letters to his son, 1749-第4部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


；　but　if　either　ill　advice；　or　ill　example；　affect　and　seduce　you；　you　are　ruined　forever。　　I　look　upon　that　year　as　your　decisive　year　of　probation；　go　through　it　well；　and　you　will　be　all　accomplished；　and　fixed　in　my　tenderest　affection　forever；　but　should　the　contagion　of　vice　of　idleness　lay　hold　of　you　there；　your　character；　your　fortune；　my　hopes；　and　consequently　my　favor　are　all　blasted；　and　you　are　undone。　　The　more　I　love　you　now；　from　the　good　opinion　I　have　of　you；　the　greater　will　be　my　indignation　if　I　should　have　reason　to　change　it。　Hitherto　you　have　had　every　possible　proof　of　my　affection；　because　you　have　deserved　it；　but　when　you　cease　to　deserve　it；　you　may　expect　every　possible　mark　of　my　resentment。　　To　leave　nothing　doubtful　upon　this　important　point　I　will　tell　you　fairly；　beforehand；　by　what　rule　I　shall　judge　of　your　conductby　Mr。　Harte's　accounts。　　He　will　not　I　am　sure；　nay；　I　will　say　more；　he　cannot　be　in　the　wrong　with　regard　to　you。　　He　can　have　no　other　view　but　your　good；　and　you　will；　I　am　sure；　allow　that　he　must　be　a　better　judge　of　it　than　you　can　possibly　be　at　your　age。　While　he　is　satisfied；　I　shall　be　so　too；　but　whenever　he　is　dissatisfied　with　you；　I　shall　be　much　more　so。　　If　he　complains；　you　must　be　guilty；　and　I　shall　not　have　the　least　regard　for　anything　that　you　may　allege　in　your　own　defense。

I　will　now　tell　you　what　I　expect　and　insist　upon　from　you　at　Turin：　First；　that　you　pursue　your　classical　and　other　studies　every　morning　with　Mr。　Harte；　as　long　and　in　whatever　manner　Mr。　Harte　shall　be　pleased　to　require；　secondly；　that　you　learn；　uninterruptedly；　your　exercises　of　riding；　dancing；　and　fencing；　thirdly；　that　you　make　yourself　master　of　the　Italian　language；　and　lastly；　that　you　pass　your　evenings　in　the　best　company。　　I　also　require　a　strict　conformity　to　the　hours　and　rules　of　the　Academy。　　If　you　will　but　finish　your　year　in　this　manner　at　Turin；　I　have　nothing　further　to　ask　of　you；　and　I　will　give　you　everything　that　you　can　ask　of　me。　　You　shall　after　that　be　entirely　your　own　master；　I　shall　think　you　safe；　shall　lay　aside　all　authority　over　you；　and　friendship　shall　be　our　mutual　and　only　tie。　　Weigh　this；　I　beg　of　you；　deliberately　in　your　own　mind；　and　consider　whether　the　application　and　the　degree　of　restraint　which　I　require　but　for　one　year　more；　will　not　be　amply　repaid　by　all　the　advantages；　and　the　perfect　liberty；　which　you　will　receive　at　the　end　of　it。　　Your　own　good　sense　will；　I　am　sure；　not　allow　you　to　hesitate　one　moment　in　your　choice。　　God　bless　you！　Adieu。

P。　S。　　Sir　James　Grey's　letters　not　being　yet　sent　to　me；　as　I　thought　they　would；　I　shall　inclose　them　in　my　next；　which　I　believe　will　get　to　Venice　as　soon　as　you。




LETTER　LXVII

LONDON；　April　12；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　I　received；　by　the　last　mail；　a　letter　from　Mr。　Harte；　dated　Prague；　April　the　1st；　N。　S。；　for　which　I　desire　you　will　return　him　my　thanks；　and　assure　him　that　I　extremely　approve　of　what　he　has　done；　and　proposes　eventually　to　do；　in　your　way　to　Turin。　　Who　would　have　thought　you　were　old　enough　to　have　been　so　well　acquainted　with　the　heroes　of　the　'Bellum　Tricennale'；　as　to　be　looking　out　for　their　great…grandsons　in　Bohemia；　with　that　affection　with　which；　I　am　informed；　you　seek　for　the　Wallsteins；　the　Kinskis；　etc。　　As　I　cannot　ascribe　it　to　your　age；　I　must　to　your　consummate　knowledge　of　history；　that　makes　every　country；　and　every　century；　as　it　were；　your　own。　　Seriously；　I　am　told；　that　you　are　both　very　strong　and　very　correct　in　history；　of　which　I　am　extremely　glad。　　This　is　useful　knowledge。

