has been completely answered; and I had more success than I at first expected, in one or two subordinate pursuits, professional and literary. I attended some causes at the palais, and have brought with me the works of a most learned lawyer, whose name and merit I shall have the honour of making known to our countrymen. I obtained access also to a fine manuscript in the royal library, which has given me a more perfect acquaintance with the manners of the ancient Arabians; and how little soever I may value mere philology, considered apart from the knowledge to which it leads, yet I shall ever set a high price on those branches of learning, which make us acquainted with the human species in all its varieties. Paris itself, and all the roads to it, are so perfectly known to you, that an account of my journey would be superfluous; and as to politics, I would rather converse than write on a subject so very serious; not that I have any apprehensions, as you well know, of the least danger, or even inconvenience to myself; but many accidents happen to letters, and in times like these the post is hardly to be trusted. This, however, I will say; that, as it is my fixed design, if I live to see a peace, to write an impartial history of the war; I was desirous, in France, to be acquainted with as many of the American leaders as I could meet with; and the same desire would have carried me to Amsterdam, if the season had not been so far advanced. All the intelligence that I collected, and all the observations that I made, you should have heard on Friday evening, had you been in camp, and shall hear in the course of conversation when we meet. I rejoice to hear, since my return, that lord Spencer is much better. Farewell, my dear lord: you are more fully assured, than formal words can express, how sincerely I am, &c. LXX. To the Rev. Edmund Cartwright. November 12, 1780. DEAR SIR, You have so fully proved the favourable opinion which you do me the honour to entertain of me, that I am persuaded you acquit me of any culpable neglect, in delaying, for more than two months, to answer your very obliging letter. The truth is, that I had but just received it when I found myself obliged to leave England on very pressing business; and I have not long been returned from Paris. The hurry of preparing myself for so long a journey, at such a season, left me no time for giving you my hearty thanks, which I now most sincerely request you to accept, both for your kind letter, and for the very elegant sonnet, with which you have rewarded me abundantly for my humble labours in the field of literature. I give you my word, that your letters and verses have greatly encouraged me in proceeding, as expeditiously as I am able, to send abroad my Seven Arabian Poets; and I propose to spend next month at Cambridge, in order to finish my little work, and to make use of a rare manuscript, in the library of Trinity College: my own manuscript, which was copied for me at Aleppo, is very beautiful, but, unfortunately, not very correct. You may depend on receiving a copy as soon as it can be printed. How happy I shall be if I should be able to wait upon you in Leicestershire, or to see you in Loudon, and assure you in person, that I am, with the greatest sincerity, &c. W. JONES.* *About the period at which this letter was written, the following private memorandum was made by Mr. Jones, respecting his future studies and pursuits. Anno Etat. 33. Resolved to learn no more rudiments of any kind, but to perfect myself in, First, twelve languages, as the means of acquiring accurate knowledge of the 1. Law. 2. Poetry. 3. Painting. 2. Mathematics. 3. Dialectic. N. B.-Every species of human knowledge may be reduced to one or other of these divisions: even law belongs partly to the history of man, partly, as a science, to dialectic. The twelve languages are, Greek, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, German, English. 1780. .. XXX. To F. P. Bayer XLIX. From Mr. Swinney L. From Dr. Gilbert Stuart LIII. From Prince Czartoryski LIV. To Prince Czartoryski LV. From Dr. Stuart LVI. From Dr. Stuart LVII. From C. Reviczki LVIII. To Lord Althorpe. LIX. From the Rev. E. Cartwright 72 75 |