LONDON,November 8,O.S.1750
MY DEAR FRIEND:Before you get to Paris,where you will soon be left to your own discretion,if you have any,it is necessary that we should understand one another thoroughly;which is the most probable way of preventing disputes.Money,the cause of much mischief in the world,is the cause of most quarrels between fathers and sons;the former commonly thinking that they cannot give too little,and the latter,that they cannot have enough;both equally in the wrong.You must do me the justice to acknowledge,that I have hitherto neither stinted nor grudged any expense that could be of use or real pleasure to you;and I can assure you,by the way,that you have traveled at a much more considerable expense than I did myself;but I never so much as thought of that,while Mr.Harte was at the head of your finances;being very sure that the sums granted were scrupulously applied to the uses for which they were intended.But the case will soon be altered,and you will be your own receiver and treasurer.However,I promise you,that we will not quarrel singly upon the quantum,which shall be cheerfully and freely granted:the application and appropriation of it will be the material point,which I am now going to clear up and finally settle with you.
I will fix,or even name,no settled allowance;though I well know in my own mind what would be the proper one;but I will first try your draughts,by which I can in a good degree judge of your conduct.This only I tell you in general,that if the channels through which my money is to go are the proper ones,the source shall not be scanty;but should it deviate into dirty,muddy,and obscure ones (which by the bye,it cannot do for a week without my knowing it);I give you fair and timely notice,that the source will instantly be dry.Mr.Harte,in establishing you at Paris,will point out to you those proper channels;he will leave you there upon the foot of a man of fashion,and I will continue you upon the same;you will have your coach,your valet de chambre,your own footman,and a valet de place;which,by the way,is one servant more than I had.I would have you very well dressed,by which I mean dressed as the generality of people of fashion are;that is,not to be taken notice of,for being either more or less fine than other people:it is by being well dressed,not finely dressed,that a gentleman should be distinguished.You must frequent 'les spectacles',which expense I shall willingly supply.You must play 'a des petits jeux de commerce'in mixed companies;that article is trifling;I shall pay it cheerfully.All the other articles of pocket-money are very inconsiderable at Paris,in comparison of what they are here,the silly custom of giving money wherever one dines or sups,and the expensive importunity of subscriptions,not being yet introduced there.Having thus reckoned up all the decent expenses of a gentleman,which I will most readily defray,I come now to those which I will neither bear nor supply.The first of these is gaming,of which,though I have not the least reason to suspect you,I think it necessary eventually to assure you,that no consideration in the world shall ever make me pay your play debts;should you ever urge to me that your honor is pawned,I should most immovably answer you,that it was your honor,not mine,that was pawned;and that your creditor might e'en take the pawn for the debt.
Low company,and low pleasures,are always much more costly than liberal and elegant ones.The disgraceful riots of a tavern are much more expensive,as well as dishonorable,than the sometimes pardonable excesses in good company.I must absolutely hear of no tavern scrapes and squabbles.