letters to his son, 1752-第3部分

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Tragedy　must　be　something　bigger　than　life；　or　it　would　not　affect　us。　In　nature　the　most　violent　passions　are　silent；　in　tragedy　they　must　speak；　and　speak　with　dignity　too。　　Hence　the　necessity　of　their　being　written　in　verse；　and　unfortunately　for　the　French；　from　the　weakness　of　their　language；　in　rhymes。　　And　for　the　same　reason；　Cato　the　Stoic；　expiring　at　Utica；　rhymes　masculine　and　feminine　at　Paris；　and　fetches　his　last　breath　at　London；　in　most　harmmonious　and　correct　blank　verse。

It　is　quite　otherwise　with　Comedy；　which　should　be　mere　common　life；　and　not　one　jot　bigger。　　Every　character　should　speak　upon　the　stage；　not　only　what　it　would　utter　in　the　situation　there　represented；　but　in　the　same　manner　in　which　it　would　express　it。　　For　which　reason　I　cannot　allow　rhymes　in　comedy；　unless　they　were　put　into　the　mouth；　and　came　out　of　the　mouth　of　a　mad　poet。　　But　it　is　impossible　to　deceive　one's　self　enough　（nor　is　it　the　least　necessary　in　comedy）　to　suppose　a　dull　rogue　of　an　usurer　cheating；　or　'gross　Jean'　blundering　in　the　finest　rhymes　in　the　world。

As　for　Operas；　they　are　essentially　too　absurd　and　extravagant　to　mention；　I　look　upon　them　as　a　magic　scene；　contrived　to　please　the　eyes　and　the　ears；　at　the　expense　of　the　understanding；　and　I　consider　singing；　rhyming；　and　chiming　heroes；　and　princesses；　and　philosophers；　as　I　do　the　hills；　the　trees；　the　birds；　and　the　beasts；　who　amicably　joined　in　one　common　country　dance；　to　the　irresistible　turn　of　Orpheus's　lyre。　　Whenever　I　go　to　an　opera；　I　leave　my　sense　and　reason　at　the　door　with　my　half　guinea；　and　deliver　myself　up　to　my　eyes　and　my　ears。

Thus　I　have　made　you　my　poetical　confession；　in　which　I　have　acknowledged　as　many　sins　against　the　established　taste　in　both　countries；　as　a　frank　heretic　could　have　owned　against　the　established　church　in　either；　but　I　am　now　privileged　by　my　age　to　taste　and　think　for　myself；　and　not　to　care　what　other　people　think　of　me　in　those　respects；　an　advantage　which　youth；　among　its　many　advantages；　hath　not。　　It　must　occasionally　and　outwardly　conform；　to　a　certain　degree；　to　establish　tastes；　fashions；　and　decisions。　　A　young　man　may；　with　a　becoming　modesty；　dissent；　in　private　companies；　from　public　opinions　and　prejudices：　but　he　must　not　attack　them　with　warmth；　nor　magisterially　set　up　his　own　sentiments　against　them。　　Endeavor　to　hear；　and　know　all　opinions；　receive　them　with　complaisance；　form　your　own　with　coolness；　and　give　it　with　modesty。

I　have　received　a　letter　from　Sir　John　Lambert；　in　which　he　requests　me　to　use　my　interest　to　procure　him　the　remittance　of　Mr。　Spencer's　money；　when　he　goes　abroad　and　also　desires　to　know　to　whose　account　he　is　to　place　the　postage　of　my　letters。　　I　do　not　trouble　him　with　a　letter　in　answer；　since　you　can　execute　the　commission。　　Pray　make　my　compliments　to　him；　and　assure　him　that　I　will　do　all　I　can　to　procure　him　Mr。　Spencer's　business；　but　that　his　most　effectual　way　will　be　by　Messrs。　Hoare；　who　are　Mr。　Spencer's　cashiers；　and　who　will　undoubtedly　have　their　choice　upon　whom　they　will　give　him　his　credit。　　As　for　the　postage　of　the　letters；　your　purse　and　mine　being　pretty　near　the　same；　do　you　pay　it；　over　and　above　your　next　draught。

Your　relations；　the　Princes　B…；　will　soon　be　with　you　at　Paris；　for　they　leave　London　this　week：　whenever　you　converse　with　them；　I　desire　it　may　be　in　Italian；　that　language　not　being　yet　familiar　enough　to　you。

By　our　printed　papers；　there　seems　to　be　a　sort　of　compromise　between　the　King　and　the　parliament；　with　regard　to　the　affairs　of　the　hospitals；　by　taking　them　out　of　the　hands　of　the　Archbishop　of　Paris；　and　placing　them　in　Monsieur　d'Argenson's：　if　this　be　true；　that　compromise；　as　it　is　called；　is　clearly　a　victory　on　the　side　of　the　court；　and　a　defeat　on　the　part　of　the　parliament；　for　if　the　parliament　had　a　right；　they　had　it　as　much　to　the　exclusion　of　Monsieur　d'Argenson　as　of　the　Archbishop。　Adieu。




LETTER　CLVIII

LONDON；　February　6；　O。　S。　　1752。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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。

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　haveI　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　co