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<h2> 1748 </h2>
<p>LETTER XXIV</p>
<p>January 2, O. S. 1748.</p>
<p>DEAR BOY: I am edified with the allotment of your time at Leipsig; which
is so well employed from morning till night, that a fool would say you had
none left for yourself; whereas, I am sure you have sense enough to know,
that such a right use of your time is having it all to yourself; nay, it
is even more, for it is laying it out to immense interest, which, in a
very few years, will amount to a prodigious capital.</p>
<p>Though twelve of your fourteen 'Commensaux' may not be the liveliest
people in the world, and may want (as I easily conceive that they do) 'le
ton de la bonne campagnie, et les graces', which I wish you, yet pray take
care not to express any contempt, or throw out any ridicule; which I can
assure you, is not more contrary to good manners than to good sense: but
endeavor rather to get all the good you can out of them; and something or
other is to be got out of everybody. They will, at least, improve you in
the German language; and, as they come from different countries, you may
put them upon subjects, concerning which they must necessarily be able to
give you some useful informations, let them be ever so dull or
disagreeable in general: they will know something, at least, of the laws,
customs, government, and considerable families of their respective
countries; all which are better known than not, and consequently worth
inquiring into. There is hardly any body good for every thing, and there
is scarcely any body who is absolutely good for nothing. A good chemist
will extract some spirit or other out of every substance; and a man of
parts will, by his dexterity and management, elicit something worth
knowing out of every being he converses with.</p>
<p>As you have been introduced to the Duchess of Courland, pray go there as
often as ever your more necessary occupations will allow you. I am told
she is extremely well bred, and has parts. Now, though I would not
recommend to you, to go into women's company in search of solid knowledge,
or judgment, yet it has its use in other respects; for it certainly
polishes the manners, and gives 'une certaine tournure', which is very
necessary in the course of the world; and which Englishmen have generally
less of than any people in the world.</p>
<p>I cannot say that your suppers are luxurious, but you must own they are
solid; and a quart of soup, and two pounds of potatoes, will enable you to
pass the night without great impatience for your breakfast next morning.
One part of your supper (the potatoes) is the constant diet of my old
friends and countrymen,—[Lord Chesterfield, from the time he was
appointed Lord-lieutenant of Ireland, 1775, used always to call the Irish
his countrymen.]—the Irish, who are the healthiest and the strongest
bodies of men that I know in Europe.</p>
<p>As I believe that many of my letters to you and to Mr. Harte have
miscarried, as well as some of yours and his to me; particularly one of
his from Leipsig, to which he refers in a subsequent one, and which I
never received; I would have you, for the future, acknowledge the dates of
all the letters which either of you shall receive from me; and I will do
the same on my part.</p>
<p>That which I received by the last mail, from you, was of the 25th
November, N. S.; the mail before that brought me yours, of which I have
forgot the date, but which inclosed one to Lady Chesterfield: she will
answer it soon, and, in the mean time, thanks you for it.</p>
<p>My disorder was only a very great cold, of which I am entirely recovered.
