letters to his son, 1748-第20部分

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　nor　rank　are　frequently；　and　very　justly　admitted　into　it；　if　distinguished　by　any　peculiar　merit；　or　eminency　in　any　liberal　art　or　science。　　Nay；　so　motly　a　thing　is　good　company；　that　many　people；　without　birth；　rank；　or　merit；　intrude　into　it　by　their　own　forwardness；　and　others　slide　into　it　by　the　protection　of　some　considerable　person；　and　some　even　of　indifferent　characters　and　morals　make　part　of　it。　　But　in　the　main；　the　good　part　preponderates；　and　people　of　infamous　and　blasted　characters　are　never　admitted。　　In　this　fashionable　good　company；　the　best　manners　and　the　best　language　of　the　place　are　most　unquestionably　to　be　learned；　for　they　establish　and　give　the　tone　to　both；　which　are　therefore　called　the　language　and　manners　of　good　company：　there　being　no　legal　tribunal　to　ascertain　either。

A　company；　consisting　wholly　of　people　of　the　first　quality；　cannot；　for　that　reason；　be　called　good　company；　in　the　common　acceptation　of　the　phrase；　unless　they　are；　into　the　bargain；　the　fashionable　and　accredited　company　of　the　place；　for　people　of　the　very　first　quality　can　be　as　silly；　as　ill…bred；　and　as　worthless；　as　people　of　the　meanest　degree。　On　the　other　hand；　a　company　consisting　entirely　of　people　of　very　low　condition；　whatever　their　merit　or　parts　may　be；　can　never　be　called　good　company；　and　consequently　should　not　be　much　frequented；　though　by　no　means　despised。

A　company　wholly　composed　of　men　of　learning；　though　greatly　to　be　valued　and　respected；　is　not　meant　by　the　words　GOOD　COMPANY；　they　cannot　have　the　easy　manners　and；　'tournure'　of　the　world；　as　they　do　not　live　in　it。　If　you　can　bear　your　part　well　in　such　a　company；　it　is　extremely　right　to　be　in　it　sometimes；　and　you　will　be　but　more　esteemed　in　other　companies；　for　having　a　place　in　that。　　But　then　do　not　let　it　engross　you；　for　if　you　do；　you　will　be　only　considered　as　one　of　the　'literati'　by　profession；　which　is　not　the　way　either；　to　shine；　or　rise　in　the　world。

The　company　of　professed　wits　and　pests　is　extremely　inviting　to　most　young　men；　who　if　they　have　wit　themselves；　are　pleased　with　it；　and　if　they　have　none；　are　sillily　proud　of　being　one　of　it：　but　it　should　be　frequented　with　moderation　and　judgment；　and　you　should　by　no　means　give　yourself　up　to　it。　　A　wit　is　a　very　unpopular　denomination；　as　it　carries　terror　along　with　it；　and　people　in　general　are　as　much　afraid　of　a　live　wit；　in　company；　as　a　woman　is　of　a　gun；　which　she　thinks　may　go　off　of　itself；　and　do　her　a　mischief。　　Their　acquaintance　is；　however；　worth　seeking；　and　their　company　worth　frequenting；　but　not　exclusively　of　others；　nor　to　such　a　degree　as　to　be　considered　only　as　one　of　that　particular　set。

But　the　company；　which　of　all　others　you　should　most　carefully　avoid；　is　that　low　company；　which；　in　every　sense　of　the　word；　is　low　indeed；　low　in　rank；　low　in　parts；　low　in　manners；　and　low　in　merit。　　You　will；　perhaps；　be　surprised　that　I　should　think　it　necessary　to　warn　you　against　such　company；　but　yet　I　do　not　think　it　wholly；　unnecessary；　from　the　many　instances　which　I　have　seen　of　men　of　sense　and　rank；　discredited；　verified；　and　undone；　by　keeping　such　company。

Vanity；　that　source　of　many　of　our　follies；　and　of　some　of　our　crimes；　has　sunk　many　a　man　into　company；　in　every　light　infinitely；　below　himself；　for　the　sake　of　being　the　first　man　in　it。　　There　he　dictates；　is　applauded；　admired；　and；　for　the　sake　of　being　the　Coryphceus　of　that　wretched　chorus；　disgraces　and　disqualifies　himself　soon　for　any　better　company。　　Depend　upon　it；　you　will　sink　or　rise　to　the　level　of　the　company　which　you　commonly　keep：　people　will　judge　of　you；　and　not　unreasonably；　by　that。　　There　is　good　sense　in　the　Spanish　saying；　〃Tell　me　whom　you　live　with；　and　I　will　tell　you　who　you　are。〃　　Make　it　therefore　your　business；　wherever　you　are；　to　get　into　that　company　which　everybody　in　the　place　allows　to　be　the　best　company　next　to　their　own；　which　is　the　best　definition　that　I　can　give　you　of　good　company。　　But　here；　too；　one　caution　is　very　necessary；　for　want　of　which　many　young　men　have　been　ruined；　even　in　good　company。

