360

Mr. Harte will do fo too; but still there may be fome little things proper for you to know, and neceffary for you to correct, which even his friendship would not let him tell you of fo freely as I fhould; and fome of which he may poffibly not be fo good a judge of as I am, not having lived fo much in the great world.

One principal topic of our converfation will be, not only the purity, but the elegancy of the English-language; in both which you are very deficient. Another will be the conftitution of this country, of which, I believe, you know less than of moft other countries in Europe. Manners, attentions, and address, will alfo be the frequent fubjects of our lectures; and whatever I know of that important and neceffary art, the art of pleafing, I will unrefervedly communicate to you.— Drefs too (which, as things are, I can logically prove, requires fome attention) will not always efcape our no tice. Thus my lectures will be more various, and in fome refpects more ufeful, than profeffor Mafcow's; and, therefore, I can tell you, that I expect to be paid for them but, as poffibly you would not care to part with your ready money, and as I do not think that it would be quite handfome in me to accept it, I will compound for the payment, and take it in attention and practice.

you

make

there

Pray remember to part with all your friends and ac quaintances at Paris in fuch a manner as may them not only willing but impatient to fee again. All people fay pretty nearly the fame things upon thofe occafions; it is the manner only that makes the difference; & that difference is great. Avoid, how ever, as much as you can, charging yourfelf with com millions, on your return to Paris; I know, by expe rience, that they are exceedingly troublefome, com monly expensive, and very feldom fatisfactory at la to the perfons who give them: fome you cannot t fufe, to people to whom you are obliged, and woul oblige in your turn; but as to common fiddle-fadd commithons, you may excufe yourfelf from them wit truth, by faying that you are to return to Paris throug anders, and fee all thofe great towns; which I

tend you fhall do, and ftay a week or ten days at Bruffels. Adieu! A good journey to you, if this is my last; if not, I fhall repeat again what I fhall wishi constantly.

LETTER CXXX.

Letters of Business...Perspicuity...General Rules for Composi“. tion...Üfe of the Relative...Ornament and Grace...Pedantry of Business.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

London, December the 19th.

You are now entered upon a scene of business,

where I hope you will one day make a figure. Ufe does a great deal, but care and attention must be joined to it. The first thing neceffary, in writing letters of bufinefs, is extreme clearnefs and perfpicuity; every paragraph fhould be fo clear, and unambiguous, that the dulleft fellow in the world may not be able to miftake it, nor obliged to read it twice in order to underftand it. This neceffary clearness implies a correctness, without excluding an elegancy of ftyle. Tropes, figures, antithefes, epigrams, &c. would be as misplaced, and as impertinent in letters of bufinefs, as they are fometimes (if judicioufly used) proper and pleafing in familiar letters, upon common and trite fubjects. In bufinefs, an elegant fimplicity, the refult of care, not of labour, is required. Bufinefs must be well, not affect edly dreffed but by no means negligently. Let your first attention be to clearness, and red every paragraph after you have written it, in the critical view of difcovering whether it is poffible that any one man can miftake the true fenfe of it; and correct it accordingly.

;

Our pronouns and relatives often create obfcurity or ambiguity; be therefore exceedingly attentive to them, and take care to mark out with precision their particular relations. For example: Mr. Johnfon acquainted me that he had feen Mr. Smith, who had promifed him to speak to Mr. Clarke, to return him (Mr. Johnson) thofe papers, which he (Mr. Smith) had

