letters to his son, 1750-第18部分

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the　outlines　of　that　treaty　are；　by　mutual　and　tacit　consent；　the　general　rules　of　our　present　commerce　with　France。　　It　is　true；　too；　that　our　commodities　which　go　to　France；　must　go　in　our　bottoms；　the　French　having　imitated　in　many　respects　our　famous　Act　of　Navigation；　as　it　is　commonly　called。　This　act　was　made　in　the　year　1652；　in　the　parliament　held　by　Oliver　Cromwell。　　It　forbids　all　foreign　ships　to　bring　into　England　any　merchandise　or　commodities　whatsoever；　that　were　not　of　the　growth　and　produce　of　that　country　to　which　those　ships　belonged；　under　penalty　of　the　forfeiture　of　such　ships。　　This　act　was　particularly　leveled　at　the　Dutch；　who　were　at　that　time　the　carriers　of　almost　all　Europe；　and　got　immensely　by　freight。　　Upon　this　principle；　of　the　advantages　arising　from　freight；　there　is　a　provision　in　the　same　act；　that　even　the　growth　and　produce　of　our　own　colonies　in　America　shall　not　be　carried　from　thence　to　any　other　country　in　Europe；　without　first　touching　in　England；　but　this　clause　has　lately　been　repealed；　in　the　instances　of　some　perishable　commodities；　such　as　rice；　etc。；　which　are　allowed　to　be　carried　directly　from　our　American　colonies　to　other　countries。　　The　act　also　provides；　that　two…thirds；　I　think；　of　those　who　navigate　the　said　ships　shall　be　British　subjects。　　There　is　an　excellent；　and　little　book；　written　by　the　famous　Monsieur　Huet　Ev6que　d'Avranches；　'Sur　le　Commerce　des　Anciens'；　which　is　very　well　worth　your　reading；　and　very　soon　read。　It　will　give　you　a　clear　notion　of　the　rise　and　progress　of　commerce。　There　are　many　other　books；　which　take　up　the　history　of　commerce　where　Monsieur　d'Avranches　leaves　it；　and　bring　it　down　to　these　times。　　I　advise　you　to　read　some　of　them　with　care；　commerce　being　a　very　essential　part　of　political　knowledge　in　every　country；　but　more　particularly　in　that　which　owes　all　its　riches　and　power　to　it。

I　come　now　to　another　part　of　your　letter；　which　is　the　orthography；　if　I　may　call　bad　spelling　ORTHOGRAPHY。　　You　spell　induce；　ENDUCE；　and　grandeur；　you　spell　grandURE；　two　faults　of　which　few　of　my　housemaids　would　have　been　guilty。　　I　must　tell　you　that　orthography；　in　the　true　sense　of　the　word；　is　so　absolutely　necessary　for　a　man　of　letters；　or　a　gentleman；　that　one　false　spelling　may　fix　ridicule　upon　him　for　the　rest　of　his　life；　and　I　know　a　man　of　quality；　who　never　recovered　the　ridicule　of　having　spelled　WHOLESOME　without　the　w。

