letters to his son, 1746-47-第3部分

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LETTER　III

LONDON；　December　2；　O。S。　　1746。

DEAR　BOY：　I　have　not；　in　my　present　situation；　＇His　Lordship　was；　in
the　year　1746；　appointed　one　of　his　Majesty's　secretaries　of　state。＇
time　to　write　to　you；　either　so　much　or　so　often　as　I　used；　while　I　was
in　a　place　of　much　more　leisure　and　profit；　but　my　affection　for　you　must
not　be　judged　of　by　the　number　of　my　letters；　and；　though　the　one
lessens；　the　other；　I　assure　you；　does　not。

I　have　just　now　received　your　letter　of　the　25th　past；　N。　S。；　and；　by　the
former　post；　one　from　Mr。　Harte；　with　both　which　I　am　very　well　pleased：
with　Mr。　Harte's；　for　the　good　account　which　he　gives　me　of　you；　with
yours；　for　the　good　account　which　you　gave　me　of　what　I　desired　to　be
informed　of。　　Pray　continue　to　give　me　further　information　of　the　form　of
government　of　the　country　you　are　now　in；　which　I　hope　you　will　know　most
minutely　before　you　leave　it。　　The　inequality　of　the　town　of　Lausanne
seems　to　be　very　convenient　in　this　cold　weather；　because　going　up　hill
and　down　will　keep　you　warm。　　You　say　there　is　a　good　deal　of　good
company；　pray；　are　you　got　into　it？　　Have　you　made　acquaintances；　and
with　whom？　　Let　me　know　some　of　their　names。　　Do　you　learn　German　yet；　to
read；　write；　and　speak　it？

Yesterday；　I　saw　a　letter　from　Monsieur　Bochat　to　a　friend　of　mine；　which
gave　me　the　greatest　pleasure　that　I　have　felt　this　great　while；　because
it　gives　so　very　good　an　account　of　you。　　Among　other　things　which
Monsieur　Bochat　says　to　your　advantage；　he　mentions　the　tender　uneasiness
and　concern　that　you　showed　during　my　illness；　for　which　（though　I　will
say　that　you　owe　it　to　me）　I　am　obliged　to　you：　sentiments　of　gratitude
not　being　universal；　nor　even　common。　　As　your　affection　for　me　can　only
proceed　from　your　experience　and　conviction　of　my　fondness　for　you　（for
to　talk　of　natural　affection　is　talking　nonsense）；　the　only　return　I
desire　is；　what　it　is　chiefly　your　interest　to　make　me；　I　mean　your
invariable　practice　of　virtue；　and　your　indefatigable　pursuit　of
knowledge。　　Adieu！　and　be　persuaded　that　I　shall　love　you　extremely；
while　you　deserve　it；　but　not　one　moment　longer。




LETTER　IV

LONDON；　December　9；　O。　S。　　1746。

DEAR　BOY：　Though　I　have　very　little　time；　and　though　I　write　by　this　post
to　Mr。　Harte；　yet　I　cannot　send　a　packet　to　Lausanne　without　a　word　or
two　to　yourself。　　I　thank　you　for　your　letter　of　congratulation　which　you
wrote　me；　notwithstanding　the　pain　it　gave　you。　　The　accident　that　caused
the　pain　was；　I　presume；　owing　to　that　degree　of　giddiness；　of　which　I
have　sometimes　taken　the　liberty　to　speak　to　you。　　The　post　I　am　now　in；
though　the　object　of　most　people's　views　and　desires；　was　in　some　degree
inflicted　upon　me；　and　a　certain　concurrence　cf　circumstances　obliged　me
to　engage　in　it。　　But　I　feel　that　to　go　through　with　it　requires　more
strength　of　body　and　mind　than　I　have：　were　you　three　or　four　years
older；　you　should　share　in　my　trouble；　and　I　would　have　taken　you　into　my
office；　but　I　hope　you　will　employ　these　three　or　four　years　so　well　as
to　make　yourself　capable　of　being　of　use　to　me；　if　I　should　continue　in
it　so　long。　　The　reading；　writing；　and　speaking　the　modern　languages
correctly；　the　knowledge　of　the　laws　of　nations；　and　the　particular
constitution　of　the　empire；　of　history；　geography；　and　chronology；　are
absolutely　necessary　to　this　business；　for　which　I　have　always　intended
you。　　With　these　qualifications　you　may　very　possibly　be　my　successor；
though　not　my　immediate　one。

I　hope　you　employ　your　whole　time；　which　few　people　do；　and　that　you　put
every　moment　to；　profit　of　some　kind　or　other。　　I　call　company；　walking；
riding；　etc。；　employing　one's　time；　and；　upon　proper　occasions；　very
usefully；　but　what　I　cannot　forgive　in　anybody　is　sauntering；　and　doing
nothing　at　all；　with　a　thing　so　precious　as　time；　and　so　irrecoverable
when　lost。

Are　you　acquainted　with　any　ladies　at　Lausanne？　　and　do　you　behave
yourself　with　politeness　enough　to　make　them　desire　your　company？

