letters to his son, 1749-第6部分

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ld　otherwise　do；　let　your　intrinsic　merit　and　knowledge　be　ever　so　great。　　If　that　would　be　your　case　with　me；　as　it　really　would；　judge　how　much　worse　it　might　be　with　others；　who　have　not　the　same　affection　and　partiality　for　you；　and　to　whose　hearts　you　must　make　your　own　way。

Remember　to　write　to　me　constantly　while　you　are　in　Italy；　in　the　German　language　and　character；　till　you　can　write　to　me　in　Italian；　which　will　not　be　till　you　have　been　some　time　at　Rome。

Adieu；　my　dear　boy：　may　you　turn　out　what　Mr。　Harte　and　I　wish　you。　　I　must　add　that　if　you　do　not；　it　will　be　both　your　own　fault　and　your　own　misfortune。




LETTER　LXX

LONDON；　May　15；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　This　letter　will；　I　hope；　find　you　settled　to　your　serious　studies；　and　your　necessary　exercises　at　Turin；　after　the　hurry　and　the　dissipation　of　the　Carnival　at　Venice。　　I　mean　that　your　stay　at　Turin　should；　and　I　flatter　myself　that　it　will；　be　an　useful　and　ornamental　period　of　your　education；　but　at　the　same　time　I　must　tell　you；　that　all　my　affection　for　you　has　never　yet　given　me　so　much　anxiety；　as　that　which　I　now　feel。　　While　you　are　in　danger；　I　shall　be　in　fear；　and　you　are　in　danger　at　Turin。　　Mr。　Harte　will　by　his　care　arm　you　as　well　as　he　can　against　it；　but　your　own　good　sense　and　resolution　can　alone　make　you　invulnerable。　　I　am　informed；　there　are　now　many　English　at　the　Academy　at　Turin；　and　I　fear　those　are　just　so　many　dangers　for　you　to　encounter。　Who　they　are；　I　do　not　know；　but　I　well　know　the　general　ill　conduct；　the　indecent　behavior；　and　the　illiberal　views；　of　my　young　countrymen。　abroad；　especially　wherever　they　are　in　numbers　together。　　Ill　example　is　of　itself　dangerous　enough；　but　those　who　give　it　seldom　stop　there；　they　add　their　infamous　exhortations　and　invitations；　and；　if　they　fail；　they　have　recourse　to　ridicule；　which　is　harder　for　one　of　your　age　and　inexperience　to　withstand　than　either　of　the　former。　　Be　upon　your　guard；　therefore；　against　these　batteries；　which　will　all　be　played　upon　you。　You　are　not　sent　abroad　to　converse　with　your　own　countrymen：　among　them；　in　general；　you　will　get；　little　knowledge；　no　languages；　and；　I　am　sure；　no　manners。　　I　desire　that　you　will　form　no　connections；　nor　（what　they　impudently　call）　friendships　with　these　people；　which　are；　in　truth；　only　combinations　and　conspiracies　against　good　morals　and　good　manners。　There　is　commonly；　in　young　people；　a　facility　that　makes　them　unwilling　to　refuse　anything　that　is　asked　of　them；　a　'mauvaise　honte'　that　makes　them　ashamed　to　refuse；　and；　at　the　same　time；　an　ambition　of　pleasing　and　shining　in　the　company　they　keep：　these　several　causes　produce　the　best　effect　in　good　company；　but　the　very　worst　in　bad。　　If　people　had　no　vices　but　their　own；　few　would　have　so　many　as　they　have。　　For　my　own　part；　I　would　sooner　wear　other　people's　clothes　than　their　vices；　and　they　would　sit　upon　me　just　as　well。　　I　hope　you　will　have　none；　but　if　ever　you　have；　I　beg；　at　least；　they　may　be　all　your　own。　　Vices　of　adoption　are；　of　all　others；　the　most　disgraceful　and　unpardonable。　There　are　degrees　in　vices；　as　well　as　in　virtues；　and　I　must　do　my　countrymen　the　justice　to　say；　that　they　generally　take　their　vices　in　the　lower　degree。　　Their　gallantry　is　the　infamous　mean　debauchery　of　stews；　justly　attended　and　rewarded　by　the　loss　of　their　health；　as　well　as　their　character。　　Their　pleasures　of　the　table　end　in　beastly　drunkenness；　low　riot；　broken　windows；　and　very　often　（as　they　well　deserve）；　broken　bones。　　They　game　for　the　sake　of　the　vice；　not　of　the　amusement；　and　therefore　carry　it　to　excess；　undo；　or　are　undone　by　their　companions。　　By　such　conduct；　and　in　such　company　abroad；　they　come　home；　the　unimproved；　illiberal；　and　ungentlemanlike　creatures　that　one　daily　sees　them；　that　is；　in　the　park　and　in　the　streets；　for　one　never　meets　them　in　good　company；　where　they　have　neither　manners　to　present　themselves；　nor　merit　to　be　received。　　But；　with　the　manners　of　footmen　and　grooms；　they　assume　their　dress　too；　for　you　must　have　observed　them　in　the　streets　here；　in　dirty　blue　frocks；　with　oaken　sticks　in　their　ends；　and　their　hair　greasy　and　unpowdered；　tucked　up　under　their　hats　of　an　enormous　size。　　Thus　finished　and　adorned　by　their　travels；　they　become　the　disturbers　of　play…houses；　they　break　the　windows；　and　commonly　the　landlords；　of　the　taverns　where　they　drink；　and　are　at　once　the　support；　the　terror；　and　the　victims；　of　the　bawdy…houses　they　frequent。　　These　poor　mistaken　people　think　they　shine；　and　so　they　do　indeed；　but　it　is　as　putrefaction　shines　in　the　dark。

