letters to his son, 1748-第25部分

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　world。

I　am　most　extremely　pleased　with　the　account　which　Mr。　Harte　gives　me　of　your　progress　in　Greek；　and　of　your　having　read　Hesiod　almost　critically。　Upon　this　subject　I　suggest　but　one　thing　to　you；　of　many　that　I　might　suggest；　which　is；　that　you　have　now　got　over　the　difficulties　of　that　language；　and　therefore　it　would　be　unpardonable　not　to　persevere　to　your　journey's　end；　now　that　all　the　rest　of　your　way　is　down　hill。

I　am　also　very　well　pleased　to　hear　that　you　have　such　a　knowledge　of；　and　taste　for　curious　books　and　scarce　and　valuable　tracts。　　This　is　a　kind　of　knowledge　which　very　well　becomes　a　man　of　sound　and　solid　learning；　but　which　only　exposes　a　man　of　slight　and　superficial　reading；　therefore；　pray　make　the　substance　and　matter　of　such　books　your　first　object；　and　their　title…pages；　indexes；　letter；　and　binding；　but　your　second。　　It　is　the　characteristic　of　a　man　of　parts　and　good　judgment　to　know；　and　give　that　degree　of　attention　that　each　object　deserves。　Whereas　little　minds　mistake　little　objects　for　great　ones；　and　lavish　away　upon　the　former　that　time　and　attention　which　only　the　latter　deserve。　　To　such　mistakes　we　owe　the　numerous　and　frivolous　tribes　of　insect…mongers；　shell…mongers；　and　pursuers　and　driers　of　butterflies；　etc。　　The　strong　mind　distinguishes；　not　only　between　the　useful　and　the　useless；　but　likewise　between　the　useful　and　the　curious。　　He　applies　himself　intensely　to　the　former；　he　only　amuses　himself　with　the　latter。　Of　this　little　sort　of　knowledge；　which　I　have　just　hinted　at；　you　will　find　at　least　as　much　as　you　need　wish　to　know；　in　a　superficial　but　pretty　French　book；　entitled；　'Spectacle　de　la　Nature'；　which　will　amuse　you　while　you　read　it；　and　give　you　a　sufficient　notion　of　the　various　parts　of　nature。　　I　would　advise　you　to　read　it；　at　leisure　hours。　　But　that　part　of　nature；　which　Mr。　Harte　tells　me　you　have　begun　to　study　with　the　Rector　magnificus；　is　of　much　greater　importance；　and　deserves　much　more　attention；　I　mean　astronomy。　　The　vast　and　immense　planetary　system；　the　astonishing　order　and　regularity　of　those　innumerable　worlds；　will　open　a　scene　to　you；　which　not　only　deserves　your　attention　as　a　matter　of　curiosity；　or　rather　astonishment；　but　still　more；　as　it　will　give　you　greater；　and　consequently　juster；　ideas　of　that　eternal　and　omnipotent　Being；　who　contrived；　made；　and　still　preserves　that　universe；　than　all　the　contemplation　of　this；　comparatively；　very　little　orb；　which　we　at　present　inhabit；　could　possibly　give　you。　　Upon　this　subject；　Monsieur　Fontenelle's　'Pluralite　des　Mondes'；　which　you　may　read　in　two　hours'　time；　will　both　inform　and　please　you。　　God　bless　you！　　Yours。




LETTER　LIX

LONDON；　December　13；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　The　last　four　posts　have　brought　me　no　letters；　either　from　you　or　from　Mr。　Harte；　at　which　I　am　uneasy；　not　as　a　mamma　would　be；　but　as　a　father　should　be：　for　I　do　not　want　your　letters　as　bills　of　health；　you　are　young；　strong；　and　healthy；　and　I　am；　consequently；　in　no　pain　about　that：　moreover；　were　either　you　or　Mr。　Harte　ill；　the　other　would　doubtless　write　me　word　of　it。　　My　impatience　for　yours　or　Mr。　Harte's　letters　arises　from　a　very　different　cause；　which　is　my　desire　to　hear　frequently　of　the　state　and　progress　of　your　mind。　　You　are　now　at　that　critical　period　of　life　when　every　week　ought　to　produce　fruit　or　flowers　answerable　to　your　culture；　which　I　am　sure　has　not　been　neglected；　and　it　is　by　your　letters；　and　Mr。　Harte's　accounts　of　you；　that；　at　this　distance；　I　can　only　judge　at　your　gradations　to　maturity；　I　desire；　therefore；　that　one　of　you　two　will　not　fail　to　write　to　me　once　a　week。　The　sameness　of　your　present　way　of　life；　I　easily　conceive；　would　not　make　out　a　very　interesting　letter　to　an　indifferent　bystander；　but　so　deeply　concerned　as　I　am　in　the　game　you　are　playing；　even　the　least　move　is　to　me　of　importance；　and　helps　me　to　judge　of　the　final　event。

As　you　will　be　leaving　Leipsig　pretty　soon　after　you　shall　have　received　this　letter；　I　here　send　you　one　inclosed　to　deliver　to　Mr。　Mascow。　　It　is　to　thank　him　for　his　attention　and　civility　to　you；　during　your　stay　with　him：　and　I　take　it　for　granted；　that　you　will　not　fail　making　him　the　proper　compliments　at　parting；　for　the　good　name　that　we　leave　behind　at　one　place　often　gets　before　us　to　another；　and　is　of　great　use。　　As　Mr。　Mascow　is　much　known　and　esteemed　in　the　republic　of　letters；　I　think　it　would　be　of　advantage　to　you；　if　you　got　letters　of　recommendation　from　him　to　some　of　the　learned　men　at　Berlin。　　Those　testimonials　give　a　lustre；　which　is　not　to　be　despised；　for　the　most　ignorant　are　forced　to　seem；　at　least；　to　pay　a　regard　to　learning；　as　the　most　wicked　are　to　virtue。　　Such　is　their　intrinsic　worth。

