letters to his son, 1750-第1部分

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Letters　to　His　Son；　1750

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　C

LONDON；　January　8；　O。　S。　　1750

DEAR　BOY：　I　have　seldom　or　never　written　to　you　upon　the　subject　of　religion　and　morality；　your　own　reason；　I　am　persuaded；　has　given　you　true　notions　of　both；　they　speak　best　for　themselves；　but　if　they　wanted　assistance；　you　have　Mr。　Harte　at　hand；　both　for　precept　and　example；　to　your　own　reason；　therefore；　and　to　Mr。　Harte；　shall　I　refer　you　for　the　reality　of　both；　and　confine　myself　in　this　letter　to　the　decency；　the　utility；　and　the　necessity　of　scrupulously　preserving　the　appearances　of　both。　　When　I　say　the　appearances　of　religion；　I　do　not　mean　that　you　should　talk　or　act　like　a　missionary　or　an　enthusiast；　nor　that　you　should　take　up　a　controversial　cudgel　against　whoever　attacks　the　sect　you　are　of；　this　would　be　both　useless　and　unbecoming　your　age；　but　I　mean　that　you　should　by　no　means　seem　to　approve；　encourage；　or　applaud；　those　libertine　notions；　which　strike　at　religions　equally；　and　which　are　the　poor　threadbare　topics　of　halfwits　and　minute　philosophers。　　Even　those　who　are　silly　enough　to　laugh　at　their　jokes；　are　still　wise　enough　to　distrust　and　detest　their　characters；　for　putting　moral　virtues　at　the　highest；　and　religion　at　the　lowest；　religion　must　still　be　allowed　to　be　a　collateral　security；　at　least；　to　virtue；　and　every　prudent　man　will　sooner　trust　to　two　securities　than　to　one。　　Whenever；　therefore；　you　happen　to　be　in　company　with　those　pretended　'Esprits　forts'；　or　with　thoughtless　libertines；　who　laugh　at　all　religion　to　show　their　wit；　or　disclaim　it；　to　complete　their　riot；　let　no　word　or　look　of　yours　intimate　the　least　approbation；　on　the　contrary；　let　a　silent　gravity　express　your　dislike：　but　enter　not　into　the　subject　and　decline　such　unprofitable　and　indecent　controversies。　　Depend　upon　this　truth；　that　every　man　is　the　worse　looked　upon；　and　the　less　trusted　for　being　thought　to　have　no　religion；　in　spite　of　all　the　pompous　and　specious　epithets　he　may　assume；　of　；　'Esprit　fort'；　freethinker；　or　moral　philosopher；　and　a　wise　atheist　（if　such　a　thing　there　is）　would；　for　his　own　interest　and　character　in　this　world；　pretend　to　some　religion。

Your　moral　character　must　be　not　only　pure；　but；　like　Caesar's　wife；　unsuspected。　　The　least　speck　or　blemish　upon　it　is　fatal。　　Nothing　degrades　and　vilifies　more；　for　it　excites　and　unites　detestation　and　contempt。　　There　are；　however；　wretches　in　the　world　profligate　enough　to　explode　all　notions　of　moral　good　and　evil；　to　maintain　that　they　are　merely　local；　and　depend　entirely　upon　the　customs　and　fashions　of　different　countries；　nay；　there　are　still；　if　possible；　more　unaccountable　wretches；　I　mean　those　who　affect　to　preach　and　propagate　such　absurd　and　infamous　notions　without　believing　them　themselves。　These　are　the　devil's　hypocrites。　　Avoid；　as　much　as　possible；　the　company　of　such　people；　who　reflect　a　degree　of　discredit　and　infamy　upon　all　who　converse　with　them。　　But　as　you　may；　sometimes；　by　accident；　fall　into　such　company；　take　great　care　that　no　complaisance；　no　good…humor；　no　warmth　of　festal　mirth；　ever　make　you　seem　even　to　acquiesce；　much　less　to　approve　or　applaud；　such　infamous　doctrines。　　On　the　other　hand；　do　not　debate　nor　enter　into　serious　argument　upon　a　subject　so　much　below　it：　but　content　yourself　with　telling　these　APOSTLES　that　you　know　they　are　not；　serious；　that　you　have　a　much　better　opinion　of　them　than　they　would　have　you　have；　and　that；　you　are　very　sure；　they　would　not　practice　the　doctrine　they　preach。　　But　put　your　private　mark　upon　them；　and　shun　them　forever　afterward。

