oured to obtain an afylum in libraries; this ther could not accomplish, but were under a neceffity of taking fhelter in the chambers of fome few ladies. I would have you read one volume of Cleopatra, and one of Clelia; it will otherwife be impoffible for you to form any idea of the extravagancies they contain; but may you be kept from ever perfevering to the twelfth. During almoft the whole reign of Lewis the Fourteenth, true tafte remained in its purity, until it received fome hurt, though undefignedly, from a very fine genius, I mean Monfieur de Fontanelle, who, with the greatest fenfe, and moft folid learning, facrificed rather too much to the Graces, whose most favourite child and pupil he was. Admired with reafon, others tried to imitate him: but, unfortunately for us, the author of the Paftorals, of the Hiftory of Oracles, and of the French Theatre, found fewer imitators than the Chevalier d'Her did mimics. He has fince been taken off by a thoufand authors; but never really imitated by any one that I know of. At this time, the feat of true tafte in France feems to me not well established. It exifts, but torn by fac tions. There is one party of petits maîtres, one half of learned women, another of infipid authors, whofe works are verba et voces et præterea nihil; *and, in fhort, a numerous and very fashionable party of writers, who, in a metaphyfical jumble, introduce their falfe and fubfile reafonings upon the movements and the fentiments of the foul, the heart, and the mind. be Do not let yourfelf be overpowered by fashion, nor by particular fets of people, with whom you may connected; but try all the different coins, before you receive any in payment. Let your own good fenfe and reafon judge of the value of each; and be perfuaded, that nothing can be beautiful unlefs true. Whatever brilliancy is not the refult of the folidity and juftness of a thought, is but a falfe glare. The Italian faying * Words and founds, and nothing else. upon a diamond, is equally juft with regard to thoughts, Quantu più fodezza, tantu più fplendore.§ All this ought not to hinder you from conforming -externally to the modes, and tones of the different companies in which you may chance to be. With the petits maitres fpeak epigrams; fentiment with frivolous women; and a mixture of all thefe together, with profesfed beaux efprits. I would have you do fo; for, at your age, you ought not to aim at changing the tone of the company, but conform to it. Examine well, however; weigh all maturely within yourfelf; and do not miftake the tinfel of Taffo for the gold of Virgil. You will find at Paris good authoj s, and circles dif finguished by the folidity of their reafoning. You will never hear trifling, affected, and far-fought converfation at Madame de Monconfeil's, not at the hotels of Matignon, and Coigni, where fhe will introduce you. The Prefident Montefquieu will not fpeak to you in the epigrammatic ftyle. His book, the Spirit of the Laws, written in the vulgar tongue, will equally pleafe and inftruct you. Frequent the theatre, when Corneille, Racine, and Moliere's pieces are played. They are according to nature, and to truth. I do not mean by this to give an exclufion to feveral admirable modern plays, particularly Cénie, replete with fentiments that are true,nat eral, and applicable to one's-felf. If you chufe to know the characters of people now in fafhion, read Crébillon the younger, and Marivaux's works. Ther former is a moft excellent painter; the latter has ftu-died, and knows the human heart, perhaps too well. Crébillon's Egaremens du Ceur et de l'Eprit, is an excellent work in its kind; it will be of infinite amufement to you, and not totally ufelefs. The Japanese Hiftory of Tanzai, and Neadarné, by the fame author, is an amiable extravagancy, interfperfed with the most just reflections. In-fhort, provided you do not mistake The mo.e folia the more fplendid. Imitated in English by Mr. Francis, in a play called Eugenia. the objects of your attention, you will find matter at Paris to form a good and true tafte. As I fhall let you remain at Paris, without any perfon to direct your conduct, I flatter myself that you will not make a bad ufe of the confidence I repofe in you. I do not require that you should lead the life of a capuchin friar ; quite the contrary: I recommend pleasures to you; but I expect that they fhall be the pleafures of a gentleman. Thofe add brilliancy to a young man's character; but debauchery vilifies and degrades it. I fhall have very true and exact accounts of your conduct; and, according to the information I receive, fhall be more, or lefs, or not at all yours.Adieu ! LETTER CVI. Hand-Writing...Politeness...Proper Ufe of Time. MY DEAR FRIEND, London, January the 3d. By your letter of the 5th, I find that your debut at Y Paris has been a good one; you are entered into good company, and I dare fay you will not fink into bad. Frequent the houfes where you have been once invited, and have none of that fhynefs which makes molt of your countrymen firangers, where they might be intimate and domeftic if they pleafed. Wherever you have a general invitation to fup when