letters to his son, 1749-第10部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

　a　great　way；　and　that　armor　is　very　much　at　your　service；　if　you　please　to　wear　it。　　I　premise　that　it　is　not　my　imagination；　but　my　memory；　that　gives　you　these　rules：　I　am　not　writing　pretty；　but　useful　reflections。　A　man　of　sense　soon　discovers；　because　he　carefully　observes；　where；　and　how　long；　he　is　welcome；　and　takes　care　to　leave　the　company；　at　least　as　soon　as　he　is　wished　out　of　it。　　Fools　never　perceive　where　they　are　either　ill…timed　or　illplaced。

I　am　this　moment　agreeably　stopped；　in　the　course　of　my　reflections；　by　the　arrival　of　Mr。　Harte's　letter　of　the　13th　July；　N。　S。；　to　Mr。　Grevenkop；　with　one　inclosed　for　your　Mamma。　　I　find　by　it　that　many　of　his　and　your　letters　to　me　must　have　miscarried；　for　he　says　that　I　have　had　regular　accounts　of　you：　whereas　all　those　accounts　have　been　only　his　letter　of　the　6th　and　yours　of　the　7th　June；　N。　S。；　his　of　the　20th　June；　N。　S。；　to　me；　and　now　his　of　the　13th　July；　N。　S。；　to　Mr。　Grevenkop。　　However；　since　you　are　so　well；　as　Mr。　Harte　says　you　are；　all　is　well。　　I　am　extremely　glad　that　you　have　no　complaint　upon　your　lungs；　but　I　desire　that　you　will　think　you　have；　for　three　or　four　months　to　come。　　Keep　in　a　course　of　asses'　or　goats'　milk；　for　one　is　as　good　as　the　other；　and　possibly　；the　latter　is　the　best；　and　let　your　common　food　be　as　pectoral　as　you　can　conveniently　make　it。　　Pray　tell　Mr。　Harte　that；　according　to　his　desire；　I　have　wrote　a　letter　of　thanks　to　Mr。　Firmian。　　I　hope　you　write　to　him　too；　from　time　to　time。　　The　letters　of　recommendation　of　a　man　of　his　merit　and　learning　will；　to　be　sure；　be　of　great　use　to　you　among　the　learned　world　in　Italy；　that　is；　provided　you　take　care　to　keep　up　to　the　character　he　gives　you　in　them；　otherwise　they　will　only　add　to　your　disgrace。

Consider　that　you　have　lost　a　good　deal　of　time　by　your　illness；　fetch　it　up　now　that　you　are　well。　　At　present　you　should　be　a　good　economist　of　your　moments；　of　which　company　and　sights　will　claim　a　considerable　share；　so　that　those　which　remain　for　study　must　be　not　only　attentively；　but　greedily　employed。　　But　indeed　I　do　not　suspect　you　of　one　single　moment's　idleness　in　the　whole　day。　　Idleness　is　only　the　refuge　of　weak　minds；　and　the　holiday　of　fools。　　I　do　not　call　good　company　and　liberal　pleasures；　idleness；　far　from　it：　I　recommend　to　you　a　good　share　of　both。

I　send　you　here　inclosed　a　letter　for　Cardinal　Alexander　Albani；　which　you　will　give　him；　as　soon　as　you　get　to　Rome；　and　before　you　deliver　any　others；　the　Purple　expects　that　preference；　go　next　to　the　Duc　de　Nivernois；　to　whom　you　are　recommended　by　several　people　at　Paris；　as　well　as　by　myself。　　Then　you　may　carry　your　other　letters　occasionally。

