letters to his son, 1749-第14部分

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；　and　who　would　make　a　figure　or　a　fortune　in　it。　　It　is　not　sufficient　to　deserve　well；　one　must　please　well　too。　　Awkward；　disagreeable　merit　will　never　carry　anybody　far。　　Wherever　you　find　a　good　dancing…master；　pray　let　him　put　you　upon　your　haunches；　not　so　much　for　the　sake　of　dancing；　as　for　coming　into　a　room；　and　presenting　yourself　genteelly　and　gracefully。　　Women；　whom　you　ought　to　endeavor　to　please；　cannot　forgive　vulgar　and　awkward　air　and　gestures；　'il　leur　faut　du　brillant'。　　The　generality　of　men　are　pretty　like　them；　and　are　equally　taken　by　the　same　exterior　graces。

I　am　very　glad　that　you　have　received　the　diamond　buckles　safe；　all　I　desire　in　return　for　them　is；　that　they　may　be　buckled　even　upon　your　feet；　and　that　your　stockings　may　not　hide　them。　　I　should　be　sorry　that　you　were　an　egregious　fop；　but；　I　protest；　that　of　the　two；　I　would　rather　have　you　a　fop　than　a　sloven。　　I　think　negligence　in　my　own　dress；　even　at　my　age；　when　certainly　I　expect　no　advantages　from　my　dress；　would　be　indecent　with　regard　to　others。　　I　have　done　with　fine　clothes；　but　I　will　have　my　plain　clothes　fit　me；　and　made　like　other　people's：　In　the　evenings；　I　recommend　to　you　the　company　of　women　of　fashion；　who　have　a　right　to　attention　and　will　be　paid　it。　　Their　company　will　smooth　your　manners；　and　give　you　a　habit　of　attention　and　respect；　of　which　you　will　find　the　advantage　among　men。

My　plan　for　you；　from　the　beginning；　has　been　to　make　you　shine　equally　in　the　learned　and　in　the　polite　world；　the　former　part　is　almost　completed　to　my　wishes；　and　will；　I　am　persuaded；　in　a　little　time　more；　be　quite　so。　　The　latter　part　is　still　in　your　power　to　complete；　and　I　flatter　myself　that　you　will　do　it；　or　else　the　former　part　will　avail　you　very　little；　especially　in　your　department；　where　the　exterior　address　and　graces　do　half　the　business；　they　must　be　the　harbingers　of　your　merit；　or　your　merit　will　be　very　coldly　received；　all　can；　and　do　judge　of　the　former；　few　of　the　latter。

Mr。　Harte　tells　me　that　you　have　grown　very　much　since　your　illness；　if　you　get　up　to　five　feet　ten；　or　even　nine　inches；　your　figure　will　probably　be　a　good　one；　and　if　well　dressed　and　genteel；　will　probably　please；　which　is　a　much　greater　advantage　to　a　man　than　people　commonly　think。　　Lord　Bacon　calls　it　a　letter　of　recommendation。

I　would　wish　you　to　be　the　omnis　homo；　'l'homme　universel'。　　You　are　nearer　it；　if　you　please；　than　ever　anybody　was　at　your　age；　and　if　you　will　but；　for　the　course　of　this　next　year　only；　exert　your　whole　attention　to　your　studies　in　the　morning；　and　to　your　address；　manners；　air　and　tournure　in　the　evenings；　you　will　be　the　man　I　wish　you；　and　the　man　that　is　rarely　seen。

