wassurprisedtoseethemaddressthespeakerwithoutrisingfromtheirseats，andthree，four，andfiveatatimewithoutbeingchecked。whenamotionwasmade，thespeakerinsteadofputtingthequestionintheusualform，onlyaskedthegentlemenwhethertheychosethatsuchorsuchathingshouldbedone，andwasansweredbyayessir，ornosir：andtho’thevoicesappearedfrequentlytobedivided，theyneverwouldgotothetroubleofdividingthehouse，buttheclerkenteredtheresolutions，Isupposed，ashethoughtproper。inshorteverythingseemstobecarriedwithoutthehouseingeneral’sknowingwhatwasproposed。thesituationofthisplaceisextremelybeautiful，andverycommodiousfortradehavingamostsecureportcapableofreceivingthelargestvessels，thoseof400
hh’dsbeingabletobrushagainstthesidesofthedock。thehousesareingeneralbetterthanthoseinWilliamsburgh，butthegardensmoreindifferent。thetwotownsseemmuchofasize。theyhavenopublickbuildingsworthmentioningexceptagovernor’shouse，thehullofwhichafterbeingnearlyfinished，theyhavesufferedtogotoruin。Iwouldgiveyouanaccountoftherejoicingshereontherepealofthestampact，butthisyouwillprobablyseeinprintbeforemylettercanreachyou。IshallproceedtomorrowtoPhiladelphiawhereIshallmakethestaynecessaryforinoculation，thencegoingontoNew-YorkIshallreturnbywatertoWilliamsburgh，aboutthemiddleofJuly，tillwhichtimeyouhavetheprayersofDearPageYouraffectionatefriendP。S。Ishouldbegladifyoucouldinsomeindirectmanner，withoutdiscoveringthatitwasmydesire，letJ。RandolphknowwhenIproposetobeinthecityofWilliamsburgh。
THESTUDYOFLAW
_ToThomasTurpin_
_Shadwell，Feb。5，1769_
DEARSIR，——Iamtrulyconcernedthatitisnotinmypowertoundertakethesuperintendanceofyoursoninhisstudies；butmysituationbothpresentandfuturerendersitutterlyimpossible。I
donotexpecttobeheremorethantwomonthsinthewholebetweenthisandNovembernext，atwhichtimeIproposetoremovetoanotherhabitationwhichIamabouttoerect，andonaplansocontractedasthatIshallhavebutonesparebedchamberforwhatevervisitantsI
mayhave。norhaveIreasontoexpectatanyfuturedaytopassagreaterproportionofmytimeathome。thussituateditwouldevenhavebeeninjusticetoPhilltohaveundertakentogivehimanassistancewhichwillnotbewithinmypower；ataskwhichI
otherwiseshouldwiththegreatestpleasurehavetakenonme，andwouldhavedesirednohighersatisfactionthantoseehimholdthatrankintheprofessiontowhichhisgeniusandapplicationmustsurelyadvancehim。thesehoweverencouragemetohopethatthepresenceofanassistantwillbelittlenecessary。Ialwayswasofopinionthattheplacingayouthtostudywithanattorneywasratheraprejudicethanahelp。wearealltooaptbyshiftingonthemourbusiness，toincroachonthattimewhichshouldbedevotedtotheirstudies。theonlyhelpayouthwantsistobedirectedwhatbookstoread，andinwhatordertoreadthem。IhaveaccordinglyrecommendedstronglytoPhilltoputhimselfintoapprenticeshipwithnoone，buttoemployhistimeforhimselfalone。toenablehimtodothistoadvantageIhavelaiddownaplanofstudywhichwillaffordhimalltheassistanceatutorcould，withoutsubjectinghimtotheinconvenienceofexpendinghisowntimefortheemolumentofanother。
onedifficultyonlyoccurs，thatis，thewantofbooks。butthisI
