letters to his son, 1748-第19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！


bly；　as　to　make　many　ignorant　people　embrace　the　profession；　as　an　innocent；　if　not　even　a　laudable　one；　and　puzzle　people　of　some　degree　of　knowledge；　to　answer　me　point　by　point。　　I　have　seen　a　book；　entitled　'Quidlibet　ex　Quolibet'；　or　the　art　of　making　anything　out　of　anything；　which　is　not　so　difficult　as　it　would　seem；　if　once　one　quits　certain　plain　truths；　obvious　in　gross　to　every　understanding；　in　order　to　run　after　the　ingenious　refinements　of　warm　imaginations　and　speculative　reasonings。　　Doctor　Berkeley；　Bishop　of　Cloyne；　a　very　worthy；　ingenious；　and　learned　man；　has　written　a　book；　to　prove　that　there　is　no　such　thing　as　matter；　and　that　nothing　exists　but　in　idea：　that　you　and　I　only　fancy　ourselves　eating；　drinking；　and　sleeping；　you　at　Leipsig；　and　I　at　London：　that　we　think　we　have　flesh　and　blood；　legs；　arms；　etc。；　but　that　we　are　only　spirit。　　His　arguments　are；　strictly　speaking；　unanswerable；　but　yet　I　am　so　far　from　being　convinced　by　them；　that　I　am　determined　to　go　on　to　eat　and　drink；　and　walk　and　ride；　in　order　to　keep　that　MATTER；　which　I　so　mistakenly　imagine　my　body　at　present　to　consist　of；　in　as　good　plight　as　possible。　　Common　sense　（which；　in　truth；　very　uncommon）　is　the　best　sense　I　know　of：　abide　by　it；　it　will　counsel　you　best。　　Read　and　hear；　for　your　amusement；　ingenious　systems；　nice　questions　subtilly　agitated；　with　all　the　refinements　that　warm　imaginations　suggest；　but　consider　them　only　as　exercitations　for　the　mind；　and　turn　always　to　settle　with　common　sense。

I　stumbled；　the　other　day；　at　a　bookseller's；　upon　〃Comte　Gabalis；〃　in　two　very　little　volumes；　which　I　had　formerly　read。　　I　read　it　over　again；　and　with　fresh　astonishment。　　Most　of　the　extravagances　are　taken　from　the　Jewish　Rabbins；　who　broached　those　wild　notions；　and　delivered　them　in　the　unintelligible　jargon　which　the　Caballists　and　Rosicrucians　deal　in　to　this　day。　　Their　number　is；　I　believe；　much　lessened；　but　there　are　still　some；　and　I　myself　have　known　two；　who　studied　and　firmly　believed　in　that　mystical　nonsense。　　What　extravagancy　is　not　man　capable　of　entertaining；　when　once　his　shackled　reason　is　led　in　triumph　by　fancy　and　prejudice！　　The　ancient　alchemists　give　very　much　into　this　stuff；　by　which　they　thought　they　should　discover　the　philosopher's　stone；　and　some　of　the　most　celebrated　empirics　employed　it　in　the　pursuit　of　the　universal　medicine。　　Paracelsus；　a　bold　empiric　and　wild　Caballist；　asserted　that　he　had　discovered　it；　and　called　it　his　'Alkahest'。　Why　or　wherefore；　God　knows；　only　that　those　madmen　call　nothing　by　an　intelligible　name。　　You　may　easily　get　this　book　from　The　Hague：　read　it；　for　it　will　both　divert　and　astonish　you；　and　at　the　same　time　teach　you　'nil　admirari'；　a　very　necessary　lesson。

Your　letters；　except　when　upon　a　given　subject；　are　exceedingly　laconic；　and　neither　answer　my　desires　nor　the　purpose　of　letters；　which　should　be　familiar　conversations；　between　absent　friends。　　As　I　desire　to　live　with　you　upon　the　footing　of　an　intimate　friend；　and　not　of　a　parent；　I　could　wish　that　your　letters　gave　me　more　particular　accounts　of　yourself；　and　of　your　lesser　transactions。　　When　you　write　to　me；　suppose　yourself　conversing　freely　with　me　by　the　fireside。　　In　that　case；　you　would　naturally　mention　the　incidents　of　the　day；　as　where　you　had　been；　who　you　had　seen；　what　you　thought　of　them；　etc。　　Do　this　in　your　letters：　acquaint　me　sometimes　with　your　studies；　sometimes　with　your　diversions；　tell　me　of　any　new　persons　and　characters　that　you　meet　with　in　company；　and　add　your　own　observations　upon　them：　in　short；　let　me　see　more　of　you　in　your　letters。　　How　do　you　go　on　with　Lord　Pulteney；　and　how　does　he　go　on　at　Leipsig？　　Has　he　learning；　has　he　parts；　has　he　application？　　Is　he　good　or　ill…natured？　　In　short；　What　is　he？　at　least；　what　do　you　think　him？　　You　may　tell　me　without　reserve；　for　I　promise　you　secrecy。　You　are　now　of　an　age　that　I　am　desirous　to　begin　a　confidential　correspondence　with　you；　and　as　I　shall；　on　my　part；　write　you　very　freely　my　opinion　upon　men　and　things；　which　I　should　often　be　very　unwilling　that　anybody　but　you　and　Mr。　Harte　should　see；　so；　on　your　part；　if　you　write　me　without　reserve；　you　may　depend　upon　my　inviolable　secrecy。　　If　you　have　ever　looked　into　the　〃Letters〃　of　Madame　de　Sevigne　to　her　daughter；　Madame　de　Grignan；　you　must　have　observed　the　ease；　freedom；　and　friendship　of　that　correspondence；　and　yet；　I　hope　and　I　believe；　that　they　did　not　love　one　another　better　than　we　do。　　Tell　me　what　books　you　are　now　reading；　either　by　way　of　study　or　amusement；　how　you　pass　your　evenings　when　at　home；　and　where　you　pass　them　when　abroad。　I　know　that　you　go　sometimes　to　Madame　Valentin's　assembly；　What　do　you　do　there？　　Do　you　play；　or　sup；　or　is　it　only　'la　belle　conversation？'　Do　you　mind　your　dancing　while　your　dancing…master　is　with　you？　　As　you　will　be　often　under　the　necessity　of　dancing　a　minuet；　I　would　have　you　dance　it　very　well。　　Remember；　that　the　graceful　motion　of　the　arms；　the　giving　your　hand；　and　the　putting　on　and　pulling　off　your　hat　genteelly；　are　the　material　parts　of　a　gentleman's　dancing。　　But　the　greatest　advantage　of　dancing　well　is；　that　it　necessarily　teaches　you　to　present　yourself；　to　sit；　stand；　and　walk；　genteelly；　all　of　which　are　of　real　importance　to　a　man　of　fashion。

