第26章 LETTER XXII

LONDON,December 18,O.S.1747.

DEAR Boy:As two mails are now due from Holland,I have no letters of yours,or Mr.Harte's to acknowledge;so that this letter is the effect of that 'scribendi cacoethes,'which my fears,my hopes,and my doubts,concerning you give me.When I have wrote you a very long letter upon any subject,it is no sooner gone,but I think Ihave omitted something in it,which might be of use to you;and then Iprepare the supplement for the next post:or else some new subject occurs to me,upon which I fancy I can give you some informations,or point out some rules which may be advantageous to you.This sets me to writing again,though God knows whether to any purpose or not;a few years more can only ascertain that.But,whatever my success may be,my anxiety and my care can only be the effects of that tender affection which I have for you;and which you cannot represent to yourself greater than it really is.But do not mistake the nature of that affection,and think it of a kind that you may with impunity abuse.It is not natural affection,there being in reality no such thing;for,if there were,some inward sentiment must necessarily and reciprocally discover the parent to the child,and the child to the parent,without any exterior indications,knowledge,or acquaintance whatsoever;which never happened since the creation of the world,whatever poets,romance,and novel writers,and such sentiment-mongers,may be pleased to say to the contrary.Neither is my affection for you that of a mother,of which the only,or at least the chief objects,are health and life:I wish you them both most heartily;but,at the same time,I confess they are by no means my principal care.

My object is to have you fit to live;which,if you are not,I do not desire that you should live at all.My affection for you then is,and only will be,proportioned to your merit;which is the only affection that one rational being ought to have for another.Hitherto I have discovered nothing wrong in your heart,or your head:on the contrary I think I see sense in the one,and sentiments in the other.This persuasion is the only motive of my present affection;which will either increase or diminish,according to your merit or demerit.If you have the knowledge,the honor,and probity,which you may have,the marks and warmth of my affection shall amply reward them;but if you have them not,my aversion and indignation will rise in the same proportion;and,in that case,remember,that I am under no further obligation,than to give you the necessary means of subsisting.If ever we quarrel,do not expect or depend upon any weakness in my nature,for a reconciliation,as children frequently do,and often meet with,from silly parents;I have no such weakness about me:and,as I will never quarrel with you but upon some essential point;if once we quarrel,I will never forgive.

But I hope and believe,that this declaration (for it is no threat)will prove unnecessary.You are no stranger to the principles of virtue;and,surely,whoever knows virtue must love it.As for knowledge,you have already enough of it,to engage you to acquire more.The ignorant only,either despise it,or think that they have enough:those who have the most are always the most desirous to have more,and know that the most they can have is,alas!but too little.

Reconsider,from time to time,and retain the friendly advice which Isend you.The advantage will be all your own.