第 5 节
作者:不受约束      更新:2021-02-18 23:52      字数:9322
  time。  Do not imagine that I mean by this; that you should attend to and
  plod at your book all day long; far from it; I mean that you should have
  your pleasures too; and that you should attend to them for the time; as
  much as to your studies; and; if you do not attend equally to both; you
  will neither have improvement nor satisfaction from either。  A man is fit
  for neither business nor pleasure; who either cannot; or does not;
  command and direct his attention to the present object; and; in some
  degree; banish for that time all other objects from his thoughts。  If at
  a ball; a supper; or a party of pleasure; a man were to be solving;
  in his own mind; a problem in Euclid; he would be a very bad companion;
  and make a very poor figure in that company; or if; in studying a problem
  in his closet; he were to think of a minuet; I am apt to believe that he
  would make a very poor mathematician。  There is time enough for
  everything; in the course of the day; if you do but one thing at once;
  but there is not time enough in the year; if you will do two things at a
  time。  The Pensionary de Witt; who was torn to pieces in the year 1672;
  did the whole business of the Republic; and yet had time left to go to
  assemblies in the evening; and sup in company。  Being asked how he could
  possibly find time to go through so much business; and yet amuse himself
  in the evenings as he did; he answered; there was nothing so easy; for
  that it was only doing one thing at a time; and never putting off
  anything till to…morrow that could be done to…day。  This steady and
  undissipated attention to one object is a sure mark of a superior genius;
  as hurry; bustle; and agitation are the never…failing symptoms of a weak
  and frivolous mind。  When you read Horace; attend to the justness of his
  thoughts; the happiness of his diction; and the beauty of his poetry; and
  do not think of Puffendorf de Homine el Cive; and; when you are reading
  Puffendorf; do not think of Madame de St。 Germain; nor of Puffendorf;
  when you are talking to Madame de St。 Germain。
  Mr。 Harte informs me; that he has reimbursed you of part of your losses
  in Germany; and I consent to his reimbursing you of the whole; now that I
  know you deserve it。  I shall grudge you nothing; nor shall you want
  anything that you desire; provided you deserve it; so that you see; it is
  in your own power to have whatever you please。
  There is a little book which you read here with Monsieur Codere entitled;
  'Maniere de bien penser dans les Ouvrages d'Esprit;' written by Pyre
  Bonhours。  I wish you would read this book again at your leisure hours;
  for it will not only divert you; but likewise form your taste; and give
  you a just manner of thinking。  Adieu!
  LETTER X
  LONDON; June 30; O。 S。  1747
  DEAR BOY: I was extremely pleased with the account which you gave me in
  your last; of the civilities that you received in your Swiss progress;
  and I have written; by this post; to Mr。 Burnaby; and to the 'Avoyer;'
  to thank them for their parts。  If the attention you met with pleased
  you; as I dare say it did; you will; I hope; draw this general conclusion
  from it; that attention and civility please all those to whom they are
  paid; and that you will please others in proportion as you are attentive
  and civil to them。
  Bishop Burnet has wrote his travels through Switzerland; and Mr。 Stanyan;
  from a long residence there; has written the best account; yet extant;
  of the Thirteen Cantons; but those books will be read no more; I presume;
  after you shall have published your account of that country。  I hope you
  will favor me with one of the first copies。  To be serious; though I do
  not desire that you should immediately turn author; and oblige the world
  with your travels; yet; wherever you go; I would have you as curious and
  inquisitive as if you did intend to write them。  I do not mean that you
  should give yourself so much trouble; to know the number of houses;
  inhabitants; signposts; and tombstones; of every town that you go
  through; but that you should inform yourself; as well as your stay will
  permit you; whether the town is free; or to whom it belongs; or in what
  manner: whether it has any peculiar privileges or customs; what trade or
  manufactures; and such other particulars as people of sense desire to
  know。  And there would be no manner of harm if you were to take
  memorandums of such things in a paper book to help your memory。  The only
  way of knowing all these things is to keep the best company; who can best
  inform you of them。  I am just now called away; so good night。
