LONDON,May 11,O.S.1752.
DEAR FRIEND:I break my word by writing this letter;but I break it on the allowable side,by doing more than I promised.I have pleasure in writing to you;and you may possibly have some profit in reading what Iwrite;either of the motives were sufficient for me,both for you Icannot withstand.By your last I calculate that you will leave Paris upon this day se'nnight;upon that supposition,this letter may still find you there.
Colonel Perry arrived here two or three days ago,and sent me a book from you;Cassandra abridged.I am sure it cannot be too much abridged.The spirit of that most voluminous work,fairly extracted,may be contained in the smallest duodecimo;and it is most astonishing,that there ever could have been people idle enough to write or read such endless heaps of the same stuff.It was,however,the occupation of thousands in the last century,and is still the private,though disavowed,amusement of young girls,and sentimental ladies.A lovesick girl finds,in the captain with whom she is in love,all the courage and all the graces of the tender and accomplished Oroondates:and many a grown-up,sentimental lady,talks delicate Clelia to the hero,whom she would engage to eternal love,or laments with her that love is not eternal.
"Ah!qu'il est doux d'aimer,si Pon aimoit toujours!
Mais helas!il'n'est point d'eternelles amours."It is,however,very well to have read one of those extravagant works (of all which La Calprenede's are the best),because it is well to be able to talk,with some degree of knowledge,upon all those subjects that other people talk sometimes upon:and I would by no means have anything,that is known to others,be totally unknown to you.It is a great advantage for any man,to be able to talk or to hear,neither ignorantly nor absurdly,upon any subject;for I have known people,who have not said one word,hear ignorantly and absurdly;it has appeared in their inattentive and unmeaning faces.
This,I think,is as little likely to happen to you as to anybody of your age:and if you will but add a versatility and easy conformity of manners,I know no company in which you are likely to be de trop.