Our　letters　go；　at　best；　so　irregularly；　and　so　often　miscarry　totally；　that　for　greater　security　I　repeat　the　same　things。　　So；　though　I　acknowledged　by　last　post　Mr。　Harte's　letter　of　the　8th　September；　N。　S。；　I　acknowledge　it　again　by　this　to　you。　　If　this　should　find　you　still　at　Verona；　let　it　inform　you　that　I　wish　you　would　set　out　soon　for　Naples；　unless　Mr。　Harte　should　think　it　better　for　you　to　stay　at　Verona；　or　any　other　place　on　this　side　Rome；　till　you　go　there　for　the　Jubilee。　　Nay；　if　he　likes　it　better；　I　am　very　willing　that　you　should　go　directly　from　Verona　to　Rome；　for　you　cannot　have　too　much　of　Rome；　whether　upon　account　of　the　language；　the　curiosities；　or　the　company。　　My　only　reason　for　mentioning　Naples；　is　for　the　sake　of　the　climate；　upon　account　of　your　health；　but　if　Mr。　Harte　thinks　that　your　health　is　now　so　well　restored　as　to　be　above　climate；　he　may　steer　your　course　wherever　he　thinks　proper：　and；　for　aught　I　know；　your　going　directly　to　Rome；　and　consequently　staying　there　so　much　the　longer；　may　be　as　well　as　anything　else。　　I　think　you　and　I　cannot　put　our　affairs　in　better　hands　than　in　Mr。　Harte's；　and　I　will　stake　his　infallibility　against　the　Pope's；　with　some　odds　on　his　side。　　Apropos　of　the　Pope：　remember　to　be　presented　to　him　before　you　leave　Rome；　and　go　through　the　necessary　ceremonies　for　it；　whether　of　kissing　his　slipper　or　his　b…h；　for　I　would　never　deprive　myself　of　anything　that　I　wanted　to　do　or　see；　by　refusing　to　comply　with　an　established　custom。　　When　I　was　in　Catholic　countries；　I　never　declined　kneeling　in　their　churches　at　the　elevation；　nor　elsewhere；　when　the　Host　went　by。　　It　is　a　complaisance　due　to　the　custom　of　the　place；　and　by　no　means；　as　some　silly　people　have　imagined；　an　implied　approbation　of　their　doctrine。　　Bodily　attitudes　and　situations　are　things　so　very　indifferent　in　themselves；　that　I　would　quarrel　with　nobody　about　them。　　It　may；　indeed；　be　improper　for　Mr。　Harte　to　pay　that　tribute　of　complaisance；　upon　account　of　his　character。

This　letter　is　a　very　long；　and　possibly　a　very　tedious　one；　but　my　anxiety　for　your　perfection　is　so　great；　and　particularly　at　this　critical　and　decisive　period　of　your　life；　that　I　am　only　afraid　of　omitting；　but　never　of　repeating；　or　dwelling　too　long　upon　anything　that　I　think　may　be　of　the　least　use　to　you。　　Have　the　same　anxiety　for　yourself；　that　I　have　for　you；　and　all　will　do　well。　　Adieu！　my　dear　child。




LETTER　LXXXIII

LONDON；　September　27；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　　A　vulgar；　ordinary　way　of　thinking；　acting；　or　speaking；　implies　a　low　education；　and　a　habit　of　low　company。　　Young　people　contract　it　at　school；　or　among　servants；　with　whom　they　are　too　often　used　to　converse；　but　after　they　frequent　good　company；　they　must　want　attention　and　observation　very　much；　if　they　do　not　lay　it　quite　aside；　and；　indeed；　if　they　do　not；　good　company　will　be　very　apt　to　lay　them　aside。　　The　various　kinds　of　vulgarisms　are　infinite；　I　cannot　pretend　to　point　them　out　to　you；　but　I　will　give　some　samples；　by　which　you　may　guess　at　the　rest。

A　vulgar　man　is　captious　and　jealous；　eager　and　impetuous　about　trifles。　He　suspects　himself　to　be　slighted；　thinks　everything　that　is　said　meant　at　him：　if　the　company　happens　to　laugh；　he　is　persuaded　they　laugh　at　him；　he　grows　angry　and　testy；　says　something　very　impertinent；　and　draws　himself　into　a　scrape；　by　showing　what　he　calls　a　proper　spirit；　and　asserting　himself。　　A　man　of　fashion　does　not　suppose　himself　to　be　either　the　sole　or　principal　object　of　the　thoughts；　looks；　or　words　of　the　company；　and　never　suspects　that　he　is　either　slighted　or　laughed　at；　unless　he　is　conscious　that　he　deserves　it。　　And　if　（which　very　seldom　happens）　the　company　is　absurd　or　ill…bred　enough　to　do　either；　he　does　not　care　twopence；　unless　the　insult　be　so　gross　and　plain　as　to　require　satisfaction　of　another　kind。　　As　he　is　above　trifles；　he　is　never　vehement　and　eager　about　them；　and；　wherever　they　are　concerned；　rather　acquiesces　than　wrangles。　　A　vulgar　man's　conversation　always　savors　strongly　of　the　lowness　of　his　education　and　company。　　It　turns　chiefly　upon　his　domestic　affairs；　his　servants；　the　excellent　order　he　keeps　in　his　own　family；　and　the　little　anecdotes　of　the　neighborhood；　all　which　he　relates　with　emphasis；　as　interesting　matters。　　He　is　a　man　gossip。