aminhopesyouwillthinklessofremedyingwhenitisconsideredthathadhebeenplacedunderthecareofanother，apropercollectionofbooksmusthavebeenprovidedforhimbeforeheengagedinthepracticeofhisprofession；foralawyerwithoutbookswouldbelikeaworkmanwithouttools。theonlydifferencethenisthattheymustnowbeprocuredsomethingearlier。shouldyouthinkitnecessary，itwouldbebettertoconsiderthemoneylaidoutinbooksasapartoftheprovisionmadeforhimandtodeductitfromwhatyouintendedtogivehim，thanthatheshouldbewithoutthem。I
havegivenhimacatalogueofsuchaswillbenecessary，amountinginthewholetoaboutpound100sterling，butdividedintofourinvoices。ShouldPhillenterontheplanofstudyrecommended，I
shallendeavorasoftenaspossibletotakeyourhouseinonmywaytoandfromWilliamsburghasitwillaffordmethedoublesatisfactionofobservinghisprogressinscienceandofseeingyourself，myaunt，andthefamily。IamDearSirwithgreatrespectYourmosthumbleservantAGENTLEMAN’SLIBRARY
_ToRobertSkipwithaListofBooks_
_Monticello，Aug。3，1771_
Isatdownwithadesignofexecutingyourrequesttoformacatalogueofbookstotheamountofabout50lib。sterl。ButcouldbynomeanssatisfymyselfwithanypartialchoiceIcouldmake。
ThinkingthereforeitmightbeasagreeabletoyouIhaveframedsuchageneralcollectionasIthinkyouwouldwishandmightintimefindconvenienttoprocure。Outofthisyouwillchuseforyourselftotheamountyoumentionedforthepresentyearandmayhereafterasshallbeconvenientproceedincompletingthewhole。AviewofthesecondcolumninthiscataloguewouldIsupposeextortasmilefromthefaceofgravity。Peacetoitswisdom！Letmenotawakenit。A
littleattentionhowevertothenatureofthehumanmindevincesthattheentertainmentsoffictionareusefulaswellaspleasant。Thattheyarepleasantwhenwellwritteneverypersonfeelswhoreads。
Butwhereinisitsutilityasksthereverendsage，bigwiththenotionthatnothingcanbeusefulbutthelearnedlumberofGreekandRomanreadingwithwhichhisheadisstored?
Ianswer，everythingisusefulwhichcontributestofixintheprinciplesandpracticesofvirtue。Whenanyoriginalactofcharityorofgratitude，forinstance，ispresentedeithertooursightorimagination，wearedeeplyimpressedwithitsbeautyandfeelastrongdesireinourselvesofdoingcharitableandgratefulactsalso。Onthecontrarywhenweseeorreadofanyatrociousdeed，wearedisgustedwithit’sdeformity，andconceiveanabhorenceofvice。
Noweveryemotionofthiskindisanexerciseofourvirtuousdispositions，anddispositionsofthemind，likelimbsofthebodyacquirestrengthbyexercise。Butexerciseproduceshabit，andintheinstanceofwhichwespeaktheexercisebeingofthemoralfeelingsproducesahabitofthinkingandactingvirtuously。Weneverreflectwhetherthestorywereadbetruthorfiction。Ifthepaintingbelively，andatolerablepictureofnature，wearethrownintoareverie，fromwhichifweawakenitisthefaultofthewriter。IappealtoeveryreaderoffeelingandsentimentwhetherthefictitiousmurtherofDuncanbyMacbethinShakespearedoesnotexciteinhimasgreatahorrorofvillany，astherealoneofHenryIV。byRavaillacasrelatedbyDavila?AndwhetherthefidelityofNelsonandgenerosityofBlandfordinMarmonteldonotdilatehisbreastandelevatehissentimentsasmuchasanysimilarincidentwhichrealhistorycanfurnish?Doeshenotinfactfeelhimselfabettermanwhilereadingthem，andprivatelycovenanttocopythefairexample?WeneitherknownorcarewhetherLawrenceSternereallywenttoFrance，whetherhewasthereaccostedbytheFranciscan，atfirstrebukedhimunkindly，andthengavehimapeaceoffering：orwhetherthewholebenotfiction。Ineithercaseweequallyaresorrowfulattherebuke，andsecretlyresolve_we_willneverdoso：wearepleasedwiththesubsequentatonement，andviewwithemulationasoulcandidlyacknowlegingit’sfaultandmakingajustreparation。