raised　himself　to　the　station　he　is　in；　singly　by　having　a　graceful　figure；　polite　manners；　and　an　engaging　address；　which；　by　the　way；　he　only　acquired　by　habit；　for　he　had　not　sense　enough　to　get　them　by　reflection。　　Parts　and　habit　should　conspire　to　complete　you。　　You　will　have　the　habit　of　good　company；　and　you　have　reflection　in　your　power。




LETTER　XCIII

LONDON；　December　5；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　Those　who　suppose　that　men　in　general　act　rationally；　because　they　are　called　rational　creatures；　know　very　little　of　the　world；　and　if　they　act　themselves　upon　that　supposition；　will　nine　times　in　ten　find　themselves　grossly　mistaken。　　That　man　is；　'animal　bipes；　implume；　risibile'；　I　entirely　agree；　but　for　the　'rationale'；　I　can　only　allow　it　him　'in　actu　primo'　（to　talk　logic）　and　seldom　in　'actu　secundo'。　　Thus；　the　speculative；　cloistered　pedant；　in　his　solitary　cell；　forms　systems　of　things　as　they　should　be；　not　as　they　are；　and　writes　as　decisively　and　absurdly　upon　war；　politics；　manners；　and　characters；　as　that　pedant　talked；　who　was　so　kind　as　to　instruct　Hannibal　in　the　art　of　war。　　Such　closet　politicians　never　fail　to　assign　the　deepest　motives　for　the　most　trifling　actions；　instead　of　often　ascribing　the　greatest　actions　to　the　most　trifling　causes；　in　which　they　would　be　much　seldomer　mistaken。　They　read　and　write　of　kings；　heroes；　and　statesmen；　as　never　doing　anything　but　upon　the　deepest　principles　of　sound　policy。　　But　those　who　see　and　observe　kings；　heroes；　and　statesmen；　discover　that　they　have　headaches；　indigestions；　humors；　and　passions；　just　like　other　people；　everyone　of　which；　in　their　turns；　determine　their　wills；　in　defiance　of　their　reason。　　Had　we　only　read　in　the　〃Life　of　Alexander；〃　that　he　burned　Persepolis；　it　would　doubtless　have　been　accounted　for　from　deep　policy：　we　should　have　been　told；　that　his　new　conquest　could　not　have　been　secured　without　the　destruction　of　that　capital；　which　would　have　been　the　constant　seat　of　cabals；　conspiracies；　and　revolts。　　But；　luckily；　we　are　informed　at　the　same　time；　that　this　hero；　this　demi…god；　this　son　and　heir　of　Jupiter　Ammon；　happened　to　get　extremely　drunk　with　his　w…e；　and；　by　way　of　frolic；　destroyed　one　of　the　finest　cities　in　the　world。　　Read　men；　therefore；　yourself；　not　in　books　but　in　nature。　Adopt　no　systems；　but　study　them　yourself。　　Observe　their　weaknesses；　their　passions；　their　humors；　of　all　which　their　understandings　are；　nine　times　in　ten；　the　dupes。　　You　will　then　know　that　they　are　to　be　gained；　influenced；　or　led；　much　oftener　by　little　things　than　by　great　ones；　and；　consequently；　you　will　no　longer　think　those　things　little；　which　tend　to　such　great　purposes。

Let　us　apply　this　now　to　the　particular　object　of　this　letter；　I　mean；　speaking　in；　and　influencing　public　assemblies。　　The　nature　of　our　constitution　makes　eloquence　more　useful；　and　more　necessary；　in　this　country　than　in　any　other　in　Europe。　　A　certain　degree　of　good　sense　and　knowledge　is　requisite　for　that；　as　well　as　for　everything　else；　but　beyond　that；　the　purity　of　diction；　the　elegance　of　style；　the　harmony　of　periods；　a　pleasing　elocution；　and　a　graceful　action；　are　the　things　which　a　public　speaker　should　attend　to　the　most；　because　his　audience　certainly　does；　and　understands　them　the　best；　or　rather　indeed　understands　little　else。　　The　late　Lord　Chancellor　Cowper's　strength　as　an　orator　lay　by　no　means　in　his　reasonings；　for　he　often　hazarded　very　weak　ones。　　But　such　was　the　purity　and　elegance　of　his　style；　such　the　propriety　and　charms　of　his　elocution；　and　such　the　gracefulness　of　his　action；　that　he　never　spoke　without　universal　applause；　the　ears　and　the　eyes　gave　him　up　the　hearts　and　the　understandings　of　the　audience。　　On　the　contrary；　the　late　Lord　Townshend　always　spoke　materially；　with　argument　and　knowledge；　but　never　pleased。　　Why？　　His　diction　was　not　only　inelegant；　but　frequently　ungrammatical；　always　vulgar；　his　cadences　false；　his　voice　unharmonious；　and　his　action　ungraceful。　　Nobody　heard　him　with　patience；　and　the　young　fellows　used　to　joke　upon　him；　and　repeat　his　inaccuracies。　　The　late　Duke　of　Argyle；　though　the　weakest　reasoner；　was　the　most　pleasing　speaker　I　ever　knew　in　my　life。　　He　charmed；　he　warmed；　he　forcibly　ravished　the