letters to his son, 1750-第5部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


an　assembly；　will　much　more　sensibly　affect　a　man　who　has　employed；　than　a　man　who　has　lost；　the　preceding　part　of　the　day；　nay；　I　will　venture　to　say；　that　a　fine　lady　will　seem　to　have　more　charms　to　a　man　of　study　or　business；　than　to　a　saunterer。　　The　same　listlessness　runs　through　his　whole　conduct；　and　he　is　as　insipid　in　his　pleasures；　as　inefficient　in　everything　else。

I　hope　you　earn　your　pleasures；　and　consequently　taste　them；　for；　by　the　way；　I　know　a　great　many　men；　who　call　themselves　men　of　pleasure；　but　who；　in　truth；　have　none。　　They　adopt　other　people's　indiscriminately；　but　without　any　taste　of　their　own。　　I　have　known　them　often　inflict　excesses　upon　themselves　because　they　thought　them　genteel；　though　they　sat　as　awkwardly　upon　them　as　other　people's　clothes　would　have　done。　Have　no　pleasures　but　your　own；　and　then　you　will　shine　in　them。　　What　are　yours？　　Give　me　a　short　history　of　them。　　'Tenez…vous　votre　coin　a　table；　et　dans　les　bonnes　compagnies？　y　brillez…vous　du　cote　de　la　politesse；　de　d'enjouement；　du　badinage？　　Etes…vous　galant？　　Filex…vous　le　parfait　amour？　　Est…il　question　de　flechir　par　vos　soins　et　par　vos　attentions　les　rigueurs　de　quelque　fiere　Princesse'？　　You　may　safely　trust　me；　for　though　I　am　a　severe　censor　of　vice　and　folly；　I　am　a　friend　and　advocate　for　pleasures；　and　will　contribute　all　in　my　power　to　yours。

There　is　a　certain　dignity　to　be　kept　up　in　pleasures；　as　well　as　in　business。　　In　love；　a　man　may　lose　his　heart　with　dignity；　but　if　he　loses　his　nose；　he　loses　his　character　into　the　bargain。　　At　table；　a　man　may　with　decency　have　a　distinguishing　palate；　but　indiscriminate　voraciousness　degrades　him　to　a　glutton。　　A　man　may　play　with　decency；　but　if　he　games；　he　is　disgraced。　　Vivacity　and　wit　make　a　man　shine　in　company；　but　trite　jokes　and　loud　laughter　reduce　him　to　a　buffoon。　＇see　Mark　Twain's　identical　advice　in　his　'Speeches'　　D。W。＇　　Every　virtue；　they　say；　has　its　kindred　vice；　every　pleasure；　I　am　sure；　has　its　neighboring　disgrace。　　Mark　carefully；　therefore；　the　line　that　separates　them；　and　rather　stop　a　yard　short；　than　step　an　inch　beyond　it。

I　wish　to　God　that　you　had　as　much　pleasure　in　following　my　advice；　as　I　have　in　giving　it　you！　and　you　may　the　more　easily　have　it；　as　I　give　you　none　that　is　inconsistent　with　your　pleasure。　　In　all　that　I　say　to　you；　it　is　your　interest　alone　that　I　consider：　trust　to　my　experience；　you　know　you　may　to　my　affection。　　Adieu。

I　have　received　no　letter　yet　from　you　or　Mr。　Harte。




LETTER　CV

LONDON；　February　8；　O。　S。　　1750

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　You　have；　by　this　time；　I　hope　and　believe；　made　such　a　progress　in　the　Italian　language；　that　you　can　read　it　with　ease；　I　mean；　the　easy　books　in　it；　and　indeed；　in　that；　as　well　as　in　every　other　language；　the　easiest　books　are　generally　the　best；　for；　whatever　author　is　obscure　and　difficult　in　his　own　language；　certainly　does　not　think　clearly。　　This　is；　in　my　opinion；　the　case　of　a　celebrated　Italian　author；　to　whom　the　Italians；　from　the　admiration　they　have　of　him；　have　given　the　epithet　of　il　divino；　I　mean　Dante。　　Though　I　formerly　knew　Italian　extremely　well；　I　could　never　understand　him；　for　which　reason　I　had　done　with　him；　fully　convinced　that　he　was　not　worth　the　pains　necessary　to　understand　him。