  LETTER XI
  LONDON; July 20; O。 S。  1747
  DEAR BOY:  In your Mamma's letter; which goes here inclosed; you will
  find one from my sister; to thank you for the Arquebusade water which you
  sent her; and which she takes very kindly。  She would not show me her
  letter to you; but told me that it contained good wishes and good advice;
  and; as I know she will show your letter in answer to hers; I send you
  here inclosed the draught of the letter which I would have you write to
  her。  I hope you will not be offended at my offering you my assistance
  upon this occasion; because; I presume; that as yet; you are not much
  used to write to ladies。  'A propos' of letter…writing; the best models
  that you can form yourself upon are; Cicero; Cardinal d'Ossat; Madame
  Sevigne; and Comte Bussy Rebutin。  Cicero's Epistles to Atticus; and to
  his familiar friends; are the best examples that you can imitate; in the
  friendly and the familiar style。  The simplicity and the clearness of
  Cardinal d'Ossat's letters show how letters of business ought to be
  written; no affected turns; no attempts at wit; obscure or perplex his
  matter; which is always plainly and clearly stated; as business always
  should be。  For gay and amusing letters; for 'enjouement and badinage;'
  there are none that equal Comte Bussy's and Madame Sevigne's。  They are
  so natural; that they seem to be the extempore conversations of two
  people of wit; rather; than letters which are commonly studied; though
  they ought not to be so。  I would advise you to let that book be one in
  your itinerant library; it will both amuse and inform you。
  I have not time to add any more now; so good night。
  LETTER XII
  LONDON; July 30; O。 S。  1747
  DEAR BOY: It is now four posts since I have received any letter; either
  from you or from Mr。 Harte。  I impute this to the rapidity of your
  travels through Switzerland; which I suppose are by this time finished。
  You will have found by my late letters; both to you and Mr。 Harte; that
  you are to be at Leipsig by next Michaelmas; where you will be lodged in
  the house of Professor Mascow; and boarded in the neighborhood of it;
  with some young men of fashion。  The professor will read you lectures
  upon 'Grotius de Jure Belli et Pacis;' the 'Institutes of Justinian' and
  the 'Jus Publicum Imperii;' which I expect that you shall not only hear;
  but attend to; and retain。  I also expect that you make yourself
  perfectly master of the German language; which you may very soon do
  there; if you please。  I give you fair warning; that at Leipsig I shall
  have an hundred invisible spies about you; and shall be exactly informed
  of everything that you do; and of almost everything that you say。  I hope
  that; in consequence of those minute informations; I may be able to say
  of you; what Velleius Paterculus says of Scipio; that in his whole life;
  'nihil non laudandum aut dixit; aut fecit; aut sensit。'  There is a great
  deal of good company in Leipsig; which I would have you frequent in the
  evenings; when the studies of the day are over。  There is likewise a kind
  of court kept there; by a Duchess Dowager of Courland; at which you
  should get introduced。  The King of Poland and his Court go likewise to
  the fair at Leipsig twice a year; and I shall write to Sir Charles
  Williams; the king's minister there; to have you presented; and
  introduced into good company。  But I must remind you; at the same time;
  that it will be to a very little purpose for you to frequent good
  company; if you do not conform to; and learn their manners; if you are
  not attentive to please; and well bred; with the easiness of a man of
  fashion。  As you must attend to your manners; so you must not neglect
  your person; but take care to be very clean; well dressed; and genteel;
  to have no disagreeable attitudes; nor awkward tricks; which many people
  use themselves to; and then cannot leave them off。  Do you take care to
  keep your teeth very clean; by washing them constantly every morning; and
  after every meal?  This is very necessary; both to preserve your teeth a
  great while; and to save you a great deal of pain。  Mine have plagued me
  long; and are now falling out; merely from want of care when I was your
  age。  Do you dress well; and not too well?  Do you consider your air and
  manner of presenting yourself enough; and not too much?  Neither
  negligent nor stiff?  All these things deserve a degree of care;
  a second…rate attention; they give an additional lustre to real merit。
  My Lord Bacon says; that a pleasing figure is a perpetual letter of
  recommendation。  It is certainly an agreeable forerunner of merit; and
  smooth