There　is　nothing　so　delicate　as　your　moral　character；　and　nothing　which　it　is　your　interest　so　much　to　preserve　pure。　　Should　you　be　suspected　of　injustice；　malignity；　perfidy；　lying；　etc。；　all　the　parts　and　knowledge　in　the　world　will　never　procure　you　esteem；　friendship；　or　respect。　A　strange　concurrence　of　circumstances　has　sometimes　raised　very　bad　men　to　high　stations；　but　they　have　been　raised　like　criminals　to　a　pillory；　where　their　persons　and　their　crimes；　by　being　more　conspicuous；　are　only　the　more　known；　the　more　detested；　and　the　more　pelted　and　insulted。　If；　in　any　case　whatsoever；　affectation　and　ostentation　are　pardonable；　it　is　in　the　case　of　morality；　though　even　there；　I　would　not　advise　you　to　a　pharisaical　pomp　of　virtue。　　But　I　will　recommend　to　you　a　most　scrupulous　tenderness　for　your　moral　character；　and　the　utmost　care　not　to　say　or　do　the　least　thing　that　may　ever　so　slightly　taint　it。　　Show　yourself；　upon　all　occasions；　the　advocate；　the　friend；　but　not　the　bully　of　virtue。　　Colonel　Chartres；　whom　you　have　certainly　heard　of　（who　was；　I　believe；　the　most　notorious　blasted　rascal　in　the　world；　and　who　had；　by　all　sorts　of　crimes；　amassed　immense　wealth）；　was　so　sensible　of　the　disadvantage　of　a　bad　character；　that　I　heard　him　once　say；　in　his　impudent；　profligate　manner；　that　though　he　would　not　give　one　farthing　for　virtue；　he　would　give　ten　thousand　pounds　for　a　character；　because　he　should　get　a　hundred　thousand　pounds　by　it；　whereas；　he　was　so　blasted；　that　he　had　no　longer　an　opportunity　of　cheating　people。　　Is　it　possible；　then；　that　an　honest　man　can　neglect　what　a　wise　rogue　would　purchase　so　dear？

There　is　one　of　the　vices　above　mentioned；　into　which　people　of　good　education；　and；　in　the　main；　of　good　principles；　sometimes　fall；　from　mistaken　notions　of　skill；　dexterity；　and　self…defense；　I　mean　lying；　though　it　is　inseparably　attended　with　more　infamy　and　loss　than　any　other。　　The　prudence　and　necessity　of　often　concealing　the　truth；　insensibly　seduces　people　to　violate　it。　　It　is　the　only　art　of　mean　capacities；　and　the　only　refuge　of　mean　spirits。　　Whereas；　concealing　the　truth；　upon　proper　occasions；　is　as　prudent　and　as　innocent；　as　telling　a　lie；　upon　any　occasion；　is　infamous　and　foolish。　　I　will　state　you　a　case　in　your　own　department。　　Suppose　you　are　employed　at　a　foreign　court；　and　that　the　minister　of　that　court　is　absurd　or　impertinent　enough　to　ask　you　what　your　instructions　are？　will　you　tell　him　a　lie；　which　as　soon　as　found　out　（and　found　out　it　certainly　will　be）　must　destroy　your　credit；　blast　your　character；　and　render　you　useless　there？　　No。　　Will　you　tell　him　the　truth　then；　and　betray　your　trust？　　As　certainly；　No。　　But　you　will　answer　with　firmness；　That　you　are　surprised　at　such　a　question；　that　you　are　persuaded　he　does　not　expect　an　answer　to　it；　but　that；　at　all　events；　he　certainly　will　not　have　one。　　Such　an　answer　will　give　him　confidence　in　you；　he　will　conceive　an　opinion　of　your　veracity；　of　which　opinion　you　may　afterward　make　very　honest　and　fair　advantages。　　But　if；　in　negotiations；　you　are　looked　upon　as　a　liar　and　a　trickster；　no　confidence　will　be　placed　in　you；　nothing　will　be　communicated　to　you；　and　you　will　be　in　the　situation　of　a　man　who　has　been　burned　in　the　cheek；　and　who；　from　that　mark；　cannot　afterward　get　an　honest　livelihood　if　he　would；　but　must　continue　a　thief。

