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<h2> LETTER CLVIII </h2>
<h3> LONDON, February 6, O. S. 1752. </h3>
<p>MY DEAR FRIEND: Your criticism of Varon is strictly just; but, in truth,
severe. You French critics seek for a fault as eagerly as I do for a
beauty: you consider things in the worst light, to show your skill, at the
expense of your pleasure; I view them in the best, that I may have more
pleasure, though at the expense of my judgment. A 'trompeur trompeur et
demi' is prettily said; and, if you please, you may call 'Varon, un
Normand', and 'Sostrate, un Manceau, qui vaut un Normand et demi'; and,
considering the 'denouement' in the light of trick upon trick, it would
undoubtedly be below the dignity of the buskin, and fitter for the sock.</p>
<p>But let us see if we cannot bring off the author. The great question upon
which all turns, is to discover and ascertain who Cleonice really is.
There are doubts concerning her 'etat'; how shall they be cleared? Had the
truth been extorted from Varon (who alone knew) by the rack, it would have
been a true tragical 'denouement'. But that would probably not have done
with Varon, who is represented as a bold, determined, wicked, and at that
time desperate fellow; for he was in the hands of an enemy who he knew
could not forgive him, with common prudence or safety. The rack would,
therefore, have extorted no truth from him; but he would have died
enjoying the doubts of his enemies, and the confusion that must
necessarily attend those doubts. A stratagem is therefore thought of to
discover what force and terror could not, and the stratagem such as no
king or minister would disdain, to get at an important discovery. If you
call that stratagem a TRICK, you vilify it, and make it comical; but call
that trick a STRATAGEM, or a MEASURE, and you dignify it up to tragedy: so
frequently do ridicule or dignity turn upon one single word. It is
commonly said, and more particularly by Lord Shaftesbury, that ridicule is
the best test of truth; for that it will not stick where it is not just. I
deny it. A truth learned in a certain light, and attacked in certain
words, by men of wit and humor, may, and often doth, become ridiculous, at
least so far that the truth is only remembered and repeated for the sake
of the ridicule. The overturn of Mary of Medicis into a river, where she
was half-drowned, would never have been remembered if Madame de Vernuel,
who saw it, had not said 'la Reine boit'. Pleasure or malignity often
gives ridicule a weight which it does not deserve. The versification, I
must confess, is too much neglected and too often bad: but, upon the
whole, I read the play with pleasure.</p>
<p>If there is but a great deal of wit and character in your new comedy, I
will readily compound for its having little or no plot. I chiefly mind
dialogue and character in comedies. Let dull critics feed upon the
carcasses of plays; give me the taste and the dressing.</p>
<p>I am very glad you went to Versailles to see the ceremony of creating the
Prince de Conde 'Chevalier de l' Ordre'; and I do not doubt but that upon
this occasion you informed yourself thoroughly of the institution and
rules of that order. If you did, you were certainly told it was instituted
by Henry III. immediately after his return, or rather his flight from
Poland; he took the hint of it at Venice, where he had seen the original
manuscript of an order of the 'St. Esprit, ou droit desir', which had been
instituted in 1352, by Louis d'Anjou, King of Jerusalem and Sicily, and
husband to Jane, Queen of Naples, Countess of Provence. This Order was
under the protection of St. Nicholas de Bari, whose image hung to the
collar. Henry III. found the Order of St. Michael prostituted and
degraded, during the civil wars; he therefore joined it to his new Order
of the St. Esprit, and gave them both together; for which reason every
knight of the St. Esprit is now called Chevalier des Ordres du Roi. The
number of the knights hath been different, but is now fixed to ONE
HUNDRED, exclusive of the sovereign. There, are many officers who wear the
riband of this Order, like the other knights; and what is very singular
is, that these officers frequently sell their employments, but obtain
leave to wear the blue riband still, though the purchasers of those
offices wear it also.</p>
<p>As you will have been a great while in France, people will expect that you
should be 'au fait' of all these sort of things relative to that country.
But the history of all the Orders of all countries is well worth your
knowledge; the subject occurs often, and one should not be ignorant of it,
for fear of some such accident as happened to a solid Dane at Paris, who,
upon seeing 'L'Ordre du St. Esprit', said, 'Notre St. Esprit chez nous
c'est un Elephant'. Almost all the princes in Germany have their Orders
too; not dated, indeed, from any important events, or directed to any
great object, but because they will have orders, to show that they may; as
some of them, who have the 'jus cudendae monetae', borrow ten shillings
worth of gold to coin a ducat. However, wherever you meet with them,
inform yourself, and minute down a short account of them; they take in all
the colors of Sir Isaac Newton's prisms. N. B: When you inquire about
them, do not seem to laugh.</p>
<p>I thank you for le Mandement de Monseigneur l'Archeveyue; it is very well
drawn, and becoming an archbishop. But pray do not lose sight of a much
more important object, I mean the political disputes between the King and
the parliament, and the King and the clergy; they seem both to be patching
up; but, however, get the whole clue to them, as far as they have gone.</p>
<p>I received a letter yesterday from Madame Monconseil, who assures me you
have gained ground 'du cote des maniires', and that she looks upon you to
be 'plus qu'a moitie chemin'. I am very glad to hear this, because, if you
are got above half way of your journey, surely you will finish it, and not
faint in the course. Why do you think I have this affair so extremely at
heart, and why do I repeat it so often? Is it for your sake, or for mine?
You can immediately answer yourself that question; you certainly have—I
cannot possibly have any interest in it. If then you will allow me, as I
believe you may, to be a judge of what is useful and necessary to you, you
must, in consequence, be convinced of the infinite importance of a point
which I take so much pains to inculcate.</p>
<p>I hear that the new Duke of Orleans 'a remercie Monsieur de Melfort, and I
believe, 'pas sans raison', having had obligations to him; 'mais il ne l'a
pas remercie en mari poli', but rather roughly. Il faut que ce soit un
bourru'. I am told, too, that people get bits of his father's rags, by way
of relies; I wish them joy, they will do them a great deal of good. See
from hence what weaknesses human nature is capable of, and make allowances
for such in all your plans and reasonings. Study the characters of the
people you have to do with, and know what they are, instead of thinking
them what they should be; address yourself generally to the senses, to the
heart, and to the weaknesses of mankind, but very rarely to their reason.</p>
<p>Good-night or good-morrow to you, according to the time you shall receive
this letter from, Yours.</p>
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