letters to his son, 1749-第25部分

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a　predominant　passion；　that　he　will　act　invariably　and　consequentially　in　the　pursuit　of　it。　　No。　　We　are　complicated　machines：　and　though　we　have　one　main…spring；　that　gives　motion　to　the　whole；　we　have　an　infinity　of　little　wheels；　which；　in　their　turns；　retard；　precipitate；　and　sometimes　stop　that　motion。　　Let　us　exemplify。　　I　will　suppose　ambition　to　be　（as　it　commonly　is）　the　predominant　passion　of　a　minister　of　state；　and　I　will　suppose　that　minister　to　be　an　able　one。　　Will　he；　therefore；　invariably　pursue　the　object　of　that　predominant　passion？　　May　I　be　sure　that　he　will　do　so　and　so；　because　he　ought？　　Nothing　less。　　Sickness　or　low　spirits；　may　damp　this　predominant　passion；　humor　and　peevishness　may　triumph　over　it；　inferior　passions　may；　at　times；　surprise　it　and　prevail。　　Is　this　ambitious　statesman　amorous？　　Indiscreet　and　unguarded　confidences；　made　in　tender　moments；　to　his　wife　or　his　mistress；　may　defeat　all　his　schemes。　　Is　he　avaricious？　　Some　great　lucrative　object；　suddenly　presenting　itself；　may　unravel　all　the　work　of　his　ambition。　　Is　he　passionate？　　Contradiction　and　provocation　（sometimes；　it　may　be；　too；　artfully　intended）　may　extort　rash　and　inconsiderate　expressions；　or　actions　destructive　of　his　main　object。　　Is　he　vain；　and　open　to　flattery？　　An　artful；　flattering　favorite　may　mislead　him；　and　even　laziness　may；　at　certain　moments；　make　him　neglect　or　omit　the　necessary　steps　to　that　height　at　which　he　wants　to　arrive。　　Seek　first；　then；　for　the　predominant　passion　of　the　character　which　you　mean　to　engage　and　influence；　and　address　yourself　to　it；　but　without　defying　or　despising　the　inferior　passions；　get　them　in　your　interest　too；　for　now　and　then　they　will　have　their　turns。　　In　many　cases；　you　may　not　have　it　in　your　power　to　contribute　to　the　gratification　of　the　prevailing　passion；　then　take　the　next　best　to　your　aid。　　There　are　many　avenues　to　every　man；　and　when　you　cannot　get　at　him　through　the　great　one；　try　the　serpentine　ones；　and　you　will　arrive　at　last。

