letters to his son, 1750- 第13部分

〃In　fine；　the　education　of　monarchies　requires　a　certain　politeness　of　behavior。　　Man；　a　sociable　animal；　is　formed　to　please　in　society；　and　a　person　that　would　break　through　the　rules　of　decency；　so　as　to　shock　those　he　conversed　with；　would　lose　the　public　esteem；　and　become　incapable　of　doing　any　good。

〃But　politeness；　generally　speaking；　does　not　derive　its　original　from　so　pure　a　source。　　It　arises　from　a　desire　of　distinguishing　ourselves。　　It　is　pride　that　renders　us　polite；　we　are　flattered　with　being　taken　notice　of　for　a　behavior　that　shows　we　are　not　of　a　mean　condition；　and　that　we　have　not　been　bred　up　with　those　who　in　all　ages　are　considered　as　the　scum　of　the　people。

〃Politeness；　in　monarchies；　is　naturalized　at　court。　　One　man　excessively　great　renders　everybody　else　little。　　Hence　that　regard　which　is　paid　to　our　fellow…subjects；　hence　that　politeness；　equally　pleasing　to　those　by　whom；　as　to　those　toward　whom；　it　is　practiced；　because　it　gives　people　to　understand　that　a　person　actually　belongs；　or　at　least　deserves　to　belong；　to　the　court。

〃A　court　air　consists　in　quitting　a　real　for　a　borrowed　greatness。　　The　latter　pleases　the　courtier　more　than　the　former。　　It　inspires　him　with　a　certain　disdainful　modesty；　which　shows　itself　externally；　but　whose　pride　insensibly　diminishes　in　proportion　to　his　distance　from　the　source　of　this　greatness。

〃At　court　we　find　a　delicacy　of　taste　in　everything；　a　delicacy　arising　from　the　constant　use　of　the　superfluities　of　life；　from　the　variety；　and　especially　the　satiety　of　pleasures；　from　the　multiplicity　and　even　confusion　of　fancies；　which；　if　they　are　not　agreeable；　are　sure　of　being　well　received。

〃These　are　the　things　which　properly　fall　within　the　province　of　education；　in　order　to　form　what　we　call　a　man　of　honor；　a　man　possessed　of　all　the　qualities　and　virtues　requisite　in　this　kind　of　government。

〃Here　it　is　that　honor　interferes　with　everything；　mixing　even　with　people's　manner　of　thinking；　and　directing　their　very　principles。

〃To　this　whimsical　honor　it　is　owing　that　the　virtues　are　only　just　what　it　pleases；　it　adds　rules　of　its　own　invention　to　everything　prescribed　to　us；　it　extends　or　limits　our　duties　according　to　its　own　fancy；　whether　they　proceed　from　religion；　politics；　or　morality。

〃There　is　nothing　so　strongly　inculcated　in　monarchies；　by　the　laws；　by　religion；　and　honor；　as　submission　to　the　Prince's　will；　but　this　very　honor　tells　us；　that　the　Prince　never　ought　to　command　a　dishonorable　action；　because　this　would　render　us　incapable　of　serving　him。

〃Crillon　refused　to　assassinate　the　Duke　of　Guise；　but　offered　to　fight　him。　　After　the　massacre　of　St。　Bartholomew；　Charles　IX。；　having　sent　orders　to　the　governors　in　the　several　provinces　for　the　Huguenots　to　be　murdered；　Viscount　Dorte；　who　commanded　at　Bayonne；　wrote　thus　to　the　King：　'Sire；　Among　the　inhabitants　of　this　town；　and　your　Majesty's　troops；　I　could　not　find　so　much　as　one　executioner；　they　are　honest　citizens　and　brave　soldiers。　　We　jointly；　therefore；　beseech　your　Majesty　to　command　our　arms　and　lives　in　things　that　are　practicable。'　This　great　and　generous　soul　looked　upon　a　base　action　as　a　thing　impossible。

〃There　is　nothing　that　honor　more　strongly　recommends　to　the　nobility；　than　to　serve　their　Prince　in　a　military　capacity。　　And　indeed　this　is　their　favorite　profession；　because　its　dangers；　its　success；　and　even　its　miscarriages；　are　the　road　to　grandeur。　　Yet　this　very　law；　of　its　own　making；　honor　chooses　to　explain；　and　in　case　of　any　affront；　it　requires　or　permits　us　to　retire。

〃It　insists　also；　that　we　should　be　at　liberty　either　to　seek　or　to　reject　employments；　a　liberty　which　it　prefers　even　to　an　ample　fortune。

〃Honor；　therefore；　has　its　supreme　laws；　to　which　education　is　obliged　to　conform。　　The　chief　of　these　are；　that　we　are　permitted　to　set　a　value　upon　our　fortune；　but　are　absolutely　forbidden　to　set　any　upon　our　lives。

〃The　second　is；　that　when　we　are　raised　to　a　post　or　preferment；　we　should　never　do　or　permit　anything　which　may　seem　to　imply　that　we　look　upon　ourselves　as　inferior　to　the　rank　we　hold。

〃The　third　is；　that　those　things　which　honor　forbids　are　more　rigorously　forbidden；　when　the　laws　do　not　concur　in　the　prohibition；　and　those　it　commands　are　more　strongly　insisted　upon；　when　they　happen　not　to　be　commanded　by　law。〃