I　should　wish　that　you　were　polished　before　you　go　to　Berlin；　where；　as　you　will　be　in　a　great　deal　of　good　company；　I　would　have　you　have　the　right　manners　for　it。　　It　is　a　very　considerable　article　to　have　'le　ton　de　la　bonne　compagnie'；　in　your　destination　particularly。　　The　principal　business　of　a　foreign　minister　is；　to　get　into　the　secrets；　and　to　know　all　'les　allures'　of　the　courts　at　which　he　resides；　this　he　can　never　bring　about　but　by　such　a　pleasing　address；　such　engaging　manners；　and　such　an　insinuating　behavior；　as　may　make　him　sought　for；　and　in　some　measure　domestic；　in　the　best　company　and　the　best　families　of　the　place。　He　will　then；　indeed；　be　well　informed　of　all　that　passes；　either　by　the　confidences　made　him；　or　by　the　carelessness　of　people　in　his　company；　who　are　accustomed　to　look　upon　him　as　one　of　them；　and　consequently　are　not　upon　their　guard　before　him。　　For　a　minister　who　only　goes　to　the　court　he　resides　at；　in　form；　to　ask　an　audience　of　the　prince　or　the　minister　upon　his　last　instructions；　puts　them　upon　their　guard；　and　will　never　know　anything　more　than　what　they　have　a　mind　that　he　should　know。　Here　women　may　be　put　to　some　use。　　A　king's　mistress；　or　a　minister's　wife　or　mistress；　may　give　great　and　useful　informations；　and　are　very　apt　to　do　it；　being　proud　to　show　that　they　have　been　trusted。　　But　then；　in　this　case；　the　height　of　that　sort　of　address；　which；　strikes　women；　is　requisite；　I　mean　that　easy　politeness；　genteel　and　graceful　address；　and　that　'exterieur　brilliant'　which　they　cannot　withstand。　　There　is　a　sort　of　men　so　like　women；　that　they　are　to　be　taken　just　in　the　same　way；　I　mean　those　who　are　commonly　called　FINE　MEN；　who　swarm　at　all　courts；　who　have　little　reflection；　and　less　knowledge；　but；　who　by　their　good　breeding；　and　'train…tran'　of　the　world；　are　admitted　into　all　companies；　and；　by　the　imprudence　or　carelessness　of　their　superiors；　pick　up　secrets　worth　knowing；　which　are　easily　got　out　of　them　by　proper　address。　　Adieu。




LETTER　LIII

BATH；　October　12；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　came　here　three　days　ago　upon　account　of　a　disorder　in　my　stomach；　which　affected　my　head　and　gave　me　vertigo。　　I　already　find　myself　something　better；　and　consequently　do　not　doubt　but　that　the　course　of　these　waters　will　set　me　quite　right。　　But　however　and　wherever　I　am；　your　welfare；　your　character；　your　knowledge；　and　your　morals；　employ　my　thoughts　more　than　anything　that　can　happen　to　me；　or　that　I　can　fear　or　hope　for　myself。　　I　am　going　off　the　stage；　you　are　coming　upon　it；　with　me　what　has　been；　has　been；　and　reflection　now　would　come　too　late；　with　you　everything　is　to　come；　even；　in　some　manner；　reflection　itself；　so　that　this　is　the　very　time　when　my　reflections；　the　result　of　experience；　may　be　of　use　to　you；　by　supplying　the　want　of　yours。　　As　soon　as　you　leave　Leipsig；　you　will　gradually　be　going　into　the　great　world；　where　the　first　impressions　that　you　shall　give　of　yourself　will　be　of　great　importance　to　you；　but　those　which　you　shall　receive　will　be　decisive；　for　they　always　stick。　　To　keep　good　company；　especially　at　your　first　setting　out；　is　the　way　to　receive　good　impressions。　　If　you　ask　me　what　I　mean　by　good　company；　I　will　confess　to　you　that　it　is　pretty　difficult　to　define；　but　I　will　endeavor　to　make　you　understand　it　as　well　as　I　can。

Good　company　is　not　what　respective　sets　of　company　are　pleased　either　to　call　or　think　themselves；　but　it　is　that　company　which　all　the　people　of　the　place　call；　and　acknowledge　to　be；　good　company；　notwithstanding　some　objections　which　they　may　form　to　some　of　the　individuals　who　compose　it。　It　consists　chiefly　（but　by　no　means　without　exception）　of　people　of　considerable　birth；　rank；　and　character；　for　people　of　neither　birth　nor　rank　are　frequently；　and　very　justly　admitted　into　it；　if　distinguished　by　any　peculiar　merit；