The　good　Italian　authors　are；　in　my　mind；　but　few；　I　mean；　authors　of　invention；　for　there　are；　undoubtedly；　very　good　historians　and　excellent　translators。　　The　two　poets　worth　your　reading；　and；　I　was　going　to　say；　the　only　two；　are　Tasso　and　Ariosto。　　Tasso's　'Gierusalemme　Liberata'　is　altogether　unquestionably　a　fine　poem；　thoughit　has　some　low；　and　many　false　thoughts　in　it：　and　Boileau　very　justly　makes　it　the　mark　of　a　bad　taste；　to　compare　'le　Clinquant　Tasse　a　l'　Or　de　Virgile'。　　The　image；　with　which　he　adorns　the　introduction　of　his　epic　poem；　is　low　and　disgusting；　it　is　that　of　a　froward；　sick；　puking　child；　who　is　deceived　into　a　dose　of　necessary　physic　by　'du　bon…bon'。　　These　verses　are　these：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Cosi　all'egro　fanciul　porgiamo　aspersi　　　　　　　　　　　Di　soavi　licor　gli　orli　del　vaso：　　　　　　　　　　　Succhi　amari　ingannato　intanto　ei　beve；　　　　　　　　　　　E　dall'　inganno　suo　vita　riceve。〃

However；　the　poem；　with　all　its　faults　about　it；　may　justly　be　called　a　fine　one。

If　fancy；　imagination；　invention；　description；　etc。；　constitute　a　poet；　Ariosto　is；　unquestionably；　a　great　one。　　His　〃Orlando；〃　it　is　true；　is　a　medley　of　lies　and　truthssacred　and　profanewars；　loves；　enchantments；　giants；　madheroes；　and　adventurous　damsels；　but　then；　he　gives　it　you　very　fairly　for　what　it　is；　and　does　not　pretend　to　put　it　upon　you　for　the　true　'epopee'；　or　epic　poem。　　He　says：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Le　Donne；　i　Cavalier；　l'arme；　gli　amori　　　　　　　　　　　Le　cortesie；　l'audaci　imprese；　io　canto。〃

The　connections　of　his　stories　are　admirable；　his　reflections　just；　his　sneers　and　ironies　incomparable；　and　his　painting　excellent。　　When　Angelica；　after　having　wandered　over　half　the　world　alone　with　Orlando；　pretends；　notwithstanding；

　　　　　　　　　　〃…　ch'el　fior　virginal　cosi　avea　salvo；　　　　　　　　　　　Come　selo　porto　dal　matern'　alvo。〃

The　author　adds；　very　gravely；　

　　　　　　　　　　〃Forse　era　ver；　ma　non　pero　credibile　　　　　　　　　　　A　chi　del　senso　suo　fosse　Signore。〃

Astolpho's　being　carried　to　the　moon　by　St。　John；　in　order　to　look　for　Orlando's　lost　wits；　at　the　end　of　the　34th　book；　and　the　many　lost　things　that　he　finds　there；　is　a　most　happy　extravagancy；　and　contains；　at　the　same　time；　a　great　deal　of　sense。　　I　would　advise　you　to　read　this　poem　with　attention。　　It　is；　also；　the　source　of　half　the　tales；　novels；　and　plays；　that　have　been　written　since。

The　'Pastor　Fido'　of　Guarini　is　so　celebrated；　that　you　should　read　it；　but　in　reading　it；　you　will　judge　of　the　great　propriety　of　the　characters。　　A　parcel　of　shepherds　and　shepherdesses；　with　the　TRUE　PASTORAL'　SIMPLICITY；　talk　metaphysics；　epigrams；　'concetti'；　and　quibbles；　by　the　hour　to　each　other。

