letters to his son, 1748-第26部分

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cially　frequent　speaking；　therefore；　when　you　shall　be　at　Berlin；　and　afterward　at　Turin；　where　you　will　meet　many　Germans；　pray　take　all　opportunities　of　conversing　in　German；　in　order　not　only　to　keep　what　you　have　got　of　that　language；　but　likewise　to　improve　and　perfect　yourself　in　it。　　As　to　the　characters；　you　form　them　very　well；　and　as　you　yourself　own；　better　than　your　English　ones；　but　then　let　me　ask　you　this　question：　Why　do　you　not　form　your　Roman　characters　better？　for　I　maintain；　that　it　is　in　every　man's　power　to　write　what　hand　he　pleases；　and；　consequently；　that　he　ought　to　write　a　good　one。　　You　form；　particularly；　your　ee　and　your　ll　in　zigzag；　instead　of　making　them　straight；　as　thus；　ee；　ll；　a　fault　very　easily　mended。　　You　will　not；　I　believe；　be　angry　with　this　little　criticism；　when　I　tell　you；　that　by　all　the　accounts　I　have　had　of　late　from　Mr。　Harte　and　others；　this　is　the　only　criticism　that　you　give　me　occasion　to　make。　　Mr。　Harte's　last　letter；　of　the　14th；　N。　S。；　particularly；　makes　me　extremely　happy；　by　assuring　me　that；　in　every　respect；　you　do　exceedingly　well。　　I　am　not　afraid；　by　what　I　now　say；　of　making　you　too　vain；　because　I　do　not　think　that　a　just　consciousness　and　an　honest　pride　of　doing　well；　can　be　called　vanity；　for　vanity　is　either　the　silly　affectation　of　good　qualities　which　one　has　not；　or　the　sillier　pride　of　what　does　not　deserve　commendation　in　itself。　　By　Mr。　Harte's　account；　you　are　got　very　near　the　goal　of　Greek　and　Latin；　and　therefore　I　cannot　suppose　that；　as　your　sense　increases；　your　endeavors　and　your　speed　will　slacken　in　finishing　the　small　remains　of　your　course。　　Consider　what　lustre　and　'eclat'　it　will　give　you；　when　you　return　here；　to　be　allowed　to　be　the　best　scholar；　for　a　gentleman；　in　England；　not　to　mention　the　real　pleasure　and　solid　comfort　which　such　knowledge　will　give　you　throughout　your　whole　life。　　Mr。　Harte　tells　me　another　thing；　which；　I　own；　I　did　not　expect：　it　is；　that　when　you　read　aloud；　or　repeat　parts　of　plays；　you　speak　very　properly　and　distinctly。　　This　relieves　me　from　great　uneasiness；　which　I　was　under　upon　account　of　your　former　bad　enunciation。　　Go　on；　and　attend　most　diligently　to　this　important　article。　　It　is；　of　all　Graces　（and　they　are　all　necessary）；　the　most　necessary　one。

Comte　Pertingue；　who　has　been　here　about　a　fortnight；　far　from　disavowing；　confirms　all　that　Mr。　Harte　has　said　to　your　advantage。　He　thinks　that　he　shall　be　at　Turin　much　about　the　time　of　your　arrival　there；　and　pleases　himself　with　the　hopes　of　being　useful　to　you。　Though；　should　you　get　there　before　him；　he　says　that　Comte　du　Perron；　with　whom　you　are　a　favorite；　will　take　that　care。　　You　see；　by　this　one　instance；　and　in　the　course　of　your　life　you　will　see　by　a　million　of　instances；　of　what　use　a　good　reputation　is；　and　how　swift　and　advantageous　a　harbinger　it　is；　wherever　one　goes。　　Upon　this　point；　too；　Mr。　Harte　does　you　justice；　and　tells　me　that　you　are　desirous　of　praise　from　the　praiseworthy。　　This　is　a　right　and　generous　ambition；　and　without　which；　I　fear；　few　people　would　deserve　praise。

But　here　let　me；　as　an　old　stager　upon　the　theatre　of　the　world；　suggest　one　consideration　to　you；　which　is；　to　extend　your　desire　of　praise　a　little　beyond　the　strictly　praiseworthy；　or　else　you　may　be　apt　to　discover　too　much　contempt　for　at　least　three　parts　in　five　of　the　world；　who　will　never　forgive　it　you。　　In　the　mass　of　mankind；　I　fear；　there　is　too　great　a　majority　of　fools　and；　knaves；　who；　singly　from　their　number；　must　to　a　certain　degree　be　respected；　though　they　are　by　no　means　respectable。　　And　a　man　who　will　show　every　knave　or　fool　that　he　thinks　him　such；　will　engage　in　a　most　ruinous　war；　against　numbers　much　superior　to　those　that　he　and　his　allies　can　bring　into　the　field。　　Abhor　a　knave；　and　pity　a　fool　in　your　heart；　but　let　neither　of　them；　unnecessarily；　see　that　you　do　so。　　Some　complaisance　and　attention　to　fools　is　prudent；　and　not　mean；　as　a　silent　abhorrence　of　individual　knaves　is　often　necessary　and　not　criminal。

As　you　will　now　soon　part　with　Lord　Pulteney；　with　whom；　during　your　stay　together　at　Leipsig；　I　suppose　you　have　formed　a　connection；　I　imagine　that　you　will　continue　it　by　letters；　which　I　would　advise　you　to　do。　They　tell　me　that　he　is　good…natured；　and　does　not　want　parts；　which　are　of　themselves　two　good　reasons　for　keeping　it　up；　but　there　is　also　a　third　reason；　which；　in　the　course　of　the　world；　is　not　to　be　despised：　His　father　cannot　live　long；　and　will　leave　him　an　immense　fortune；　which；　in　all　events　will　make　him　of　some　consequence；　and；　if　he　has　parts　into　the　bargain；　of　very　great　consequence；　so　that　his　friendship；　may　be　extremely　well　worth　your　cultivating；　especially　as　it　will　not　cost　you　above　one　letter　in　one　month。

