letters to his son, 1748-第23部分

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ourself　particularly　to　the　highest　in　it。　The　search　after　the　unattainable　philosopher's　stone　has　occasioned　a　thousand　useful　discoveries；　which　otherwise　would　never　have　been　made。

What　the　French　justly　call　'les　manieres　nobles'　are　only　to　be　acquired　in　the　very　best　companies。　　They　are　the　distinguishing　characteristics　of　men　of　fashion：　people　of　low　education　never　wear　them　so　close；　but　that　some　part　or　other　of　the　original　vulgarism　appears。　　'Les　manieres　nobles'　equally　forbid　insolent　contempt；　or　low　envy　and　jealousy。　　Low　people；　in　good　circumstances；　fine　clothes；　and　equipages；　will　insolently　show　contempt　for　all　those　who　cannot　afford　as　fine　clothes；　as　good　an　equipage；　and　who　have　not　（as　their　term　is）　as　much　money　in　their　pockets：　on　the　other　hand；　they　are　gnawed　with　envy；　and　cannot　help　discovering　it；　of　those　who　surpass　them　in　any　of　these　articles；　which　are　far　from　being　sure　criterions　of　merit。　　They　are　likewise　jealous　of　being　slighted；　and；　consequently；　suspicious　and　captious；　they　are　eager　and　hot　about　trifles　because　trifles　were；　at　first；　their　affairs　of　consequence。　　'Les　manieres　nobles'　imply　exactly　the　reverse　of　all　this。　　Study　them　early；　you　cannot　make　them　too　habitual　and　familiar　to　you。

Just　as　I　had　written　what　goes　before；　I　received　your　letter　of　the　24th；　N。　S。；　but　I　have　not　received　that　which　you　mention　for　Mr。　Harte。　　Yours　is　of　the　kind　that　I　desire；　for　I　want　to　see　your　private　picture；　drawn　by　yourself；　at　different　sittings；　for　though；　as　it　is　drawn　by　yourself；　I　presume　you　will　take　the　most　advantageous　likeness；　yet　I　think　that　I　have　skill　enough　in　that　kind　of　painting　to　discover　the　true　features；　though　ever　so　artfully　colored；　or　thrown　into　skillful　lights　and　shades。

By　your　account　of　the　German　play；　which　I　do　not　know　whether　I　should　call　tragedy　or　comedy；　the　only　shining　part　of　it　（since　I　am　in　a　way　of　quibbling）　seems　to　have　been　the　fox's　tail。　　I　presume；　too；　that　the　play　has　had　the　same　fate　with　the　squib；　and　has　gone　off　no　more。　I　remember　a　squib　much　better　applied；　when　it　was　made　the　device　of　the　colors　of　a　French　regiment　of　grenadiers；　it　was　represented　bursting；　with　this　motto　under　it：　'Peream　dum　luceam'。

I　like　the　description　of　your　PIC…NIC；　where　I　take　it　for　granted；　that　your　cards　are　only　to　break　the　formality　of　a　circle；　and　your　SYMPOSION　intended　more　to　promote　conversation　than　drinking。　　Such　an　AMICABLE　COLLISION；　as　Lord　Shaftesbury　very　prettily　calls　it；　rubs　off　and　smooths　those　rough　corners　which　mere　nature　has　given　to　the　smoothest　of　us。　　I　hope　some　part；　at　least；　of　the　conversation　is　in　German。　　'A　propos'：　tell　me　do　you　speak　that　language　correctly；　and　do　you　write　it　with　ease？　　I　have　no　doubt　of　your　mastering　the　other　modern　languages；　which　are　much　easier；　and　occur　much　oftener；　for　which　reason；　I　desire　that　you　will　apply　most　diligently　to　German；　while　you　are　in　Germany；　that　you　may　speak　and　write　that　language　most　correctly。

I　expect　to　meet　Mr。　Eliot　in　London；　in　about　three　weeks；　after　which　you　will　soon　see　him　at　Leipsig。　　Adieu。




LETTER　LVI

LONDON；　November　18；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　Whatever　I　see　or　whatever　I　hear；　my　first　consideration　is；　whether　it　can　in　any　way　be　useful　to　you。　　As　a　proof　of　this；　I　went　accidentally　the　other　day　into　a　print…shop；　where；　among　many　others；　I　found　one　print　from　a　famous　design　of　Carlo　Maratti；　who　died　about　thirty　years　ago；　and　was　the　last　eminent　painter　in　Europe：　the　subject　is　'il　Studio　del　Disegno'；　or　〃The　School　of　Drawing。〃　　An　old　man；　supposed　to　be　the　master；　points　to　his　scholars；　who　are　variously　employed　in　perspective；　geometry；　and　the　observation　of　the　statues　of　antiquity。　　With　regard　to　perspective；　of　which　there　are　some　little　specimens；　he　has　wrote；　'Tanto　che　basti'；　that　is；　〃As　much　as　is　sufficient〃；　with　regard　to　geometry；　'Tanto　che　basti'　again；　with　regard　to　the　contemplation　of　the　ancient　statues；　there　is　written；　'Non　mai　a　bastanza'；〃There　never　can　be　enough。〃　　But　in　the　clouds；　at　the　top　of　the　piece；　are　represented　the　three　Graces；　with　this　just　sentence　written　over　them；　'Senza　di　noi　ogni　fatica　e　vana'；　that　is；　〃Without　us；　all　labor　is　vain。〃　　This　everybody　allows　to　be　true　in　painting；　but　all　people　do　not　seem　to　consider；　as　I　hope　you　will；　that　this　truth　is　full　as　applicable　to　every　other　art　or　science；　indeed　to　everything　that　is　to　be　said　or　done。　　I　will　send　you　the　print　itself　　by　Mr。　Eliot；　when　he　returns；　and　I　will　advise　you　to　make　the　same　use　of　it　that　the　Roman　Catholics　say　they　do　of　the　pictures　and　images　of　their　saints；　which　is；　only　to　remind　them　of　those；　for　the　adoration　they　disclaim。　　Nay；　I　will　go　further；　as　the　transition　from　Popery　to　Paganism　is　short　and　easy；　I　will　classically　end　poetically　advise　you　to　invoke；　and　sacrifice　to　them　every　day；　and　all　the　day。　　It　must　be　owned；　that　the　Graces　do　not　seem　to　be　natives　of　Great　Britain；　and；　I　doubt；　the　best　of　us　here　have　more　of　rough　than　polished　diamond。