Remember　to　pry　narrowly　into　every　part　of　the　government　of　Venice：　inform　yourself　of　the　history　of　that　republic；　especially　of　its　most　remarkable　eras；　such　as　the　Ligue　de　eambray；　in　1509；　by　which　it　had　like　to　have　been　destroyed；　and　the　conspiracy　formed　by　the　Marquis　de　Bedmar；　the　Spanish　Ambassador；　to　subject　it　to　the　Crown　of　Spain。　　The　famous　disputes　between　that　republic　and　the　Pope　are　worth　your　knowledge；　and　the　writings　of　the　celebrated　and　learned　Fra　Paolo　di　Sarpi；　upon　that　occasion；　worth　your　reading。　　It　was　once　the　greatest　commercial　power　in　Europe；　and　in　the　14th　and　15th　centuries　made　a　considerable　figure；　but　at　present　its　commerce　is　decayed；　and　its　riches　consequently　decreased；　and；　far　from　meddling　now　with　the　affairs　of　the　Continent；　it　owes　its　security　to　its　neutrality　and　inefficiency；　and　that　security　will　last　no　longer　than　till　one　of　the　great　Powers　in　Europe　engrosses　the　rest　of　Italy；　an　event　which　this　century　possibly　may；　but　which　the　next　probably　will　see。

Your　friend　Comte　d'Ensiedlen　and　his　governor；　have　been　with　me　this　moment；　and　delivered　me　your　letter　from　Berlin；　of　February　the　28th；　N。　S。　　I　like　them　both　so　well　that　I　am　glad　you　did；　and　still　gladder　to　hear　what　they　say　of　you。　　Go　on；　and　continue　to　deserve　the　praises　of　those　who　deserve　praises　themselves。　　Adieu。

I　break　open　this　letter　to　acknowledge　yours　of　the　30th　June；　N。　S。；　which　I　have　but　this　instant　received；　though　thirteen　days　antecedent　in　date　to　Mr。　Harte's　last。　　I　never　in　my　life　heard　of　bathing　four　hours　a　day；　and　I　am　impatient　to　hear　of　your　safe　arrival　at　Venice；　after　so　extraordinary　an　operation。




LETTER　LXXVI

LONDON；　July　30；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　Mr。　Harte's　letters　and　yours　drop　in　upon　me　most　irregularly；　for　I　received；　by　the　last　post；　one　from　Mr。　Harte；　of　the　9th；　N。　S。；　and　that　which　Mr。　Grevenkop　had　received　from　him；　the　post　before；　was　of　the　13th；　at　last；　I　suppose；　I　shall　receive　them　all。

I　am　very　glad　that　my　letter；　with　Dr。　Shaw's　opinion；　has　lessened　your　bathing；　for　since　I　was　born；　I　never　heard　of　bathing　four　hours　a…day；　which　would　surely　be　too　much；　even　in　Medea's　kettle；　if　you　wanted　（as　you　do　not　yet）　new　boiling。

Though；　in　that　letter　of　mine；　I　proposed　your　going　to　Inspruck；　it　was　only　in　opposition　to　Lausanne；　which　I　thought　much　too　long　and　painful　a　journey　for　you；　but　you　will　have　found；　by　my　subsequent　letters；　that　I　entirely　approved　of　Venice；　where　I　hope　you　have　now　been　some　time；　and　which　is　a　much　better　place　for　you　to　reside　at；　till　you　go　to　Naples；　than　either　Tieffer　or　Laubach。　　I　love　capitals　extremely；　it　is　in　capitals　that　the　best　company　is　always　to　be　found；　and　consequently；　the　best　manners　to　be　learned。　　The　very　best　provincial　places　have　some　awkwardness；　that　distinguish　their　manners　from　those　of　the　metropolis。　　'A　propos'　of　capitals；　I　send　you　here　two　letters　of　recommendation　to　Naples；　from　Monsieur　Finochetti；　the　Neapolitan　Minister　at　The　Hague；　and　in　my　next　I　shall　send　you　two　more；　from　the　same　person；　to　the　same　place。