Comte　du　Perron　and　Comte　Lascaris　are　arrived　here：　the　former　gave　me　a　letter　from　Sir　Charles　Williams；　the　latter　brought　me　your　orders。　They　are　very　pretty　men；　and　have　both　knowledge　and　manners；　which；　though　they　always　ought；　seldom　go　together。　　I　examined　them；　particularly　Comte　Lascaris；　concerning　you；　their　report　is　a　very　favorable　one；　especially　on　the　side　of　knowledge；　the　quickness　of　conception　which　they　allow　you　I　can　easily　credit；　but　the　attention　which　they　add　to　it　pleases　me　the　more；　as　I　own　I　expected　it　less。　Go　on　in　the　pursuit　and　the　increase　of　knowledge；　nay；　I　am　sure　you　will；　for　you　now　know　too　much　to　stop；　and；　if　Mr。　Harte　would　let　you　be　idle；　I　am　convinced　you　would　not。　　But　now　that　you　have　left　Leipsig；　and　are　entered　into　the　great　world；　remember　there　is　another　object　that　must　keep　pace　with；　and　accompany　knowledge；　I　mean　manners；　politeness；　and　the　Graces；　in　which　Sir　Charles　Williams；　though　very　much　your　friend；　owns　that　you　are　very　deficient。　　The　manners　of　Leipsig　must　be　shook　off；　and　in　that　respect　you　must　put　on　the　new　man。　　No　scrambling　at　your　meals；　as　at　a　German　ordinary；　no　awkward　overturns　of　glasses；　plates；　and　salt…cellars；　no　horse　play。　　On　the　contrary；　a　gentleness　of　manners；　a　graceful　carriage；　and　an　insinuating　address；　must　take　their　place。　　I　repeat；　and　shall　never　cease　repeating　to　you；　THE　GRACES；　THE　GRACES。

I　desire　that　as　soon　as　ever　you　get　to　Turin　you　will　apply　yourself　diligently　to　the　Italian　language；　that　before　you　leave　that　place；　you　may　know　it　well　enough　to　be　able　to　speak　tolerably　when　you　get　to　Rome；　where　you　will　soon　make　yourself　perfectly　master　of　Italian；　from　the　daily　necessity　you　will　be　under　of　speaking　it。　　In　the　mean　time；　I　insist　upon　your　not　neglecting；　much　less　forgetting；　the　German　you　already　know；　which　you　may　not　only　continue　but　improve；　by　speaking　it　constantly　to　your　Saxon　boy；　and　as　often　as　you　can　to　the　several　Germans　you　will　meet　in　your　travels。　　You　remember；　no　doubt；　that　you　must　never　write　to　me　from　Turin；　but　in　the　German　language　and　character。

I　send　you　the　inclosed　letter　of　recommendation　to　Mr。　Smith　the　King's　Consul　at　Venice；　who　can；　and　I　daresay　will；　be　more　useful　to　you　there　than　anybody。　　Pray　make　your　court；　and　behave　your　best；　to　Monsieur　and　Madame　Capello；　who　will　be　of　great　use　to　you　at　Rome。　Adieu！　　Yours　tenderly。




LETTER　LXVIII

LONDON；　April　19；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　This　letter　will；　I　believe；　still　find　you　at　Venice　in　all　the　dissipation　of　masquerades；　ridottos；　operas；　etc。　　With　all　my　heart；　they　are　decent　evening's　amusements；　and　very　properly　succeed　that　serious　application　to　which　I　am　sure　you　devote　your　mornings。　There　are　liberal　and　illiberal　pleasures　as　well　as　liberal　and　illiberal　arts：　There　are　some　pleasures　that　degrade　a　gentleman　as　much　as　some　trades　could　do。　　Sottish　drinking；　indiscriminate　gluttony；　driving　coaches；　rustic　sports；　such　as　fox…chases；　horse…races；　etc。；　are　in　my　opinion　infinitely　below　the　honest　and　industrious　profession　of　a　tailor　and　a　shoemaker；　which　are　said　to　'deroger'。

