<p><SPAN name="link2H_4_0062" id="link2H_4_0062"></SPAN></p>
<h2> LETTER LX </h2>
<h3> LONDON, December 20, O. S. 1748. </h3>
<p>DEAR BOY: I received last Saturday by three mails, which came in at once,
two letters from Mr. Harte, and yours of the 8th, N. S.</p>
<p>It was I who mistook your meaning, with regard to your German letters, and
not you who expressed it ill. I thought it was the writing of the German
character that took up so much of your time, and therefore I advised you,
by the frequent writing of that character, to make it easy and familiar to
you: But, since it is only the propriety and purity of the German language
which make your writing it so tedious and laborious, I will tell you I
shall not be nice upon that article; and did not expect that you should
yet be master of all the idioms, delicacies, and peculiarities of that
difficult language. That can only come by use, especially frequent
speaking; therefore, when you shall be at Berlin, and afterward at Turin,
where you will meet many Germans, pray take all opportunities of
conversing in German, in order not only to keep what you have got of that
language, but likewise to improve and perfect yourself in it. As to the
characters, you form them very well, and as you yourself own, better than
your English ones; but then let me ask you this question: Why do you not
form your Roman characters better? for I maintain, that it is in every
man's power to write what hand he pleases; and, consequently, that he
ought to write a good one. You form, particularly, your 'ee' and your 'll'
in zigzag, instead of making them straight, as thus, 'ee', 'll'; a fault
very easily mended. You will not, I believe, be angry with this little
criticism, when I tell you, that by all the accounts I have had of late
from Mr. Harte and others, this is the only criticism that you give me
occasion to make. Mr. Harte's last letter, of the 14th, N. S.,
particularly, makes me extremely happy, by assuring me that, in every
respect, you do exceedingly well. I am not afraid, by what I now say, of
making you too vain; because I do not think that a just consciousness and
an honest pride of doing well, can be called vanity; for vanity is either
the silly affectation of good qualities which one has not, or the sillier
pride of what does not deserve commendation in itself. By Mr. Harte's
account, you are got very near the goal of Greek and Latin; and therefore
I cannot suppose that, as your sense increases, your endeavors and your
speed will slacken in finishing the small remains of your course. Consider
what lustre and 'eclat' it will give you, when you return here, to be
allowed to be the best scholar, for a gentleman, in England; not to
mention the real pleasure and solid comfort which such knowledge will give
you throughout your whole life. Mr. Harte tells me another thing, which, I
own, I did not expect: it is, that when you read aloud, or repeat parts of
plays, you speak very properly and distinctly. This relieves me from great
uneasiness, which I was under upon account of your former bad enunciation.
Go on, and attend most diligently to this important article. It is, of all
Graces (and they are all necessary), the most necessary one.</p>
<p>Comte Pertingue, who has been here about a fortnight, far from disavowing,
confirms all that Mr. Harte has said to your advantage. He thinks that he
shall be at Turin much about the time of your arrival there, and pleases
himself with the hopes of being useful to you. Though, should you get
there before him, he says that Comte du Perron, with whom you are a
favorite, will take that care. You see, by this one instance, and in the
course of your life you will see by a million of instances, of what use a
good reputation is, and how swift and advantageous a harbinger it is,
wherever one goes. Upon this point, too, Mr. Harte does you justice, and
tells me that you are desirous of praise from the praiseworthy. This is a
right and generous ambition; and without which, I fear, few people would
deserve praise.</p>
<p>But here let me, as an old stager upon the theatre of the world, suggest
one consideration to you; which is, to extend your desire of praise a
little beyond the strictly praiseworthy; or else you may be apt to
discover too much contempt for at least three parts in five of the world,
who will never forgive it you. In the mass of mankind, I fear, there is
too great a majority of fools and, knaves; who, singly from their number,
must to a certain degree be respected, though they are by no means
respectable. And a man who will show every knave or fool that he thinks
him such, will engage in a most ruinous war, against numbers much superior
to those that he and his allies can bring into the field. Abhor a knave,
and pity a fool in your heart; but let neither of them, unnecessarily, see
that you do so. Some complaisance and attention to fools is prudent, and
not mean; as a silent abhorrence of individual knaves is often necessary
and not criminal.</p>
<p>As you will now soon part with Lord Pulteney, with whom, during your stay
together at Leipsig, I suppose you have formed a connection, I imagine
that you will continue it by letters, which I would advise you to do. They
tell me that he is good-natured, and does not want parts; which are of
themselves two good reasons for keeping it up; but there is also a third
reason, which, in the course of the world, is not to be despised: His
father cannot live long, and will leave him an immense fortune; which, in
all events will make him of some consequence; and, if he has parts into
the bargain, of very great consequence; so that his friendship, may be
extremely well worth your cultivating, especially as it will not cost you
above one letter in one month.</p>
<p>I do not know whether this letter will find you at Leipsig: at least, it
is the last that I shall direct there. My next to either you or Mr. Harte
will be directed to Berlin; but as I do not know to what house or street
there, I suppose it will remain at the posthouse till you send for it.
Upon your arrival at Berlin you will send me your particular direction;
and also, pray be minute in your accounts of your reception there, by
those whom I recommend you to, as well as by those to whom they present
you. Remember, too, that you are going to a polite and literate court,
where the Graces will best introduce you.</p>
<p>Adieu. God bless you, and may you continue to deserve my love, as much as
you now enjoy it!</p>
<p>P. S. Lady Chesterfield bids me tell you, that she decides entirely in
your favor against Mr. Grevenkop, and even against herself; for she does
not think that she could, at this time, write either so good a character
or so good German. Pray write her a German letter upon that subject, in
which you may tell her, that, like the rest of the world, you approve of
her judgment, because it is in your favor; and that you true Germans
cannot allow Danes to be competent judges of your language, etc.</p>
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