letters to his son, 1756-58-第1部分

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Letters　to　His　Son；　1756…58
by　The　Earl　of　Chesterfield




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　LETTERS　TO　HIS　SON
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　By　the　EARL　OF　CHESTERFIELD

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　on　the　Fine　Art　of　becoming　a

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MAN　OF　THE　WORLD

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　and　a

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　GENTLEMAN




LETTER　CCIII

BATH；　November　15；　1756

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　received　yours　yesterday　morning　together　with　the　Prussian；　papers；　which　I　have　read　with　great　attention。　　If　courts　could　blush；　those　of　Vienna　and　Dresden　ought；　to　have　their　false　hoods　so　publicly；　and　so　undeniably　exposed。　　The　former　will；　I　presume；　next　year；　employ　an　hundred　thousand　men；　to　answer　the　accusation；　and　if　the　Empress　of　the　two　Russias　is　pleased　to　argue　in　the　same　cogent　manner；　their　logic　will　be　too　strong　for　all　the　King　of　Prussia's　rhetoric。　　I　well　remember　the　treaty　so　often　referred　to　in　those　pieces；　between　the　two　Empresses；　in　1746。　　The　King　was　strongly　pressed　by　the　Empress　Queen　to　accede　to　it。　　Wassenaer　communicated　it　to　me　for　that　purpose。　I　asked　him　if　there　were　no　secret　articles；　suspecting　that　there　were　some；　because　the　ostensible　treaty　was　a　mere　harmless；　defensive　one。　　He　assured　me　that　there　were　none。　　Upon　which　I　told　him；　that　as　the　King　had　already　defensive　alliances　with　those　two　Empresses；　I　did　not　see　of　what　use　his　accession　to　this　treaty；　if　merely　a　defensive　one；　could　be；　either　to　himself　or　the　other　contracting　parties；　but　that；　however；　if　it　was　only　desired　as　an　indication　of　the　King's　good　will；　I　would　give　him　an　act　by　which　his　Majesty　should　accede　to　that　treaty；　as　far；　but　no　further；　as　at　present　he　stood　engaged　to　the　respective　Empresses　by　the　defensive　alliances　subsisting　with　each。　　This　offer　by　no　means　satisfied　him；　which　was　a　plain　proof　of　the　secret　articles　now　brought　to　light；　and　into　which　the　court　of　Vienna　hoped　to　draw　us。　　I　told　Wassenaer　so；　and　after　that　I　heard　no　more　of　his　invitation。

I　am　still　bewildered　in　the　changes　at　Court；　of　which　I　find　that　all　the　particulars　are　not　yet　fixed。　　Who　would　have　thought；　a　year　ago；　that　Mr。　Fox；　the　Chancellor；　and　the　Duke　of　Newcastle；　should　all　three　have　quitted　together？　　Nor　can　I　yet　account　for　it；　explain　it　to　me　if　you　can。　　I　cannot　see；　neither；　what　the　Duke　of　Devonshire　and　Fox；　whom　I　looked　upon　as　intimately　united；　can　have　quarreled　about；　with　relation　to　the　Treasury；　inform　me；　if　you　know。　　I　never　doubted　of　the　prudent　versatility　of　your　Vicar　of　Bray：　　But　I　am　surprised　at　O'Brien　Windham's　going　out　of　the　Treasury；　where　I　should　have　thought　that　the　interest　of　his　brother…in…law；　George　Grenville；　would　have　kept　him。

Having　found　myself　rather　worse；　these　two　or　three　last　days；　I　was　obliged　to　take　some　ipecacuanha　last　night；　and；　what　you　will　think　odd；　for　a　vomit；　I　brought　it　all　up　again　in　about　an　hour；　to　my　great　satisfaction　and　emolument；　which　is　seldom　the　case　in　restitutions。

You　did　well　to　go　to　the　Duke　of　Newcastle；　who；　I　suppose；　will　have　no　more　levees；　however；　go　from　time　to　time；　and　leave　your　name　at　his　door；　for　you　have　obligations　to　him。　　Adieu。