Consideringhistoryasamoralexercise，herlessonswouldbetooinfrequentifconfinedtoreallife。Ofthoserecordedbyhistoriansfewincidentshavebeenattendedwithsuchcircumstancesastoexciteinanyhighdegreethissympatheticemotionofvirtue。Wearethereforewiselyframedtobeaswarmlyinterestedforafictitiousasforarealpersonage。Thefieldofimaginationisthuslaidopentoouruseandlessonsmaybeformedtoillustrateandcarryhometothehearteverymoralruleoflife。
ThusalivelyandlastingsenseoffilialdutyismoreeffectuallyimpressedonthemindofasonordaughterbyreadingKingLear，thanbyallthedryvolumesofethics，anddivinitythateverwerewritten。ThisismyideaofwellwrittenRomance，ofTragedy，ComedyandEpicpoetry——IfyouarefondofspeculationthebooksundertheheadofCriticismwillaffordyoumuchpleasure。OfPoliticsandTradeIhavegivenyouafewonlyofthebestbooks，asyouwouldprobablychusetobenotunacquaintedwiththosecommercialprincipleswhichbringwealthintoourcountry，andtheconstitutionalsecuritywehavefortheenjoimentofthatwealth。InLawImentionafewsystematicalbooks，asaknowledgeoftheminutiaeofthatscienceisnotneces-saryforaprivategentleman。
InReligion，History，Naturalphilosophy，Ihavefollowedthesameplaningeneral，——Butwhencethenecessityofthiscollection?
CometothenewRowanty，fromwhichyoumayreachyourhandtoalibraryformedonamoreextensiveplan。Separatedfromeachotherbutafewpacesthepossessionsofeachwouldbeopentotheother。
Aspringcentricallysituatedmightbethesceneofeveryevening’sjoy。Thereweshouldtalkoverthelessonsoftheday，orlosetheminmusic，chessorthemerrimentsofourfamilycompanions。Theheartthuslightenedourpillowswouldbesoft，andhealthandlonglifewouldattendthehappyscene。ComethenandbringourdearTibbywithyou，thefirstinyouraffections，andsecondinmine。
Offerprayersformetooatthatshrinetowhichtho’absentIpraycontinualdevotions。Ineveryschemeofhappinesssheisplacedintheforegroundofthepicture，astheprinci-palfigure。Takethataway，anditisnopictureforme。BearmyaffectionstoWintipockclothedinthewarmestexpressionsofsincerity；andtoyourselfbeeveryhumanfelicity。Adieu。
ENCLOSURE
_FINEARTS_。
Observationsongardening。Payne。5/
Webb’sessayonpainting。12mo3/
Pope’sIliad。18/
Odyssey。15/
Dryden’sVirgil。12mo。12/
Milton’sworks。2v。8vo。Donaldson。Edinburgh1762。10/
Hoole’sTasso。12mo。5/
OssianwithBlair’scriticisms。2v。8vo。10/
TelemachusbyDodsley。6/
Capell’sShakespear。12mo。30/
Dryden’splays。6v。12mo。18/
Addison’splays。12mo。3/
Otway’splays。3v。12mo。9/
Rowe’sworks。2v。12mo。6/
Thompson’sworks。4v。12mo。12/
Young’sworks。4v。12mo。12/
Home’splays。12mo。3/
Mallet’sworks。3v。12mo。9/
Mason’spoeticalworks。5/
Terence。Eng。3/
Moliere。Eng。15/
Farquhar’splays。2v。12mo。6/
Vanbrugh’splays。2v。12mo。6/
Steele’splays。3/
Congreve’sworks。3v。12mo。9/
Garric’sdramaticworks。2v。8vo。10/
Foote’sdramaticworks。2v。8vo。10/
Rousseau’sEloisa。Eng。4v。12mo。12/——
EmiliusandSophia。Eng。4v。12mo。12/
Marmontel’smoraltales。Eng。2v。12mo。12/
GilBlas。bySmollett。6/
DonQuixot。bySmollett4v。12mo。12/
DavidSimple。2v。12mo。6/
RodericRandom。}
2v。12mo。6/}
PeregrinePickle。}_thesearewrittenbySmollett_
4v。12mo。12/}
Launcelot}
Graves。6/}
Adventuresofa}
guinea。2v。}
12mo。6/}
Pamela。4v。12mo。}
12/}_thesearebyRichardson。_
Clarissa。8v。12mo。}