Since　barbarism　drove　them　out　of　Greece　and　Rome；　they　seem　to　have　taken　refuge　in　France；　where　their　temples　are　numerous；　and　their　worship　the　established　one。　　Examine　yourself　seriously；　why　such　and　such　people　please　and　engage　you；　more　than　such　and　such　others；　of　equal　merit；　and　you　will　always　find　that　it　is　because　the　former　have　the　Graces　and　the　latter　not。　　I　have　known　many　a　woman　with　an　exact　shape；　and　a　symmetrical　assemblage　of　beautiful　features；　please　nobody；　while　others；　with　very　moderate　shapes　and　features；　have　charmed　everybody。　　Why？　　because　Venus　will　not　charm　so　much；　without　her　attendant　Graces；　as　they　will　without　her。　　Among　men；　how　often　have　I　seen　the　most　solid　merit　and　knowledge　neglected；　unwelcome；　or　even　rejected；　for　want　of　them！　　While　flimsy　parts；　little　knowledge；　and　less　merit；　introduced　by　the　Graces；　have　been　received；　cherished；　and　admired。　　Even　virtue；　which　is　moral　beauty；　wants　some　of　its　charms　if　unaccompanied　by　them。

If　you　ask　me　how　you　shall　acquire　what　neither　you　nor　I　can　define　or　ascertain；　I　can　only　answer；　BY　OBSERVATION。　　Form　yourself；　with　regard　to　others；　upon　what　you　feel　pleases　you　in　them。　　I　can　tell　you　the　importance；　the　advantage；　of　having　the　Graces；　but　I　cannot　give　them　you：　I　heartily　wish　I　could；　and　I　certainly　would；　for　I　do　not　know　a　better　present　that　I　could　make　you。　　To　show　you　that　a　very　wise；　philosophical；　and　retired　man　thinks　upon　that　subject　as　I　do；　who　have　always　lived　in　the　world；　I　send　you；　by　Mr。　Eliot；　the　famous　Mr。　Locke's　book　upon　education；　in　which　you　will　end　the　stress　that　he　lays　upon　the　Graces；　which　he　calls　（and　very　truly）　good…breeding。　I　have　marked　all　the　parts　of　that　book　that　are　worth　your　attention；　for　as　he　begins　with　the　child；　almost　from　its　birth；　the　parts　relative　to　its　infancy　would　be　useless　to　you。　　Germany　is；　still　less　than　England；　the　seat　of　the　Graces；　however；　you　had　as　good　not　say　so　while　you　are　there。　　But　the　place　which　you　are　going　to；　in　a　great　degree；　is；　for　I　have　known　as　many　well…bred；　pretty　men　come　from　Turin；　as　from　any　part　of　Europe。　　The　late　King　Victor　Amedee　took　great　pains　to　form　such　of　his　subjects　as　were　of　any　consideration；　both　to　business　and　manners；　the　present　king；　I　am　told；　follows　his　example：　this；　however；　is　certain；　that　in　all　courts　and　congresses；　where　there　are　various　foreign　ministers；　those　of　the　King　of　Sardinia　are　generally　the　ablest；　the　politest；　and　'les　plus　delies'。　　You　will　therefore；　at　Turin；　have　very　good　models　to　form　yourself　upon：　and　remember；　that　with　regard　to　the　best　models；　as　well　as　to　the　antique　Greek　statues　in　the　print；　'non　mai　a　bastanza'。　　Observe　every　word；　look；　and　motion　of　those　who　are　allowed　to　be　the　most　accomplished　persons　there。　　Observe　their　natural　and　careless；　but　genteel　air；　their　unembarrassed　good…breeding；　their　unassuming；　but　yet　unprostituted　dignity。　　Mind　their　decent　mirth；　their　discreet　frankness；　and　that　'entregent'　which；　as　much　above　the　frivolous　as　below　the　important　and　the　secret；　is　the　proper　medium　for　conversation　in　mixed　companies。　　I　will　observe；　by　the　bye；　that　the　talent　of　that　light　'entregent'　is　often　of　great　use　to　a　foreign　minister；　not　only　as　it　helps　him　to　domesticate　himself　in　many　families；　but　also　as　it　enables　him　to　put　by　and　parry　some　subjects　of　conversation；　which　might　possibly　lay　him　under　difficulties　both　what　to　say　and　how　to　look。

Of　all　the　men　that　ever　I　knew　in　my　life　（and　I　knew　him　extremely　well）；　the　late　Duke　of　Marlborough　possessed　the　graces　in　the　highest　degree；　not　to　say　engrossed　them；　and　indeed　he　got　the　most　by　them；　for　I　will　venture　（contrary　to　the　custom　of　profound　historians；　who　always　assign　deep　causes　for　great　events）；　to　ascribe　the　better　half　of　the　Duke　of　Marlborough's　greatness　and　riches　to　those　graces。　　He　was　eminently　illiterate；　wrote　bad　English　and　spelled　it　still　worse。　He　had　no　share　of　what