I　have　examined　Comte　d'Einsiedlen　so　narrowly　concerning　you；　that　I　have　extorted　from　him　a　confession　that　you　do　not　care　to　speak　German；　unless　to　such　as　understand　no　other　language。　　At　this　rate；　you　will　never　speak　it　well；　which　I　am　very　desirous　that　you　should　do；　and　of　which　you　would；　in　time；　find　the　advantage。　　Whoever　has　not　the　command　of　a　language；　and　does　not　speak　it　with　facility；　will　always　appear　below　himself　when　he　converses　in　that　language；　the　want　of　words　and　phrases　will　cramp　and　lame　his　thoughts。　　As　you　now　know　German　enough　to　express　yourself　tolerably；　speaking　it　very　often　will　soon　make　you　speak　it　very　well：　and　then　you　will　appear　in　it　whatever　you　are。　　What　with　your　own　Saxon　servant　and　the　swarms　of　Germans　you　will　meet　with　wherever　you　go；　you　may　have　opportunities　of　conversing　in　that　language　half　the　day；　and　I　do　very　seriously　desire　that　you　will；　or　else　all　the　pains　that　you　have　already　taken　about　it　are　lost。　　You　will　remember　likewise；　that；　till　you　can　write　in　Italian；　you　are　always　to　write　to　me　in　German。

Mr。　Harte's　conjecture　concerning　your　distemper　seems　to　be　a　very　reasonable　one；　it　agrees　entirely　with　mine；　which　is　the　universal　rule　by　which　every　man　judges　of　another　man's　opinion。　　But；　whatever　may　have　been　the　cause　of　your　rheumatic　disorder；　the　effects　are　still　to　be　attended　to；　and　as　there　must　be　a　remaining　acrimony　in　your　blood；　you　ought　to　have　regard　to　that；　in　your　common　diet　as　well　as　in　your　medicines；　both　which　should　be　of　a　sweetening　alkaline　nature；　and　promotive　of　perspiration。　　Rheumatic　complaints　are　very　apt　to　return；　and　those　returns　would　be　very　vexatious　and　detrimental　to　you；　at　your　age；　and　in　your　course　of　travels。　　Your　time　is；　now　particularly；　inestimable；　and　every　hour　of　it；　at　present；　worth　more　than　a　year　will　be　to　you　twenty　years　hence。　　You　are　now　laying　the　foundation　of　your　future　character　and　fortune；　and　one　single　stone　wanting　in　that　foundation　is　of　more　consequence　than　fifty　in　the　superstructure；　which　can　always　be　mended　and　embellished　if　the　foundation　is　solid。　　To　carry　on　the　metaphor　of　building：　I　would　wish　you　to　be　a　Corinthian　edifice　upon　a　Tuscan　foundation；　the　latter　having　the　utmost　strength　and　solidity　to　support；　and　the　former　all　possible　ornaments　to　decorate。　　The　Tuscan　column　is　coarse；　clumsy；　and　unpleasant；　nobody　looks　at　it　twice；　the　Corinthian　fluted　column　is　beautiful　and　attractive；　but　without　a　solid　foundation；　can　hardly　be　seen　twice；　because　it　must　soon　tumble　down。　　Yours　affectionately。




LETTER　LXXVII

LONDON；　August　7；　O。　S。　　1749。

DEAR　BOY：　By　Mr。　Harte's　letter　to　me　of　the　18th　July　N。　S。；　which　I　received　by　the　last　post；　I　am　at　length　informed　of　the　particulars　both　of　your　past　distemper；　and　of　your　future　motions。　　As　to　the　former；　I　am　now　convinced；　and　so　is　Dr。　Shaw；　that　your　lungs　were　only　symptomatically　affected；　and　that　the　rheumatic　tendency　is　what　you　are　chiefly　now　to　guard　against；　but　（for　greater　security）　with　due　attention　still　to　your　lungs；　as　if　they　had　been；　and　still　were；　a　little　affected。　　In　either　case；　a　cooling；　pectoral　regimen　is　equally　good。　　By　cooling；　I　mean　cooling　in　its　consequences；　not　cold　to　the　palate；　for　not