<p><SPAN name="link2H_4_0071" id="link2H_4_0071"></SPAN></p>
<h2> LETTER LXIX </h2>
<h3> LONDON, April 27, O. S. 1749. </h3>
<p>DEAR BOY: I have received your letter from Vienna, of the 19th N. S.,
which gives me great uneasiness upon Mr. Harte's account. You and I have
reason to interest ourselves very particularly in everything that relates
to him. I am glad, however, that no bone is broken or dislocated; which
being the case, I hope he will have been able to pursue his journey to
Venice. In that supposition I direct this letter to you at Turin; where it
will either find, or at least not wait very long for you, as I calculate
that you will be there by the end of next month, N. S. I hope you reflect
how much you have to do there, and that you are determined to employ every
moment of your time accordingly. You have your classical and severer
studies to continue with Mr. Harte; you have your exercises to learn; the
turn and manners of a court to acquire; reserving always some time for the
decent amusements and pleasures of a gentleman. You see I am never against
pleasures; I loved them myself when I was of your age, and it is as
reasonable that you should love them now. But I insist upon it that
pleasures are very combinable with both business and studies, and have a
much better relish from the mixture. The man who cannot join business and
pleasure is either a formal coxcomb in the one, or a sensual beast in the
other. Your evenings I therefore allot for company, assemblies, balls, and
such sort of amusements, as I look upon those to be the best schools for
the manners of a gentleman; which nothing can give but use, observation,
and experience. You have, besides, Italian to learn, to which I desire you
will diligently apply; for though French is, I believe, the language of
the court at Turin, yet Italian will be very necessary for you at Rome,
and in other parts of Italy; and if you are well grounded in it while you
are at Turin (as you easily may, for it is a very easy language), your
subsequent stay at Rome will make you perfect in it. I would also have you
acquire a general notion of fortification; I mean so far as not to be
ignorant of the terms, which you will often hear mentioned in company,
such as ravelin, bastion; glacis, contrescarpe, etc. In order to this, I
do not propose that you should make a study of fortification, as if you
were to be an engineer, but a very easy way of knowing as much as you need
know of them, will be to visit often the fortifications of Turin, in
company with some old officer or engineer, who will show and explain to
you the several works themselves; by which means you will get a clearer
notion of them than if you were to see them only upon paper for seven
years together. Go to originals whenever you can, and trust to copies and
descriptions as little as possible. At your idle hours, while you are at
Turin, pray read the history of the House of Savoy, which has produced a
great many very great men. The late king, Victor Amedee, was undoubtedly
one, and the present king is, in my opinion, another. In general, I
believe that little princes are more likely to be great men than those
whose more extensive dominions and superior strength flatter them with a
security, which commonly produces negligence and indolence. A little
prince, in the neighborhood of great ones, must be alert and look out
sharp, if he would secure his own dominions: much more still if he would
enlarge them. He must watch for conjunctures or endeavor to make them. No
princes have ever possessed this art better than those of the House of
Savoy; who have enlarged their dominions prodigiously within a century by
profiting of conjunctures.</p>
<p>I send you here inclosed a letter from Comte Lascaris, who is a warm
friend of yours: I desire that you will answer it very soon and cordially,
and remember to make your compliments in it to Comte du Perron. A young
man should never be wanting in those attentions; they cost little and
bring in a great deal, by getting you people's good word and affection.
They gain the heart, to which I have always advised you to apply yourself
particularly; it guides ten thousand for one that, reason influences.</p>
<p>I cannot end this letter or (I believe) any other, without repeating my
recommendation of THE GRACES. They are to be met with at Turin: for God's
sake, sacrifice to them, and they will be propitious. People mistake
grossly, to imagine that the least awkwardness, either in matter or
manner, mind or body, is an indifferent thing and not worthy of attention.
It may possibly be a weakness in me, but in short we are all so made: I
confess to you fairly, that when you shall come home and that I first see
you, if I find you ungraceful in your address, and awkward in your person
and dress, it will be impossible for me to love you half so well as I
should 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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
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