letters to his son, 1766-71- 第1部分

Letters　to　His　Son；　1766…71
by　The　Earl　of　Chesterfield




　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　LETTERS　TO　HIS　SON
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　By　the　EARL　OF　CHESTERFIELD

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　on　the　Fine　Art　of　becoming　a

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　MAN　OF　THE　WORLD

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　and　a

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　GENTLEMAN




LETTER　CCLXXXIV

LONDON；　February　11；　1766

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　received　two　days　ago　your　letter　of　the　25th　past；
and　your　former；　which　you　mention　in　it；　but　ten　days　ago；　this　may
easily　be　accounted　for　from　the　badness　of　the　weather；　and　consequently
of　the　roads。　　I　hardly　remember　so　severe　a　win　ter；　it　has　occasioned
many　illnesses　here。　　I　am　sure　it　pinched　my　crazy　carcass　so　much　that；
about　three　weeks　ago；　I　was　obliged　to　be　let　blood　twice　in　four　days；
which　I　found　afterward　was　very　necessary；　by　the　relief　it　gave　to　my
head　and　to　the　rheumatic　pains　in　my　limbs；　and　from　the　execrable　kind
of　blood　which　I　lost。

Perhaps　you　expect　from　me　a　particular　account　of　the　present　state　of
affairs　here；　but　if　you　do　you　will　be　disappointed；　for　no　man　living
（and　I　still　less　than　anyone）　knows　what　it　is；　it　varies；　not　only
daily；　but　hourly。

Most　people　think；　and　I　among　the　rest；　that　the　date　of　the　present
Ministers　is　pretty　near　out；　but　how　soon　we　are　to　have　a　new　style；
God　knows。　　This；　however；　is　certain；　that　the　Ministers　had　a　contested
election　in　the　House　of　Commons；　and　got　it　but　by　eleven　votes；　too
small　a　majority　to　carry　anything；　the　next　day　they　lost　a　question　in
the　House　of　Lords；　by　three。　　The　question　in　the　House　of　Lords　was；　to
enforce　the　execution　of　the　Stamp…act　in　the　colonies　'vi　et　armis'。
What　conclusions　you　will　draw　from　these　premises；　I　do　not　know；　but　I
protest　I　draw　none；　but　only　stare　at　the　present　undecipherable　state
of　affairs；　which；　in　fifty　years'　experience；　I　have　never　seen　anything
like。　　The　Stamp…act　has　proved　a　most　pernicious　measure；　for；　whether
it　is　repealed　or　not；　which　is　still　very　doubtful；　it　has　given　such
terror　to　the　Americans；　that　our　trade　with　them　will　not　be；　for　some
years；　what　it　used　to　be；　and　great　numbers　of　our　manufacturers　at　home
will　be　turned　a　starving　for　want　of　that　employment　which　our　very
profitable　trade　to　America　found　them：　and　hunger　is　always　the　cause　of
tumults　and　sedition。

As　you　have　escaped　a　fit　of　the　gout　in　this　severe　cold　weather；　it　is
to　be　hoped　you　may　be　entirely　free　from　it；　till　next　winter　at　least。

P。　S。　　Lord　having　parted　with　his　wife；　now；　keeps　another　w…e；　at　a
great　expense。　　I　fear　he　is　totally　undone。




LETTER　CCLXXXV

LONDON；　March　17；　1766。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　　You　wrong　me　in　thinking　me　in　your　debt；　for　I　never
receive　a　letter　of　yours；　but　I　answer　it　by　the　next　post；　or　the　next
but　one；　at　furthest：　but　I　can　easily　conceive　that　my　two　last　letters
to　you　may　have　been　drowned　or　frozen　in　their　way；　for　portents　and
prodigies　of　frost；　snow；　and　inundations；　have　been　so　frequent　this
winter；　that　they　have　almost　lost　their　names。

You　tell　me　that　you　are　going　to　the　baths　of　BADEN；　but　that　puzzles　me
a　little；　so　I　recommend　this　letter　to　the　care　of　Mr。　Larpent；　to
forward　to　you；　for　Baden　I　take　to　be　the　general　German　word　for　baths；
and　the　particular　ones　are　distinguished　by　some　epithet；　as　Weissbaden；
Carlsbaden；　etc。　　I　hope　they　are　not　cold　baths；　which　I　have　a　very　ill
opinion　of；　in　all　arthritic　or　rheumatic　cases；　and　your　case　I　take　to
be　a　compound　of　both；　but　rather　more　of　the　latter。

