letters to his son, 1748-第12部分

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　I　hope　you　take　great　care　to　keep　your　whole　person；　particularly　your　mouth；　very　clean；　common　decency　requires　it；　besides　that　great　cleanliness　is　very　conducive　to　health。　　But　if　you　do　not　keep　your　mouth　excessively　clean；　by　washing　it　carefully　every　morning；　and　after　every　meal；　it　will　not　only　be　apt　to　smell；　which　is　very　disgusting　and　indecent；　but　your　teeth　will　decay　and　ache；　which　is　both　a　great　loss　and　a　great　pain。　　A　spruceness　of　dress　is　also　very　proper　and　becoming　at　your　age；　as　the　negligence　of　it　implies　an　indifference　about　pleasing；　which　does　not　become　a　young　fellow。　　To　do　whatever　you　do　at　all　to　the　utmost　perfection；　ought　to　be　your　aim　at　this　time　of　your　life；　if　you　can　reach　perfection；　so　much　the　better；　but　at　least；　by　attempting　it；　you　will　get　much　nearer　than　if　you　never　attempted　it　at　all。

Adieu！　SPEAK　GRACEFULLY　AND　DISTINCTLY　if　you　intend　to　converse　ever　with；　Yours。

P。　　S。　　As　I　was　making　up　my　letter；　I　received　yours　of　the　6th；　O。　S。　I　like　your　dissertation　upon　Preliminary　Articles　and　Truces。　　Your　definitions　of　both　are　true。　　Those　are　matters　which　I　would　have　you　be　master　of；　they　belong　to　your　future　department；　But　remember　too；　that　they　are　matters　upon　which　you　will　much　oftener　have　occasion　to　speak　than　to　write；　and　that；　consequently；　it　is　full　as　necessary　to　speak　gracefully　and　distinctly　upon　them　as　to　write　clearly　and　elegantly。　　I　find　no　authority　among　the　ancients；　nor　indeed　among　the　moderns；　for　indistinct　and　unintelligible　utterance。　　The　Oracles　indeed　meant　to　be　obscure；　but　then　it　was　by　the　ambiguity　of　the　expression；　and　not　by　the　inarticulation　of　the　words。　　For　if　people　had　not　thought；　at　least；　they　understood　them；　they　would　neither　have　frequented　nor　presented　them　as　they　did。　　There　was　likewise　among　the　ancients；　and　is　still　among　the　moderns；　a　sort　of　people　called　Ventriloqui；　who　speak　from　their　bellies；　on　make　the　voice　seem　to　come　from　some　other　part　of　the　room　than　that　where　they　are。　　But　these　Ventriloqui　speak　very　distinctly　and　intelligibly。　　The　only　thing；　then；　that　I　can　find　like　a　precedent　for　your　way　of　speaking　（and　I　would　willingly　help　you　to　one　if　I　could）　is　the　modern　art　'de　persifler'；　practiced　with　great　success　by　the　'Petits　maitres'　at　Paris。　　This　noble　art　consists　in　picking　out　some　grave；　serious　man；　who　neither　understands　nor　expects；　raillery；　and　talking　to　him　very　quick；　and　inarticulate　sounds；　while　the　man；　who　thinks　that　he　did　not　hear　　well；　or　attend　sufficiently；　says；　'Monsieur？　　or　'Plait…il'？　　a　hundred　times；　which　affords　matter　of　much　mirth　to　those　ingenious　gentlemen。　　Whether　you　would　follow；　this　precedent；　I　submit　to　you。

Have　you　carried　no　English　or　French　comedies　of　tragedies　with　you　to　Leipsig？　　If　you　have；　I　insist　upon　your　reciting　some　passages　of　them　every　day　to　Mr。　Harte　in　the　most　distinct　and　graceful　manner；　as　if　you　were　acting　them　upon　a　stage。

The　first　part　of　my；　letter　is　more　than　an　answer　to　your　questions　concerning　Lord　Pulteney。




