Andthoughhepromisetohisloss，hemakeshispromisegood。
Whosesoulinusurydisdainshistreasuretoemploy；
Whomnorewardscaneverbribetheguiltlesstodestroy。
P1500p1
Theman，who，byhissteadycourse，hashappinessinsur’d。
Whenearth’sfoundationsshake，shallstand，byProvidencesecur’d。
_ADecalogueofCanonsforobservationinpracticallife_。
1。Neverputofftillto-morrowwhatyoucandoto-day。
2。Nevertroubleanotherforwhatyoucandoyourself。
3。Neverspendyourmoneybeforeyouhaveit。
4。Neverbuywhatyoudonotwant，becauseitischeap；itwillbedeartoyou。
5。Pridecostsusmorethanhunger，thirstandcold。
6。Weneverrepentofhavingeatentoolittle。
7。Nothingistroublesomethatwedowillingly。
8。Howmuchpainhavecostustheevilswhichhaveneverhappened。
9。Takethingsalwaysbytheirsmoothhandle。
10。Whenangry，countten，beforeyouspeak；ifveryangry，anhundred。
THEOBJECTOFTHEDECLARATIONOFINDEPENDENCE
_ToHenryLee_
_Monticello，May8，1825_
DEARSIR，——YourfavorofApr。29hasbeendulyrecieved，andtheofferofmineralogicalspecimensfromMr。MyerhasbeencommunicatedtoDr。EmmetourProfessorofNaturalhistory。ThelastdonationofthelegislaturetotheUniversitywasappropriatedspecificallytoalibraryandapparatusofeverykind。Butweapplyitfirsttothemoreimportantarticlesofalibrary，ofanastronomical，physical，&chemicalapparatus。Andwethinkitsafesttoseewhatthesewillcost，beforeweventureoncollectionsofmineral&othersubjects，thelastwemustproportiontowhatsumweshallhaveleftonly。TheProfessorpossessesalreadywhathethinkswillbesufficientformineralogicalandgeologicalexplanationstohisschool。Idonotknowhowfarhemightbetemptedtoenlargehispossessionbyacatalogueofarticlesandprices，ifbothshouldbesatisfactory。IfMr。Myerchusestosendsuchacatalogue，itshallbereturnedtoyouimmediately，ifthepurchasebenotapproved。
ThatGeorgeMasonwastheauthorofthebillofrights，andtheconstitutionfoundedonit，theevidenceofthedayestablishedfullyinmymind。Ofthepaperyoumention，purportingtobeinstructionstotheVirginiadelegationinCongress，Ihavenorecollection。Ifitwereanythingmorethanaprojectofsomeprivatehand，thatistosay，hadanysuchinstructionsbeenevergivenbytheconvention，theywouldappearinthejournals，whichwepossessentire。Butwithrespecttoourrights，andtheactsoftheBritishgovernmentcontraveningthoserights，therewasbutoneopiniononthissideofthewater。AllAmericanwhigsthoughtalikeonthesesubjects。Whenforced，therefore，toresorttoarmsforredress，anappealtothetribunaloftheworldwasdeemedproperforourjustification。ThiswastheobjectoftheDeclarationofIndependence。Nottofindoutnewprinciples，ornewarguments，neverbeforethoughtof，notmerelytosaythingswhichhadneverbeensaidbefore；buttoplacebeforemankindthecommonsenseofthesubject，intermssoplainandfirmastocommandtheirassent，andtojustifyourselvesintheindependentstandwearecompelledtotake。Neitheraimingatoriginalityofprincipleorsentiment，noryetcopiedfromanyparticularandpreviouswriting，itwasintendedtobeanexpressionoftheAmericanmind，andtogivetothatexpressionthepropertoneandspiritcalledforbytheoccasion。Allitsauthorityreststhenontheharmonizingsentimentsoftheday，whetherexpressedinconversation，inletters，printedessays，orintheelementarybooksofpublicright，asAristotle，Cicero，Locke，Sidney，&c。Thehistoricaldocumentswhichyoumentionasinyourpossession，oughtalltobefound，andIampersuadedyouwillfind，tobecorroborativeofthefactsandprinciplesadvancedinthatDeclaration。Bepleasedtoacceptassurancesofmygreatesteemandrespect。
THEANGLO-SAXONLANGUAGE
_TotheHonorableJ。EvelynDenison，M。P。_
_Monticello，November9，1825_