You　will　probably　wonder　that　I　tell　you　nothing　of　public　matters；　upon
which　I　shall　be　as　secret　as　Hotspur's　gentle　Kate；　who　would　not　tell
what　she　did　not　know；　but　what　is　singular；　nobody　seems　to　know　any
more　of　them　than　I　do。　　People　gape；　stare；　conjecture；　and　refine。
Changes　of　the　Ministry；　or　in　the　Ministry　at　least；　are　daily　reported
and　foretold；　but　of　what　kind；　God　only　knows。　　It　is　also　very　doubtful
whether　Mr。　Pitt　will　come　into　the　Administration　or　not；　the　two
present　Secretaries　are　extremely　desirous　that　he　should；　but　the　others
think　of　the　horse　that　called　the　man　to　its　assistance。　　I　will　say
nothing　to　you　about　American　affairs；　because　I　have　not　pens；　ink；　or
paper　enough　to　give　you　an　intelligible　account　of　them。　　They　have　been
the　subjects　of　warm　and　acrimonious　debates；　both　in　the　Lords　and
Commons；　and　in　all　companies。

The　repeal　of　the　Stamp…act　is　at　last　carried　through。　　I　am　glad　of　it；
and　gave　my　proxy　for　it；　because　I　saw　many　more　inconveniences　from　the
enforcing　than　from　the　repealing　it。

Colonel　Browne　was　with　me　the　other　day；　and　assured　me　that　he　left　you
very　well。　　He　said　he　saw　you　at　Spa；　but　I　did　not　remember　him；　though
I　remember　his　two　brothers；　the　Colonel　and　the　ravisher；　very　well。
Your　Saxon　colonel　has　the　brogue　exceedingly。　　Present　my　respects　to
Count　Flemming；　I　am　very　sorry　for　the　Countess's　illness；　she　was　a
most　well…bred　woman。

You　would　hardly　think　that　I　gave　a　dinner　to　the　Prince　of　Brunswick；
your　old　acquaintance。　　I　glad　it　is　over；　but　I　could　not　avoid　it。
'Il　m'avait　tabli　de　politesses'。　　God　bless　you！




LETTER　CCLXXXVI

BLACKHEATH；　June　13；　1766。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　received　yesterday　your　letter　of　the　30th　past。
I　waited　with　impatience　for　it；　not　having　received　one　from　you　in　six
weeks；　nor　your　mother　neither；　who　began　to　be　very　sure　that　you　were
dead；　if　not　buried。　　You　should　write　to　her　once　a　week；　or　at　least
once　a…fortnight；　for　women　make　no　allowance　either　for　business　or
laziness；　whereas　I　can；　by　experience；　make　allowances　for　both：
however；　I　wish　you　would　generally　write　to　me　once　a　fortnight。

Last　week　I　paid　my　midsummer　offering；　of　five　hundred　pounds；　to　Mr。
Larpent；　for　your　use；　as　I　suppose　he　has　informed　you。　　I　am　punctual；
you　must　allow。

What　account　shall　I　give　you　of　ministerial　affairs　here？　　I　protest　I
do　not　know：　your　own　description　of　them　is　as　exact　a　one　as　any　I；
who　am　upon　the　place；　can　give　you。　　It　is　a　total　dislocation　and
'derangement'；　consequently　a　total　inefficiency。　　When　the　Duke　of
Grafton　quitted　the　seals；　he　gave　that　very　reason　for　it；　in　a　speech
in　the　House　of　Lords：　he　declared；　〃that　he　had　no　objection　to　the
persons　or　the　measures　of　the　present　Ministers；　but　that　he　thought
they　wanted　strength　and　efficiency　to　carry　on　proper　measures　with
success；　and　that　he　knew　but　one　man　MEANING；　AS　YOU　WILL　EASILY
SUPPOSE；　MR。　PITT　who　could　give　them　strength　and　solidity；　that；　under
this　person；　he　should　be　willing　to　serve　in　any　capacity；　not　only　as　a
General　Officer；　but　as　a　pioneer；　and　would　take　up　a　spade　and　a
mattock。〃　　When　he　quitted　the　seals；　they　were　offered　first　to　Lord
Egmont；　then　to　Lord　Hardwicke；　who　both　declined　them；　probably　for　the
same　reasons　that　made　the　Duke　of　Grafton　resign　them；　but　after　their
going　a…begging　for　some　time；　the　Duke　of　…　begged　them；　and　has
them　'faute　de　mieux'。　　Lord　Mountstuart　was　never　thought　of　for　Vienna；
where　Lord　Stormont　returns　in　three　months；　the　former　is　going　to　be
married　to　one　of　the　Miss　Windsors；　a　great　fortune。　　To　tell　you　the
speculations；　the　reasonings；　and　the　conjectures；　either　of　the
uninformed；　or　even　of　the　best…informed　public；　upon　the　present
wonderful　situation　of　affairs；　would　take　up　much　more　time　and　paper
than　either　you　or　I　can　afford；　though　we　have　neither　of　us　a　great
deal　of　business　at　present。