I　do　not　know　whether　this　letter　will　find　you　at　Leipsig：　at　least；　it　is　the　last　that　I　shall　direct　there。　　My；　next　to　either　you　or　Mr。　Harte　will　be　directed　to　Berlin；　but　as　I　do　not　know　to　what　house　or　street　there；　I　suppose　it　will　remain　at　the　posthouse　till　you　send　for　it。　　Upon　your　arrival　at　Berlin　you　will　send　me　your　particular　direction；　and　also；　pray　be　minute　in　your　accounts　of　your　reception　there；　by　those　whom　I　recommend　you　to；　as　well　as　by　those　to　whom　they　present　you。　　Remember；　too；　that　you　are　going　to　a　polite　and　literate　court；　where　the　Graces　will　best　introduce　you。

Adieu。　　God　bless　you；　and　may　you　continue　to　deserve　my　love；　as　much　as　you　now　enjoy　it！

P。　S。　　Lady　Chesterfield　bids　me　tell　you；　that　she　decides　entirely　in　your　favor　against　Mr。　Grevenkop；　and　even　against　herself；　for　she　does　not　think　that　she　could；　at　this　time；　write　either　so　good　a　character　or　so　good　German。　　Pray　write　her　a　German　letter　upon　that　subject；　in　which　you　may　tell　her；　that；　like　the　rest　of　the　world；　you　approve　of　her　judgment；　because　it　is　in　your　favor；　and　that　you　true　Germans　cannot　allow　Danes　to　be　competent　judges　of　your　language；　etc。




LETTER　LXI

LONDON；　December　30；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　direct　this　letter　to　Berlin；　where；　I　suppose；　it　will　either　find　you；　or　at　least　wait　but　a　very　little　time　for　you。　　I　cannot　help　being　anxious　for　your　success；　at　this　your　first　appearance　upon　the　great　stage　of　the　world；　for；　though　the　spectators　are　always　candid　enough　to　give　great　allowances；　and　to　show　great　indulgence　to　a　new　actor；　yet；　from　the　first　impressions　which　he　makes　upon　them；　they　are　apt　to　decide；　in　their　own　minds；　at　least；　whether　he　will　ever　be　a　good　one；　or　not。　　If　he　seems　to　understand　what　he　says；　by　speaking　it　properly；　if　he　is　attentive　to　his　part；　instead　of　staring　negligently　about　him；　and　if；　upon　the　whole；　he　seems　ambitious　to　please；　they　willingly　pass　over　little　awkwardnesses　and　inaccuracies；　which　they　ascribe　to　a　commendable　modesty　in　a　young　and　inexperienced　actor。　　They　pronounce　that　he　will　be　a　good　one　in　time；　and；　by　the　encouragement　which　they　give　him；　make　him　so　the　sooner。　　This；　I　hope；　will　be　your　case：　you　have　sense　enough　to　understand　your　part；　a　constant　attention；　and　ambition　to　excel　in　it；　with　a　careful　observation　of　the　best　actors；　will　inevitably　qualify　you；　if　not　for　the　first；　at　least　for　considerable　parts。

Your　dress　（as　insignificant　a　thing　as　dress　is　in　itself）　is　now　become　an　object　worthy　of　some　attention；　for；　I　confess；　I　cannot　help　forming　some　opinion　of　a　man's　sense　and　character　from　his　dress；　and　I　believe　most　people　do　as　well　as　myself。　　Any　affectation　whatsoever　in　dress　implies；　in　my　mind；　a　flaw　in　the　understanding。　　Most　of　our　young　fellows　here　display　some　character　or　other　by　their　dress；　some　affect　the　tremendous；　and　wear　a　great　and　fiercely　cocked　hat；　an　enormous　sword；　a　short　waistcoat　and　a　black　cravat；　these　I　should　be　almost　tempted　to　swear　the　peace　against；　in　my　own　defense；　if　I　were　not　convinced　that　they　are　but　meek　asses　in　lions'　skins。　　Others　go　in　brown　frocks；　leather　breeches；　great　oaken　cudgels　in　their　hands；　their　hats　uncocked；　and　their　hair　unpowdered；　and　imitate　grooms；　stage…　coachmen；　and　country　bumpkins　so　well　in　their　outsides；　that　I　do　not　make　the　least　doubt　of　their　resembling　them　equally　in　their　insides。　A　man　of　sense　carefully　avoids　any　particular　character　in　his　dress；　he　is　accurately　clean　for　his　own　sake；　but　all　the　rest　is　for　other　people's。　　He　dresses　as　well；　and　in　the　same　manner；　as　the　people　of　sense　and　fashion　of　the　place　where　he　is。　　If　he　dresses　better；　as　he　thinks；　that　is；　more　than　they；　he　is　a　fop；　if　he　dresses　worse；　he　is　unpardonably　negligent。　　But；　of　the　two；　I　would　rather　have　a　young　fellow　too　much　than　too　little　dressed；　the　excess　on　that　side　will　wear　off；　with　a　little　age　and　reflection；　but　if　he　is　negligent　at　twenty；　he　will　be　a　sloven　at　forty；　and　stink　at　fifty　years　old。　Dress　yourself　fine；　where　others　are　fine；　and　plain　where　others　are　plain；　but　take　care　always　that　your　clothes　are　well　made；　and　fit　you；　for　otherwise　they　will　give　you　a　very　awkward　air。　　When　you　are　once　well　dressed　for　the　day　think　no　more　of　it　afterward；　and；　wi