第 5 节
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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