Reading　with　care　will　secure　everybody　from　false　spelling；　for　books　are　always　well　spelled；　according　to　the　orthography　of　the　times。　　Some　words　are　indeed　doubtful；　being　spelled　differently　by　different　authors　of　equal　authority；　but　those　are　few；　and　in　those　cases　every　man　has　his　option；　because　he　may　plead　his　authority　either　way；　but　where　there　is　but　one　right　way；　as　in　the　two　words　above　mentioned；　it　is　unpardonable　and　ridiculous　for　a　gentleman　to　miss　it；　even　a　woman　of　a　tolerable　education　would　despise　and　laugh；　at　；a　lover；　who　should　send　her　an　ill…spelled　billet…doux。　　I　fear　and　suspect；　that　you　have　taken　it　into　your　head；　in　most　cases；　that　the　matter　is　all；　and　the　manner　little　or　nothing。　　If　you　have；　undeceive　yourself；　and　be　convinced　that；　in　everything；　the　manner　is　full　as　important　as　the　matter。　　If　you　speak　the　sense　of　an　angel；　in　bad　words　and　with　a　disagreeable　utterance；　nobody　will　hear　you　twice；　who　can　help　it。　　If　you　write　epistles　as　well　as　Cicero；　but　in　a　very　bad　hand；　and　very　ill…spelled；　whoever　receives　will　laugh　at　them；　and　if　you　had　the　figure　of　Adonis；　with　an　awkward　air　and　motions；　it　will　disgust　instead　of　pleasing。　Study　manner；　therefore；　in　everything；　if　you　would　be　anything。　　My　principal　inquiries　of　my　friends　at　Paris；　concerning　you；　will　be　relative　to　your　manner　of　doing　whatever　you　do。　　I　shall　not　inquire　whether　you　understand　Demosthenes；　Tacitus；　or　the　'Jus　Publicum　Imperii'；　but　I　shall　inquire；　whether　your　utterance　is　pleasing；　your　style　not　only　pure；　but　elegant；　your　manners　noble　and　easy；　your　air　and　address　engaging　in　short；　whether　you　are　a　gentleman；　a　man　of　fashion；　and　fit　to　keep　good　company；　or　not；　for；　till　I　am　satisfied　in　these　particulars；　you　and　I　must　by　no　means　meet；　I　could　not　possibly　stand　it。　　It　is　in　your　power　to　become　all　this　at　Paris；　if　you　please。　　Consult　with　Lady　Hervey　and　Madame　Monconseil　upon　all　these　matters；　and　they　will　speak　to　you；　and　advise　you　freely。　　Tell　them；　that　'bisogna　compatire　ancora'；　that　you　are　utterly　new　in　the　world；　that　you　are　desirous　to　form　yourself；　that　you　beg　they　will　reprove；　advise；　and　correct　you；　that　you　know　that　none　can　do　it　so　well；　and　that　you　will　implicitly　follow　their　directions。　　This；　together　with　your　careful　observation　of　the　manners　of　the　best　company；　will　really　form　you。

Abbe　Guasco；　a　friend　of　mine；　will　come　to　you　as　soon　as　he　knows　of　your　arrival　at　Paris；　he　is　well　received　in　the　best　companies　there；　and　will　introduce　you　to　them。　　He　will　be　desirous　to　do　you　any　service　he　can；　he　is　active　and　curious；　and　can　give　you　information　upon　most　things。　　He　is　a　sort　of　'complaisant'　of　the　President　Montesquieu；　to　whom　you　have　a　letter。

I　imagine　that　this　letter　will　not　wait　for　you　very　long　at　Paris；　where　I　reckon　you　will　be　in　about　a　fortnight。　　Adieu。




LETTER　CXXV

LONDON；　December　24；　1750

DEAR　FRIEND：　At　length　you　are　become　a　Parisian；　and　consequently　must　be　addressed　in　French；　you　will　also　answer　me　in　the　same　language；　that　I　may　be　able　to　judge　of　the　degree　in　which　you　possess　the　elegance；　the　delicacy；　and　the　orthography　of　that　language　which　is；　in　a　manner；　become　the　universal　one　of　Europe。　　I　am　assured　that　you　speak　it　well；　but　in　that　well　there　are　gradations。　　He；　who　in　the　provinces　might　be　reckoned　to　speak　correctly；　would　at　Paris　be　looked　upon　as　an　ancient　Gaul。　　In　that　country　of　mode；　even　language　is　subservient　to　fashion；　which　varies　almost　as　often　as　their　clothes。

The　AFFECTED；　the　REFINED；　the　NEOLOGICAL；　OR　NEW　FASHIONABLE　STYLE　are　at　present　too　much　in　vogue　at　Paris。　　Know；　observe；　and　occasionally　converse　（if　you　please）　according　to　those　different　styles；　but　do　not　let　your　taste　be　infected　by　them。　　Wit；　too；　is　there　subservient　to　fashion；　and　actually；　at　Paris；　one　must　have　wit；　even　in　despite　of　Minerva。　　Everybody　runs　after　it；　although　if　it　does　not　come　naturally　and　of　itself；　it　never　can　be　overtaken。　　But；　unfortunately　for　those　who　pursue；　they　seize　upon　what　they　take　for　wit；　and　endeavor　to　pass　it　for　such　upon　others。　　This　is；　at　best；　the　lot　of　Ixion；　who　embraced　a　cloud　instead　of　the　goddess　he　pursued。　　Fine　sentiments；　which　never　existed；　false　and　unnatural　thoughts；　obscure　and　far…sought　expressions；　not　only　unintelligible；　but　which　it　is　even　impossible　to　decipher；　or　to　guess　at；　are　all　the　consequences　of　this　error；　and　two…thirds　of　the　new　French　books　which　now　appear　are　made　up　of　those　ingredients。　　It　is　the　new　cookery　of　Parnassus；　in　which　the　still　is　employed　instead　of　the　pot　and　the　spit；　and　where　quintessences　and　extracts　ate　chiefly　used。　　N。　B。　　The　Attic　salt　is　proscribed。