Your　friend　Duval　dined　with　me　the　other　day；　and　complained　most　grievously　that　he　had　not　heard　from　you　above　a　year；　I　bid　him　abuse　you　for　it　himself；　and　advised　him　to　do　it　in　verse；　which；　if　he　was　really　angry；　his　indignation　would　enable　him　to　do。　　He　accordingly　brought　me；　yesterday；　the　inclosed　reproaches　and　challenge；　which　he　desired　me　to　transmit　to　you。　　As　this　is　his　first　essay　in　English　poetry；　the　inaccuracies　in　the　rhymes　and　the　numbers　are　very　excusable。　　He　insists；　as　you　will　find；　upon　being　answered　in　verse；　which　I　should　imagine　that　you　and　Mr。　HARTE；　together；　could　bring　about；　as　the　late　Lady　Dorchester　used　to　say；　that　she　and　Dr。　Radcliffe；　together；　could　cure　a　fever。　　This　is　however　sure；　that　it　now　rests　upon　you；　and　no　man　can　say　what　methods　Duval　may　take；　if　you　decline　his　challenge。　　I　am　sensible　that　you　are　under　some　disadvantages　in　this　proffered　combat。　　Your　climate；　at　this　time　of　the　year　especially；　delights　more　in　the　wood　fire；　than　in　the　poetic　fire；　and　I　conceive　the　Muses；　if　there　are　any　at　Leipsig；　to　be　rather　shivering　than　singing；　nay；　I　question　whether　Apollo　is　even　known　there　as　god　of　Verse；　or　as　god　of　Light：　perhaps　a　little　as　god　of　Physic。　　These　will　be　fair　excuses；　if　your　performance　should　fall　something　short；　though　I　do　not　apprehend　that　it　will。

While　you　have　been　at　Leipsig；　which　is　a　place　of　study　more　than　of　pleasure　or　company；　you　have　had　all　opportunities　of　pursuing　your　studies　uninterruptedly；　and　have　had；　I　believe；　very　few　temptations　to　the　contrary。　　But　the　case　will　be　quite　different　at　Berlin；　where　the　splendor　and　dissipation　of　a　court　and　the　'beau　monde'；　will　present　themselves　to　you　in　gaudy　shapes；　attractive　enough　to　all　young　people。　Do　not　think；　now；　that　like　an　old　fellow；　I　am　going　to　advise　you　to　reject　them；　and　shut　yourself　up　in　your　closet：　quite　the　contrary；　I　advise　you　to　take　your　share；　and　enter　into　them　with　spirit　and　pleasure；　but　then　I　advise　you；　too；　to　allot　your　time　so　prudently；　as　that　learning　may　keep　pace　with　pleasures；　there　is　full　time；　in　the　course　of　the　day；　for　both；　if　you　do　but　manage　that　time　right　and　like　a　good　economist。　　The　whole　morning；　if　diligently　and　attentively　devoted　to　solid　studies；　will　go　a　great　way　at　the　year's　end；　and　the　evenings　spent　in　the　pleasures　of　good　company；　will　go　as　far　in　teaching　you　a　knowledge；　not　much　less　necessary　than　the　other；　I　mean　the　knowledge　of　the　world。　　Between　these　two　necessary　studies；　that　of　books　in　the　morning；　and　that　of　the　world　in　the　evening；　you　see　that　you　will　not　have　one　minute　to　squander　or　slattern　away。　　Nobody　ever　lent　themselves　more　than　I　did；　when　I　was　young；　to　the　pleasures　and　dissipation　of　good　company。　　I　even　did　it　too　much。　　But　then；　I　can　assure　you；　that　I　always　found　time　for　serious　studies；　and；　when　I　could　find　it　no　other　way；　I　took　it　out　of　my　sleep；　for　I　resolved　always　to　rise　early　in　the　morning；　however　late　I　went　to　bed　at　night；　and　this　resolution　I　have　kept　so　sacred；　that；　unless　when　I　have　been　confined　to　my　bed　by　illness；　I　have　not；　for　more　than　forty　years；　ever　been　in　bed　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　but　commonly　up　before　eight。

When　you　are　at　Berlin；　remember　to　speak　German　as　often　as　you　can；　in　company；　for　everybody　there　will　speak　French　to　you；　unless　you　let　them　know　that　you　can　speak　German；　which　then　they　will　choose　to　speak。　　Adieu。




LETTER　LX

LONDON；　December　20；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　received　last　Saturday　by　three　mails；　which　came　in　at　once；　two　letters　from　Mr。　Harte；　and　yours　of　the　8th；　N。　S。

It　was　I　who　mistook　your　meaning；　with　regard　to　your　German　letters；　and　not　you　who　expressed　it　ill。　　I　thought　it　was　the　writing　of　the　German　character　that　took　up　so　much　of　your　time；　and　therefore　I　advised　you；　by　the　frequent　writing　of　that　character；　to　make　it　easy　and　familiar　to　you：　But；　since　it　is　only　the　propriety　and　purity　of　the　German　language　which　make　your　writing　it　so　tedious　and　laborious；　I　will　tell　you　I　shall　not　be　nice　upon　that　article；　and　did　not　expect　that　you　should　yet　be　master　of　all　the　idioms；　delicacies；　and　peculiarities　of　that　difficult　language。　　That　can　only　come　by　use；　especially　frequent　speaking；　therefore；　when　you　shall　be　at　Berlin；　and　afterward　at　Turin；　where　you