you pleafe, profit by it with decency, and go every now and then. Lord Albemarle will, I am fure, be extremely kind to you; but his houfe is only a dinner houfe; and, as I am informed, frequented by no French people. Should he happen to employ you in his bureau, which I muft doubt, you must write a better hand than your common one, or you will get no great credit by your manufcripts; for your hand is at prefent an illiberal one: it is neither an 'hand of bufine fs, nor of a gentleman; but the hand of a school-boy writing his exercise, which he hopes will never be read. Madame de Monconfeil gives me a favourable ac count of you, and fo do the Marquis de Matignon and: Madame du Boccage; they all fay that you defire to pleafe, and confequently promife me that you will: and they judge right; for whoever really defixes to pleafe, and has (as you now have) the means of learning how, certainly will pleafe: and that is the great point of life; it makes all other things eafy. When.. ever you are with Madame de Monconfeil, Madame du Boccage, or other women of fashion, with whom you are tolerably free, fay frankly and naturally, Je n'ai point d'usage du monde, j'y fuis encore bien neuf; je foukaiterois ardemment de plaire, mais je ne fcais gueres comment m'y prendre. Ayez la bonté, Madame, de me faire part de votre fecret de plaire à tout le monde. J'en ferai ma fortune, et il' vous en reftera pourtant toujours, plus qu'il ne vous en faut.S When, in confequence of this requeft, they fhall tell you of any little error, awkwardnefs, or impropriety, you fhould not only feel, but exprefs the warmest ac knowledgement. Though nature fhould fuffer, and. fhe will at first hearing them; tell them, Que la critique la plus sévère, eft à votre égard la preuve la plus marquée de leur amitié. Madame du Boccage tells me par ticularly to inform you, Qu'il me fera toujours plai fr et honneur de me venir voir : il eft vrai qu'à fon age le plai fir de caufer eft froid; mais je tacherai de lui faire faire connoiffance avec des jeunes gens, &c. Make ufe of this invi tation; and, as you live in a manner next door to her, tep in and out there frequently. Monfieur du Boc age will go with you, (he tells me,)with great pleafure to the plays, and point out to you whatever deferves your knowing there. This is worth your acceptance too, he has a very good tafte.. I have not yet heardi from Lady Hervey upon your fubject; but as you A in "I know little of the world. I am quite a novice in it; and although very defirous of pleafing..I am at a lofs for the means. Be fo good, Madam, as to let me into your fecret of pleafing every body.. fhall owe my fuccefs to it, and you will always have more than falls to your fhare." "That you will look upon the moft severe criticisms as the greateft proof of their friendship." "Ifhall always receive the honour of his vifits with pleafure: it is true, that at his age the pleafures of converfation are cold; but Will endeavour to bring him acquainted with young people, &c." A. a. 2% : form me that you have already fupped with her once, I look upon you as adopted by her confult her in all your little matters; tell her any difficulties that may occur to you; afk her what you should do or fay, in fuch or fuch cafes. Madame de Berkenrode is equally polite and elegant, and your quotation it very appli cable to her. You may be there, I dare fay, as often as you please; and I would advise you to fup there once a week. You fay, very juftly, that, as Mr. Harte is leaving you, you fhall want advice more than ever; you fhall never want mine; and as you have already had fo much of it, I must rather repeat, than add to what I have already given you but that I will do, and add to it occafionally, as circumstances may require. At prefent, I fhall only remind you of your two great objects, which you fhould always attend to: they are, parliament, and foreign affairs. With regard to the former, you can do nothing, while abroad, but attend carefully to the purity, correctnefs, and elegancy of your diction; the clearness and gracefulnefs of your tterance, in whatever language you fpeak. As for the parliamentary knowledge, I will take care of that, when you come home. With regard to foreign affairs, every thing you do abroad may and ought to tend that way. Your reading fhould be chiefly hiftorical; I do not mean of remote, dark, and fabulous. hiftory, Atill lefs of jimcrack; but I mean the ufeful, political, and conftitutional hiftory of Europe, for thefe laft three centuries and a half. The other thing neceffary for your foreign object, and not lefs neceffary than either ancient or modern knowledge, is a great knowledge of the world, manners, politeness and addrefs. In that view, keeping a great deal of good company is the principal point to which you are now to attend. What with your exercifes, indeed, fome reading, and a great deal of company, your day is, I confefs, extremely tak en up; but the day, if well employed, is long enough for every thing, and I am fure you will not flattern away one moment of it in inaction. At your age. people have strong, and active spirits, alacrity and vivas |