Lord　Bacon；　very　justly；　makes　a　distinction　between　simulation　and　dissimulation；　and　allows　the　latter　rather　than　the　former；　but　still　observes；　that　they　are　the　weaker　sort　of　politicians　who　have　recourse　to　either。　　A　man　who　has　strength　of　mind　and　strength　of　parts；　wants　neither　of　them。　　Certainly　（says　he）　the　ablest　men　that　ever　were；　have　all　had　an　openness　and　frankness　of　dealing；　and　a　name　of　certainty　and　veracity；　but　then；　they　were　like　horses　well　managed；　for　they　could　tell；　passing　well；　when　to　stop　or　turn；　and　at　such　times；　when　they　thought　the　case　indeed　required　some　dissimulation；　if　then　they　used　it；　it　came　to　pass　that　the　former　opinion　spread　abroad　of　their　good　faith　and　clearness　of　dealing；　made　them　almost　invisible。

There　are　people　who　indulge　themselves　in　a　sort　of　lying；　which　they　reckon　innocent；　and　which　in　one　sense　is　so；　for　it　hurts　nobody　but　themselves。　　This　sort　of　lying　is　the　spurious　offspring　of　vanity；　begotten　upon　folly：　these　people　deal　in　the　marvelous；　they　have　seen　some　things　that　never　existed；　they　have　seen　other　things　which　they　never　really　saw；　though　they　did　exist；　only　because　they　were　thought　worth　seeing。　　Has　anything　remarkable　been　said　or　done　in　any　place；　or　in　any　company？　they　immediately　present　and　declare　themselves　eye　or　ear　witnesses　of　it。　　They　have　done　feats　themselves；　unattempted；　or　at　least　unperformed　by　others。　　They　are　always　the　heroes　of　their　own　fables；　and　think　that　they　gain　consideration；　or　at　least　present　attention；　by　it。　　Whereas；　in　truth；　all　that　they　get　is　ridicule　and　contempt；　not　without　a　good　degree　of　distrust；　for　one　must　naturally　conclude；　that　he　who　will　tell　any　lie　from　idle　vanity；　will　not　scruple　telling　a　greater　for　interest。　　Had　I　really　seen　anything　so　very　extraordinary　as　to　be　almost　incredible　I　would　keep　it　to　myself；　rather　than　by　telling　it　give　anybody　room　to　doubt；　for　one　minute；　of　my　veracity。　　It　is　most　certain；　that　the　reputation　of　chastity　is　not　so　necessary　for　a　women；　as　that　of　veracity　is　for　a　man；　and　with　reason；　for　it　is　possible　for　a　woman　to　be　virtuous；　though　not　strictly　chaste；　but　it　is　not　possible　for　a　man　to　be　virtuous　without　strict　veracity。　　The　slips　of　the　poor　women　are　sometimes　mere　bodily　frailties；　but　a　lie　in　a　man　is　a　vice　of　the　mind　and　of　the　heart。　For　God's　sake　be　scrupulously　jealous　of　the　purity　of　your　moral　character；　keep　it　immaculate；　unblemished；　unsullied；　and　it　will　be　unsuspected。　　Defamation　and　calumny　never　attack；　where　there　is　no　weak　place；　they　magnify；　but　they　do　not　create。

There　is　a　very　great　difference　between　the　purity　of　character；　which　I　so　earnestly　recommend　to　you；　and　the　stoical　gravity　and　austerity　of　character；　which　I　do　by　no　means　recommend　to　you。　　At　your；　age；　I　would　no　more　wish　you　to　be　a　Cato　than　a　Clodius。