ofage。Iwish，therefore，tooffendnoman’sopinion，nortodrawdisquietinganimadversionsonmyown。Whiledutyrequiredit，Imetoppositionwithafirmandfearlessstep。Butlovingmankindinmyindividualrelationswiththem，Ipraytobepermittedtodepartintheirpeace；andlikethesuperannuatedsoldier，_”quadragenisstipendiisemeritis，”_tohangmyarmsonthepost。Ihaveunwisely，Ifear，embarkedinanenterpriseofgreatpublicconcern，butnottobeaccomplishedwithinmyterm，withouttheirliberalandpromptsupport。Asevereillnessthelastyear，andanotherfromwhichIamjustemerged，admonishmethatrepetitionsmaybeexpected，againstwhichadecliningframecannotlongbearup。Iamanxious，therefore，togetourUniversitysofaradvancedasmayencouragethepublictoperseveretoitsfinalaccomplishment。Thatsecured，I
shallsingmy_nuncdemittas_。Ihopeyourlaborswillbelongcontinuedinthespiritinwhichtheyhavealwaysbeenexercised，inmaintenanceofthoseprinciplesonwhichIverilybelievethefuturehappinessofourcountryessentiallydepends。Isaluteyouwithaffectionateandgreatrespect。
GREEKPRONUNCIATION
_ToNathanielF。Moore_
_Monticello，September22，1819_
Ithankyou，SirfortheremarksonthepronunciationoftheGreeklanguagewhichyouhavebeensokindastosendme。Ihavereadthemwithpleasure，asIhadthepamphletofMr。Pickeringonthesamesubject。Thisquestionhasoccupiedlongandlearnedinquiry，andcannot，asIapprehend，beeverpositivelydecided。
Veryearlyinmyclassicaldays，ItookuptheideathattheancientGreeklanguagehavingbeenchangedbydegreesintothemodern，andthepresentraceofthatpeoplehavingreceiveditbytradition，theyhadofcoursebetterpretensionstotheancientpronunciationalso，thananyforeignnationcouldhave。WhenatParis，IbecameacquaintedwithsomelearnedGreeks，fromwhomItookpainstolearnthemodernpronunciation。ButIcouldnotreceiveitasgenuine_intoto_。IcouldnotbelievethattheancientGreekshadprovidedsixdifferentnotationsforthesimplesoundof{i}，iota，andleftthefiveothersoundswhichwegiveto_n，v，{i-i}，{oi}，{yi}，_withoutanycharactersofnotationatall。Icouldnotacknowledgethe{y}，upsillon，asanequivalenttoour{n}，asin{Achilleys}，whichtheypronounceAchillevs，northe{g}，gamma，toour_y_，asin{alge}，whichtheypronouncealye。Iconcluded，therefore，thatasexperienceprovestousthatthepronunciationofalllanguageschanges，intheirdescentthroughtime，thatoftheGreekmusthavedonesoalsoinsomedegree；andthemoreprobably，asthebodyofthewordsthemselveshadsubstantiallychanged，andIpresumedthattheinstancesabovementionedmightbeclassedwiththedegeneraciesoftime；apresumptionstrengthenedbytheirremarkablecacophony。
Astoalltheotherletters，Ihavesupposedwemightyieldtotheirtraditionaryclaimofamoreorthodoxpronunciation。Indeed，theysoundmostofthemaswedo，and，wheretheydiffer，asinthe{e，d，ch，}theirsoundsdonotrevoltus，norimpairthebeautyofthelanguage。
IfweadheretotheErasmianpronunciation，wemustgotoItalyforit，aswemustdoforthemostprobablycorrectpronunciationofthelanguageoftheRomans，becauserejectingthemodern，wemustarguethattheancientpronunciationwasprobablybroughtfromGreece，withthelanguageitself；and，asItalywasthecountrytowhichitwasbrought，andfromwhichitemanatedtoothernations，wemustpresumeitbetterpreservedtherethanwiththenationscopyingfromthem，whowouldbeapttoaffectitspronunciationwithsomeoftheirownnationalpeculiarities。Andinfact，wefindthatnotwonationspronounceitalike，althoughallpretendtotheErasmianpronunciation。Butthewholesubjectisconjectural，andallowsthereforefullandlawfulscopetothevagariesofthehumanmind。I