Good　company　（as　I　have　before　observed）　is　composed　of　a　great　variety　of　fashionable　people；　whose　characters　and　morals　are　very　different；　though　their　manners　are　pretty　much　the　same。　　When　a　young　man；　new　in　the　world；　first　gets　into　that　company；　he　very　rightly　determines　to　conform　to；　and　imitate　it。　　But　then　he　too　often；　and　fatally；　mistakes　the　objects　of　his　imitation。　　He　has　often　heard　that　absurd　term　of　genteel　and　fashionable　vices。　　He　there　sees　some　people　who　shine；　and　who　in　general　are　admired　and　esteemed；　and　observes　that　these　people　are　whoremasters；　drunkards；　or　gamesters；　upon　which　he　adopts　their　vices；　mistaking　their　defects　for　their　perfections；　and　thinking　that　they　owe　their　fashions　and　their　luster　to　those　genteel　vices。　Whereas　it　is　exactly　the　reverse；　for　these　people　have　acquired　their　reputation　by　their　parts；　their　learning；　their　good…breeding；　and　other　real　accomplishments：　and　are　only　blemished　and　lowered；　in　the　opinions　of　all　reasonable　people；　and　of　their　own；　in　time；　by　these　genteel　and　fashionable　vices。　　A　whoremaster；　in　a　flux；　or　without　a　nose；　is　a　very　genteel　person；　indeed；　and　well　worthy　of　imitation。　　A　drunkard；　vomiting　up　at　night　the　wine　of　the　day；　and　stupefied　by　the　headache　all　the　next；　is；　doubtless；　a　fine　model　to　copy　from。　　And　a　gamester；　tearing　his　hair；　and　blaspheming；　for　having　lost　more　than　he　had　in　the　world；　is　surely　a　most　amiable　character。　　No；　these　are　alloys；　and　great　ones　too；　which　can　never　adorn　any　character；　but　will　always　debase　the　best。　　To　prove　this；　suppose　any　man；　without　parts　and　some　other　good　qualities；　to　be　merely　a　whoremaster；　a　drunkard；　or　a　gamester；　how　will　he　be　looked　upon　by　all　sorts　of　people？　　Why；　as　a　most　contemptible　and　vicious　animal。　　Therefore　it　is　plain；　that　in　these　mixed　characters；　the　good　part　only　makes　people　forgive；　but　not　approve；　the　bad。

I　will　hope　and　believe　that　you　will　have　no　vices；　but　if；　unfortunately；　you　should　have　any；　at　least　I　beg　of　you　to　be　content　with　your　own；　and　to　adopt　no　other　body's。

The　adoption　of　vice　has；　I　am　convinced；　ruined　ten　times　more　young　men　than　natural　inclinations。

As　I　make　no　difficulty　of　confessing　my　past　errors；　where　I　think　the　confession　may　be　of　use　to　you；　I　will　own　that　when　I　first　went　to　the　university；　I　drank　and　smoked；　notwithstanding　the　aversion　I　had　to　wine　and　tobacco；　only　because　I　thought　it　genteel；　and　that　it　made　me　look　like　a　man。　　When　I　went　abroad；　I　first　went　to　The　Hague；　where　gaming　was　much　in　fashion；　and　where　I　observed　that　many　people　of　shining　rank　and　character　gamed　too。　　I　was　then　young　enough；　and　silly　enough；　to　believe　that　gaming　was　one　of　their　accomplishments；　and；　as　I　aimed　at　perfection；　I　adopted　gaming　as　a　necessary　step　to　it。　　Thus　I　acquired　by　error　the　habit　of　a　vice　which；　far　from　adorning　my　character；　has；　I　am　conscious；　been　a　great　blemish　in　it。

Imitate　then；　with　discernment　and　judgment；　the　real　perfections　of　the　good　company　into　which　you　may　get；　copy　their　politeness；　their　carriage；　their　address；　and　the　easy　and　well…bred　turn　of　their　conversation；　but　remember　that；　let　them　shine　ever　so　bright；　their　vices；　if　they　have　any；　are　so　many　spots　which　you　would　no　more　imitate；　than　you　would　make　an　artificial　wart　upon　your　face；　because　some　very　handsome　man　had　the　misfortune　to　have　a　natural　one　upon　his：　but；　on　the　contrary；　think　how　much　handsomer　he　would　have　been　without　it。

Having　thus　confessed　some　of　my　'egaremens'；　I　will　now　show　you　a　little　of　my　right　side。　　I　always　endeavored　to　get　into　the　best　company　wherever　I　was；　and　commonly　succeeded。　　There　I　pleased　to　some　degree　by　showing　a　desire　to　please。　　I　took　care　never　to　be　absent　or　'distrait'；　but　on　the　contrary；　attended　to　everything　that　was　said；　done；　or　even　looked；　in　company；　I　never　failed　in　the　minutest　attentions　and　was　never　'journalier'。　　These　things；　and　not　my　'egaremens'；　made　me　fashionable。　　Adieu！　　This　letter　is　full　long　enough。




LETTER　LIV

BATH；　October　19；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　　Having　in　my　last　pointed　out　what　sort　of　company　you　should　keep；　I　will　now　give　you　some　rules　for　your　conduct　in　it；　rules　which　my　own　experience　and　observation　enable　me　to　lay　down；　and　communicate　to　you；　with　some　degree　of　confidence。　　I　have　often　given　you　hints　of　this　kind　before；　but　then　it　has　been　by　snatches；　I　will　now　be　more　regular　and　methodical。　　I　shall　say　nothing　with　regard　to　your　bodily　carriage　and　address；　but　leave　them　to　the　care　of　your　dancing…master；　and　to　your　own　attention　to　the　best　models；　remember；　however；　that　they　are　of　consequence。

Talk　often；　but　never　long：　in　that　case；　if　you　do　not　please；　at　least　you　are　sure　not　to　tire　your　hearers。　　Pay　your　own　reckoning；　but　do　not　treat　the　whole　company；　this　being　one　of　the　very　few　cases　in　which　people　do　not　care　to　be　treated；　everyone　being　fully　convinced　that　he　has　wherewithal　to　pay。

Tell　stories　very