letters to his son, 1748-第6部分

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　of　very　little　importance；　but　if　you　select　the　most　considerable　ones；　read　them　with　attention；　and　take　some　notes；　it　will　be　of　great　use　to　you。　　Attend　chiefly　to　those　in　which　the　great　powers　of　Europe　are　the　parties；　such　as　the　treaty　of　the　Pyrenees；　between　France　and　Spain；　the　treaties　of　Nimeguen　and　Ryswick；　but；　above　all；　the　treaty　of　Munster　should　be　most　circumstantially　and　minutely　known　to　you；　as　almost　every　treaty　made　since　has　some　reference　to　it。　　For　this；　Pere　Bougeant　is　the　best　book　you　can　read；　as　it　takes　in　the　thirty　years'　war；　which　preceded　that　treaty。　　The　treaty　itself；　which　is　made　a　perpetual　law　of　the　empire；　comes　in　the　course　of　your　lectures　upon　the　'Jus　Publicum　Imperii'。

In　order　to　furnish　you　with　materials　for　a　letter；　and　at　the　same　time　to　inform　both　you　and　myself　of　what　it　is　right　that　we　should　know；　pray　answer　me　the　following　questions：

How　many　companies　are　there　in　the　Saxon　regiments　of　foot？　　How　many　men　in　each　company？

How　many　troops　in　the　regiments　of　horse　and　dragoons；　and　how　many　men　in　each？

What　number　of　commissioned　and　non…commissioned　officers　in　a　company　of　foot；　or　in　a　troop　of　horse　or　dragoons？　　N。　B。　　Noncommissioned　officers　are　all　those　below　ensigns　and　cornets。

What　is　the　daily　pay　of　a　Saxon　foot　soldier；　dragoon；　and　trooper？

What　are　the　several　ranks　of　the　'Etat　Major…general'？　　N。　B。　　The　Etat　Major…general　is　everything　above　colonel。　　The　Austrians　have　no　brigadiers；　and　the　French　have　no　major…generals　in　their　Etat　Major。　What　have　the　Saxons？　　Adieu！




LETTER　XXXIV

LONDON；　March　27；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　This　little　packet　will　be　delivered　to　you　by　one　Monsieur　Duval；　who　is　going　to　the　fair　at　Leipsig。　　He　is　a　jeweler；　originally　of　Geneva；　but　who　has　been　settled　here　these　eight　or　ten　years；　and　a　very　sensible　fellow：　pray　do　be　very　civil　to　him。

As　I　advised　you；　some　time　ago；　to　inform　yourself　of　the　civil　and　military　establishments　of　as　many　of　the　kingdoms　and　states　of　Europe；　as　you　should　either　be　in　yourself；　or　be　able　to　get　authentic　accounts　of；　I　send　you　here　a　little　book；　in　which；　upon　the　article　of　Hanover；　I　have　pointed　out　the　short　method　of　putting　down　these　informations；　by　way　of　helping　your　memory。　　The　book　being　lettered；　you　can　immediately　turn　to　whatever　article　you　want；　and；　by　adding　interleaves　to　each　letter；　may　extend　your　minutes　to　what　particulars　you　please。　You　may　get　such　books　made　anywhere；　and　appropriate　each；　if　you　please；　to　a　particular　object。　　I　have　myself　found　great　utility　in　this　method。　　If　I　had　known　what　to　have　sent　you　by　this　opportunity　I　would　have　done　it。　　The　French　say；　'Que　les　petits　presens　entretiennent　l'amite　et　que　les　grande　l'augmentent'；　but　I　could　not　recollect　that　you　wanted　anything；　or　at　least　anything　that　you　cannot　get　as　well　at　Leipsig　as　here。　　Do　but　continue　to　deserve；　and；　I　assure　you；　that　you　shall　never　want　anything　I　can　give。

Do　not　apprehend　that　my　being　out　of　employment　may　be　any　prejudice　to　you。　　Many　things　will　happen　before　you　can　be　fit　for　business；　and　when　you　are　fit；　whatever　my　situation　may　be；　it　will　always　be　in　my　power　to　help　you　in　your　first　steps；　afterward　you　must　help　yourself　by　your　own　abilities。　　Make　yourself　necessary；　and；　instead　of　soliciting；　you　will　be　solicited。　　The　thorough　knowledge　of　foreign　affairs；　the　interests；　the　views；　and　the　manners　of　the　several　courts　in　Europe；　are　not　the　common　growth　of　this　country。　　It　is　in　your　power　to　acquire　them；　you　have　all　the　means。　　Adieu！　　　Yours。