amglad，however，toseethequestionstirredhere；becauseitmayexciteamongouryoungcountrymenaspiritofinquiryandcriticism，andleadthemtomoreattentiontothismostbeautifulofalllanguages。Andwishingthatthesalutaryexampleyouhavesetmayhavethisgoodeffect，Isaluteyouwithgreatrespectandconsideration。”ITOOAMANEPICUREAN”
_ToWilliamShort，withaSyllabus_
_Monticello，October31，1819_
DEARSIR，——Yourfavorofthe21stisreceived。Mylateillness，inwhichyouaresokindastofeelaninterest，wasproducedbyaspasmodicstrictureoftheilium，whichcameuponmeonthe7thinst。Thecrisiswasshort，passedoverfavorablyonthefourthday，andIshouldsoonhavebeenwellbutthatadoseofcalomelandjalap，inwhichwereonlyeightorninegrainsoftheformer，broughtonasalivation。Ofthis，however，nothingnowremainsbutalittlesorenessofthemouth。Ihavebeenabletogetonhorsebackforthreeorfourdayspast。
Asyousayofyourself，ItooamanEpicurian。IconsiderthegenuinenottheimputeddoctrinesofEpicurusascontainingeverythingrationalinmoralphilosophywhichGreeceandRomehaveleftus。Epictetusindeed，hasgivenuswhatwasgoodofthestoics；
allbeyond，oftheirdogmas，beinghypocrisyandgrimace。TheirgreatcrimewasintheircalumniesofEpicurusandmisrepresentationsofhisdoctrines；inwhichwelamenttoseethecandidcharacterofCiceroengagingasanaccomplice。Diffuse，vapid，rhetorical，butenchanting。HisprototypePlato，eloquentashimself，dealingoutmysticismsincomprehensibletothehumanmind，hasbeendeifiedbycertainsectsusurpingthenameofChristians；because，inhisfoggyconceptions，theyfoundabasisofimpenetrabledarknesswhereontorearfabricationsasdelirious，oftheirowninvention。Thesetheyfatheredblasphemouslyonhimwhomtheyclaimedastheirfounder，butwhowoulddisclaimthemwiththeindignationwhichtheircaricaturesofhisreligionsojustlyexcite。OfSocrateswehavenothinggenuinebutintheMemorabiliaofXenophon；forPlatomakeshimoneofhisCollocutorsmerelytocoverhisownwhimsiesunderthemantleofhisname；alibertyofwhichwearetoldSocrateshimselfcomplained。Senecaisindeedafinemoralist，disfiguringhisworkattimeswithsomeStoicisms，andaffectingtoomuchofantithesisandpoint，yetgivingusonthewholeagreatdealofsoundandpracticalmorality。Butthegreatestofallthereformersofthedepravedreligionofhisowncountry，wasJesusofNazareth。
Abstractingwhatisreallyhisfromtherubbishinwhichitisburied，easilydistinguishedbyitslustrefromthedrossofhisbiographers，andasseparablefromthatasthediamondfromthedunghill，wehavetheoutlinesofasystemofthemostsublimemoralitywhichhaseverfallenfromthelipsofman；outlineswhichitislamentablehedidnotlivetofillup。EpictetusandEpicurusgivelawsforgoverningourselves，Jesusasupplementofthedutiesandcharitiesweowetoothers。Theestablishmentoftheinnocentandgenuinecharacterofthisbenevolentmoralist，andtherescuingitfromtheimputationofimposture，whichhasresultedfromartificialsystems，*inventedbyultra-Christiansects，unauthorizedbyasinglewordeverutteredbyhim，isamostdesirableobject，andonetowhichPriestleyhassuccessfullydevotedhislaborsandlearning。Itwouldintime，itistobehoped，effectaquieteuthanasiaoftheheresiesofbigotryandfanaticismwhichhavesolongtriumphedoverhumanreason，andsogenerallyanddeeplyafflictedmankind；butthisworkistobebegunbywinnowingthegrainfromthechaffofthehistoriansofhislife。IhavesometimesthoughtoftranslatingEpictetusforhehasneverbeentolerabletranslatedintoEnglishbyaddingthegenuinedoctrinesofEpicurusfromtheSyntagmaofGassendi，andanabstractfromtheEvangelistsofwhateverhasthestampoftheeloquenceandfineimaginationofJesus。ThelastIattemptedtoohastilysometwelveorfifteenyearsago。Itwastheworkoftwoorthreenightsonly，atWashington，aftergettingthroughtheeveningtaskofreadingthelettersandpapersoftheday。Butwithonefootinthegrave，thesearenowidleprojectsforme。Mybusinessistobeguilethewearisomenessofdeclininglife，asIendeavortodo，bythedelightsofclassicalreadingandofmathematicaltruths，andbytheconsolationsofasoundphilosophy，equallyindifferenttohopeandfear。
