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<h2> LETTER II </h2>
<p>DEAR BOY: You are by this time (I suppose) quite settled and at home at
Lausanne; therefore pray let me know how you pass your time there, and
what your studies, your amusements, and your acquaintances are. I take it
for granted, that you inform yourself daily of the nature of the
government and constitution of the Thirteen Cantons; and as I am ignorant
of them myself, must apply to you for information. I know the names, but I
do not know the nature of some of the most considerable offices there;
such as the Avoyers, the Seizeniers, the Banderets, and the Gros Sautier.
I desire, therefore, that you will let me know what is the particular
business, department, or province of these several magistrates. But as I
imagine that there may be some, though, I believe, no essential
difference, in the governments of the several Cantons, I would not give
you the trouble of informing yourself of each of them; but confine my
inquiries, as you may your informations, to the Canton you reside in, that
of Berne, which I take to be the principal one. I am not sure whether the
Pays de Vaud, where you are, being a conquered country, and taken from the
Dukes of Savoy, in the year 1536, has the same share in the government of
the Canton, as the German part of it has. Pray inform yourself and me
about it.</p>
<p>I have this moment received yours from Berne, of the 2d October, N. S. and
also one from Mr. Harte, of the same date, under Mr. Burnaby's cover. I
find by the latter, and indeed I thought so before, that some of your
letters and some of Mr. Harte's have not reached me. Wherefore, for the
future, I desire, that both he and you will direct your letters for me, to
be left ches Monsieur Wolters, Agent de S. M. Britanique, a Rotterdam, who
will take care to send them to me safe. The reason why you have not
received letters either from me or from Grevenkop was that we directed
them to Lausanne, where we thought you long ago: and we thought it to no
purpose to direct to you upon your ROUTE, where it was little likely that
our letters would meet with you. But you have, since your arrival at
Lausanne, I believe, found letters enough from me; and it may be more than
you have read, at least with attention.</p>
<p>I am glad that you like Switzerland so well; and am impatient to hear how
other matters go, after your settlement at Lausanne. God bless you!</p>
<p><SPAN name="link2H_4_0005" id="link2H_4_0005"></SPAN></p>
<h2> LETTER III </h2>
<h3> LONDON, December 2, O.S. 1746. </h3>
<p>DEAR BOY: I have not, in my present situation,—[His Lordship was, in
the year 1746, appointed one of his Majesty's secretaries of state.]—time
to write to you, either so much or so often as I used, while I was in a
place of much more leisure and profit; but my affection for you must not
be judged of by the number of my letters; and, though the one lessens, the
other, I assure you, does not.</p>
<p>I have just now received your letter of the 25th past, N. S., and, by the
former post, one from Mr. Harte; with both which I am very well pleased:
with Mr. Harte's, for the good account which he gives me of you; with
yours, for the good account which you gave me of what I desired to be
informed of. Pray continue to give me further information of the form of
government of the country you are now in; which I hope you will know most
minutely before you leave it. The inequality of the town of Lausanne seems
to be very convenient in this cold weather; because going up hill and down
will keep you warm. You say there is a good deal of good company; pray,
are you got into it? Have you made acquaintances, and with whom? Let me
know some of their names. Do you learn German yet, to read, write, and
speak it?</p>
<p>Yesterday, I saw a letter from Monsieur Bochat to a friend of mine; which
gave me the greatest pleasure that I have felt this great while; because
it gives so very good an account of you. Among other things which Monsieur
Bochat says to your advantage, he mentions the tender uneasiness and
concern that you showed during my illness, for which (though I will say
that you owe it to me) I am obliged to you: sentiments of gratitude not
being universal, nor even common. As your affection for me can only
proceed from your experience and conviction of my fondness for you (for to
talk of natural affection is talking nonsense), the only return I desire
is, what it is chiefly your interest to make me; I mean your invariable
practice of virtue, and your indefatigable pursuit of knowledge. Adieu!
