Dear Boy,
Whatever you do, will always affect me, very sensibly, one way or another; and I am now most agreeably affected by two letters, which I have lately seen from Lausanne, upon your subject; the one was from Madame St. Germain, the other from Monsieur Pampigny:they both give so good an account of you, that I thought myself obliged, in justice both to them and to you, to let you know it.
Those who deserve a good character, ought to have the satisfaction of knowing that they have it, both as a reward and as an encouragement. They write, that you are not only décrotté , but tolerably well-bred; and that the English crust of awkward bashfulness, shyness, and roughness (of which, by the bye, you had your share) is pretty well rubbed off. I am most heartily glad of it; for, as I have often told you, those lesser talents, of an engaging, insinuating manner , an easy good-breeding, a genteel behaviour and address , are of infinitely more advantage than they are generally thought to be, especially here in England.
Virtue and learning, like gold, have their intrinsic value; but if they are not polished, they certainly lose a great deal of their lustre:and even polished brass will pass upon more people than rough gold.
What a number of sins does the cheerful, easy good-breeding of the French frequently cover! Many of them want common sense, many more common learning; but, in general, they make up so much, by their manner, for those defects, that, frequently, they pass undiscovered.
I have often said, and do think, that a Frenchman, who, with a fund of virtue, learning, and good-sense, has the manners and good-breeding of his country, is the perfection of human nature. This perfection you may, if you please, and I hope you will, arrive at.
You know what virtue is:you may have it if you will; it is in every man's power; and miserable is the man who has it not. Good sense God has given you. Learning you already possess enough of, to have, in a reasonable time, all that a man need have. With this, you are thrown out early into the world, where it will be your own fault if you do not acquire all the other accomplishments necessary to complete and adorn your character.
You will do well to make your compliments to Madame St. Germain and Monsieur Pampigny; and tell them how sensible you are of their partiality to you, in the advantageous testimonies which, you are informed, they have given of you here.
Adieu! Continue to deserve such testimonies; and then you will not only deserve, but enjoy, my truest affection.
Affectionately
Your father
décrotté ＜法语＞纯洁无瑕的，温文尔雅的
insinuating manner 媚态
- address [əˈdres] n. 谈吐
pass on more people 为更多的人所青睐
partiality to 偏爱
the advantageous testimonies 褒物之词
亲爱的儿子：
无论你做什么，总会对我影响甚大，不是这样就是那样；最近，我读了两封来自洛桑关于你的信，非常欣喜，颇有感触。这两封信，一封来自圣·杰曼夫人，另一封来自庞比尼先生，他们两人对你大加赞赏，我觉得有必要让你知道，写这封信，对来信者和你来说都是一种公平。
那些配得上好名声的人，应该非常快意，知道拥有好名声既是一种奖赏，也是一种鼓励。他们在信中说，你不仅温文尔雅，而且有耐性并富有教养；英国人的羞涩、胆怯、粗糙（顺便说一下，这些你曾经都有份）已经磨去了不少。我由衷地为此高兴，因为正如我常常跟你说的那样，那些一般的素质——迷人、含蓄的风度，随和的良好教养，彬彬有礼的行为和优雅的谈吐——比一般认为的更具有极大优势，特别是在英国。
美德与学识，和黄金一样，有其内在价值；但如果不加擦拭，肯定会失去许多光泽；在更多的人眼里，甚至抛过光的黄铜比未经加工的黄金更值钱。
快快乐乐、轻轻松松的法国人的良好教养往往掩盖了他们多少过失啊！他们中间许多人缺乏常识，更多的人缺乏一般性学识，但他们一般都是用礼貌补足，因此常常显露不了多少缺陷。
我时常说，也的确这么认为，法国人有美德，有学问，有良知，有他的国家的礼貌和教养，是人性的完美体现。这种完美，如果你愿意的话，并且我也希望，你是可以达到的。
你知道美德是什么？如果你决心获得就能具有；人人都力所能及；没有美德的人是可悲的。上帝给了你良知。学问你已经很渊博，假以时日，你能够拥有所需要的一切。有了这些，你就可以踏入社会了，而如果你不能获得使你的人格完美和生色所需要的所有其他成就，那就是你自己的错了。
你应该向圣·杰曼夫人和庞比尼先生致意，告诉他们你对他们的偏爱，对他们的褒扬（你已经知晓）深表谢意。
再见了！继续努力吧，使自己无愧于这样的褒扬；这么做你不只是值得褒扬，也赢得了我最诚挚的爱。
挚爱的，
你的父亲