LETTER　CCIV

BATH；　December　14；　1756。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　What　can　I　say　to　you　from　this　place；　where　EVERY　DAY　IS　STILL　BUT　AS　THE　FIRST；　though　by　no　means　so　agreeably　passed；　as　Anthony　describes　his　to　have　been？　　The　same　nothings　succeed　one　another　every　day　with　me；　as；　regularly　and　uniformly　as　the　hours　of　the　day。　　You　will　think　this　tiresome；　and　so　it　is；　but　how　can　I　help　it？　　Cut　off　from　society　by　my　deafness；　and　dispirited　by　my　ill　health；　where　could　I　be　better？　　You　will　say；　perhaps；　where　could　you　be　worse？　　Only　in　prison；　or　the　galleys；　I　confess。　　However；　I　see　a　period　to　my　stay　here；　and　I　have　fixed；　in　my　own　mind；　a　time　for　my　return　to　London；　not　invited　there　by　either　politics　or　pleasures；　to　both　which　I　am　equally　a　stranger；　but　merely　to　be　at　home；　which；　after　all；　according　to　the　vulgar　saying；　is　home；　be　it　ever　so　homely。

The　political　settlement；　as　it　is　called；　is；　I　find；　by　no　means　settled；　Mr。　Fox；　who　took　this　place　in　his　way　to　his　brother's；　where　he　intended　to　pass　a　month；　was　stopped　short　by　an　express；　which　he　received　from　his　connection；　to　come　to　town　immediately；　and　accordingly　he　set　out　from　hence　very　early；　two　days　ago。　　I　had　a　very　long　conversation　with　him；　in　which　he　was；　seemingly　at　least；　very　frank　and　communicative；　but　still　I　own　myself　in　the　dark。　　In　those　matters；　as　in　most　others；　half　knowledge　（and　mine　is　at　most　that）　is　more　apt　to　lead　one　into　error；　than　to　carry　one　to　truth；　and　our　own　vanity　contributes　to　the　seduction。　　Our　conjectures　pass　upon　us　for　truths；　we　will　know　what　we　do　not　know；　and　often；　what　we　cannot　know：　so　mortifying　to　our　pride　is　the　bare　suspicion　of　ignorance！

It　has　been　reported　here　that　the　Empress　of　Russia　is　dying；　this　would　be　a　fortunate　event　indeed　for　the　King　of　Prussia；　and　necessarily　produce　the　neutrality　and　inaction；　at　least；　of　that　great　power；　which　would　be　a　heavy　weight　taken　out　of　the　opposite　scale　to　the　King　of　Prussia。　　The　'Augustissima'　must；　in　that　case；　do　all　herself；　for　though　France　will；　no　doubt；　promise　largely；　it　will；　I　believe；　perform　but　scantily；　as　it　desires　no　better　than　that　the　different　powers　of　Germany　should　tear　one　another　to　pieces。

I　hope　you　frequent　all　the　courts：　a　man　should　make　his　face　familiar　there。　　Long　habit　produces　favor　insensibly；　and　acquaintance　often　does　more　than　friendship；　in　that　climate　where　'les　beaux　sentimens'　are　not　the　natural　growth。

Adieu！　　I　am　going　to　the　ball；　to　save　my　eyes　from　reading；　and　my　mind　from　thinking。




LETTERS　TO　HIS　SON

LETTER　CCV

BATH；　January　12；　1757

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　waited　quietly；　to　see　when　either　your　leisure；　or　your　inclinations；　would　al　low　you　to　honor　me　with　a　letter；　and　at　last　I　received　one　this　morning；　very　near　a　fortnight　after　you　went　from　hence。　　You　will　say；　that　you　had　no　news　to　write　me；　and　that　probably　may　be　true；　but；　without　news；　one　has　always　something　to　say　to　those　with　whom　one　desires　to　have　anything　to　do。

Your　observation　is　very　just　with　regard　to　the　King　of　Prussia；　whom　the　most　august　House　of　Austria　would　most　unquestionably　have　poisoned　a　century　or　two　ago。　　But　now　that　'terras　Astraea　reliquit'；　kings　and　princes　die　of　natural　deaths；　even　war　is　pusillanimously　carried　on　in　this　degenerate　age；　quarter　is　given；　towns　are　taken；　and　the　people　spared：　even　in　a　storm；　a　woman　can　hardly　hope　for　the　benefit　of　a　rape。　　Whereas　（such　was　the　humanity　of　former　days）　prisoners　were　killed　by　thousands　in　cold　blood；　and　the　generous　victors　spared　neither　man；　woman；　nor　child。　　Heroic　actions　of　this　kind　were　performed　at　the　taking　of　Magdebourg。　　The　King　of　Prussia　is　certainly　now　in　a　situation　that　must　soon　decide　his　fate；　and　make　him　Caesar　or　nothing。　　Notwithstanding　the　march　of　the　Russians；　his　great　danger；　in　my　mind；　lies　westward。　　I　have　no　great　notions　of　Apraxin's　abilities；　and　I　believe　many　a　Prussian　colonel　would　out…general　him。　But　Brown；　Piccolomini；　Lucchese；　and　many　other　veteran　officers　in　the　Austrian　troops；　are　respectable　enemies。

