TO THE

REV. HENRY GOLDSMITH,

AT LOWFIELD, NEAR BALLYMORE, IN WESTMEATH, IRELAND.

[This is evidently a fecond letter, fubfequent to all the preceding, and written about the year 1759.]

DEAR SIR,

Your punctuality in anfwering a man, whose trade is writing, is more than I had reason to expect; and yet you fee me generally fill a whole fheet, which is all the recompence I can make for being fo frequently troublesome. The behaviour of Mr. Mills and Mr. Lawder is a little extraordinary. However, their anfwering neither you nor me is a fufficient indication of their difliking the employment which I affigned them. As their conduct is different from what I had expected, so I have made an alteration in mine. I fhall the beginning of next month fend over two hundred and fifty books,* which are all that I fancy can be well fold among you, and I would have you make fome diftinction in the persons who have subscribed. The money which will amount to fixty pounds, may be left with Mr. Bradley, as foon as poffible. I am not

* His book on The prefent State of Polite Literature in Europe. Subscription price 5s.

certain

certain but I fhall quickly have occafion for it. I have met with no difappointment with respect to my Eaft India voyage; nor are my refolutions al-. tered; though, at the fame time, I must confefs it gives me fome pain to think I am almost beginning the world at the age of thirty-one. Though I never had a day's fickness fince I faw you, yet I am not that strong active man you once knew me. You fcarcely can conceive how much eight years of difappointment, anguish, and study, have worn me down. If I remember right, you are feven or eight years older than me, yet I dare venture to say, that if a stranger faw us both, he would pay me the honours of feniority. Imagine to yourself a pale melancholy vifage, with two great wrinkles between the eye-brows, with an eye disgustingly fevere, and a big wig; and you may have a perfect picture of my prefent appearance. On the other hand, I conceive you as perfectly fleek and healthy, paffing many a happy day among your own children, or those who knew you a child. Since I knew what it was to be a man, this is a pleasure I have not known. I have paffed my days among a parcel of cool defigning beings, and have contracted all their fufpicious manner in my own behaviour.* I should actually be as unfit for the fociety of my friends at home, as I deteft that which I am obliged to partake

This is all gratis dictum, for there never was a character so unfufpicious and fo unguarded as the writer's.

take of here. I can now neither partake of the pleasure of a revel, nor contribute to raise its jollity. I can neither laugh nor drink, have contracted an hefitating difagreeable manner of speaking, and a vifage that looks ill-nature itself; in fhort, I have thought myself into a fettled melancholy, and an utter difguft of all that life brings with it-Whence this romantic turn, that all our family are poffeffed with? Whence this love for every place and every. country but that in which we refide? for every occupation but our own? this defire of fortune, and yet this eagerness to diffipate? I perceive, my dear fir, that I am at intervals for indulging this fplenetic manner, and following my own tafte, regardless of yours.

The reafons you have given me for breeding up. your fon a scholar are judicious and convincing. I fhould however be glad to know for what particular profeffion he is defigned. If he be affiduous, and divested of strong paffions, (for paffions in youth always lead to pleasure) he may do very well in your college; for it must be owned, that the induftrious poor have good encouragement there, perhaps better than in any other in Europe. But if he has ambition, strong paffions, and an exquifite fenfibility of contempt, do not fend him there, unless you have no other trade for him except your own. It is impoffible to conceive how much may be done by a proper education at home. A boy, for instance, who understands perfectly well Latin, French, Arithmetic,

Arithmetic, and the principles of the civil law, and can write a fine hand, has an education that may qualify him for any undertaking. And these parts of learning fhould be carefully inculcated, let him be defigned for whatever calling he will. Above all things let him never touch a romance or novel; those paint beauty in colours more charming than nature; and defcribe happiness that man never taftes. How delufive, how deftructive are those pictures of confummate blifs. They teach the youthful mind to figh after beauty and happiness which never exifted; to defpife the little good which fortune has mixed in our cup, by expecting more than fhe ever gave; and in general, take the word of a man who has feen the world, and has. ftudied human nature more by experience than precept; take my word for it, I fay, that books teach. us very little of the world. The greateft merit in a ftate of poverty would only ferve to make the poffeffor ridiculous; may diftrefs, but cannot relieve him. Frugality, and even avarice, in the lower orders of mankind, are true ambition. These afford the only ladder for the poor to rise to preferment. Teach then, my dear fir, to your fon thrift and œconomy. Let his poor wandering uncle's example be placed before his eyes. I had learned from books to be difinterefted and generous, before I was taught from experience the neceffity of being prudent. I had contracted the habits and notions of a philofopher; while I was expofing myself to

the

the infidious approaches of cunning; and often by being, even with my narrow finances, charitable to excefs, I forgot the rules of juftice, and placed myfelf in the very fituation of the wretch who thanked me for my bounty. When I am in the remoteft part of the world, tell him this, and perhaps he may improve from my example. But I find myself again falling into my gloomy habits of thinking.

My mother, I am informed, is almoft blind; even though I had the utmoft inclination to return home, under fuch circumftances I could not: for to behold her in diftrefs without a capacity of relieving her from it, would add too much to my fplenetic habit. Your laft letter was much too fhort, it should have answered fome queries I had made in my former. Juft fit down as I do, and write forward till you have filled all your paper; it requires no thought, at least from the ease with which my own fentiments rife when they are addreffed to you. For, believe me, my head has no fhare in all I write; my heart dictates the whole. Pray, give my love to Bob Bryanton, and intreat him, from me, not to drink. My dear fir, give me fome account about poor Jenny.* Yet her husband loves her; if fo, fhe cannot be unhappy.

I know not whether I fhould tell you-yet why fhould I conceal thofe trifles, or indeed any thing from you ?—There is a book of mine will be publifhed

* His youngest fifter, who had married unfortunately.