DEARSIR，——YourfavorofJuly30thwasdulyreceived，andwehavenowathandthebooksyouhavebeensokindastosendtoourUniversity。Theyaretrulyacceptableinthemselves，forwemighthavebeenyearsnotknowingoftheirexistence；butgivethegreaterpleasureasevidenceoftheinterestyouhavetakeninourinfantinstitution。Itisgoingonassuccessfullyaswecouldhaveexpected；andIhavenoreasontoregretthemeasuretakenofprocuringProfessorsfromabroadwherescienceissomuchaheadofus。YouwitnessedsomeofthepunysquibsofwhichIwasthebuttonthataccount。Theywereprobablyfromdisappointedcandidates，whoseunworthinesshadoccasionedtheirapplicationstobepassedover。
ThemeasurehasbeengenerallyapprovedintheSouthandWest；andbyallliberalmindsintheNorth。Ithasbeenpeculiarlyfortunate，too，thattheProfessorsbroughtfromabroadwereashappyselectionsascouldhavebeenhoped，aswellfortheirqualificationsinscienceascorrectnessandamiablenessofcharacter。Ithinktheexamplewillbefollowed，andthatitcannotfailtobeoneoftheefficaciousmeansofpromotingthatcordialgoodwill，whichitissomuchtheinterestofbothnationstocherish。Theseteacherscanneverutteranunfriendlysentimenttowardstheirnativecountry；andthoseintowhomtheirinstructionswillbeinfused，arenotofordinarysignificanceonly：theyareexactlythepersonswhoaretosucceedtothegovernmentofourcountry，andtoruleitsfutureenmities，itsfriendshipsandfortunes。Asitisourinteresttoreceiveinstructionthroughthischannel，soIthinkitisyourstofurnishit；forthesetwonationsholdingcordiallytogether，havenothingtofearfromtheunitedworld。Theywillbethemodelsforregeneratingtheconditionofman，thesourcesfromwhichrepresentativegovernmentistoflowoverthewholeearth。
Ilearnfromyouwithgreatpleasure，thatatasteisrevivinginEnglandfortherecoveryoftheAnglo-Saxondialectofourlanguage；forameredialectitis，asmuchasthoseofPiersPlowman，Gower，Douglas，Chaucer，Spenser，Shakspeare，Milton，forevenmuchofMiltonisalreadyantiquated。TheAnglo-Saxonisonlytheearliestwepossessofthemanyshadesofmutationbywhichthelanguagehastapereddowntoitsmodernform。VocabulariesweneedforeachofthesestagesfromSomnertoBailey，butnotgrammarsforeachoranyofthem。Thegrammarhaschangedsolittle，inthedescentfromtheearliest，tothepresentform，thatalittleobservationsufficestounderstanditsvariations。WearegreatlyindebtedtotheworthieswhohavepreservedtheAnglo-Saxonform，fromDoctorHickesdowntoMr。Bosworth。Hadtheynotgiventothepublicwhatwepossessthroughthepress，thatdialectwouldbythistimehavebeenirrecoverablylost。Ithinkit，however，amisfortunethattheyhaveendeavoredtogiveittoomuchofalearnedform，tomountitonallthescaffoldingoftheGreekandLatin，toloaditwiththeirgenders，numbers，cases，declensions，conjugations，&c。
Stripitoftheseembarrassments，vestitintheRomantypewhichwehaveadoptedinsteadofourEnglishblackletter，reformitsuncouthorthography，andassimilateitspronunciation，asmuchasmaybe，tothepresentEnglish，justaswedoinreadingPiersPlowmanorChaucer，andwiththecotemporaryvocabularyforthefewlostwords，weunderstanditaswedothem。Forexample，theAnglo-SaxontextoftheLord’sprayer，asgivenus6thMatthew，ix。，isspeltandwrittenthus，intheequivalentRomantype：”Faederurethutheeartinheofenum，sithinnamagehalgod。tobecumethinrice。gewurthethinwillaoneorthan。swaswaonheofenum。urnedaeghwamlicanhlafsyleustodaeg。andforgyfusuregyltas，swaswaweforgifathurumgyltendum。andnege-laeddethuusoncostnunge，acalysusofyfele’。Ishouldspellandpronouncethus：’Fatherour，thouthaartinheavenum。sithinenamey-hallowed。comethinric。y-wurththinewillonearthan。sosoonheavenum。ourndaywhamlicanloafsellustoday。andforgiveusourguiltssosoweforgivathourumguiltendum。andnoy-leadthouusoncostnunge，aca-leaseusofevil’。Andhereitistobeobservedby-the-bye，thatthereisbutthesingleword”temptation”inourpresentversionofthisprayerthatisnotAnglo-Saxon；fortheword”trespasses”takenfromtheFrench，{ofeilemata}intheoriginalmightaswellhavebeentranslatedbytheAnglo-Saxon”guilts。”