LETTERS　TO　HIS　SON

LETTER　XXXV

LONDON；　April　1；　O。　S。　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　have　not　received　any　letter；　either　from　you　or　from　Mr；　Harte；　these　three　posts；　which　I　impute　wholly　to　accidents　between　this　place　and　Leipsig；　and　they　are　distant　enough　to　admit　of　many。　　I　always　take　it　for　granted　that　you　are　well；　when　I　do　not　hear　to　the　contrary；　besides；　as　I　have　often　told　you；　I　am　much　more　anxious　about　your　doing　well；　than　about　your　being　well；　and；　when　you　do　not　write；　I　will　suppose　that　you　are　doing　something　more　useful。　　Your　health　will　continue；　while　your　temperance　continues；　and　at　your　age　nature　takes　sufficient　care　of　the　body；　provided　she　is　left　to　herself；　and　that　intemperance　on　one　hand；　or　medicines　on　the　other；　do　not　break　in　upon　her。　　But　it　is　by　no　means　so　with　the　mind；　which；　at　your　age　particularly；　requires　great　and　constant　care；　and　some　physic。　　Every　quarter　of　an　hour；　well　or　ill　employed；　will　do　it　essential　and　lasting　good　or　harm。　　It　requires　also　a　great　deal　of　exercise；　to　bring　it　to　a　state　of　health　and　vigor。　　Observe　the　difference　there　is　between　minds　cultivated；　and　minds　uncultivated；　and　you　will；　I　am　sure；　think　that　you　cannot　take　too　much　pains；　nor　employ　too　much　of　your　time　in　the　culture　of　your　own。　　A　drayman　is　probably　born　with　as　good　organs　as　Milton；　Locke；　or　Newton；　but；　by　culture；　they　are　as　much　more　above　him　as　he　is　above　his　horse。　　Sometimes；　indeed；　extraordinary　geniuses　have　broken　out　by　the　force　of　nature；　without　the　assistance　of　education；　but　those　instances　are　too　rare　for　anybody　to　trust　to；　and　even　they　would　make　a　much　greater　figure；　if　they　had　the　advantage　of　education　into　the　bargain。　　If　Shakespeare's　genius　had　been　cultivated；　those　beauties；　which　we　so　justly　admire　in　him；　would　have　been　undisgraced　by　those　extravagancies；　and　that　nonsense；　with　which　they　are　frequently　accompanied。　　People　are；　in　general；　what　they　are　made；　by　education　and　company；　from　fifteen　to　five…and…twenty；　consider　well；　therefore；　the　importance　of　your　next　eight　or　nine　years；　your　whole　depends　upon　them。　　I　will　tell　you　sincerely；　my　hopes　and　my　fears　concerning　you。　　I　think　you　will　be　a　good　scholar；　and　that　you　will　acquire　a　considerable　stock　of　knowledge　of　various　kinds；　but　I　fear　that　you　neglect　what　are　called　little；　though；　in　truth；　they　are　very　material　things；　I　mean；　a　gentleness　of　manners；　an　engaging　address；　and　an　insinuating　behavior；　they　are　real　and　solid　advantages；　and　none　but　those　who　do　not　know　the　world；　treat　them　as　trifles。　　I　am　told　that　you　speak　very　quick；　and　not　distinctly；　this　is　a　most　ungraceful　and　disagreeable　trick；　which　you　know　I　have　told　you　of　a　thousand　times；　pray　attend　carefully　to　the　correction　of　it。　An　agreeable　and；　distinct　manner　of　speaking　adds　greatly　to　the　matter；　and　I　have　known　many　a　very　good　speech　unregarded；　upon　account　of　the　disagreeable　manner　in　which　it　has　been　delivered；　and　many　an　indifferent　one　applauded；　from　the　contrary　reason。　　Adieu！




LETTER　XXXVI

LONDON；　April　15；　O。　S。　　1748

DEAR　BOY：　Though　I　have　no　letters　from　you　to　acknowledge　since　my　last　to　you；　I　will　not　let　three　posts　go　from　hence　without　a　letter　from　me。　　My　affection　always　prompts　me　to　write　to　you；　and　I　am　encouraged　to　do　it；　by　the　hopes　that　my　letters　are　not　quite　useless。　　You　will　probably　receive　this　in　the　midst　of　the　diversions　of　Leipsig　fair；　at　which；　Mr。　Harte　tells　me；　that　you　are　to　shine　in　fine　clothes；　among　fine　folks。　　I　am　very　glad　of　it；　as　it　is　time　that　you　should　begin　to　be　formed　to　the　manners　of　the　world　in　higher　life。　　Courts　are　the　best　schools　for　that　sort　of　learning。　　You　are　beginning　now　with　the　outside　of　a　court；　and　there　is　not　a　more　gaudy　one　than　that　of　Saxony。　　Attend　to　it；　and　make　your　observations　upon　the　turn　and　manners　of　it；　that　you　may　hereafter　compare　it　with　other　courts　which　you　will　see；　And；　though　you　are　not　yet　able　to　be　informed；　or　to　judge　of　the　political　conduct　and　maxims　of　that　court；　yet　you　may　remark　the　forms；　the　ceremonies；　and　the　exterior　state　of　it。　　At　least　see　everything　that　you　can　see；　and　know　everything　that　you　can　know　of　it；　by　asking　questions。　　See　likewise　everything　at　the　fair；　from　operas　and　plays；　down　to　the　Savoyard's　raree…shows。

Everything　is　worth　seeing　once；　and　the　more　one　sees；　the　less　one　either　wonders　or　admires。

Make　my　compliments　to　Mr。　Harte；　and　tell　him　that　I　have　just　now　received　his　letter；　for　which　I　thank　him。　　I　am　called　away；　and　my　letter　is　therefore　very　much　shortened。　　Adieu。

I　am　impatient　to　receive　your　answers　to　the　many　questions　that　I　have　asked　you。




LETTER　XXXVII

LONDON；　April　26；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　am　extremely　pleased　with　your　continuation　of　the　history　of　the　Reformation；　which　is　one　of　those　important　eras　that　deserves　your　utmost　attention；　and　of　which　you　cannot　be　too　minutely　informed。　　You　have；　doubtless；　considered　the　causes　of　that　great　event；　and　observed　that　disappointment　and　resentment　had　a　much　greater　share　in　it；　than　a　religious　zeal　or　an　abhorrence　of　the　errors　and　abuses　of　popery。

Luther；　an　Augustine　monk；　enraged　that　his　order；　and　consequently　himself；　had　not　the　exclusive　privilege　of　selling　indulgences；　but　that　the　Dominicans　were　let　into　a　share　of　that　profitable　but　infamous　trade；　turns　reformer；　and　exclaims　against　the　abuses；　the　corruption；　and　th