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letters to his son, 1749-第13部分

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ou frequent the most。  Have you seen the Comptesse d'Orselska; Princess of Holstein?  Is Comte Algarotti; who was the TENANT there; at Venice?

You will; in many parts of Italy; meet with numbers of the Pretender's people (English; Scotch; and Irish fugitives); especially at Rome; probably the Pretender himself。  It is none of your business to declare war to these people; as little as it is your interest; or; I hope; your inclination; to connect yourself with them; and therefore I recommend to you a perfect neutrality。  Avoid them as much as you can with decency and good manners; but when you cannot; avoid any political conversation or debates with them; tell them that you do not concern yourself with political matters: that you are neither maker nor a deposer of kings; that when you left England; you left a king in it; and have not since heard either of his death; or of any revolution that has happened; and that you take kings and kingdoms as you find them; but enter no further into matters with them; which can be of no use; and might bring on heats and quarrels。  When you speak of the old Pretender; you will call him only the Chevalier de St。 George;but mention him as seldom as possible。 Should he chance to speak to you at any assembly (as; I am told; he sometimes does to the English); be sure that you seem not to know him; and answer him civilly; but always either in French or in Italian; and give him; in the former; the appellation of Monsieur; and in the latter; of Signore。  Should you meet with the Cardinal of York; you will be under no difficulty; for he has; as Cardinal; an undoubted right to 'Eminenza'。 Upon the whole; see any of those people as little as possible; when you do see them; be civil to them; upon the footing of strangers; but never be drawn into any altercations with them about the imaginary right of their king; as they call him。

It is to no sort of purpose to talk to those people of the natural rights of mankind; and the particular constitution of this country。  Blinded by prejudices; soured by misfortunes; and tempted by their necessities; they are as incapable of reasoning rightly; as they have hitherto been of acting wisely。  The late Lord Pembroke never would know anything that he had not a mind to know; and; in this case; I advise you to follow his example。  Never know either the father or the two sons; any otherwise than as foreigners; and so; not knowing their pretensions; you have no occasion to dispute them。

I can never help recommending to you the utmost attention and care; to acquire 'les Manieres; la Tournure; et les Graces; d'un galant homme; et d'un homme de cour'。  They should appear in every look; in every action; in your address; and even in your dress; if you would either please or rise in the world。  That you may do both (and both are in your power) is most ardently wished you; by Yours。

P。 S。  I made Comte Lascaris show me your letter; which I liked very well; the style was easy and natural; and the French pretty correct。 There were so few faults in the orthography; that a little more observation of the best French authors would make you a correct master of that necessary language。

I will not conceal from you; that I have lately had extraordinary good accounts of you; from an unexpected and judicious person; who promises me that; with a little more of the world; your manners and address will equal your knowledge。  This is the more pleasing to me; as those were the two articles of which I was the most doubtful。  These commendations will not; I am persuaded; make you vain and coxcomical; but only encourage you to go on in the right way。




LETTER LXXXI

LONDON; September 12; O。 S。  1749。

DEAR BOY: It seems extraordinary; but it is very true; that my anxiety for you increases in proportion to the good accounts which I receive of you from all hands。  I promise myself so much from you; that I dread the least disappointment。  You are now so near the port; which I have so long wished and labored to bring you safe into; that my concern would be doubled; should you be shipwrecked within sight of it。  The object; therefore; of this letter is (laying aside all the authority of a parent) to conjure you as a friend; by the affection you have for me (and surely you have reason to have some); and by the regard you have for yourself; to go on; with assiduity and attention; to complete that work which; of late; you have carried on so well; and which is now so near being finished。  My wishes and my plan were to make you shine and distinguish yourself equally in the learned and the polite world。  Few have been able to do it。  Deep learning is generally tainted with pedantry; or at least unadorned by manners: as; on the other hand; polite manners and the turn of the world are too often unsupported by knowledge; and consequently end contemptibly; in the frivolous dissipation of drawing…rooms and ruelles。 You are now got over the dry and difficult parts of learning; what remains requires much more time than trouble。  You have lost time by your illness; you must regain it now or never。  I therefore most earnestly desire; for your own sake; that for these next six months; at least six hours every morning; uninterruptedly; may be inviolably sacred to your studies with Mr。 Harte。  I do not know whether he will require so much; but I know that I do; and hope you will; and consequently prevail with him to give you that time; I own it is a good deal: but when both you and he consider that the work will be so much better; and so much sooner done; by such an assiduous and continued application; you will; neither of you; think it too much; and each will find his account in it。  So much for the mornings; which from your own good sense; and Mr。 Harte's tenderness and care of you; will; I am sure; be thus well employed。 It is not only reasonable; but useful too; that your evenings should be devoted to amusements and pleasures: and therefore I not only allow; but recommend; that they should be employed at assemblies; balls; SPECTACLES; and in the best companies; with this restriction only; that the consequences of the evening's diversions may not break in upon the morning's studies; by breakfastings; visits; and idle parties into the country。  At your age; you need not be ashamed; when any of these morning parties are proposed; to say that you must beg to be excused; for you are obliged to devote your mornings to Mr。 Harte; that I will have it so; and that you dare not do otherwise。  Lay it all upon me; though I am persuaded it will be as much your own inclination as it is mine。  But those frivolous; idle people; whose time hangs upon their own hands; and who desire to make others lose theirs too; are not to be reasoned with: and indeed it would be doing them too much honor。  The shortest civil answers are the best; I CANNOT; I DARE NOT; instead of I WILL NOT; for if you were to enter with them into the necessity of study end the usefulness of knowledge; it would only furnish them with matter for silly jests; which; though I would not have you mind; I would not have you invite。  I will suppose you at Rome studying six hours uninterruptedly with Mr。 Harte; every morning; and passing your evenings with the best company of Rome; observing their manners and forming your own; and I will suppose a number of idle; sauntering; illiterate English; as there commonly is there; living entirely with one another; supping; drinking; and sitting up late at each other's lodgings; commonly in riots and scrapes when drunk; and never in good company when sober。  I will take one of these pretty fellows; and give you the dialogue between him and yourself; such as; I dare say; it will be on his side; and such as; I hope; it will be on yours:

Englishman。  Will you come and breakfast with me tomorrow?  there will be four or five of our countrymen; we have provided chaises; and we will drive somewhere out of town after breakfast。

Stanhope。  I am very sorry I cannot; but I am obliged to be at home all morning。

Englishman。  Why; then; we will come and breakfast with you。

Stanhope。  I can't do that neither; I am engaged。

Englishman。  Well; then; let it be the next day。

Stanhope。  To tell you the truth; it can be no day in the morning; for I neither go out; nor see anybody at home before twelve。

Englishman。  And what the devil do you do with yourself till twelve o'clock?

Stanhope。  I am not by myself; I am with Mr。 Harte。

Englishman。  Then what the devil do you do with him?

Stanhope。  We study different things; we read; we converse。

Englishman。  Very pretty amusement indeed! Are you to take orders then?

Stanhope。  Yes; my father's orders; I believe I must take。

Englishman。  Why hast thou no more spirit; than to mind an old fellow a thousand miles off?

Stanhope。  If I don't mind his orders he won't mind my draughts。

Englishman。  What; does the old prig threaten then? threatened folks live long; never mind threats。

Stanhope。  No; I can't say that he has ever threatened me in his life; but I believe I had best not provoke him。

Englishman。  Pooh! you would have one angry letter from the old fellow; and there would be an end of it。

Stanhope。  You mistake him mightily; he always does more 
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