You shall not complain for want of accounts from Mr. Grevenkop, who will
frequently write you whatever passes here, in the German language and
character; which will improve you in both. Adieu.</p>
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<h2> LETTER XXV </h2>
<h3> LONDON, January 15, O. S. 1748. </h3>
<p>DEAR BOY: I willingly accept the new-year's gift which you promise me for
next year; and the more valuable you make it, the more thankful I shall
be. That depends entirely upon you; and therefore I hope to be presented,
every year, with a new edition of you, more correct than the former, and
considerably enlarged and amended.</p>
<p>Since you do not care to be an assessor of the imperial chamber, and that
you desire an establishment in England; what do you think of being Greek
Professor at one of our universities? It is a very pretty sinecure, and
requires very little knowledge (much less than, I hope, you have already)
of that language. If you do not approve of this, I am at a loss to know
what else to propose to you; and therefore desire that you will inform me
what sort of destination you propose for yourself; for it is now time to
fix it, and to take our measures accordingly. Mr. Harte tells me that you
set up for a—————; if so, I presume it is in
the view of succeeding me in my office;—[A secretary of state.]—which
I will very willingly resign to you, whenever you shall call upon me for
it. But, if you intend to be the————, or the—————-,
there are some trifling circumstances upon which you should previously
take your resolution. The first of which is, to be fit for it: and then,
in order to be so, make yourself master of ancient and, modern history,
and languages. To know perfectly the constitution, and form of government
of every nation; the growth and the decline of ancient and modern empires;
and to trace out and reflect upon the causes of both. To know the
strength, the riches, and the commerce of every country. These little
things, trifling as they may seem, are yet very necessary for a politician
to know; and which therefore, I presume, you will condescend to apply
yourself to. There are some additional qualifications necessary, in the
practical part of business, which may deserve some consideration in your
leisure moments; such as, an absolute command of your temper, so as not to
be provoked to passion, upon any account; patience, to hear frivolous,
impertinent, and unreasonable applications; with address enough to refuse,
without offending, or, by your manner of granting, to double the
obligation; dexterity enough to conceal a truth without telling a lie;
sagacity enough to read other people's countenances; and serenity enough
not to let them discover anything by yours; a seeming frankness with a
real reserve. These are the rudiments of a politician; the world must be
your grammar.</p>
<p>Three mails are now due from Holland; so that I have no letters from you
to acknowledge. I therefore conclude with recommending myself to your
favor and protection when you succeed. Yours.</p>
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<h2> LETTER XXVI </h2>
<h3> LONDON, January 29, O. S. 1748. </h3>
<p>DEAR BOY: I find, by Mr. Harte's last letter, that many of my letters to
you and him, have been frozen up on their way to Leipsig; the thaw has, I
suppose, by this time, set them at liberty to pursue their journey to you,
and you will receive a glut of them at once. Hudibras alludes, in this
verse,</p>
<p>"Like words congealed in northern air,"<br/></p>
<p>to a vulgar notion, that in Greenland words were frozen in their
utterance; and that upon a thaw, a very mixed conversation was heard in
the air, of all those words set at liberty. This conversation was, I
presume, too various and extensive to be much attended to: and may not
that be the case of half a dozen of my long letters, when you receive them
all at once? I think that I can, eventually, answer that question, thus:
If you consider my letters in their true light, as conveying to you the
advice of a friend, who sincerely wishes your happiness, and desires to
promote your pleasure, you will both read and attend to them; but, if you
consider them in their opposite, and very false light, as the dictates of
a morose and sermonizing father, I am sure they will be not only
unattended to, but unread. Which is the case, you can best tell me. Advice
is seldom welcome; and those who want it the most always like it the
least. I hope that your want of experience, of which you must be
conscious, will convince you, that you want advice; and that your good
sense will incline you to follow it.</p>
<p>Tell me how you pass your leisure hours at Leipsig; I know you have not
many; and I have too good an opinion of you to think, that, at this age,
you would desire more. Have you assemblies, or public spectacles? and of
what kind are they? Whatever they are, see them all; seeing everything, is
the only way not to admire anything too much.</p>
<p>If you ever take up little tale-books, to amuse you by snatches, I will
recommend two French books, which I have already mentioned; they will
entertain you, and not without some use to your mind and your manners. One
is, 'La Maniere de bien penser dans les Ouvrages d'Esprit', written by
Pere Bouhours; I believe you read it once in England, with Monsieur
Coderc; but I think that you will do well to read it again, as I know of
no book that will form your taste better. The other is, 'L'Art de plaire
dans la Conversation', by the Abbe de Bellegarde, and is by no means
useless, though I will not pretend to say, that the art of pleasing can be
reduced to a receipt; if it could, I am sure that receipt would be worth
purchasing at any price. Good sense, and good nature, are the principal
ingredients; and your own observation, and the good advice of others, must
give the right color and taste to it. Adieu! I shall always love you as
you shall deserve.</p>
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