G g

Which

left fome time ago with him (Mr. Clarke): it is better to repeat a name, though unneceffarily, ten times, than to have the perfon mistaken once, Who, you know, is fingly relative to perfons, and cannot be applied to things; which, and that, are chiefly relative to things, but not abfolutely exclufive of perfons; for one may fay, the man that robbed or killed fuch-a-one ; but it is much better to fay, the man who robbed or killed. One never fays, the man or the woman which. and that, though chiefly relative to things, cannot be always used indifferently as to things; and the foria' must sometimes determine their place. For inftance: the letter which I received from you, which you referred to in your laft, which came by lord Albemarle's meffenger, and which I fhowed to fuch-a-one; I would change it thus-The letter that I received from you, which you referred to in your laft, that came by lord Albemarle's meffenger, and which I fhowed to fuch-a-one. Business does not exclude (as poffibly you wish it did) the usual terms of politenels and good-breeding; but, on the contrary, ftrictly requires them; fuch as -I have the honor to acquaint your lordship; Permit me to affure you; If I may be allowed to give my opinion, &c. For the minister abroad, who writes to the minifter at home, writes to his fuperior; poffibly to his patron, or at leaft to one whom he defires fhould be fo.

Letters of bufinefs will not only admit of, but be the better for certain graces: but then, they must be fcattered with a fparing and a skilful hand; they must fit their place exactly. They muft deeently adorn without incumbering, and modeftly fhine without glaring, But as this is the utmoft degree of perfection in letters of bufinefs, I would not advife you to attempt those embellishments, till you have firft laid your foundation

well.

Cardinal d'Offat's letters are the true letters of bufinefs; thofe of monfieur d'Avaux are excellent; Sir William Temple's are very pleafing, but, I fear, too * Pleafing found,

affected. Carefully avoid all Greek or Latin quotations; and bring no precedents from the virtuous Spartans, the polite Athenians, and the brave Remans. Leave all that to futile pedants. No flourishes, no declamation. But (I repeat it again) there is an elegant fimplicity and dignity of ftyle abfolutely neceffary for good letters of bufinefs; attend to that carefully. Let your periods be harmonious, without feeming to be laboured; and let them not be too long, for that always occafions a degree of obfcurity. I fhould not mention correct orthography, but that you very often fail in that particular, which will bring ridicule upon you for no man is allowed to fpell ill. I wifh too that your hand-writing was much better; and I cannot conceive why it is not, fince every man certainly may write whatever hand he pleases. Neatnefs in folding up, fealing, and directing your packets, is by no means to be neglected; though I dare fay, you think it is. But there is fomething in the exterior even, of a packet, that may pleafe or difpleafe, and confequently worth fome

attention.

You fay that your time is very well employed, and fo it is, though as yet only in the outlines, and first routine of bufinefs. They are previoufly neceflary to be known; they fmooth the way for parts and dexterity. Bufinefs requires no conjuration nor fupernatural talents, as people, unacquainted with it are apt to think. Method, diligence, and diferetion, will carry a man, of good ftrong common fenfe, much higher than the finest parts, without them, can do. Far negotiis, neque fupra, is the true character of a man of bufinefs; but then it implies ready attention, and no abfences; and a flexibility and verfatility of attention from one object to another, without being engrofied by any one.

Be upon your guard against the pedantry and affectation of bufinefs, which young people are apt to fall into, from the pride of being concerned in it young, They look thoughtful, complain of the weight of bufinefs, throw out mysterious hints, and feem big with fecrets which they do not know. Do you, on the con

trary,never talk of bufinefs but to those with whom you tranfact it; and learn to feem vacuus, and idle, when you have the most business.

LETTER CXXXI.

Parliaments of France...Difputes between Crown and Parlia ments...States-General...Pais d'Etats.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

THE

London, December the 30th

HE Parliaments, are the courts of justice in France, and are what our courts of justice in Weltmin fter-hall are here. They ufed anciently to follow the court, and adminifter juftice in the prefence of the king. Philip le Bel firft fixed it at Paris, by an edict of 1302. It confifted then of but one chambre, which was called La Chambre de Prélats, moft of the members being ecclefiaftics; but the multiplicity of bufinefs made it by degrees neceffary to create feveral other chambres. It confifts now of feven chambres.

La Grande Chambre, which is the highest court of just ice, and to which appeals lie from the others.

Les cing Chambres des Enquetes, which are like our Com mon Pleas and Courts of Exchequer,

La Tournelle, which is the court of criminal justice, and answers to our Old Bailey and King's Bench There are in all twelve parliaments in France. 1. Paris.