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d deserves your attention; as does also the famous picture of the Cornaro Family; by Titian。  A taste for sculpture and painting is; in my mind; as becoming as a taste for fiddling and piping is unbecoming; a man of fashion。  The former is connected with history and poetry; the latter; with nothing that I know of but bad company。

Learn Italian as fast as ever you can; that you may be able to understand it tolerably; and speak it a little before you go to Rome and Naples: There are many good historians in that language; and excellent translations of the ancient Greek and Latin authors; which are called the Collana; but the only two Italian poets that deserve your acquaintance are Ariosto and Tasso; and they undoubtedly have great merit。

Make my compliments to Mr。 Harte; and tell him that I have consulted about his leg; and that if it was only a sprain; he ought to keep a tight bandage about the part; for a considerable time; and do nothing else to it。  Adieu!  'Jubeo te bene valere'。




LETTER LXXIV

LONDON; July 6; O。 S。  1749。

DEAR BOY: As I am now no longer in pain about your health; which I trust is perfectly restored; and as; by the various accounts I have had of you; I need not be in pain about your learning; our correspondence may; for the future; turn upon less important points; comparatively; though still very important ones: I mean; the knowledge of the world; decorum; manners; address; and all those (commonly called little) accomplishments; which are absolutely necessary to give greater accomplishments their full; value and lustre。

Had I the admirable ring of Gyges; which rendered the wearer invisible; and had I; at the same time; those magic powers; which were very common formerly; but are now very scarce; of transporting myself; by a wish; to any given place; my first expedition would be to Venice; there to RECONNOITRE you; unseen myself。  I would first take you in the morning; at breakfast with Mr。 Harte; and attend to your natural and unguarded conversation with him; from whence; I think; I could pretty well judge of your natural turn of mind。  How I should rejoice if I overheard you asking him pertinent questions upon useful subjects! or making judicious reflections upon the studies of that morning; or the occurrences of the former day! Then I would follow you into the different companies of the day; and carefully observe in what manner you presented yourself to; and behaved yourself with; men of sense and dignity; whether your address was respectful; and yet easy; your air modest; and yet unembarrassed; and I would; at the same time; penetrate into their thoughts; in order to know whether your first 'abord' made that advantageous impression upon their fancies; which a certain address; air; and manners; never fail doing。 I would afterward follow you to the mixed companies of the evening; such as assemblies; suppers; etc。; and there watch if you trifled gracefully and genteelly: if your good…breeding and politeness made way for your parts and knowledge。  With what pleasure should I hear people cry out; 'Che garbato cavaliere; com' e pulito; disinvolto; spiritoso'! If all these things turned out to my mind; I would immediately assume my own shape; become visible; and embrace you: but if the contrary happened; I would preserve my invisibility; make the best of my way home again; and sink my disappointment upon you and the world。  As; unfortunately; these supernatural powers of genii; fairies; sylphs; and gnomes; have had the fate of the oracles they succeeded; and have ceased for some time; I must content myself (till we meet naturally; and in the common way) with Mr。 Harte's written accounts of you; and the verbal ones which I now and then receive from people who have seen you。  However; I believe it would do you no harm; if you would always imagine that I were present; and saw and heard everything you did and said。

There is a certain concurrence of various little circumstances which compose what the French call 'l'aimable'; and which; now that you are entering into the world; you ought to make it your particular study to acquire。  Without them; your learning will be pedantry; your conversation often improper; always unpleasant; and your figure; however good in itself; awkward and unengaging。  A diamond; while rough; has indeed its intrinsic value; but; till polished; is of no use; and would neither be sought for nor worn。  Its great lustre; it is true; proceeds from its solidity and strong cohesion of parts; but without the last polish; it would remain forever a dirty; rough mineral; in the cabinets of some few curious collectors。  You have; I hope; that solidity and cohesion of parts; take now as much pains to get the lustre。  Good company; if you make the right use of it; will cut you into shape; and give you the true brilliant polish。  A propos of diamonds: I have sent you by Sir James Gray; the King's Minister; who will be at Venice about the middle of September; my own diamond buckles; which are fitter for your young feet than for my old ones: they will properly adorn you; they would only expose me。  If Sir James finds anybody whom he can trust; and who will be at Venice before him; he will send them by that person; but if he should not; and that you should be gone from Venice before he gets there; he will in that case give them to your banker; Monsieur Cornet; to forward to you; wherever you may then be。  You are now of an age; at which the adorning your person is not only not ridiculous; but proper and becoming。 Negligence would imply either an indifference about pleasing; or else an insolent security of pleasing; without using those means to which others are obliged to have recourse。  A thorough cleanliness in your person is as necessary for your own health; as it is not to be offensive to other people。  Washing yourself; and rubbing your body and limbs frequently with a fleshbrush; will conduce as much to health as to cleanliness。  A particular attention to the cleanliness of your mouth; teeth; hands; and nails; is but common decency; in order not to offend people's eyes and noses。

I send you here inclosed a letter of recommendation to the Duke of Nivernois; the French Ambassador at Rome; who is; in my opinion; one of the prettiest men I ever knew in my life。  I do not know a better model for you to form yourself upon; pray observe and frequent him as much as you can。  He will show you what manners and graces are。  I shall; by successive posts; send you more letters; both for Rome and Naples; where it will be your own fault entirely if you do not keep the very best company。

As you will meet swarms of Germans wherever you go; I desire that you will constantly converse with them in their own language; which will improve you in that language; and be; at the same time; an agreeable piece of civility to them。

Your stay in Italy will; I do not doubt; make you critically master of Italian; I know it may; if you please; for it is a very regular; and consequently a very easy language。  Adieu! God bless you!




LETTER LXXV

LONDON; July 20; O。 S。  1749。

DEAR BOY: I wrote to Mr。 Harte last Monday; the 17th; O。 S。; in answer to his letter of the 20th June; N。 S。; which I had received but the day before; after an interval of eight posts; during which I did not know whether you or he existed; and indeed I began to think that you did not。 By that letter you ought at this time to be at Venice; where I hope you are arrived in perfect health; after the baths of Tiefler; in case you have made use of them。  I hope they are not hot baths; if your lungs are still tender。

Your friend; the Comte d'Einsiedlen; is arrived here: he has been at my door; and I have been at his; but we have not yet met。  He will dine with me some day this week。  Comte Lascaris inquires after you very frequently; and with great affection; pray answer the letter which I forwarded to you a great while ago from him。  You may inclose your answer to me; and I will take care to give it him。  Those attentions ought never to be omitted; they cost little; and please a great deal; but the neglect of them offends more than you can yet imagine。  Great merit; or great failings; will make you be respected or despised; but trifles; little attentions; mere nothings; either done; or neglected; will make you either liked or disliked; in the general run of the world。  Examine yourself why you like such and such people; and dislike such and such others; and you will find; that those different sentiments proceed from very slight causes。  Moral virtues are the foundation of society in general; and of friendship in particular; but attentions; manners; and graces; both adorn and strengthen them。  My heart is so set upon your pleasing; and consequently succeeding in the world; that possibly I have already (and probably shall again) repeat the same things over and over to you。  However; to err; if I do err; on the surer side; I shall continue to communicate to you those observations upon the world which long experience has enabled me to make; and which I have generally found to hold true。  Your youth and talents; armed with my experience; may go a great way; and that armor is very much at your service; if you please to wear it。  I premise that

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