*_e。g。_TheimmaculateconceptionofJesus，hisdeification，thecreationoftheworldbyhim，hismiraculouspowers，hisresurrectionandvisibleascension，hiscorporealpresenceintheEucharist，theTrinity；originalsin，atonement，regeneration，election，ordersofHierarchy，&c。
ItakethelibertyofobservingthatyouarenotatruediscipleofourmasterEpicurus，inindulgingtheindolencetowhichyousayyouareyielding。Oneofhiscanons，youknow，wasthat”theindulgencewhichpreventsagreaterpleasure，orproducesagreaterpain，istobeavoided。”Yourloveofreposewilllead，initsprogress，toasuspensionofhealthyexercise，arelaxationofmind，anindifferencetoeverythingaroundyou，andfinallytoadebilityofbody，andhebetudeofmind，thefarthestofallthingsfromthehappinesswhichthewell-regulatedindulgencesofEpicurusensure；
fortitude，youknow，isoneofhisfourcardinalvirtues。Thatteachesustomeetandsurmountdifficulties；nottoflyfromthem，likecowards；andtofly，too，invain，fortheywillmeetandarrestusateveryturnofourroad。Weighthismatterwell；braceyourselfup；takeaseatwithCorrea，andcomeandseethefinestportionofyourcountry，which，ifyouhavenotforgotten，youstilldonotknow，becauseitisnolongerthesameaswhenyouknewit。ItwilladdmuchtothehappinessofmyrecoverytobeabletoreceiveCorreaandyourself，andprovetheestimationinwhichIholdyouboth。
Come，too，andseeourincipientUniversity，whichhasadvancedwithgreatactivitiythisyear。Bytheendofthenext，weshallhaveelegantaccommodationsforsevenprofessors，andtheyearfollowingtheprofessorsthemselves。Nosecondarycharacterwillbereceivedamongthem。EithertheablestwhichAmericaorEuropecanfurnish，ornoneatall。Theywillgiveustheselectedsocietyofagreatcityseparatedfromthedissipationsandlevitiesofitsephemeralinsects。
IamgladthebustofCondorcethasbeensavedandsowellplaced。Hisgeniusshouldbebeforeus；whilethelamentable，butsingularactofingratitudewhichtarnishedhislatterdays，maybethrownbehindus。
IwillplaceunderthisasyllabusofthedoctrinesofEpicurus，somewhatinthelapidarystyle，whichIwrotesometwentyyearsago，alikeoneofthephilosophyofJesus，ofnearlythesameage，istoolongtobecopied。_Vale，ettibipersuadecarissimumteessemihi_。
_SyllabusofthedoctrinesofEpicurus。_
_Physical_——TheUniverseeternal。
Itsparts，greatandsmall，interchangeable。
MatterandVoidalone。
Motioninherentinmatterwhichisweightyanddeclining。
Eternalcirculationoftheelementsofbodies。
Gods，anorderofbeingsnextsuperiortoman，enjoyingintheirsphere，theirownfelicities；butnotmeddlingwiththeconcernsofthescaleofbeingsbelowthem。
_Moral_——Happinesstheaimoflife。
Virtuethefoundationofhappiness。
Utilitythetestofvirtue。
PleasureactiveandIn-do-lent。
In-do-lenceistheabsenceofpain，thetruefelicity。
Active，consistsinagreeablemotion；itisnothappiness，butthemeanstoproduceit。
Thustheabsenceofhungerisanarticleoffelicity；eatingthemeanstoobtainit。
The_summumbonum_istobenotpainedinbody，nortroubledinmind。
_i。e。_In-do-lenceofbody，tranquillityofmind。
Toprocuretranquillityofmindwemustavoiddesireandfear，thetwoprincipaldiseasesofthemind。
Manisafreeagent。
Virtueconsistsin1。Prudence。2。Temperance。3。Fortitude。4。
Justice。
Towhichareopposed，1。Folly。2。Desire。3。Fear。4。Deceit。”AFIREBELLINTHENIGHT”
_ToJohnHolmes_
_Monticello，April22，1820_