Mr。　Pitt　seems　to　me　to　have　almost　as　many　enemies　to　encounter　as　his　Prussian　Majesty。　　The　late　Ministry；　and　the　Duke's　party；　will；　I　presume；　unite　against　him　and　his　Tory　friends；　and　then　quarrel　among　themselves　again。　　His　best；　if　not　his　only　chance　of　supporting　himself　would　be；　if　he　had　credit　enough　in　the　city；　to　hinder　the　advancing　of　the　money　to　any　administration　but　his　own；　and　I　have　met　with　some　people　here　who　think　that　he　has。

I　have　put　off　my　journey　from　hence　for　a　week；　but　no　longer。　　I　find　I　still　gain　some　strength　and　some　flesh　here；　and　therefore　I　will　not　cut　while　the　run　is　for　me。

By　a　letter　which　I　received　this　morning　from　Lady　Allen；　I　observe　that　you　are　extremely　well　with　her；　and　it　is　well　for　you　to　be　so；　for　she　is　an　excellent　and　warm　puff。

'A　propos'　（an　expression　which　is　commonly　used　to　introduce　whatever　is　unrelative　to　it）　you　should　apply　to　some　of　Lord　Holderness's　people；　for　the　perusal　of　Mr。　Cope's　letters。　　It　would　not　be　refused　you；　and　the　sooner　you　have　them　the　better。　　I　do　not　mean　them　as　models　for　your　manner　of　writing；　but　as　outlines　of　the　matter　you　are　to　write　upon。

If　you　have　not　read　Hume's　〃Essays〃　read　them；　they　are　four　very　small　volumes；　I　have　just　finished；　and　am　extremely　pleased　with　them。　　He　thinks　impartially；　deep；　often　new；　and；　in　my　mind；　commonly　just。　Adieu。




LETTER　CCVI

BLACKHEATH；　September　17；　1757

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　Lord　Holderness　has　been　so　kind　as　to　communicate　to　me　all　the　letters　which　he　has　received　from　you　hitherto；　dated　the　15th；　19th；　23d；　and　26th　August；　and　also　a　draught　of　that　which　he　wrote　to　you　the　9th　instant。　　I　am　very　well　pleased　with　all　your　letters；　and；　what　is　better；　I　can　tell　you　that　the　King　is　so　too；　and　he　said；　but　three　days　ago；　to　Monsieur　Munchausen；　HE　（meaning　you）　SETS　OUT　VERY　WELL；　AND　I　LIKE　HIS　LETTERS；　PROVIDED　THAT；　LIKE　MOST　OF　MY　ENGLISH　MINISTERS　ABROAD；　HE　DOES　NOT　GROW　IDLE　HEREAFTER。　　So　that　here　is　both　praise　to　flatter；　and　a　hint　to　warn　you。　　What　Lord　Holderness　recommends　to　you；　being　by　the　King's　order；　intimates　also　a　degree　of　approbation；　for　the　BLACKER　INK；　AND　THE　LARGER　CHARACTER；　show；　that　his　Majesty；　whose　eyes　are　grown　weaker；　intends　to　read　all　your　letters　himself。　　Therefore；　pray　do　not　neglect　to　get　the　blackest　ink　you　can；　and　to　make　your　secretary　enlarge　his　hand；　though　'd'ailleurs'　it　is　a　very　good　one。

Had　I　been　to　wish　an　advantageous　situation　for　you；　and　a　good　debut　in　it；　I　could　not　have　wished　you　either　better　than　both　have　hitherto　proved。　　The　rest　will　depend　entirely　upon　yourself；　and　I　own　I　begin　to　have　much　better　hopes　than　I　had；　for　I　know；　by　my　own　experience；　that　the　more　one　works；　t