You　will　now　and　then　be　obliged　to　eat　of　this　new　cookery；　but　do　not　suffer　your　taste　to　be　corrupted　by　it。　　And　when　you；　in　your　turn；　are　desirous　of　treating　others；　take　the　good　old　cookery　of　Lewis　XIV。's　reign　for　your　rule。　　There　were　at　that　time　admirable　head　cooks；　such　as　Corneille；　Boileau；　Racine；　and　La　Fontaine。　　Whatever　they　prepared　was　simple；　wholesome；　and　solid。　　But　laying　aside　all　metaphors；　do　not　suffer　yourself　to　be　dazzled　by　false　brilliancy；　by　unnatural　expressions；　nor　by　those　antitheses　so　much　in　fashion：　as　a　protection　against　such　innovations；　have　a　recourse　to　your　own　good　sense；　and　to　the　ancient　authors。　　On　the　other　hand；　do　not　laugh　at　those　who　give　into　such　errors；　you　are　as　yet　too　young　to　act　the　critic；　or　to　stand　forth　a　severe　avenger　of　the　violated　rights　of　good　sense。　　Content　yourself　with　not　being　perverted；　but　do　not　think　of　converting　others；　let　them　quietly　enjoy　their　errors　in　taste；　as　well　as　in　religion。　Within　the　course　of　the　last　century　and　a　half；　taste　in　France　has　（as　well　as　that　kingdom　itself）　undergone　many　vicissitudes。　　Under　the　reign　of　I　do　not　say　Lewis　XIII。　but　of　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　good　taste　first　began　to　make　its　way。　　It　was　refined　under　that　of　Lewis　XIV。；　a　great　king；　at　least；　if　not　a　great　man。　　Corneille　was　the　restorer　of　true　taste；　and　the　founder　of　the　French　theatre；　although　rather　inclined　to　the　Italian　'Concetti'　and　the　Spanish　'Agudeze'。　Witness　those　epigrams　which　he　makes　Chimene　utter　in　the　greatest　excess　of　grief。

Before　his　time；　those　kind　of　itinerant　authors；　called　troubadours　or　romanciers；　were　a　species　of　madmen　who　attracted　the　admiration　of　fools。　　Toward　the　end　of　Cardinal　de　Richelieu's　reign；　and　the　beginning　of　Lewis　XIV。's；　the　Temple　of　Taste　was　established　at　the　Hotel　of　Rambouillet；　but　that　taste　was　not　judiciously　refined　this　Temple　of　Taste　might　more　properly　have　been　named　a　Laboratory　of　Wit；　where　good　sense　was　put　to　the　torture；　in　order　to　extract　from　it　the　most　subtile　essence。　　There　it　was　that　Voiture　labored　hard　and　incessantly　to　create　wit。　　At　length；　Boileau　and　Moliere　fixed　the　standard　of　true　taste。　　In　spite　of　the　Scuderys；　the　Calprenedes；　etc。；　they　defeated　and　put　to　flight　ARTAMENES；　JUBA；　OROONDATES；　and　all　those　heroes　of　romance；　who　were；　notwithstanding　（each　of　them）；　as　good　as　a　whole　Army。　　Those　madmen　then　endeavored　to　obtain　an　asylum　in　libraries；　this　they　could　not　accomplish；　but　were　under　a　necessity　of　taking　shelter　in　the　chambers　of　some　few　ladies。　　I　would　have　you　read　one　volume　of　〃Cleopatra；〃　and　one　of　〃Clelia〃；　it　will　otherwise　be　impossible　for　you　to　form　any　idea　of　the　extravagances　they　contain；　but　God　keep　you　from　ever　persevering　to　the　twelfth。

During　almost　the　whole　reign　of　Lewis　XIV。；　true　taste　remained　in　its　purity；　until　it　received　some　hurt；　although　undesignedly；　from　a　very　fine　genius；　I　mean