and be persuaded that I shall love you extremely, while you deserve it;
but not one moment longer.</p>
<p><SPAN name="link2H_4_0006" id="link2H_4_0006"></SPAN></p>
<h2> LETTER IV </h2>
<h3> LONDON, December 9, O. S. 1746. </h3>
<p>DEAR BOY: Though I have very little time, and though I write by this post
to Mr. Harte, yet I cannot send a packet to Lausanne without a word or two
to yourself. I thank you for your letter of congratulation which you wrote
me, notwithstanding the pain it gave you. The accident that caused the
pain was, I presume, owing to that degree of giddiness, of which I have
sometimes taken the liberty to speak to you. The post I am now in, though
the object of most people's views and desires, was in some degree
inflicted upon me; and a certain concurrence of circumstances obliged me
to engage in it. But I feel that to go through with it requires more
strength of body and mind than I have: were you three or four years older;
you should share in my trouble, and I would have taken you into my office;
but I hope you will employ these three or four years so well as to make
yourself capable of being of use to me, if I should continue in it so
long. The reading, writing, and speaking the modern languages correctly;
the knowledge of the laws of nations, and the particular constitution of
the empire; of history, geography, and chronology, are absolutely
necessary to this business, for which I have always intended you. With
these qualifications you may very possibly be my successor, though not my
immediate one.</p>
<p>I hope you employ your whole time, which few people do; and that you put
every moment to, profit of some kind or other. I call company, walking,
riding, etc., employing one's time, and, upon proper occasions, very
usefully; but what I cannot forgive in anybody is sauntering, and doing
nothing at all, with a thing so precious as time, and so irrecoverable
when lost.</p>
<p>Are you acquainted with any ladies at Lausanne? and do you behave yourself
with politeness enough to make them desire your company?</p>
<p>I must finish: God bless you!</p>
<p><SPAN name="link2H_4_0007" id="link2H_4_0007"></SPAN></p>
<h2> LETTER V </h2>
<h3> LONDON, February 24, O. S. 1747 </h3>
<p>SIR: In order that we may, reciprocally, keep up our French, which, for
want of practice, we might forget; you will permit me to have the honor of
assuring you of my respects in that language: and be so good to answer me
in the same. Not that I am apprehensive of your forgetting to speak
French: since it is probable that two-thirds of our daily prattle is in
that language; and because, if you leave off writing French, you may
perhaps neglect that grammatical purity, and accurate orthography, which,
in other languages, you excel in; and really, even in French, it is better
to write well than ill. However, as this is a language very proper for
sprightly, gay subjects, I shall conform to that, and reserve those which
are serious for English. I shall not therefore mention to you, at present,
your Greek or Latin, your study of the Law of Nature, or the Law of
Nations, the Rights of People, or of Individuals; but rather discuss the
subject of your Amusements and Pleasures; for, to say the truth, one must
have some. May I be permitted to inquire of what nature yours are? Do they
consist in little commercial play at cards in good company? are they
little agreeable suppers, at which cheerfulness and decency are united?
or, do you pay court to some fair one, who requires such attentions as may
be of use in contributing to polish you? Make me your confidant upon this
subject; you shall not find a severe censor: on the contrary, I wish to
obtain the employment of minister to your pleasures: I will point them
out, and even contribute to them.</p>
<p>Many young people adopt pleasures, for which they have not the least
taste, only because they are called by that name. They often mistake so
totally, as to imagine that debauchery is pleasure. You must allow that
drunkenness, which is equally destructive to body and mind, is a fine
pleasure. Gaming, that draws you into a thousand scrapes, leaves you
penniless, and gives you the air and manners of an outrageous madman, is
another most exquisite pleasure; is it not? As to running after women, the
consequences of that vice are only the loss of one's nose, the total
destruction of health, and, not unfrequently, the being run through the
body.</p>
<p>These, you see, are all trifles; yet this is the catalogue of pleasures of
most of those young people, who never reflecting themselves, adopt,
indiscriminately, what others choose to call by the seducing name of
pleasure. I am thoroughly persuaded you will not fall into such errors;
and that, in the choice of your amusements, you will be directed by
reason, and a discerning taste. The true pleasures of a gentleman are
those of the table, but within the bound of moderation; good company, that
is to say, people of merit; moderate play, which amuses, without any
interested views; and sprightly gallant conversations with women of
fashion and sense.</p>
<p>These are the real pleasures of a gentleman; which occasion neither
sickness, shame, nor repentance. Whatever exceeds them, becomes low vice,
brutal passion, debauchery, and insanity of, mind; all of which, far from
giving satisfaction, bring on dishonor and disgrace. Adieu.</p>
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