Vulgarism　in　language　is　the　next　and　distinguishing　characteristic　of　bad　company　and　a　bad　education。　　A　man　of　fashion　avoids　nothing　with　more　care　than　that。　　Proverbial　expressions　and　trite　sayings　are　the　flowers　of　the　rhetoric　of　a　vulgar　man。　　Would　he　say　that　men　differ　in　their　tastes；　he　both　supports　and　adorns　that　opinion　by　the　good　old　saying；　as　he　respectfully　calls　it；　that　WHAT　IS　ONE　MAN'S　MEAT；　IS　ANOTHER　MAN'S　P01SON。　　If　anybody　attempts　being　SMART；　as　he　calls　it；　upon　him；　he　gives　them　TIT　FOR　TAT；　aye；　that　he　does。　　He　has　always　some　favorite　word　for　the　time　being；　which；　for　the　sake　of　using　often；　he　commonly　abuses。　　Such　as　VASTLY　angry；　VASTLY　kind；　VASTLY　handsome；　and　VASTLY　ugly。　　Even　his　pronunciation　of　proper　words　carries　the　mark　of　the　beast　along　with　it。　　He　calls　the　earth　YEARTH；　he　is　OBLEIGED；　not　OBLIGED　to　you。　　He　goes　TO　WARDS；　and　not　TOWARDS；　such　a　place。　　He　sometimes　affects　hard　words；　by　way　of　ornament；　which　he　always　mangles　like　a　learned　woman。　　A　man　of　fashion　never　has　recourse　to　proverbs　and　vulgar　aphorisms；　uses　neither　favorite　words　nor　hard　words；　but　takes　great　care　to　speak　very　correctly　and　grammatically；　and　to　pronounce　properly；　that　is；　according　to　the　usage　of　the　best　companies。

An　awkward　address；　ungraceful　attitudes　and　actions；　and　a　certain　left…　handedness　（if　I　may　use　that　word）；　loudly　proclaim　low　education　and　low　company；　for　it　is　impossible　to　suppose　that　a　man　can　have　frequented　good　company；　without　having　catched　something；　at　least；　of　their　air　and　motions。　　A　new　raised　man　is　distinguished　in　a　regiment　by　his　awkwardness；　but　he　must　be　impenetrably　dull；　if；　in　a　month　or　two's　time；　he　cannot　perform　at　least　the　common　manual　exercise；　and　look　like　a　soldier。　　The　very　accoutrements　of　a　man　of　fashion　are　grievous　encumbrances　to　a　vulgar　man。　　He　is　at　a　loss　what　to　do　with　his　hat；　when　it　is　not　upon　his　head；　his　cane　（if　unfortunately　he　wears　one）　is　at　perpetual　war　with　every　cup　of　tea　or　coffee　he　drinks；　destroys　them　first；　and　then　accompanies　them　in　their　fall。　　His　sword　is　formidable　only　to　his　own　legs；　which　would　possibly　carry　him　fast　enough　out　of　the　way　of　any　sword　but　his　own。　　His　clothes　fit　him　so　ill；　and　constrain　him　so　much；　that　he　seems　rather；　their　prisoner　than　their　proprietor。　　He　presents　himself　in　company　like　a　criminal　in　a　court　of　justice；　his　very　air　condemns　him；　and　people　of　fashion　will　no　more　connect　themselves　with　the　one；　than　people　of　character　will　with　the　other。　　This　repulse　drives　and　sinks　him　into　low　company；　a　gulf　from　whence　no　man；　after　a　certain　age；　ever　emerged。

'Les　manieres　nobles　et　aisees；　la　tournure　d'un　homme　de　condition；　le　ton　de　la　bonne　compagnie；　les　graces；　le　jeune　sais　quoi；　qui　plait'；　are　as　necessary　to　adorn　and　introduce　your　intrinsic　merit　and　knowledge；　as　the　polish　is　to　the　diamond；　which；　without　that　polish；　would　never　be　worn；　whatever　it　might　weigh。　　Do　not　imagine　that　these　accomplishments　are　only　useful　with　women；　they　are　much　more　so　with　men。　　In　a　public　assembly；　wha