I　am　in　as　good　health　as　I　could　reasonably　expect；　at　my　age；　and　with
my　shattered　carcass；　that　is；　from　the　waist　upward；　but　downward　it　is
not　the　same：　for　my　limbs　retain　that　stiffness　and　debility　of　my　long
rheumatism；　I　cannot　walk　half　an　hour　at　a　time。　　As　the　autumn；　and
still　more　as　the　winter　approaches；　take　care　to　keep　yourself　very
warm；　especially　your　legs　and　feet。

Lady　Chesterfield　sends　you　her　compliments；　and　triumphs　in　the　success
of　her　plaster。　　God　bless　you！




LETTER　CCLXXXVII

BLACKHEATH；　July　11；　1766。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　You　are　a　happy　mortal；　to　have　your　time　thus　employed
between　the　great　and　the　fair；　I　hope　you　do　the　honors　of　your　country
to　the　latter。　　The　Emperor；　by　your　account；　seems　to　be　very　well　for
an　emperor；　who；　by　being　above　the　other　monarchs　in　Europe；　may　justly
be　supposed　to　have　had　a　proportionably　worse　education。　　I　find；　by
your　account　of　him；　that　he　has　been　trained　up　to　homicide；　the　only
science　in　which　princes　are　ever　instructed；　and　with　good　reason；　as
their　greatness　and　glory　singly　depend　upon　the　numbers　of　their　fellow…
creatures　which　their　ambition　exterminates。　　If　a　sovereign　should；　by
great　accident；　deviate　into　moderation；　justice；　and　clemency；　what　a
contemptible　figure　would　he　make　in　the　catalogue　of　princes！　I　have
always　owned　a　great　regard　for　King　Log。　　From　the　interview　at　Torgaw；
between　the　two　monarchs；　they　will　be　either　a　great　deal　better　or
worse　together；　but　I　think　rather　the　latter；　for　our　namesake；　Philip
de　Co　mines；　observes；　that　he　never　knew　any　good　come　from
l'abouchement　des　Rois。　　The　King　of　Prussia　will　exert　all　his
perspicacity　to　analyze　his　Imperial　Majesty；　and　I　would　bet　upon　the
one　head　of　his　black　eagle；　against　the　two　heads　of　the　Austrian　eagle；
though　two　heads　are　said；　proverbially；　to　be　better　than　one。　　I　wish　I
had　the　direction　of　both　the　monarchs；　and　they　should；　together　with
some　of　their　allies；　take　Lorraine　and　Alsace　from　France。　　You　will
call　me　'l'Abbe　de　St。　Pierre'；　but　I　only　say　what　I　wish；　whereas　he
thought　everything　that　he　wished　practicable。

Now　to　come　home。　　Here　are　great　bustles　at　Court；　and　a　great　change　of
persons　is　certainly　very　near。　　You　will　ask　me；　perhaps；　who　is　to　be
out；　and　who　is　to　be　in？　　To　which　I　answer；　I　do　not　know。　　My
conjecture　is　that；　be　the　new　settlement　what　it　will；　Mr。　Pitt　will　be
at　the　head　of　it。　　If　he　is；　I　presume；　'qu'il　aura　mis　de　l'eau　dans
son　vin　par　rapport　a　Mylord　B…；　whe