letters to his son, 1748-第7部分

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ofitable　but　infamous　trade；　turns　reformer；　and　exclaims　against　the　abuses；　the　corruption；　and　the　idolatry；　of　the　church　of　Rome；　which　were　certainly　gross　enough　for　him　to　have　seen　long　before；　but　which　he　had　at　least　acquiesced　in；　till　what　he　called　the　rights；　that　is；　the　profit；　of　his　order　came　to　be　touched。　　It　is　true；　the　church　of　Rome　furnished　him　ample　matter　for　complaint　and　reformation；　and　he　laid　hold　of　it　ably。

This　seems　to　me　the　true　cause　of　that　great　and　necessary；　work；　but　whatever　the　cause　was；　the　effect　was　good；　and　the　Reformation　spread　itself　by　its　own　truth　and　fitness；　was　conscientiously　received　by　great　numbers　in　Germany；　and　other　countries；　and　was　soon　afterward　mixed　up　with　the　politics　of　princes；　and；　as　it　always　happens　in　religious　disputes；　became　the　specious　covering　of　injustice　and　ambition。

Under　the　pretense　of　crushing　heresy；　as　it　was　called；　the　House　of　Austria　meant　to　extend　and　establish　its　power　in　the　empire；　as；　on　the　other　hand；　many　Protestant　princes；　under　the　pretense　of　extirpating　idolatry；　or　at　least　of　securing　toleration；　meant　only　to　enlarge　their　own　dominions　or　privileges。　　These　views　respectively；　among　the　chiefs　on　both　sides；　much　more　than　true　religious　motives；　continued　what　were　called　the　religious　wars　in　Germany；　almost　uninterruptedly；　till　the　affairs　of　the　two　religions　were　finally　settled　by　the　treaty　of　Munster。

Were　most　historical　events　traced　up　to　their　true　causes；　I　fear　we　should　not　find　them　much　more　noble　or　disinterested　than　Luther's　disappointed　avarice；　and　therefore　I　look　with　some　contempt　upon　those　refining　and　sagacious　historians；　who　ascribe　all；　even　the　most　common　events；　to　some　deep　political　cause；　whereas　mankind　is　made　up　of　inconsistencies；　and　no　man　acts　invariably　up　to　his　predominant　character。　　The　wisest　man　sometimes　acts　weakly；　and　the　weakest　sometimes　wisely。　　Our　jarring　passions；　our　variable　humors；　nay；　our　greater　or　lesser　degree　of　health　and　spirits；　produce　such　contradictions　in　our　conduct；　that；　I　believe；　those　are　the　oftenest　mistaken；　who　ascribe　our　actions　to　the　most　seemingly　obvious　motives；　and　I　am　convinced；　that　a　light　supper；　a　good　night's　sleep；　and　a　fine　morning；　have　sometimes　made　a　hero　of　the　same　man；　who；　by　an　indigestion；　a　restless　night；　and　rainy　morning；　would；　have　proved　a　coward。　　Our　best　conjectures；　therefore；　as　to　the　true　springs　of　actions；　are　but　very　uncertain；　and　the　actions　themselves　are　all　that　we　must　pretend　to　know　from　history。　　That　Caesar　was　murdered　by　twenty…three　conspirators；　I　make　no　doubt：　but　I　very　much　doubt　that　their　love　of　liberty；　and　of　their　country；　was　their　sole；　or　even　principal　motive；　and　I　dare　say　that；　if　the　truth　were　known；　we　should　find　that　many　other　motives　at　least　concurred；　even　in　the　great　Brutus　himself；　such　as　pride；　envy；　personal　pique；　and　disappointment。　　Nay；　I　cannot　help　carrying　my　Pyrrhonism　still　further；　and　extending　it　often　to　historical　facts　themselves；　at　least　to　most　of　the　circumstances　with　which　they　are　related；　and　every　day's　experience　confirms　me　in　this　historical　incredulity。　　Do　we　ever　hear　the　most　recent　fact　related　exactly　in　the　same　way；　by　the　several　people　who　were　at　the　same　time　eyewitnesses　of　it？　　No。　　One　mistakes；　another　misrepresents；　and　others　warp　it　a　little　to　their　own；　turn　of　mind；　or　private　views。　A　man　who　has　been　concerned　in　a　transaction　will　not　write　it　fairly；　and　a　man　who　has　not；　cannot。　　But　notwithstanding　all　this　uncertainty；　history　is　not　the　less　necessary　to　be　known；　as　the　best　histories　are　taken　for　granted；　and　are　the　frequent　subjects　both　of　conversation　and　writing。　　Though　I　am　convinced　that　Caesar's　ghost　never　appeared　to　Brutus；　yet　I　should　be　much　ashamed　to　be　ignorant　of　that　fact；　as　related　by　the　historians　of　those　times。　　Thus　the　Pagan　theology　is　universally　received　as　matter　for　writing　and　conversation；　though　believed　now　by　nobody；　and　we　talk　of　Jupiter；　Mars；　Apollo；　etc。；　as　gods；　though　we　know；　that　if　they　ever　existed　at　all；　it　was　only　as　mere　mortal　men。　　This　historical　Pyrrhonism；　then；　proves　nothing　against　the　study　and　knowledge　of　history；　which；　of　all　other　studies；　is　the　most　necessary　for　a　man　who　is　to　live　in　the　world。　　It　only　points　out　to　us；　not　to　be　too　decisive　and　peremptory；　and　to　be　cautious　how　we　draw　inferences　for　our　own　practice　from　remote　facts；　partially　or　ignorantly　related；　of　which　we　can；　at　best；　but　imperfectly　guess；　and　certainly　not　know　the　real　motives。　　The　testimonies　of　ancient　history　must　necessarily　be　weaker　than　those　of　modern；　as　all　testimony　grows　weaker　and　weaker；　as　it　is　more　and　more　remote　from　us。　　I　would　therefore　advise　you　to　study　ancient　history；　in　general；　as　other　people；　do；　that　is；　not　to　be　ignorant　of　any　or　those　facts　which　are　universally　received；　upon　the　faith　of　the　best　historians；　and　whether　true　or　false；　you　have　them　as　other　people　have　them。　　But　modern　history；　I　mean　particularly　that　of　the　last　three　centuries；　is　what　I　would　have　you　apply　to　with　the　greatest　attention　and　exactness。　　There　the　probability　of　coming　at　the　truth　is　much　greater；　as　the　testimonies　are　much　more　recent；　besides；　anecdotes；　memoirs；　and　original　letters；　often　come　to　the　aid　of　modern　history。　The　best　memoirs　that　I　know　of　are　those　of　Cardinal　de　Retz；　which　I　have　once　before　recommended　to　you；　and　which　I　advise　you　to　read　more　than　once；　with　attention。　　There　are　many　political　maxims　in　these　memoirs；　most　of　which　are　printed　in　italics；　pray　attend　to；　and　remember　them。　　I　never　read　them　but　my　own　experience　confirms　the　truth　of　them。　　Many　of　them　seem　trifling　to　people　who　are　not　used　to　business；　but　those　who　are；　feel　the　truth　of　them。