LETTER　XLV

LONDON；　July；　20；　O。　S。　　1748

DEAR　BOY：　　There　are　two　sorts　of　understandings；　one　of　which　hinders　a　man　from　ever　being　considerable；　and　the　other　commonly　makes　him　ridiculous；　　I　mean　the　lazy　mind；　and　the　trifling；　frivolous　mind：　Yours；　I　hope；　is　neither。　　The　lazy　mind　will　not　take　the　trouble　of　going　to　the　bottom　of　anything；　but；　discouraged　by　the　first　difficulties　（and　everything　worth　knowing　or　having　is　attained　with　some）；　stops　short；　contents；　itself　with　easy；　and　consequently　superficial　knowledge；　and　prefers　a　great　degree　of　ignorance　to　a　small　degree　of　trouble。　　These　people　either　think；　or　represent　most　things　as　impossible；　whereas；　few　things　are　so　to　industry　and　activity。　　But　difficulties　seem　to　them；　impossibilities；　or　at　least　they　pretend　to　think　them　soby　way　of　excuse　for　their　laziness。　　An　hour's　attention　to　the　same　subject　is　too　laborious　for　them；　they　take　everything　in　the　light　in　which　it　first　presents　itself；　never　consider；　it　in　all　its　different　views；　and；　in　short；　never　think　it　through。　　The　consequence　of　this　is　that　when　they　come　to　speak　upon　these　subjects；　before　people　who　have　considered　them　with　attention；　they　only　discover　their　own　ignorance　and　laziness；　and　lay　themselves　open　to　answers　that　put　them　in　confusion。　　Do　not　then　be　discouraged　by　the　first　difficulties；　but　'contra　audentior　ito'；　and　resolve　to　go　to　the　bottom　of　all　those　things　which　every　gentleman　ought　to　know　well。　　Those　arts　or　sciences　which　are　peculiar　to　certain　professions；　need　not　be　deeply　known　by　those　who　are　not　intended　for　those　professions。　　As；　for　instance；　fortification　and　navigation；　of　both　which；　a　superficial　and　general　knowledge；　such　as　the　common　course　of　conversation；　with　a　very　little　inquiry　on　your　part；　will　give　you；　is　sufficient。　　Though；　by　the　way；　a　little　more　knowledge　of　fortification　may　be　of　some　use　to　you；　as　the　events　of　war；　in　sieges；　make　many　of　the　terms；　of　that　science　occur　frequently　in　common　conversation；　and　one　would　be　sorry　to　say；　like　the　Marquis　de　Mascarille　in　Moliere's　'Precieuses　Ridicules'；　when　he　hears　of　'une　demie　lune；　Ma　foi！　c'etoit　bien　une　lune　toute　entiere'。　　But　those　things　which　every；　gentleman；　independently　of　profession；　should　know；　he　ought　to　know　well；　and　dive　into　all　the　depth　of　them。　　Such　are　languages；　history；　and　geography　ancient　and　modern；　philosophy；　rational　logic；　rhetoric；　and；　for　you　particularly；　the　constitutions　and　the　civil　and　military　state　of　every　country　in　Europe：　This；　I　confess；　is　a　pretty　large　circle　of　knowledge；　attended　　with　some　difficulties；　and　requiring　some　trouble；　which；　however；　an　active　and　industrious　mind　will　overcome；　and　be　amply　repaid。　　The　trifling　and　frivolous　mind　is　always　busied；　but　to　little　purpose；　it　takes　little　objects　for　great　ones；　and　throws　away　upon　trifles　that　time　and　attention　which　only　important　things　deserve。　Knick…knacks；　butterflies；　shells；　insects；　etc。；　are　the　subjects　of　their　most　serious　researches。　　They　contemplate　the　dress；　not　the　characters　of　the　company　they　keep。　　They　attend　more　to　the　decorations　of　a　play　than　the　sense　of　it；　and　to　the　ceremonies　of　a　court　more　than　to　its　politics。　　Such　an　employment　of　time　is　an　absolute　loss　of　it。　　You　have　now；　at　most；　three　years　to　employ　either　well　or　ill；　for；　as　I　have　often　told　you；　you　will　be　all　your　life　what　you　shall　be　three　years　hence。　　For　God's　sake　then　reflect。　　Will　you　throw　this　time　away　either　in　laziness；　or　in　trifles？　　Or　will　you　not　rather　employ　every　moment　of　it　in　a　manner　that　must　so　soon　reward　you　with　so　much　pleasure；　figure；　and　character？　　I　cannot；　I　will　not　doubt　of　your　choice。　　Read　only　useful　books；　and　never　quit　a　subject　till　you　are　thoroughly　master　of　it；　but　read　and　inquire　on　till　then。　　When　you　are　in　company；　bring　the　conversation　to　some　useful　subject；　but　'a　portee'　of　that　company。　　Points　of　history；　matters　of　literature；　the　customs　of　particular　countries；　the　several　orders　of　knighthood；　as　Teutonic；　Maltese；　etc。；　are　surely　better　subjects　of　conversation；　than　the　weather；　dress；　or　fiddle…faddle　stories；　that　carry　no　information　along　with　them。　　The　characters　of　kings　and　great　men　are　only　to　be　learned　in　conversation；　for　they　are　never　fairly　written　during　their　lives。　　This；　therefore；　is　an　entertaining　and　instructive　subject　of　conversation；　and　will　likewise　give　you　an　opportunity　of　observing　how　very　differently　characters　are　given；　from　the　different　passions　and　views　of　those　who　give　them。　　Never　be　ashamed　nor　afraid　of　asking　questions：　for　if　they　lead　to　information；　and　if　you　accompany　them　with　some　excuse；　you　will　never　be　reckoned　an　impertinent　or　rude　questioner。　　All　those　things；　in　the　common　course　of　life；　depend　entirely　upon　the　manner；　and；　in　that　respect；　the　vulgar　saying　is　true；　'That　one　man　can　better　steal　a　horse；　than　another　look　over　the　hedge。'　　There　are　few　things　that　may　not　be　said；　in　some　manner　or　other；　either　in　a　seeming　confidence；　or　a　genteel　irony；　or　introduced　with　wit；　and　one　great　part　of　the　knowledge　of　the　world　consists　in　knowing　when　and　where　to　make　use　of　these　different　manners。　　The　graces　of　the　person；　the　countenance；　and　the　way　of　speaking；　contribute　so　much　to　this；　that　I　am　convinced；　the　very　same　thing；　said　by　a　genteel　person　in　an　engaging　way；　and　GRACEFULLY　and　distinctly　spoken；　would　please；　which　would　shock；　if　MUTTERED　out　by　an　awkward　figure；　with　a　sullen；　serious　countenance。　　The　poets　always　represent　Venus　as　attended　by　the　three　Graces；　to　intimate　that　even　beauty　will　not　do　without：　I　think　they　should　have　given　Minerva　three　also；　for　without　them；　I　am　sure　learning　is　very　unattractive。　　Invoke　them；　then；　DISTINCTLY；　to　accompany　all　your　words　and　motions。　　Adieu。

P。　S。　　Since　I　wrote　what　goes　before；　I　have　received　your　letter；　OF　NO　DATE；　with　the　inclosed　state　of　the　Prussian　forces：　of　which；　I　hope；　you　have　kept　a　copy；　th