There　are　two　inconsistent　passions；　which；　however；　frequently　accompany　each　other；　like　man　and　wife；　and　which；　like　man　and　wife　too；　are　commonly　clogs　upon　each　other。　　I　mean　ambition　and　avarice：　the　latter　is　often　the　true　cause　of　the　former；　and　then　is　the　predominant　passion。　　It　seems　to　have　been　so　in　Cardinal　Mazarin；　who　did　anything；　submitted　to　anything；　and　forgave　anything；　for　the　sake　of　plunder。　He　loved　and　courted　power；　like　a　usurer；　because　it　carried　profit　along　with　it。　　Whoever　should　have　formed　his　opinion；　or　taken　his　measures；　singly；　from　the　ambitious　part　of　Cardinal　Mazarin's　character；　would　have　found　himself　often　mistaken。　　Some　who　had　found　this　out；　made　their　fortunes　by　letting　him　cheat　them　at　play。　　On　the　contrary；　Cardinal　Richelieu's　prevailing　passion　seems　to　have　been　ambition；　and　his　immense　riches　only　the　natural　consequences　of　that　ambition　gratified；　and　yet；　I　make　no　doubt；　but　that　ambition　had　now　and　then　its　turn　with　the　former；　and　avarice　with　the　latter。　Richelieu　（by　the　way）　is　so　strong　a　proof　of　the　inconsistency　of　human　nature；　that　I　cannot　help　observing　to　you；　that　while　he　absolutely　governed　both　his　king　and　his　country；　and　was；　in　a　great　degree；　the　arbiter　of　the　fate　of　all　Europe；　he　was　more　jealous　of　the　great　reputation　of　Corneille　than　of　the　power　of　Spain；　and　more　flattered　with　being　thought　（what　he　was　not）　the　best　poet；　than　with　being　thought　（what　he　certainly　was）　the　greatest　statesman　in　Europe；　and　affairs　stood　still　while　he　was　concerting　the　criticism　upon　the　Cid。　Could　one　think　this　possible；　if　one　did　not　know　it　to　be　true？　　Though　men　are　all　of　one　composition；　the　several　ingredients　are　so　differently　proportioned　；in　each　individual；　that　no　two　are　exactly　alike；　and　no　one　at　all　times　like　himself。　　The　ablest　man　will　sometimes　do　weak　things；　the　proudest　man；　mean　things；　the　honestest　man；　ill　things；　and　the　wickedest　man；　good　ones。　　Study　individuals　then；　and　if　you　take　（as　you　ought　to　do；）　their　outlines　from　their　prevailing　passion；　suspend　your　last　finishing　strokes　till　you　have　attended　to；　and　discovered　the　operations　of　their　inferior　passions；　appetites；　and　humors。　　A　man's　general　character　may　be　that　of　the　honestest　man　of　the　world：　do　not　dispute　it；　you　might　be　thought　envious　or　ill…natured；　but；　at　the　same　time；　do　not　take　this　probity　upon　trust　to　such　a　degree　as　to　put　your　life；　fortune；　or　reputation　in　his　power。　　This　honest　man　may　happen　to　be　your　rival　in　power；　in　interest；　or　in　love；　three　passions　that　often　put　honesty　to　most　severe　trials；　in　which　it　is　too　often　cast；　but　first　analyze　this　honest　man　yourself；　and　then　only　you　will　be　able　to　judge　how　far　you　may；　or　may　not；　with　safety　trust　him。

Women　are　much　more　like　each　other　than　men：　they　have；　in　truth；　but　two　passions；　vanity　and　love；　these　are　their　universal　characteristics。　An　Agrippina　may　sacrifice　them　to　ambition；　or　a　Messalina　to　lust；　but　those　instances　are　rare；　and；　in　general；　all　they　say；　and　all　they　do；　tends　to　the　gratification　of　their　vanity　or　their　love。　　He　who　flatters　them　most；　pleases　them　best；　and　they　are　the　most　in　love　with　him；　who　they　think　is　the　most　in　love　with　them。　　No　adulation　is　too　strong　for　them；　no　assiduity　too　great；　no　simulation　of　passion　too　gross；　as；　on　the　other　hand；　the　least　word　or　action　that　can　possibly　be　construed　into　a　slight　or　contempt；　is　unpardonable；　and　never　forgotten。　　Men　are　in　this　respect　tender　too；　and　will　sooner　forgive　an　injury　than　an　insult。　　Some　men　are　more　captious　than　others；　some　are　always　wrongheaded；　but　every　man　living　has　such　a　share　of　vanity；　as　to　be　hurt　by　marks　of　slight　and　contempt。　　Every　man　does　not　pretend　to　be　a　poet；　a　mathematician；　or　a　statesman；　and　considered　as　such；　but　every　man　pretends　to　common　sense；　and　to　fill　his　place　in　the　world　with　common　decency；　and；　consequently；　does　not　easily　forgive　those　negligences；　inattentions　and　slights　which　seem　to　call　in　question；　or　utterly　deny　him　both　these　pretensions。

Suspect；　in　general；　those　who　remarkably　affect　any　one　virtue；　who　raise　it　above　all　others；　and　who；　in　a　manner；　intimate　that　they　possess　it　exclusively。　　I　say　suspect　them；　for　they　are　commonly　impostors；　but　do　not　be　sure　that　they　are　always　so；　for　I　have　sometimes　known　saints　really　religious；　blusterers　really　brave；　reformers　of　manners　really　honest；　and　prudes　really　chaste。　　Pry　into　the　recesses　of　their　hearts　yourself；　as　far　as　you　are　able；　and　never　implicitly　adopt　a　character　upon　common　fame；　which；　though　generally　right　as　to　the　great　outlines　of　characters；　is　always　wrong　in　some　particulars。