It　is　time　to　put　an　end　to　this　long　rambling　letter；　in　which　if　any　one　thing　can　be　of　use　to　you；　it　will　more　than　pay　the　trouble　I　have　taken　to　write　it。　　Adieu！　　Yours。




LETTER　XXXVIII

LONDON；　May　10；　O。　S。　　1748。

DEAR　BOY：　I　reckon　that　this　letter　will　find　you　just　returned　from　Dresden；　where　you　have　made　your　first　court　caravanne。　　What　inclination　for　courts　this　taste　of　them　may　have　given　you；　I　cannot　tell；　but　this　I　think　myself　sure　of；　from　your　good　sense；　that　in　leaving　Dresden；　you　have　left　dissipation　too；　and　have　resumed　at　Leipsig　that　application　which；　if　you　like　courts；　can　alone　enable　you　to　make　a　good　figure　at　them。　　A　mere　courtier；　without　parts　or　knowledge；　is　the　most　frivolous　and　contemptible　of　all　beings；　as；　on　the　other　hand；　a　man　of　parts　and　knowledge；　who　acquires　the　easy　and　noble　manners　of　a　court；　is　the　most　perfect。　　It　is　a　trite；　commonplace　observation；　that　courts　are　the　seats　of　falsehood　and　dissimulation。　　That；　like　many；　I　might　say　most；　commonplace　observations；　is　false。　　Falsehood　and　dissimulation　are　certainly　to　be　found　at　courts；　but　where　are　they　not　to　be　found？　　Cottages　have　them；　as　well　as　courts；　only　with　worse　manners。　　A　couple　of　neighboring　farmers　in　a　village　will　contrive　and　practice　as　many　tricks；　to　over…　reach　each　other　at　the　next　market；　or　to　supplant　each　other　in　the　favor；　of　the　squire；　as　any　two　courtiers　can　do　to　supplant　each　other　in　the　favor　of　their　prince。

Whatever　poets　may　write；　or　fools　believe；　of　rural　innocence　and　truth；　and　of　the　perfidy　of　courts；　this　is　most　undoubtedly　true　that　shepherds　and　ministers　are　both　men；　their　nature　and　passions　the　same；　the　modes　of　them　only　different。

Having　mentioned　commonplace　observations；　I　will　particularly　caution　you　against　either　using；　believing；　or　approving　them。　　They　are　the　common　topics　of　witlings　and　coxcombs；　those；　who　really　have　wit；　have　the　utmost　contempt　for　them；　and　scorn　even　to　laugh　at　the　pert　things　that　those　would…be　wits　say　upon　such　subjects。

Religion　is　one　of　their　favorite　topics；　it　is　all　priest…craft；　and　an　invention　contrived　and　carried　on　by　priests　of　all　religions；　for　their　own　power　and　profit；　from　this　absurd　and　false　principle　flow　the　commonplace；　insipid　jokes；　and　insults　upon　the　clergy。　　With　these　people；　every　priest；　of　every　religion；　is　either　a　public　or　a　concealed　unbeliever；　drunkard；　and　whoremaster；　whereas；　I　conceive；　that　priests　are　extremely　like　other　men；　and　neither　the　better　nor　the　worse　for　wearing　a　gown　or　a　surplice：　but　if　they　are　different　from　other　people；　probably　it　is　rather　on　the　side　of　religion　and　morality；　or；　at　least；　decency；　from　their　education　and　manner　of　life。

Another　common　topic　for　false　wit；　and　cool　raillery；　is　matrimony。　Every　man　and　his　wife　hate　each　other　cordially；　whatever　they　may　pretend；　in　public；　to　the　contrary。　　The　husband　certainly　wishes　his　wife　at　the　devil；　and　the　wife　certainly　cuckolds　her　husband。　　Whereas；　I　presume；　that　men　and　their　wives　neither　love　nor　hate　each　other　the　more；　upon　account　of　the　form　of　matrimony　which　has　been　said　over　them。　　The　cohabitation；　indeed；　which　is　the　consequence　of　matrimony；　makes　them　either　love　or　hate　more；　accordingl