ThelearnedapparatusinwhichDr。HickesandhissuccessorshavemuffledourAnglo-Saxon，iswhathasfrightenedusfromencounteringit。ThesimplificationIproposemay，onthecontrary，makeitaregularpartofourcommonEnglisheducation。
SolittlereadingandwritingwasthereamongourAnglo-Saxonancestorsofthatday，thattheyhadnofixedorthography。Toproduceagivensound，everyonejumbledtheletterstogether，accordingtohisunletterednotionoftheirpower，andalljumbledthemdifferently，justaswouldbedoneatthisday，wereadozenpeasants，whohavelearntthealphabet，buthaveneverread，desiredtowritetheLord’sprayer。HencethevariedmodesofspellingbywhichtheAnglo-Saxonsmeanttoexpressthesamesound。Theword_many_，forexample，wasspeltintwentydifferentways；yetwecannotsupposetheyweretwentydifferentwords，orthattheyhadtwentydifferentwaysofpronouncingthesameword。TheAnglo-Saxonorthography，then，isnotanexactrepresentationofthesoundsmeanttobeconveyed。Wemustdropinpronunciationthesuperfluousconsonants，andgivetotheremainingletterstheirpresentEnglishsound；because，notknowingthetrueone，thepresentenunciationisaslikelytoberightasanyother，andindeedmoreso，andfacilitatestheacquisitionofthelanguage。
ItismuchtobewishedthatthepublicationofthepresentcountydialectsofEnglandshouldgoon。Itwillrestoretousourlanguageinallitsshadesofvariation。Itwillincorporateintothepresentonealltherichesofourancientdialects；andwhatastorethiswillbe，maybeseenbyrunningtheeyeoverthecountyglossaries，andobservingthewordswehavelostbyabandonmentanddisuse，whichinsoundandsenseareinferiortonothingwehaveretained。Whentheselocalvocabulariesarepublishedanddigestedtogetherintoasingleone，itisprobableweshallfindthatthereisnotawordinShakspearewhichisnotnowinuseinsomeofthecountiesinEngland，fromwhencewemayobtainitstruesense。Andwhatanexchangewilltheirrecoverybeforthevolumesofidlecommentariesandconjectureswithwhichthatdivinepoethasbeenmaskedandmetamorphosed。Weshallfindinhimnewsublimitieswhichwehadnevertastedbefore，andfindbeautiesinourancientpoetswhicharelosttousnow。ItisnotthatIammerelyanenthusiastforPalaeology。IsetequalvalueonthebeautifulengraftmentswehaveborrowedfromGreeceandRome，andIamequallyafriendtotheencouragementofajudiciousneology；alanguagecannotbetoorich。
Themorecopious，themoresusceptibleofembellishmentitwillbecome。Thereareseveralthingswantingtopromotethisimprovement。ToreprinttheSaxonbooksinmoderntype；reformtheirorthography；publishinthesamewaythetreasuresstillexistinginmanuscript。And，morethanallthings，wewantadictionaryontheplanofStephensorScapula，inwhichtheSaxonroot，placedalphabetically，shallbefollowedbyallitscognatemodificationsofnouns，verbs，&c。，whetherAnglo-Saxon，orfoundinthedialectsofsubsequentages。Wewant，too，anelaboratehistoryoftheEnglishlanguage。Intimeourcountrymaybeabletoco-operatewithyouintheselabors，ofcommonadvantage，butasyetitistoomuchablank，callingforotherandmorepressingattentions。Wehavetoomuchtodointheimprovementsofwhichitissusceptible，andwhicharedeemedmoreimmediatelyuseful。Literatureisnotyetadistinctprofessionwithus。Nowandthenastrongmindarises，andatitsintervalsofleisurefrombusiness，emitsaflashoflight。Butthefirstobjectofyoungsocietiesisbreadandcovering；scienceisbutsecondaryandsubsequent。
Ioweapologyforthislongletter。Itmustbefoundinthecircumstanceofitssubjecthavingmadeaninterestingpartinthetenorofyourletter，andinmyattachmenttoit。ItisahobbywhichtoooftenrunsawaywithmewhereImeantnottogiveuptherein。Ouryouthseemdisposedtomountitwithme，andtobegintheircoursewheremineisending。
Ourfamilyrecollectswithpleasurethevisitwithwhichyoufavoredus；andjoinmeinassuringyouofourfriendlyandrespectfulrecollections，andofthegratificationitwilleverbetoustohearofyourhealthandwelfare。
AGIFTTOAGRANDDAUGHTER
_EllenRandolphCoolidge_
_Monticello，Nov。14，1825_