letters to his son, 1748-第3部分

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　soon　understand　German　well　enough；　attend　to　their　sermons；　and　observe　their　manner　of　preaching。　　Inform　yourself　of　their　church　government：　whether　it　resides　in　the　sovereign；　or　in　consistories　and　synods。　Whence　arises　the　maintenance　of　their　clergy；　whether　from　tithes；　as　in　England；　or　from　voluntary　contributions；　or　from　pensions　from　the　state。　　Do　the　same　thing　when　you　are　in　Roman　Catholic　countries；　go　to　their　churches；　see　all　their　ceremonies：　ask　the　meaning　of　them；　get　the　terms　explained　to　you。　　As；　for　instance；　Prime；　Tierce；　Sexte；　Nones；　Matins；　Angelus；　High　Mass；　Vespers；　Complines；　etc。　　Inform　yourself　of　their　several　religious　orders；　their　founders；　their　rules；　their　vows；　their　habits；　their　revenues；　etc。　　But；　when　you　frequent　places　of　public　worship；　as　I　would　have　you　go　to　all　the　different　ones　you　meet　with；　remember；　that　however　erroneous；　they　are　none　of　them　objects　of　laughter　and　ridicule。　　Honest　error　is　to　be　pitied；　not　ridiculed。　　The　object　of　all　the　public　worships　in　the　world　is　the　same；　it　is　that　great　eternal　Being　who　created　everything。　　The　different　manners　of　worship　are　by　no　means　subjects　of　ridicule。　　Each　sect　thinks　its　own　is　the　best；　and　I　know　no　infallible　judge　in　this　world；　to　decide　which　is　the　best。　　Make　the　same　inquiries；　wherever　you　are；　concerning　the　revenues；　the　military　establishment；　the　trade；　the　commerce；　and　the　police　of　every　country。　　And　you　would　do　well　to　keep　a　blank　paper　book；　which　the　Germans　call　an　ALBUM；　and　there；　instead　of　desiring；　as　they　do；　every　fool　they　meet　with　to　scribble　something；　write　down　all　these　things　as　soon　as　they　come　to　your　knowledge　from　good　authorities。

I　had　almost　forgotten　one　thing；　which　I　would　recommend　as　an　object　for　your　curiosity　and　information；　that　is；　the　administration　of　justice；　which；　as　it　is　always　carried　on　in　open　court；　you　may；　and　I　would　have　you；　go　and　see　it　with　attention　and　inquiry。

I　have　now　but　one　anxiety　left；　which　is　concerning　you。　　I　would　have　you　be；　what　I　know　nobody　isperfect。　　As　that　is　impossible；　I　would　have　you　as　near　perfection　as　possible。　　I　know　nobody　in　a　fairer　way　toward　it　than　yourself；　if　you　please。　　Never　were　so　much　pains　taken　for　anybody's　education　as　for　yours；　and　never　had　anybody　those　opportunities　of　knowledge　and　improvement　which　you；　have　had；　and　still　have；　I　hope；　I　wish；　I　doubt；　and　fear　alternately。　　This　only　I　am　sure　of；　that　you　will　prove　either　the　greatest　pain　or　the　greatest　pleasure　of；　　Yours。




LETTER　XXX

BATH；　February　22；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　Boy：　Every　excellency；　and　every　virtue；　has　its　kindred　vice　or　weakness；　and　if　carried　beyond　certain　bounds；　sinks　into　one　or　the　other。　　Generosity　often　runs　into　profusion；　economy　into　avarice；　courage　into　rashness；　caution　into　timidity；　and　so　on：insomuch　that；　I　believe；　there　is　more　judgment　required；　for　the　proper　conduct　of　our　virtues；　than　for　avoiding　their　opposite　vices。　　Vice；　in　its　true　light；　is　so　deformed；　that　it　shocks　us　at　first　sight；　and　would　hardly　ever　seduce　us；　if　it　did　not；　at　first；　wear　the　mask　of　some　virtue。　But　virtue　is；　in　itself；　so　beautiful；　that　it　charms　us　at　first　sight；　engages　us　more　and　more　upon　further　acquaintance；　and；　as　with　other　beauties；　we　think　excess　impossible；　it　is　here　that　judgment　is　necessary；　to　moderate　and　direct　the　effects　of　an　excellent　cause。　I　shall　apply　this　reasoning；　at　present；　not　to　any　particular　virtue；　but　to　an　excellency；　which；　for　want　of　judgment；　is　often　the　cause　of　ridiculous　and　blamable　effects；　I　mean；　great　learning；　which；　if　not　accompanied　with　sound　judgment；　frequently　carries　us　into　error；　pride；　and　pedantry。　　As；　I　hope；　you　will　possess　that　excellency　in　its　utmost　extent；　and　yet　without　its　too　common　failings；　the　hints；　which　my　experience　can　suggest；　may　probably　not　be　useless　to　you。

Some　learned　men；　proud　of　their　knowledge；　only　speak　to　decide；　and　give　judgment　without　appeal；　the　consequence　of　which　is；　that　mankind；　provoked　by　the　insult；　and　injured　by　the　oppression；　revolt；　and；　in　order　to　shake　off　the　tyranny；　even　call　the　lawful　authority　in　question。　　The　more　you　know；　the　modester　you　should　be：　and　（by　the　bye）　that　modesty　is　the　surest　way　of　gratifying　your　vanity。　　Even　where　you　are　sure；　seem　rather　doubtful；　represent；　but　do　not　pronounce；　and；　if　you　would　convince　others；　seem　open　to　conviction　yourself。