I　am　not　now　preaching　to　you；　like　an　old　fellow；　upon　their　religious　or　moral　texts；　I　am　persuaded　that　you　do　not　want　the　best　instructions　of　that　kind：　but　I　am　advising　you　as　a　friend；　as　a　man　of　the　world；　as　one　who　would　not　have　you　old　while　you　are　young；　but　would　have　you　to　take　all　the　pleasures　that　reason　points　out；　and　that　decency　warrants。　　I　will　therefore　suppose；　for　argument's　sake　（for　upon　no　other　account　can　it　be　supposed）；　that　all　the　vices　above　mentioned　were　perfectly　innocent　in　themselves：　they　would　still　degrade；　vilify；　and　sink　those　who　practiced　them；　would　obstruct　their　rising　in　the　world　by　debasing　their　characters；　and　give　them　low　turn　of　mind；　and　manners　absolutely　inconsistent　with　their　making　any　figure　in　upper　life　and　great　business。

What　I　have　now　said；　together　with　your　own　good　sense；　is；　I　hope；　sufficient　to　arm　you　against　the　seduction；　the　invitations；　or　the　profligate　exhortations　（for　I　cannot　call　them　temptations）　of　those　unfortunate　young　people。　　On　the　other　hand；　when　they　would　engage　you　in　these　schemes；　content　yourself　with　a　decent　but　steady　refusal；　avoid　controversy　upon　such　plain　points。　　You　are　too　young　to　convert　them；　and；　I　trust；　too　wise　to　be　converted　by　them。　　Shun　them　not　only　in　reality；　but　even　in　appearance；　if　you　would　be　well　received　in　good　company；　for　people　will　always　be　shy　of　receiving　a　man　who　comes　from　a　place　where　the　plague　rages；　let　him　look　ever　so　healthy。　　There　are　some　expressions；　both　in　French　and　English；　and　some　characters；　both　in　those　two　and　in　other　countries；　which　have；　I　dare　say；　misled　many　young　men　to　their　ruin。　　'Une　honnete　debauche；　une　jolie　debauche；　〃An　agreeable　rake；　a　man　of　pleasure。〃　　Do　not　think　that　this　means　debauchery　and　profligacy；　nothing　like　it。　　It　means；　at　most；　the　accidental　and　unfrequent　irregularities　of　youth　and　vivacity；　in　opposition　to　dullness；　formality；　and　want　of　spirit。　　A　'commerce　galant'；　insensibly　formed　with　a　woman　of　fashion；　a　glass　of　wine　or　two　too　much；　unwarily　taken　in　the　warmth　and　joy　of　good　company；　or　some　innocent　frolic；　by　which　nobody　is　injured；　are　the　utmost　bounds　of　that　life　of　pleasure；　which　a　man　of　sense　and　decency；　who　has　a　regard　for　his　character；　will　allow　himself；　or　be　allowed　by　others。　Those　who　transgress　them　in　the　hopes　of　shining；　miss　their　aim；　and　become　infamous；　or　at　least；　contemptible。

The　length　or　shortness　of　your　stay　at　Turin　will　sufficiently　inform　me　（even　though　Mr。　Harte　should　not）　of　your　conduct　there；　for；　as　I　have　told　you　before；　Mr。　Harte　has　the　strictest　orders　to　carry　you　away　immediately　from　thence；　upon　the　first　and　least　symptom　of　infection　that　he　discovers　about　you；　and　I　know　him　to　be　too　conscientiously　scrupulous；　and　too　much　your　friend　and　mine　not　to　execute　them　exactly。　　Moreover；　I　will　inform　you；　that　I　shall　have　constant　accounts　of　your　behavior　from　Comte　Salmour；　the　Governor　of　the　Academy；　whose　son　is　now　here；　and　my　particular　friend。　　I　have；　also；　other　good　channels　of　intelligence；　of　which　I　do　not　apprise　you。　　But；　supposing　that　all　turns　out　well　at　Turin；　yet；　as　I　propose　your　being　at　Rome　for　the　jubilee；　at　Christmas；　I　desire　that　you　will　apply　yourself　diligently　to　your　exercises　of　dancing；　fencing；　and　riding　at　the　Academy；　as　well　for　the　sake　of　your　health　and　growth；　as　to　fashion　and　supple　you。　　You　must　not　neglect　your　dress　neither；　but　take　care　to　be　'bien　mis'。　　Pray　send　for　the　best　operator　for　the　teeth　at　Turin；　where　I　suppose　there　is　some　famous　one；　and　let　him　put　yours　in　perfect　order；　and　then　take　care　to　keep　them　so；　afterward；　yourself。　　You　had　very　good　teeth；　and　I　hope　they　are　so　still；　but　even　those　who　have　bad　ones；　should　keep　them　clean；　for　a　dirty　mouth　is；　in　my　mind；　ill　manners。　　In　short；　neglect　nothing　that　can　possibly　please。　　A　thousand　nameless　little　things；　which　nobody　can　describe；　but　which　everybody　feels；　conspire　to　form　that　WHOLE　of　pleasing；　as　the　several　pieces　of　a　Mosaic　work　though；　separately；　of　little　beauty　or　value；　when　properly　joined；　form　those　beautiful　figures　which　please　everybody。　　A　look；　a　gesture；　an　attitude；　a　tone　of　voice；　all　bear　their　parts　in　the　great　work　of　pleasing。　　The　art　of　pleasing　is　more　particularly　necessary　in　your　intended　profession　than　perhaps　in　any　other；　it　is；　in　truth；　the　first　half　of　your　business；　for　if　you　do　not　please　the　court　you　are　sent　to；　you　will　be　of　very　little　use　to　the　court　you　are　sent　from。　　Please　t