lie, because you plainly show, that you mean directly the contrary of what you say; so that you deceive nobody. For example; if one were to compliment a notorious knave, for his singular honesty and probity; and an eminent fool for his wit and parts, the irony is plain; and every body would discover the satire. Or, suppose that I were to commend you for your great attention to your book, and for your retaining and remembering what you have once learned; would not you plainly perceive the irony, and see that I laughed at you? Therefore, whenever you are commended for any thing, consider fairly, with yourself, whether you deserve it or not; and if you do not deserve it, remember that you are only abused and laughed at; and endeavour to deserve better for the future, and to prevent the irony.

Make my compliments to Mr. Maittaire, and return him my thanks for his letter. He tells me, that you are again to go over your Latin and Greek Grammar; so that when I return, I expect to find you very perfect in it; but if I do not, I shall compliment you upon your application and memory. Adieu.

LETTER XXIII.

MY DEAR BOY, July the 24th, 1739. I WAS pleased with your asking me, the last time I saw you, why I had left off writing; for I looked upon it as a sign that you liked and minded my letters: if that be the case, you shall hear from me often enough; and my letters may be of use, if you will give attention to them; otherwise it is only giving myself trouble to no purpose; for it signifies nothing to read a thing once, if one does not mind and remember it. It is a sure sign of a little mind,

to be doing one thing, and at the same time to be either thinking of another, or not thinking at all. One should always think of what one is about: when one is learning, one should not think of play; and when one is at play, one should not think of one's learning. Besides that, if you do not mind your book while you are at it, it will be a double trouble to you, for you must learn it all over again. One of the most important points of life is Decency; which is to do what is proper, and where it is proper; for many things are proper at one time, and in one place, that are extremely improper in another: for example; it is very proper and decent, that you should play some part of the day; but you must feel that it would be very improper and indecent, if you were to fly your kite, or play at nine pins, while you are with Mr. Maittaire. It is very proper and decent to dance well; but then you must dance only at balls, and places of entertainment; for you would be reckoned a fool, if you were to dance at church, or at a funeral. I hope, by these examples, you understand the meaning of the word Decency; which in French is Bienséance; in Latin, Decorum; and in Greek, ПpɛTоv. Cicero says of it, Sic hoc Decorum quod elucet in vitâ, movet approbationem eorum quibuscum vivitur, ordine et constantiâ, et moderatione dictorum omnium atque factorum: by which you see how necessary Decency is, to gain the approbation of mankind. And, as I am sure you desire to gain Mr. Maittaire's approbation, without which you will never have mine, I dare say you will mind and give attention to whatever he says to you, and behave yourself seriously and decently, while you are with him; afterwards play, run, and jump, as much as ever you please.

VOL. I.

H

DEAR BOY,

LETTER XXIV.

Friday.

I WAS very glad when Mr. Maittaire told me, that you had more attention now than you used to have; for it is the only way to reap any benefit by what you learn. Without attention, it is impossible to remember, and without remembering it is but time and labour lost to learn. I hope too, that your attention is not only employed upon words, but upon the sense and meaning of those words; that is, that when you read, or get any thing by heart, you observe the thoughts and reflections of the author, as well as his words. This attention will furnish you with materials, when you come to compose and invent upon any subject yourself: for example, when you read of anger, envy, hatred, love, pity, or any of the passions, observe what the author says of them, and what good or ill effects he ascribes to them. Observe too, the great difference between prose and verse, in treating the same subjects. In verse, the figures are stronger and bolder, and the diction or expression loftier or higher, than in prose; nay, the words in verse are seldom put in the same order as in prose. Verse is full of metaphors, similes, and epithets. Epithets (by the way) are adjectives, which mark some particular quality of the thing or person to which they are added; as for example, Pius Eneas, the pious Æneas; Pius is the epithet: Fama Mendax, Fame that lies; Mendax is the epithet: Ποδας-ωκυς Αχιλλεύς ; Achilles swift of foot ; ΠοδαςWKVS is the epithet. This is the same in all languages; as for instance; they say in French, l'Envie pâle et blême, l'Amour aveugle; in English, pale, livid Envy, blind Love: these adjectives are the epithets. Envy, is always represented by the Poets, as pale, meagre,

and pining away at other people's happiness. Ovid says of Envy,

Vixque tenet lacrymas, quod nil lacrymabile cernit: which means, that Envy can scarce help crying, when she sees nothing to cry at; that is, she cries when she sees others happy. Envy is certainly one of the meanest and most tormenting of all passions, since there is hardly any body, that has not something for an envious man to envy: so that he can never be happy, while he sees any body else so. Adieu.

DEAR BOY,

LETTER XXV.

Isleworth, September the 10th, 1739. SINCE you promise to give attention, and to mind what you learn, I shall give myself the trouble of writing to you again, and shall endeavour to instruct you in several things, that do not fall under Mr. Maittaire's province; and which if they did, he could teach you much better than I can. I neither pretend nor propose to teach them you thoroughly; you are not yet of an age fit for it: I only mean to give you a general notion, at present, of some things that you must learn more particularly hereafter, and that will then be the easier to you, for having had a general idea of them now. For example to give you some notion of History.

History is an account of whatever has been done by any country in general, or by any number of people, or by any one man: thus, the Roman History is an account of what the Romans did, as a nation; the History of Catiline's conspiracy, is an account of what was done by a particular number of people; and the History of Alexander the Great, written

by Quintus Curtius, is the account of the life and actions of one single man. History is, in short, an account or relation of any thing that has been done. History is divided into sacred and profane, ancient and modern.

Sacred History is the Bible, that is, the Old and New Testament. The Old Testament is the History of the Jews, who were God's chosen people; and the New Testament is the History of Jesus Christ,

the Son of God.

Profane History is the account of the Heathen Gods, such as you read in Ovid's Metamorphoses, and which you will know a great deal more of, when you come to read Homer, Virgil, and the other ancient Poets.

Ancient History is the account of all the kingdoms and countries in the world, down to the end of the Roman Empire.

Modern History is the account of the kingdoms and countries of the world, since the destruction of the Roman Empire.

The perfect knowledge of history is extremely necessary; because, as it informs us of what was done by other people, in former ages, it instructs us what to do in the like cases. Besides, as it is the common subject of conversation, it is a shame to be ignorant of it.

Geography must necessarily accompany History; for it would not be enough to know what things were done formerly, but we must know where they were done; and Geography, you know, is the description of the earth, and shows us the situations of towns, countries, and rivers. For example; Geography shows you that England is in the North of Europe, that London is the chief town of England, and that it is situated upon the river Thames, in the county of Middlesex: and the same of other towns and countries. Geography is likewise divided