As　you　are　now　in　a　musical　country；　where　singing；　fiddling；　and　piping；　are　not　only　the　common　topics　of　conversation；　but　almost　the　principal　objects　of　attention；　I　cannot　help　cautioning　you　against　giving　in　to　those　（I　will　call　them　illiberal）　pleasures　（though　music　is　commonly　reckoned　one　of　the　liberal　arts）　to　the　degree　that　most　of　your　countrymen　do；　when　they　travel　in　Italy。　　If　you　love　music；　hear　it；　go　to　operas；　concerts；　and　pay　fiddlers　to　play　to　you；　but　I　insist　upon　your　neither　piping　nor　fiddling　yourself。　　It　puts　a　gentleman　in　a　very　frivolous；　contemptible　light；　brings　him　into　a　great　deal　of　bad　company；　and　takes　up　a　great　deal　of　time；　which　might　be　much　better　employed。　　Few　things　would　mortify　me　more；　than　to　see　you　bearing　a　part　in　a　concert；　with　a　fiddle　under　your　chin；　or　a　pipe　in　your　mouth。

I　have　had　a　great　deal　of　conversation　with　Comte　du　Perron　and　Comte　Lascaris　upon　your　subject：　and　I　will　tell　you；　very　truly；　what　Comte　du　Perron　（who　is；　in　my　opinion；　a　very　pretty　man）　said　of　you：　'Il　a　de　l'esprit；　un　savoir　peu　commun　a　son　age；　une　grande　vivacite；　et　quand　il　aura　pris　des　manieres　il　sera　parfait；　car　il　faut　avouer　qu'il　sent　encore　le　college；　mars　cela　viendra'。　　I　was　very　glad　to　hear；　from　one　whom　I　think　so　good　a　judge；　that　you　wanted　nothing　but　'des　manieres'；　which　I　am　convinced　you　will　now　soon　acquire；　in　the　company　which　henceforward　you　are　likely　to　keep。　　But　I　must　add；　too；　that　if　you　should　not　acquire　them；　all　the　rest　will　be　of　little　use　to　you。　By　'manieres'；　I　do　not　mean　bare　common　civility；　everybody　must　have　that　who　would　not　be　kicked　out　of　company；　but　I　mean　engaging；　insinuating；　shining　manners；　distinguished　politeness；　an　almost　irresistible　address；　a　superior　gracefulness　in　all　you　say　and　do。　It　is　this　alone　that　can　give　all　your　other　talents　their　full　lustre　and　value；　and；　consequently；　it　is　this　which　should　now　be　thy　principal　object　of　your　attention。　　Observe　minutely；　wherever　you　go；　the　allowed　and　established　models　of　good…breeding；　and　form　yourself　upon　them。　　Whatever　pleases　you　most　in　others；　will　infallibly　please　others　in　you。　　I　have　often　repeated　this　to　you；　now　is　your　time　of　putting　it　in　practice。

Pray　make　my　compliments　to　Mr。　Harte；　and　tell　him　I　have　received　his　letter　from　Vienna　of　the　16th　N。　S。；　but　that　I　shall　not　trouble　him　with　an　answer　to　it　till　I　have　received　the　other　letter　which　he　promises　me；　upon　the　subject　of　one　of　my　last。　　I　long　to　hear　from　him　after　your　settlement　at　Turin：　the　months　that　you　are　to　pass　there　will　be　very　decisive　ones　for　you。　　The　exercises　of　the　Academy；　and　the　manners　of　courts　must　be　attended　to　and　acquired；　and；　at　the　same　time；　your　other　studies　continued。　　I　am　sure　you　will　not　pass；　nor　desire；　one　single　idle　hour　there：　for　I　do　not　foresee　that　you　can；　in　any　part　of　your　life；　put　out　six　months　to　greater　interest；　than　those　next　six　at　Turin。

We　will　talk　hereafter　about　your　stay　at　Rome　and　in　other　parts　of　Italy。　　This　only　I　will　now　recommend　to　you；　which　is；　to　extract　the　spirit　of　every　place　you　go　to。　　In　those　places　which　are　only　distinguished　by　classical　fame；　and　valuable　remains　of　antiquity；　have　your　classics　in　your　hand　and　in　your　head；　compare　the　ancient　geography　and　descriptions　with　the　modern；　and　never　fail　to