Others；　to　show　their　learning；　or　often　from　the　prejudices　of　a　school…　education；　where　they　hear　of　nothing　else；　are　always　talking　of　the　ancients；　as　something　more　than　men；　and　of　the　moderns；　as　something　less。　　They　are　never　without　a　classic　or　two　in　their　pockets；　they　stick　to　the　old　good　sense；　they　read　none　of　the　modern　trash；　and　will　show　you；　plainly；　that　no　improvement　has　been　made；　in　any　one　art　or　science；　these　last　seventeen　hundred　years。　　I　would　by　no　means　have　you　disown　your　acquaintance　with　the　ancients：　but　still　less　would　I　have　you　brag　of　an　exclusive　intimacy　with　them。　　Speak　of　the　moderns　without　contempt；　and　of　the　ancients　without　idolatry；　judge　them　all　by　their　merits；　but　not　by　their　ages；　and　if　you　happen　to　have　an　Elzevir　classic　in　your　pocket　neither　show　it　nor　mention　it。

Some　great　scholars；　most　absurdly；　draw　all　their　maxims；　both　for　public　and　private　life；　from　what　they　call　parallel　cases　in　the　ancient　authors；　without　considering；　that；　in　the　first　place；　there　never　were；　since　the　creation　of　the　world；　two　cases　exactly　parallel；　and；　in　the　next　place；　that　there　never　was　a　case　stated；　or　even　known；　by　any　historian；　with　every　one　of　its　circumstances；　which；　however；　ought　to　be　known；　in　order　to　be　reasoned　from。　　Reason　upon　the　case　itself；　and　the　several　circumstances　that　attend　it；　and　act　accordingly；　but　not　from　the　authority　of　ancient　poets；　or　historians。　Take　into　your　consideration；　if　you　please；　cases　seemingly　analogous；　but　take　them　as　helps　only；　not　as　guides。　　We　are　really　so　prejudiced　by　our　education；　that；　as　the　ancients　deified　their　heroes；　we　deify　their　madmen；　of　which；　with　all　due　regard　for　antiquity；　I　take　Leonidas　and　Curtius　to　have　been　two　distinguished　ones。　　And　yet　a　solid　pedant　would；　in　a　speech　in　parliament；　relative　to　a　tax　of　two…　pence　in　the　pound　upon　some　community　or　other；　quote　those　two　heroes；　as　examples　of　what　we　ought　to　do　and　suffer　for　our　country。　　I　have　known　these　absurdities　carried　so　far　by　people　of　injudicious　learning；　that　I　should　not　be　surprised；　if　some　of　them　were　to　propose；　while　we　are　at　war　with　the　Gauls；　that　a　number　of　geese　should　be　kept　in　the　Tower；　upon　account　of　the　infinite　advantage　which　Rome　received　IN　A　PARALLEL　CASE；　from　a　certain　number　of　geese　in　the　Capitol。　　This　way　of　reasoning；　and　this　way　of　speaking；　will　always　form　a　poor　politician；　and　a　puerile　declaimer。

There　is　another　species　of　learned　men；　who；　though　less　dogmatical　and　supercilious；　are　not　less　impertinent。　　These　are　the　communicative　and　shining　pedants；　who　adorn　their　conversation；　even　with　women；　by　happy　quotations　of　Greek　and　Latin；　and　who　have　contracted　such　a　familiarity　with　the　Greek　and　Roman　authors；　that　they；　call　them　by　certain　names　or　epithets　denoting　intimacy。　　As　OLD　Homer；　that　SLY　ROGUE　Horace；　MARO；　instead　of　Virgil；　and　Naso；　Instead　of　Ovid。　　These　are　often　imitated　by　coxcombs；　who　have　no　learning　at　all；　but　who　have　got　some　names　and　some　scraps　of　ancient　authors　by　heart；　which　they　improperly　and　impertinently　retail　in　all　companies；　in　hopes　of　passing　for　scholars。　　If；　therefore；　you　would　avoid　the　accusation　of　pedantry　on　one　hand；　or　the　suspicion　of　ignorance　on　the　other；　abstain　from　learned　ostentation。　　Speak　the　language　of　the　company　that　you　are　in；　speak　it　purely；　and　unlarded　with　any　other。　　Never　seem　wiser；　nor　more　learned；　than　the　people　you　are　with。　　Wear　your　learning；　like　your　watch；　in　a　private　pocket：　and　do　not　pull　it　out　and　strike　it；　merely　to　show　that　you　have　one。　　If　you　are　asked　what　o'clock　it　is；　tell　it；　but　do　not　proclaim　it　hourly　and　unasked；　like　the　watchman。

Upon　the　whole；　remember　that　learning　（I　mean　Greek　and　Roman　learning）　is　a　most　useful　and　necessary　ornament；　which　it　is　shameful　not　to　be　master　of；　but；　at　the　same　time　most　carefully　avoid　those　errors　and　abuses　which　I　have　mentioned；　and　which　too　often　attend　it。　　Remember；　too；　that　great　modern　knowledge　is　still　more　necessary　than　ancient；　and　that　you　had　better　know　perfectly　the　present；　than　the　old　state　of　Europe；　though　I　would　have　you　well　acquainted　with　both。

I　have　this　moment　received　your　letter　of　the　17th；　N。　S。　　Though；　I　confess；　there　is　no　great　variety　in　your　present　manner　of　life；　yet　materials　can　never　be　wanting　for　a　letter；　you　see；　you　hear；　or　you　read　something　new　every　day；　a　short　account　of　which；　with　your　own　reflections　thereupon；　will　make　out　a　letter　very　well。　　But；　since　you　desire　a　subject；　pray　send　me　an　account　of　the　Lutheran　establishment　in　Germany；　their　religious　te