I　must　finish：　God　bless　you！




LETTER　V

LONDON；　February　24；　O。　S。　　1747

SIR：　In　order　that　we　may；　reciprocally；　keep　up　our　French；　which；　for
want　of　practice；　we　might　forget；　you　will　permit　me　to　have　the　honor
of　assuring　you　of　my　respects　in　that　language：　and　be　so　good　to　answer
me　in　the　same。　　Not　that　I　am　apprehensive　of　your　forgetting　to　speak
French：　since　it　is　probable　that　two…thirds　of　our　daily　prattle　is　in
that　language；　and　because；　if　you　leave　off　writing　French；　you　may
perhaps　neglect　that　grammatical　purity；　and　accurate　orthography；　which；
in　other　languages；　you　excel　in；　and　really；　even　in　French；　it　is
better　to　write　well　than　ill。　　However；　as　this　is　a　language　very
proper　for　sprightly；　gay　subjects；　I　shall　conform　to　that；　and　reserve
those　which　are　serious　for　English。　　I　shall　not　therefore　mention　to
you；　at　present；　your　Greek　or　Latin；　your　study　of　the　Law　of　Nature；　or
the　Law　of　Nations；　the　Rights　of　People；　or　of　Individuals；　but　rather
discuss　the　subject　of　your　Amusements　and　Pleasures；　for；　to　say　the
truth；　one　must　have　some。　　May　I　be　permitted　to　inquire　of　what　nature
yours　are？　　Do　they　consist　in　little　commercial　play　at　cards　in　good
company？　are　they　little　agreeable　suppers；　at　which　cheerfulness　and
decency　are　united？　or；　do　you　pay　court　to　some　fair　one；　who　requires
such　attentions　as　may　be　of　use　in　contributing　to　polish　you？　　Make　me
your　confidant　upon　this　subject；　you　shall　not　find　a　severe　censor：　on
the　contrary；　I　wish　to　obtain　the　employment　of　minister　to　your
pleasures：　I　will　point　them　out；　and　even　contribute　to　them。

Many　young　people　adopt　pleasures；　for　which　they　have　not　the　least
taste；　only　because　they　are　called　by　that　name。　　They　often　mistake　so
totally；　as　to　imagine　that　debauchery　is　pleasure。　　You　must　allow　that
drunkenness；　which　is　equally　destructive　to　body　and　mind；　is　a　fine
pleasure。　　Gaming；　that　draws　you　into　a　thousand　scrapes；　leaves　you
penniless；　and　gives　you　the　air　and　manners　of　an　outrageous　madman；
is　another　most　exquisite　pleasure；　is　it　not？　　As　to　running　after
women；　the　consequences　of　that　vice　are　only　the　loss　of　one's　nose；
the　total　destruction　of　health；　and；　not　unfrequently；　the　being　run
through　the　body。

These；　you　see；　are　all　trifles；　yet　this　is　the　catalogue　of　pleasures
of　most　of　those　young　people；　who　never　reflecting　themselves；　adopt；
indiscriminately；　what　others　choose　to　call　by　the　seducing　name　of
pleasure。　　I　am　thoroughly　persuaded　you　will　not　fall　into　such　errors；
and　that；　in　the　choice　of　your　amusements；　you　will　be　directed　by
reason；　and　a　discerning　taste。　　The　true　pleasures　of　a　gentleman　are
those　of　the　table；　but　within　the　bound　of　moderation；　good　company；
that　is　to　say；　people　of　merit；　moderate　play；　which　amuses；　without　any
interested　views；　and　sprightly　gallant　conversations　with　women　of
fashion　and　sense。

These　are　the　real　pleasures　of　a　gentleman；　which　occasion　neither
sickness；　shame；　nor　repentance。　　Whatever　exceeds　them；　becomes　low
vice；　brutal　passion；　debauchery；　and　insanity　of；　mind；　all　of　which；
far　from　giving　satisfaction；　bring　on　dishonor　and　disgrace。　　Adieu。




LETTER　VI

LONDON；　March　6；　O。　S。　　1747

DEAR　BOY：　Whatever　you　do；　will　always　affect　me；　very　sensibly；　one　way
or　another；　and　I　am　now　most　agreeably　affected；　by　two　letters；　which　I
have　lately　seen　from　Lausanne；　upon　your　subject；　the　one　from　Madame
St。　Germain；　the　other　from　Monsieur　Pampigny：　they　both　give　so　good　an
account　of　you；　that　I　thought　myself　obliged；　in　justice　both　to　them
and；　to　you；　to　let　you　know　it。　　Those　who　deserve　a　good　character；
ought　to　have　the　satisfaction　of　knowing　that　they　have　it；　both　as　a
reward　and　as　an　encouragement。　　They　write；　that　you　are　not　only
'decrotte；'　but　tolerably　well…bred；　and　that　the　English　crust　of
awkward　bashfulness；　shyness；　and　roughness　（of　which；　by　the　bye；　you
had　your　share）　is　pretty　well　rubbed　off。　　I　am　most　heartily　glad　of
it；　for；　as　I　have　often　told　you；　those　lesser　talents；　of　an　engaging；
insinuating　manner；　an　easy　good…breeding；　a　genteel　behavior　and
address；　are　of　infinitely　more　advantage　than　they　are　generally　thought
to　be；　especially　here　in　England。　　Virtue　and　learning；　like　gold；　have
their　intrinsic　value　but　if　they　are　not　polished；　they　certainly　lose　a
great　deal　of　their　luster；　and　even　polished　brass　will　pass　upon　more
people　than　rough　gold。　　What　a　number　of　sins　does　the　cheerful；　easy
good…breeding　of　the　French　frequently　cover？　　Many　of　them　want　common
sense；　many　more　common　learning；　but　in　general；　they　make　up　so　much　by
their　manner；　for　those　defects；　that　frequently　they　pass　undiscovered：
I　have　often　said；　and　do　think；　that　a　Frenchman；　who；　with　a　fund　of
virtue；　learning　and　good　sense；　has　the　manners　and　good…breeding　of　his
country；　is　the　perfection　of　human　nature。　　This　perfection　you　may；　if
you　please；　and　I　hope　you　will；　arrive　at。　　You　know　what　virtue　is：　you
may　have　it　if　you　will；　it　is　in　every　man's　power；　an