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letters to his son, 1749-第15部分

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we see plainly neither hears; minds; or understands us。  Moreover; I aver that no man is; in any degree; fit for either business or conversation; who cannot and does not direct and command his attention to the present object; be that what it will。  You know; by experience; that I grudge no expense in your education; but I will positively not keep you a Flapper。  You may read; in Dr。 Swift; the description of these flappers; and the use they were of to your friends the Laputans; whose minds (Gulliver says) are so taken up with intense speculations; that they neither can speak nor attend to the discourses of others; without being roused by some external traction upon the organs of speech and hearing; for which reason; those people who are able to afford it; always keep a flapper in their family; as one of their domestics; nor ever walk about; or make visits without him。  This flapper is likewise employed diligently to attend his master in his walks; and; upon occasion; to give a soft flap upon his eyes; because he is always so wrapped up in cogitation; that he is in manifest danger of falling down every precipice; and bouncing his head against every post; and; in the streets; of jostling others; or being jostled into the kennel himself。  If CHRISTIAN will undertake this province into the bargain; with all my heart; but I will not allow him any increase of wages upon that score。  In short; I give you fair warning; that; when we meet; if you are absent in mind; I will soon be absent in body; for it will be impossible for me to stay in the room; and if at table you throw down your knife; plate; bread; etc。; and hack the wing of a chicken for half an hour; without being able to cut it off; and your sleeve all the time in another dish; I must rise from the table to escape the fever you would certainly give me。  Good God! how I should be shocked; if you came into my room; for the first time; with two left legs; presenting yourself with all the graces and dignity of a tailor; and your clothes hanging upon you; like those in Monmouth street; upon tenter…hooks! whereas; I expect; nay; require; to see you present yourself with the easy and genteel air of a man of fashion; who has kept good company。  I expect you not only well dressed but very well dressed; I expect a gracefulness in all your motions; and something particularly engaging in your address; All this I expect; and all this it is in your power; by care and attention; to make me find; but to tell you the plain truth; if I do not find it; we shall not converse very much together; for I cannot stand inattention and awkwardness; it would endanger my health。  You have often seen; and I have as often made you observe L's distinguished inattention and awkwardness。  Wrapped up; like a Laputan; in intense thought; and possibly sometimes in no thought at all (which; I believe; is very often the case with absent people); he does not know his most intimate acquaintance by sight; or answers them as if he were at cross purposes。  He leaves his hat in one room; his sword in another; and would leave his shoes in a third; if his buckles; though awry; did not save them: his legs and arms; by his awkward management of them; seem to have undergone the question extraordinaire; and his head; always hanging upon one or other of his shoulders; seems to have received the first stroke upon a block。  I sincerely value and esteem him for his parts; learning; and virtue; but; for the soul of me; I cannot love him in company。  This will be universally the case; in common life; of every inattentive; awkward man; let his real merit and knowledge be ever so great。  When I was of your age; I desired to shine; as far as I was able; in every part of life; and was as attentive to my manners; my dress; and my air; in company of evenings; as to my books and my tutor in the mornings。  A young fellow should be ambitious to shine in everythingand; of the two; always rather overdo than underdo。  These things are by no means trifles: they are of infinite consequence to those who are to be thrown into the great world; and who would make a figure or a fortune in it。  It is not sufficient to deserve well; one must please well too。  Awkward; disagreeable merit will never carry anybody far。  Wherever you find a good dancing…master; pray let him put you upon your haunches; not so much for the sake of dancing; as for coming into a room; and presenting yourself genteelly and gracefully。  Women; whom you ought to endeavor to please; cannot forgive vulgar and awkward air and gestures; 'il leur faut du brillant'。  The generality of men are pretty like them; and are equally taken by the same exterior graces。

I am very glad that you have received the diamond buckles safe; all I desire in return for them is; that they may be buckled even upon your feet; and that your stockings may not hide them。  I should be sorry that you were an egregious fop; but; I protest; that of the two; I would rather have you a fop than a sloven。  I think negligence in my own dress; even at my age; when certainly I expect no advantages from my dress; would be indecent with regard to others。  I have done with fine clothes; but I will have my plain clothes fit me; and made like other people's: In the evenings; I recommend to you the company of women of fashion; who have a right to attention and will be paid it。  Their company will smooth your manners; and give you a habit of attention and respect; of which you will find the advantage among men。

My plan for you; from the beginning; has been to make you shine equally in the learned and in the polite world; the former part is almost completed to my wishes; and will; I am persuaded; in a little time more; be quite so。  The latter part is still in your power to complete; and I flatter myself that you will do it; or else the former part will avail you very little; especially in your department; where the exterior address and graces do half the business; they must be the harbingers of your merit; or your merit will be very coldly received; all can; and do judge of the former; few of the latter。

Mr。 Harte tells me that you have grown very much since your illness; if you get up to five feet ten; or even nine inches; your figure will probably be a good one; and if well dressed and genteel; will probably please; which is a much greater advantage to a man than people commonly think。  Lord Bacon calls it a letter of recommendation。

I would wish you to be the omnis homo; 'l'homme universel'。  You are nearer it; if you please; than ever anybody was at your age; and if you will but; for the course of this next year only; exert your whole attention to your studies in the morning; and to your address; manners; air and tournure in the evenings; you will be the man I wish you; and the man that is rarely seen。

Our letters go; at best; so irregularly; and so often miscarry totally; that for greater security I repeat the same things。  So; though I acknowledged by last post Mr。 Harte's letter of the 8th September; N。 S。; I acknowledge it again by this to you。  If this should find you still at Verona; let it inform you that I wish you would set out soon for Naples; unless Mr。 Harte should think it better for you to stay at Verona; or any other place on this side Rome; till you go there for the Jubilee。  Nay; if he likes it better; I am very willing that you should go directly from Verona to Rome; for you cannot have too much of Rome; whether upon account of the language; the curiosities; or the company。  My only reason for mentioning Naples; is for the sake of the climate; upon account of your health; but if Mr。 Harte thinks that your health is now so well restored as to be above climate; he may steer your course wherever he thinks proper: and; for aught I know; your going directly to Rome; and consequently staying there so much the longer; may be as well as anything else。  I think you and I cannot put our affairs in better hands than in Mr。 Harte's; and I will stake his infallibility against the Pope's; with some odds on his side。  Apropos of the Pope: remember to be presented to him before you leave Rome; and go through the necessary ceremonies for it; whether of kissing his slipper or his b…h; for I would never deprive myself of anything that I wanted to do or see; by refusing to comply with an established custom。  When I was in Catholic countries; I never declined kneeling in their churches at the elevation; nor elsewhere; when the Host went by。  It is a complaisance due to the custom of the place; and by no means; as some silly people have imagined; an implied approbation of their doctrine。  Bodily attitudes and situations are things so very indifferent in themselves; that I would quarrel with nobody about them。  It may; indeed; be improper for Mr。 Harte to pay that tribute of complaisance; upon account of his character。

This letter is a very long; and possibly a very tedious one; but my anxiety for your perfection is so great; and particularly at this critical and decisive period of your life; that I am only afraid of omitting; but never of repeating; or dwelling too long upon anything that I think may be of the least use to you。  Have the same anxiety for yourself; that I have for you; and all will do well。  Adieu! my dear 
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