<p><SPAN name="link2H_4_0126" id="link2H_4_0126"></SPAN></p>
<h2> LETTER CXXIV </h2>
<h3> LONDON, November 19, O. S. 1750 </h3>
<p>MY DEAR FRIEND: I was very glad to find by your letter of the 12th, N. S.,
that you had informed yourself so well of the state of the French marine
at Toulon, and of the commerce at Marseilles; they are objects that
deserve the inquiry and attention of every man who intends to be concerned
in public affairs. The French are now wisely attentive to both; their
commerce is incredibly increased within these last thirty years; they have
beaten us out of great part of our Levant trade; their East India trade
has greatly affected ours; and, in the West Indies, their Martinico
establishment supplies, not only France itself, but the greatest part of
Europe, with sugars whereas our islands, as Jamaica, Barbadoes, and the
Leeward, have now no other market for theirs but England. New France, or
Canada, has also greatly lessened our fur and skin trade. It is true (as
you say) that we have no treaty of commerce subsisting (I do not say WITH
MARSEILLES) but with France. There was a treaty of commerce made between
England and France, immediately after the treaty of Utrecht; but the whole
treaty was conditional, and to depend upon the parliament's enacting
certain things which were stipulated in two of the articles; the
parliament, after a very famous debate, would not do it; so the treaty
fell to the ground: however, the outlines of that treaty are, by mutual
and tacit consent, the general rules of our present commerce with France.
It is true, too, that our commodities which go to France, must go in our
bottoms; the French having imitated in many respects our famous Act of
Navigation, as it is commonly called. This act was made in the year 1652,
in the parliament held by Oliver Cromwell. It forbids all foreign ships to
bring into England any merchandise or commodities whatsoever, that were
not of the growth and produce of that country to which those ships
belonged, under penalty of the forfeiture of such ships. This act was
particularly leveled at the Dutch, who were at that time the carriers of
almost all Europe, and got immensely by freight. Upon this principle, of
the advantages arising from freight, there is a provision in the same act,
that even the growth and produce of our own colonies in America shall not
be carried from thence to any other country in Europe, without first
touching in England; but this clause has lately been repealed, in the
instances of some perishable commodities, such as rice, etc., which are
allowed to be carried directly from our American colonies to other
countries. The act also provides, that two-thirds, I think, of those who
navigate the said ships shall be British subjects. There is an excellent,
and little book, written by the famous Monsieur Huet Eveque d'Avranches,
'Sur le Commerce des Anciens', which is very well worth your reading, and
very soon read. It will give you a clear notion of the rise and progress
of commerce. There are many other books, which take up the history of
commerce where Monsieur d'Avranches leaves it, and bring it down to these
times. I advise you to read some of them with care; commerce being a very
essential part of political knowledge in every country; but more
particularly in that which owes all its riches and power to it.</p>
<p>I come now to another part of your letter, which is the orthography, if I
may call bad spelling ORTHOGRAPHY. You spell induce, ENDUCE; and grandeur,
you spell grandURE; two faults of which few of my housemaids would have
been guilty. I must tell you that orthography, in the true sense of the
word, is so absolutely necessary for a man of letters; or a gentleman,
that one false spelling may fix ridicule upon him for the rest of his
life; and I know a man of quality, who never recovered the ridicule of
having spelled WHOLESOME without the w.</p>
<p>Reading with care will secure everybody from false spelling; for books are
always well spelled, according to the orthography of the times. Some words
are indeed doubtful, being spelled differently by different authors of
equal authority; but those are few; and in those cases every man has his
option, because he may plead his authority either way; but where there is
but one right way, as in the two words above mentioned, it is unpardonable
and ridiculous for a gentleman to miss it; even a woman of a tolerable
education would despise and laugh, at a lover, who should send her an
ill-spelled billet-doux. I fear and suspect, that you have taken it into
your head, in most cases, that the matter is all, and the manner little or
nothing. If you have, undeceive yourself, and be convinced that, in
everything, the manner is full as important as the matter. If you speak
the sense of an angel, in bad words and with a disagreeable utterance,
nobody will hear you twice, who can help it. If you write epistles as well
as Cicero, but in a very bad hand, and very ill-spelled, whoever receives
will laugh at them; and if you had the figure of Adonis, with an awkward
air and motions, it will disgust instead of pleasing. Study manner,
therefore, in everything, if you would be anything. My principal inquiries
of my friends at Paris, concerning you, will be relative to your manner of
doing whatever you do. I shall not inquire whether you understand
Demosthenes, Tacitus, or the 'Jus Publicum Imperii'; but I shall inquire,
whether your utterance is pleasing, your style not only pure, but elegant,
your manners noble and easy, your air and address engaging in short,
whether you are a gentleman, a man of fashion, and fit to keep good
company, or not; for, till I am satisfied in these particulars, you and I
must by no means meet; I could not possibly stand it. It is in your power
to become all this at Paris, if you please. Consult with Lady Hervey and
Madame Monconseil upon all these matters; and they will speak to you, and
advise you freely. Tell them, that 'bisogna compatire ancora', that you
are utterly new in the world; that you are desirous to form yourself; that
you beg they will reprove, advise, and correct you; that you know that
none can do it so well; and that you will implicitly follow their
directions. This, together with your careful observation of the manners of
the best company, will really form you.</p>
<p>Abbe Guasco, a friend of mine, will come to you as soon as he knows of
your arrival at Paris; he is well received in the best companies there,
and will introduce you to them. He will be desirous to do you any service
he can; he is active and curious, and can give you information upon most
things. He is a sort of 'complaisant' of the President Montesquieu, to
whom you have a letter.</p>
<p>I imagine that this letter will not wait for you very long at Paris, where
I reckon you will be in about a fortnight. Adieu.</p>
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