Be　upon　your　guard　against　those　who　upon　very　slight　acquaintance；　obtrude　their　unasked　and　unmerited　friendship　and　confidence　upon　you；　for　they　probably　cram　you　with　them　only　for　their　own　eating；　but；　at　the　same　time；　do　not　roughly　reject　them　upon　that　general　supposition。　Examine　further；　and　see　whether　those　unexpected　offers　flow　from　a　warm　heart　and　a　silly　head；　or　from　a　designing　head　and　a　cold　heart；　for　knavery　and　folly　have　often　the　same　symptoms。　　In　the　first　case；　there　is　no　danger　in　accepting　them；　'valeant　quantum　valere　possunt'。　　In　the　latter　case；　it　may　be　useful　to　seem　to　accept　them；　and　artfully　to　turn　the　battery　upon　him　who　raised　it。

There　is　an　incontinency　of　friendship　among　young　fellows；　who　are　associated　by　their　mutual　pleasures　only；　which　has；　very　frequently；　bad　consequences。　　A　parcel　of　warm　hearts　and　inexperienced　heads；　heated　by　convivial　mirth；　and　possibly　a　little　too　much　wine；　vow；　and　really　mean　at　the　time；　eternal　friendships　to　each　other；　and　indiscreetly　pour　out　their　whole　souls　in　common；　and　without　the　least　reserve。　　These　confidences　are　as　indiscreetly　repealed　as　they　were　made；　for　new　pleasures　and　new　places　soon　dissolve　this　ill…cemented　connection；　and　then　very　ill　uses　are　made　of　these　rash　confidences。　Bear　your　part；　however；　in　young　companies；　nay；　excel；　if　you　can；　in　all　the　social　and　convivial　joy　and　festivity　that　become　youth。　　Trust　them　with　your　love　tales；　if　you　please；　but　keep　your　serious　views　secret。　　Trust　those　only　to　some　tried　friend；　more　experienced　than　yourself；　and　who；　being　in　a　different　walk　of　life　from　you；　is　not　likely　to　become　your　rival；　for　I　would　not　advise　you　to　depend　so　much　upon　the　heroic　virtue　of　mankind；　as　to　hope　or　believe　that　your　competitor　will　ever　be　your　friend；　as　to　the　object　of　that　competition。

These　are　reserves　and　cautions　very　necessary　to　have；　but　very　imprudent　to　show；　the　'volto　sciolto'　should　accompany　them。　　Adieu。




LETTER　XCVIII

DEAR　BOY：　　Great　talents　and　great　virtues　（if　you　should　have　them）　will　procure　you　the　respect　and　the　admiration　of　mankind；　but　it　is　the　lesser　talents；　the　'leniores　virtutes'；　which　must　procure　you　their　love　and　affection。　　The　former；　unassisted　and　unadorned　by　the　latter；　will　extort　praise；　but　will；　at　the　same　time；　excite　both　fear　and　envy；　two　sentiments　absolutely　incompatible　with　love　and　affection。

Caesar　had　all　the　great　vices；　and　Cato　all　the　great　virtues；　that　men　could　have。　　But　Caesar　had　the　'leniores　virtutes'　which　Cato　wanted；　and　which　made　him　beloved；　even　by　his　enemies；　and　gained　him　the　hearts　of　mankind；　in　spite　of　their　reason：　while　Cato　was　not　even　beloved　by　his　friends；　notwithstanding　the　esteem　and　respect　which　they　could　not　refuse　to　his　virtues；　；and　I　am　apt　to　think；　that　if　Caesar　had　wanted；　and　Cato　possessed；　those　'leniores　virtutes'；　the　former　would　not　have　attempted　（at　least　with　success）；　and　the　latter　could　have　protected；　the　liberties　of　Rome。　　Mr。　Addison；　in　his　〃Cato；〃　says　of　Caesar　（and　I　believe　with　truth）；

　　　　　　　　　　〃Curse　on　his　virtues；　they've　undone　his　country。〃

By　which　he　means　those　lesser；　but　engaging　virtues　of　gentleness；　affability；　complaisance；　and　good　humor。　　The　knowledge　of　a　scholar；　the　courage　of　a　hero；　and　the　virtue　of　a　Stoic；　will　be　admired；　but　if　the　knowledge　be　accompanied　with　a