letters to his son, 1748-第14部分

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ance　of　the　time；　acquired　unjustly　great　possessions；　of　which　they　justly　lost　the　greatest　part　by　their　ambition　and　cruelty；　which　made　them　feared　and　hated　by　all　their　neighbors。

I　have　this　moment　received　your　letter　of　the　4th；　N。　S。；　and　have　only　time　to　tell　you　that　I　can　by　no　means　agree　to　your　cutting　off　your　hair。　　I　am　very　sure　that　your　headaches　cannot　proceed　from　thence。　And　as　for　the　pimples　upon　your　head；　they　are　only　owing　to　the　heat　of　the　season；　and　consequently　will　not　last　long。　　But　your　own　hair　is；　at　your　age；　such　an　ornament；　and　a　wig；　however　well　made；　such　a　disguise；　that　I　will　upon　no　account　whatsoever　have　you　cut　off　your　hair。　　Nature　did　not　give　it　to　you　for　nothing；　still　less　to　cause　you　the　headache。　　Mr。　Eliot's　hair　grew　so　ill　and　bushy；　that　he　was　in　the　right　to　cut　it　off。　　But　you　have　not　the　same　reason。




LETTER　XLVII

LONDON；　August　23；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　Your　friend；　Mr。　Eliot；　has　dined　with　me　twice　since　I　returned　here；　and　I　can　say　with　truth　that　while　I　had　the　seals；　I　never　examined　or　sifted　a　state　prisoner　with　so　much　care　and　curiosity　as　I　did　him。　　Nay；　I　did　more；　for；　contrary　to　the　laws　of　this　country；　I　gave　him　in　some　manner；　the　QUESTION　ordinary　and　extraordinary；　and　I　have　infinite　pleasure　in　telling　you　that　the　rack　which　I　put　him　to；　did　not　extort　from　him　one　single　word　that　was　not　such　as　I　wished　to　hear　of　you。　　I　heartily　congratulate　you　upon　such　an　advantageous　testimony；　from　so　creditable　a　witness。　　'Laudati　a　laudato　viro'；　is　one　of　the　greatest　pleasures　and　honors　a　rational　being　can　have；　may　you　long　continue　to　deserve　it！　Your　aversion　to　drinking　and　your　dislike　to　gaming；　which　Mr。　Eliot　assures　me　are　both　very　strong；　give　me；　the　greatest　joy　imaginable；　for　your　sake：　as　the　former　would　ruin　both　your　constitution　and　understanding；　and　the　latter　your　fortune　and　character。　　Mr。　Harte　wrote　me　word　some　time　ago；　and　Mr。　Eliot　confirms　it　now；　that　you　employ　your　pin　money　in　a　very　different　manner；　from　that　in　which　pin　money　is　commonly　lavished：　not　in　gew…gaws　and　baubles；　but　in　buying　good　and　useful　books。　　This　is　an　excellent　symptom；　and　gives　me　very　good　hopes。　　Go　on　thus；　my　dear　boy；　but　for　these　next　two　years；　and　I　ask　no　more。　　You　must　then　make　such　a　figure　and　such　a　fortune　in　the　world　as　I　wish　you；　and　as　I　have　taken　all　these　pains　to　enable　you　to　do。　　After　that　time　I　allow　you　to　be　as　idle　as　ever　you　please；　because　I　am　sure　that　you　will　not　then　please　to　be　so　at　all。　　The　ignorant　and　the　weak　are　only　idle；　but　those　who　have　once　acquired　a　good　stock　of　knowledge；　always　desire　to　increase　it。　　Knowledge　is　like　power　in　this　respect；　that　those　who　have　the　most；　are　most　desirous　of　having　more。　　It　does　not　clog；　by　possession；　but　increases　desire；　which　is　the　case　of　very　few　pleasures。

Upon　receiving　this　congratulatory　letter；　and　reading　your　own　praises；　I　am　sure　that　it　must　naturally　occur　to　you；　how　great　a　share　of　them　you　owe　to　Mr。　Harte's　care　and　attention；　and；　consequently；　that　your　regard　and　affection　for　him　must　increase；　if　there　be　room　for　it；　in　proportion　as　you　reap；　which　you　do　daily；　the　fruits　of　his　labors。

I　must　not；　however；　conceal　from　you　that　there　was　one　article　in　which　your　own　witness；　Mr。　Eliot；　faltered；　for；　upon　my　questioning　him　home　as　to　your　manner　of　speaking；　he　could　not　say　that　your　utterance　was　either　distinct　or　graceful。　　I　have　already　said　so　much　to　you　upon　this　point　that　I　can　add　nothing。　　I　will　therefore　only　repeat　this　truth；　which　is；　that　if　you　will　not　speak　distinctly　and　graceful；　nobody　will　desire　to　hear　you。　　I　am　glad　to　learn　that　Abbe　Mably's　'Droit　Public　de　l'Europe'　makes　a　part　of　your　evening　amusements。　　It　is　a　very　useful　book；　and　gives　a　clear　deduction　of　the　affairs　of　Europe；　from　the　treaty　of　Munster　to　this　time。　　　Pray　read　it　with　attention；　and　with　the　proper　maps；　always　recurring　to　them　for　the　several　countries　or　towns　yielded；　taken；　or　restored。　　Pyre　Bougeant's　third　volume　will　give　you　the　best　idea　of　the　treaty　of　Munster；　and　open　to　you　the　several　views　of　the　belligerent'　and　contracting　parties；　and　there　never　were　greater　than　at　that　time。　　The　House　of　Austria；　in　the　war　immediately　preceding　that　treaty；　intended　to　make　itself　absolute　in　the　empire；　and　to　overthrow　the　rights　of　the　respective　states　of　it。　　The　view　of　France　was　to　weaken　and　dismember　the　House　of　Austria　to　such　a　degree；　as　that　it　should　no　longer　be　a　counterbalance　to　that　of　Bourbon。　　Sweden　wanted　possessions　on　the　continent　of　Germany；　not　only　to　supply　the　necessities　of　its　own　poor　and　barren　country；　but　likewise　to　hold　the　balance　in　the　empire　between　the　House　of　Austria　and　the　States。　　The　House　of　Brandenburg　wanted　to　aggrandize　itself　by　pilfering　in　the　fire；　changed　sides　occasionally；　and　made　a　good　bargain　at　last；　for　I　think　it　got；　at　the　peace；　nine　or　ten　bishoprics　secularized。　　So　that　we　may　date；　from　the　treaty　of　Munster；　the　decline　of　the　House　of　Austria；　the　great　power　of　the　House　of　Bourbon；　and　the　aggrandizement　of　that　of　Bradenburg：　which；　I　am　much　mistaken；　if　it　stops　where　it　is　now。

