would fay if you were with me, and then write it in plain terms, juft as if you were converfing. I will fuppofe, then, that you fit down to write to me, unaffisted, and I imagine your letter would probably be much in these words.

My dear Papa,

I HAVE been at Mr. Maittaire's this morning, where I have tranflated English into Latin, and Latin into English, and fo well, that at the end of my exercise he has writ, Optimè. I have likewife repeated a Greek verb, and pretty well. After this I ran

home like a little wild boy, and played till dinnertime. This became a ferious task, for I eat like a wolf; and by that you may judge that I am in very good health. Adieu.

Well, Sir, the above is a good letter, and yet very eafily written, because it is exceedingly natural. Endeavour then fometimes to write to me of yourself, without minding either the beauty of the writing or the ftraitnefs of the lines. Take as little trouble as poffible. By that means you will by degrees ufe yourself to write perfectly well, and with eafe. Adieu. Come to me to-morrow at twelve, or Friday morning at eight o'clock.

LETTER

XI.

A Bath, ce 8leme d'Octobre, 1739.

MON CHER ENFANT,

E fuis charmé de toutes vos lettres; celle que vous

JE

avez écrit tout feul, eft très-naturelle, et par conféquent très-bonne. Votre traduction Angloife eft auffi fort jufte; et pour celle en Latin, je ne la demande pas meilleure pour le peu de tems que vous avez appris cette langue. Enfin, jufqu'ici cela ne peut pas aller mieux; continuez feulement. Je vous fais furtout mon compliment à l'occafion de l'accuratiffimè que Monfieur Maittaire a donné à vos derniers travaux: Ce font-là de ces éloges qu'il eft bien flatteur de mériter; et je fuis fur que vous avez fenti plus de plaifir à ce feul mot, que vous n'en auriez eu à jouer deux heures de fuite. En effet, quel plaifir n'a-t'on pas, quand on a bien fait fon devoir en quelque chofe que ce puiffe être ! Il n'y a rien de tel qu'une bonne confcience, c'eft la feule chofe qui peut rendre tranquille ou heureux. A-propos, favezvous ce que c'eft que la confcience ? C'eft ce que l'on fent en foi-même, de quelque chofe qu'on a dit, ou qu'on a fait. Par exemple, fi j'avois fait du mal à quelqu'un, ou fi j'avois dit un menfonge, quoique je ne fuffe pas découvert, pourtant je me fentirois coupable, et la confcience me tourmenteroit, et je ferois malheureux. Vous aurez lu à coup fur, dans les Métamorphofes d'Ovide, la fable de Promethée, qui pour former l'homme vola le feu du Ciel; dont Jupiter le punit, en l'attachant fur le Mont Caucase,

et

et en envoyant un vautour, qui lui ronge perpetuellement le foye. Cette fable eft une allégorie ingénieufe pour marquer les tourmens perpétuels d'une mauvaise confcience. Promethée avoit fait un vol; et la vautour, qui lui ronge continuellement le foye, veut dire fa confcience, qui lui reproche perpetuellement fon crime. Voila ce qui s'appelle une Allégorie, quand on repréfente une chofe par le moyen d'une autre. Les Poëtes fe fervent fouvent de l'allégorie. Adieu.

Traduifez cette lettre en Anglois :

Mon cher Papa,

IL eft vrai que vous me donnez des louanges, mais il eft vrai auffi que vous me les faites payer; car vous me faites travailler comme un forçat pour les acquérir. N'importe, on ne peut pas acheter la gloire trop cher. Voila comme Alexandre le Grand a pensé; et voila comme penfe auffi Philippe le Petit. Votre, &c.

I

Forçat en Anglois eft, a galley-flave.

TRANSLATION.

MY DEAR CHILD,

Bath, October the 8th, 1739.

AM charmed with all your letters; that which you wrote without help is very natural, confequently very good. Your English tranflation is a very just one; and as for the Latin, confidering how short a time you have been learning that language, I

do not require it to be any better. In fhort, hitherto you have gone on as well as poffible; only continue. More particularly I congratulate you on the accuratiffimè which Mr. Maittaire has added to your laft performances, and it is very flattering to be deferving of fuch commendations. I am fure that single word must have afforded you more pleasure than two hours play. Befides, how exceedingly fatisfactory it is to have done one's duty in any refpect! Nothing is fo comfortable as a good confcience; that only can make us eafy and happy. Pray do you know what confcience is? It is what we feel when we have faid or done any thing. For inftance, if I had injured any perfon, or had told a lye, though I might not be found out, yet I fhould feel myfelf guilty; confcience would torment me, and I must be unhappy. You have certainly read, in Ovid's Metamorphofes, the fable of Prometheus, who ftole fire from Heaven to form man. Jupiter punished him, by chaining him to Mount Caucafus, and by fending a vulture, that inceffantly gnaws his liver. This fable is an ingenious allegory, pointing out the perpetual torments of a bad confcience. Prometheus had stolen; and the vulture, that continually gnaws his liver, means his confcience, which perpetually reproaches him with that erime. This is called an Allegory-when, to represent one thing, we do it by means of another. Poets often make ufe of allegories. Adieu.

Tranflate the following letter into English:

My

My dear Papa,

IT is true you do praise me, but it is also true that you make me earn thofe praises, by obliging me to work like a galley-flave. No matter, glory cannot be too dearly purchased: fuch were the fentiments of Alexander the Great, and fuch are those of Philip the Little.

LETTER XII.

DEAR-BOY,

Bath, November the 5th, 1739.

IAM glad to hear that you went to fee the Lord

Mayor's Show, for I fuppofe it amufed you, and befides, I would have you fee every thing. It is a good way of getting knowledge, especially if you inquire carefully (as I hope you always do) after the meaning, and the particulars of every thing you fee. You know then, to be fure, that the Lord Mayor is the head of the city of London, and that there is a new Lord Mayor chosen every year: that the city is governed by the Lord Mayor, the Court of Aldermen, and the Common Council. There are fix-andtwenty Aldermen, who are the moft confiderable tradesmen of the city. The Common Council is very numerous, and confifts likewife of tradefmen; who all belong to the feveral companies, that you faw march in the proceffion, with their colours and streamers. The Lord Mayor is chofen every year out of the Court of Aldermen. There are but two Lord Mayors in England; one for the city of London, and