The　Aminto　del　Tasso；　is　much　more　what　it　is　intended　to　be；　a　pastoral：　the　shepherds；　indeed；　have　their　'concetti'　and　their　antitheses；　but　are　not　quite　so　sublime　and　abstracted　as　those　in　Pastor　Fido。　　I　think　that　you　will　like　it　much　the　best　of　the　two。

Petrarca　is；　in　my　mind；　a　sing…song；　love…sick　poet；　much　admired；　however；　by　the　Italians：　but　an　Italian　who　should　think　no　better　of　him　than　I　do；　would　certainly　say　that　he　deserved　his　'Laura'　better　than　his　'Lauro'；　and　that　wretched　quibble　would　be　reckoned　an　excellent　piece　of　Italian　wit。

The　Italian　prose…writers　（of　invention　I　mean）　which　I　would　recommend　to　your　acquaintance；　are　Machiavello　and　Boccacio；　the　former；　for　the　established　reputation　which　he　has　acquired；　of　a　consummate　politician　（whatever　my　own　private　sentiments　may　be　of　either　his　politics　or　his　morality）：　the　latter；　for　his　great　invention；　and　for　his　natural　and　agreeable　manner　of　telling　his　stories。

Guicciardini；　Bentivoglio；　Davila；　etc。；　are　excellent　historians；　and　deserved　being　read　with　attention。　　The　nature　of　history　checks；　a　little；　the　flights　of　Italian　imaginations；　which；　in　works　of　invention；　are　very　high　indeed。　　Translations　curb　them　still　more：　and　their　translations　of　the　classics　are　incomparable；　particularly　the　first　ten；　translated　in　the　time　of　Leo　the　Tenth；　and　inscribed　to　him；　under　the　title　of　Collana。　　That　original　Collana　has　been　lengthened　since；　and　if　I　mistake　not；　consist　now　of　one　hundred　and　ten　volumes。

From　what　I　have　said；　you　will　easily　guess　that　I　meant　to　put　you　upon　your　guard；　and　not　let　your　fancy　be　dazzled　and　your　taste　corrupted　by　the　concetti；　the　quaintnesses；　and　false　thoughts；　which　are　too　much　the　characteristics　of　the　Italian　and　Spanish　authors。　　I　think　you　are　in　no　great　danger；　as　your　taste　has　been　formed　upon　the　best　ancient　models；　the　Greek　and　Latin　authors　of　the　best　ages；　who　indulge　themselves　in　none　of　the　puerilities　I　have　hinted　at。　　I　think　I　may　say；　with　truth；　that　true　wit；　sound　taste；　and　good　sense；　are　now；　as　it　were；　engrossed　by　France　and　England。　　Your　old　acquaintances；　the　Germans；　I　fear；　are　a　little　below　them；　and　your　new　acquaintances；　the　Italians；　are　a　great　deal　too　much　above　them。　　The　former；　I　doubt；　crawl　a　little；　the　latter；　I　am　sure；　very　often　fly　out　of　sight。

I　recommended　to　you　a　good　many　years　ago；　and　I　believe　you　then　read；　La　maniere　de　bien　penser　dans　les　ouvrages　d'esprit　par　le　Pere　Bouhours；　and　I　think　it　is　very　well　worth　your　reading　again；　now　that　you　can　judge　of　it　better。　　I　do　not　know　any　book　that　contributes　more　to　form　a　true　taste；　and　you　find　there；　into　the　bargain；　the　most　celebrated　passages；　both　of　the　ancients　and　the　moderns；　which　refresh　your　memory　with　what　you　have　formerly　read　in　them　separately。　　It　is　followed　by　a　book　much　of　the　same　size；　by　the　same　author；　entitled；　'Suite　des　Pensees　ingenieuses'。

To　do　justice　to　the　best　English　and　French　authors；　they　have　not　given　into　that　false　taste；　they　allow　no　thoughts　to　be　good；　that　are　not　just　and　founded　upon　truth。　　The　age　of　Lewis　XIV。　was　very　like　the　Augustan；　Boileau；　Moliere；　La　Fontaine；　Racine；；　e