Make　my　compliments　to　Lord　Pulteney；　to　whom　I　would　have　you　be　not　only　attentive；　but　useful；　by　setting　him　（in　case　he　wants　it）　a　good　example　of　application　and　temperance。　　I　begin　to　believe　that；　as　I　shall　be　proud　of　you；　others　will　be　proud　too　of　imitating　you：　Those　expectations　of　mine　seem　now　so　well　grounded；　that　my　disappointment；　and　consequently　my　anger；　will　be　so　much　the　greater　if　they　fail；　but　as　things　stand　now；　I　am　most　affectionately　and　tenderly；　Yours。




LETTER　XLVIII

LONDON；　August　30；　O。　S。　　1748

DEAR　BOY：　Your　reflections　upon　the　conduct　of　France；　from　the　treaty　of　Munster　to　this　time；　are　very　just；　and　I　am　very　glad　to　find；　by　them；　that　you　not　only　read；　but　that　you　think　and　reflect　upon　what　you　read。　　Many　great　readers　load　their　memories；　without　exercising　their　judgments；　and　make　lumber…rooms　of　their　heads　instead　of　furnishing　them　usefully；　facts　are　heaped　upon　facts　without　order　or　distinction；　and　may　justly　be　said　to　compose　that

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'…Rudis　indigestaque　moles　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Quem　dixere　chaos'。

Go　on；　then；　in　the　way　of　reading　that　you　are　in；　take　nothing　for　granted；　upon　the　bare　authority　of　the　author；　but　weigh　and　consider；　in　your　own　mind；　the　probability　of　the　facts　and　the　justness　of　the　reflections。　　Consult　different　authors　upon　the　same　facts；　and　form　your　opinion　upon　the　greater　or　lesser　degree　of　probability　arising　from　the　whole；　which；　in　my　mind；　is　the　utmost　stretch　of　historical　faith；　certainty　（I　fear）　not　being　to　be　found。　　When　a　historian　pretends　to　give　you　the　causes　and　motives　of　events；　compare　those　causes　and　motives　with　the　characters　and　interests　of　the　parties　concerned；　and　judge　for　yourself　whether　they　correspond　or　not。　Consider　whether　you　cannot　assign　others　more　probable；　and　in　that　examination；　do　not　despise　some　very　mean　and　trifling　causes　of　the　actions　of　great　men；　for　so　various　and　inconsistent　is　human　nature；　so　strong　and　changeable　are　our　passions；　so　fluctuating　are　our　wills；　and　so　much　are　our　minds　influenced　by　the　accidents　of　our　bodies　that　every　man　is　more　the　man　of　the　day；　than　a　regular　consequential　character。　　The　best　have　something　bad；　and　something　little；　the　worst　have　something　good；　and　sometimes　something　great；　for　I　do　not　believe　what　Velleius　Paterculus　（for　the　sake　of　saying　a　pretty　thing）　says　of　Scipio；　'Qui　nihil　non　laudandum　aut　fecit；　aut　dixit；　aut　sensit'。　　As　for　the　reflections　of　historians；　with　which　they　think　it　necessary　to　interlard　their　histories；　or　at　least　to　conclude　their　chapters　（and　which；　in　the　French　histories；　are　always　introduced　with　a　'tant　il　est　vrai'；　and　in　the　English；　SO　TRUE　IT　IS；　do　not　adopt　them　implicitly　upon　the　credit　of　the　author；　but　analyze　them　yourself；　and　judge　whether　they　are　true　or　not。

But　to　return　to　the　politics　of　France；　from　which　I　have　digressed。　You　have　certainly　made　one　further　reflection；　of　an　advantage　which　France　has；　over　and　above　its　abilities　in　the　cabinet　and　the　skill　of　its　negotiators；　which　is　（if　I　may　use　the　expression）　its　SOLENESS；　continuity　of　riches　and　power　within　itself；　and　the　nature　of　its　government。　　Near　twenty　millions　of　people；　and　the　ordinary　revenue　of　above　thirteen　millions　sterling　a　year；　are　at　the　absolute　disposal　of　the　Crown。　　This　is　what　no　other　power　in　Europe　can　say；　so　that　different　powers　must　now　unite　to　make　a　balance　against　France；　which　union；　though　formed　upon　the　principle　of　their　common　interest；　can　never　be　so　intimate　as　to　compose　a　machine　so　compact　and　simple　as　that　of　one　great　kingdom；　directed　by　one　will；　and　moved　by　one　interest。　　The　Allied　Powers　（as　we　have　constantly　seen）　have；　besides　the　common　and　declared　object　of　their　alliance；　some　separate　and　concealed　view　to　which　they　often　sacrifice　the　general　one；　which　ma