Though　our　government　differs　considerably　from　the　French；　inasmuch　as　we　have　fixed　laws　and　constitutional　barriers　for　the　security　of　our　liberties　and　properties；　yet　the　President's　observations　hold　pretty　near　as　true　in　England　as　in　France。　　Though　monarchies　may　differ　a　good　deal；　kings　differ　very　little。　　Those　who　are　absolute　desire　to　continue　so；　and　those　who　are　not；　endeavor　to　become　so；　hence　the　same　maxims　and　manners　almost　in　all　courts：　voluptuousness　and　profusion　encouraged；　the　one　to　sink　the　people　into　indolence；　the　other　into　povertyconsequently　into　dependence。　　The　court　is　called　the　world　here　as　well　as　at　Paris；　and　nothing　more　is　meant　by　saying　that　a　man　knows　the　world；　than　that　he　knows　courts。　　In　all　courts　you　must　expect　to　meet　with　connections　without　friendship；　enmities　without　hatred；　honor　without　virtue；　appearances　saved；　and　realities　sacrificed；　good　manners　with　bad　morals；　and　all　vice　and　virtues　so　disguised；　that　whoever　has　only　reasoned　upon　both　would　know　neither　when　he　first　met　them　at　court。　　It　is　well　that　you　should　know　the　map　of　that　country；　that　when　you　come　to　travel　in　it；　you　may　do　it　with　greater　safety。

From　all　this　you　will　of　yourself　draw　this　obvious　conclusion：　That　you　are　in　truth　but　now　going　to　the　great　and　important　school；　the　world；　to　which　Westminster　and　Leipsig　were　only　the　little　preparatory　schools；　as　Marylebone；　Windsor；　etc。；　are　to　them。　　What　you　have　already　acquired　will　only　place　you　in　the　second　form　of　this　new　school；　instead　of　the　first。　　But　if　you　intend；　as　I　suppose　you　do；　to　get　into　the　shell；　you　have　very　different　things　to　learn　from　Latin　and　Greek：　and　which　require　much　more　sagacity　and　attention　than　those　two　dead　languages；　the　language　of　pure　and　simple　nature；　the　language　of　nature　variously　modified　and　corrupted　by　passions；　prejudices；　and　habits；　the　language　of　simulation　and　dissimulation：　very　hard；　but　very　necessary　to　decipher。　　Homer　has　not　half　so　many；　nor　so　difficult　dialects；　as　the　great　book　of　the　school　you　are　now　going　to。　　Observe；　therefore；　progressively；　and　with　the　greatest　attention；　what　the　best　scholars　in　the　form　immediately　above　you　do；　and　so　on；　until　you　get　into　the　shell　yourself。　　Adieu。

Pray　tell　Mr。　Harte　that　I　have　received　his　letter　of　the　27th　May；　N。　S。；　and　that　I　advise　him　never　to　take　the　English　newswriters　literally；　who　never　yet　inserted　any　one　thing　quite　right。　　I　have　both　his　patent　and　his　mandamus；　in　both　which　he　is　Walter；　let　the　newspapers　call　him　what　they　please。




LETTER　CXVII

LONDON；　July　9；　O。　S。　　1750。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　should　not　deserve　that　appellation　in　return　from　you；　if　I　did　not　freely　and　explicitly　inform　you　of　every　corrigible　defect　which　I　may　either　hear　of；　suspect；　or　at　any　time　discover　in　you。　Those　who；　in　the　common　course　of　the　world；　will　call　themselves　your　friends；　or　whom；　according　to　the　common　notions　of　friendship；　you　may　possibly　think　such；　will　never　tell　you　of　your　faults；　still　less　of　your　weaknesses。　　But；　on　the　contrary；　more　desirous　to　make　you　their　friend；　than　to　prove　themselves　yours；　they　will　flatter　both；　and；　in　truth；　not　be　sorry　for　either。　　Interiorly；　most　people　enjoy　the　inferiority　of　their　best　friends。　　The　useful　and　essential　part　of　friendship；　to　you；　is　reserved　singly　for　Mr。　Harte　and　myself：　our　relations　to　you　stand　pure　and　unsuspected　of　all　private　views。　In　whatever　we　say　to　you；　we　can　have　no　interest　but　yours。　　We　are　therefore　authorized　to　represent；　advise；　and　remonstrate；　and　your　reason　must　tell　you　that　you　ought　to　attend　to　and　believe　us。

I　am　credibly　informed；　that　there　is　still　a　considerable　hitch　or　hobble　in　your　enunciation；　and　that　when　you　speak　fast　you　sometimes　speak　unintelligibly。　　I　have　formerly　and　frequently　laid　my　thoughts　before　you　so　fully　upon　this　subject；　that　I　can　say　nothing　new　upon　it　now。　　I　must　therefore　only　repeat；　that　your　whole　depends　upon　it。　Your　trade　is　to　speak　well；　both　in　public　and　in　private。　　The　manner　of　your　speaking　is　full　as　important　as　the　matter；　as　more　people　have　ears　to　be　tickled；　than　understandings　to　judge。　　Be　your　productions　ever　so　good；　they　will　be　of　no　use；　if　you　stifle　and　strangle　them　in　their　birth。　　The　best　compositions　of　Corelli；　if　ill　executed　and　played　out　of　tune；　instead　of　touching；　as　they　do　when　well　performed；　would　only　excite　the　indignation　of　the　hearer's；　when　murdered　by　an　unskillful　performer。　　But　to　murder　your　own　productions；　and　that　'coram　Populo'；　is　a　MEDEAN　CRUELTY；　which　Horace　absolutely　forbids。　Remember　of　what　importance　Demosthenes；　and　one　of　the　Gracchi；　thought　ENUNCIATION；　and　read　what　stress　Cicero　and　Quintilian　lay　upon　it；　ev