Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-11-14
Mtftsllanp.
FROM THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE.

ORIGINAL LETTER
IS FROM (,
LORD cHEsTERflELD TO HIS SON.
Mr.. STANHOPE.
The tslleqvns letter re bove ,rcrived
fran a eorre/poudesi. qrba .wfo,ms as
thar it is eobied fivm the o,yei1al, 7vbicb
1ve bave liuee yJeeu, and ran felqity to.
be tbe baad-4v,itiug gf,fbe noSle 0~tbe,.
1T JbouH be read ketauee0 tie z3z
ard z33 Of tbe Colltlaisu Of his Lef-
ters.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
YOU have long had the greatef ihsrc'
of my thoughts. You nowengrois them
and the only Object Of the decline of my.
life is to ailif, protect, and direct the be-
ginning of yours. l have no other ute
for my experience but to communicate it
to you. / have left the ftage which you
are coming upon; where, though may
have been an Indifferent actor, yet long
experience, and inbfequenr reflections,
may poaibly enable me to form one much
better than myfels. May you prove 70!
That common cauie of envy would be my
greateff fource of joy. When I analye
you IN my own mind, and confder you
IN every light in which it has hitherto
been poaible for me to know you
thank God, that I find nothing in your
heart which / would with to alter, and
that what little / with fhould be changed
in your head is absolutely in your power
4, change; this is the cafe of very few
heads. | will tell you what l would
have changed, and | hope you will take
my word for il. You have knowledge
already, and commendable deire of &C
curing more but you nave not atten-
zion enough 70 the accuracy, the correct
neis, and the ornaments of that know
aedge; you neglect the purity of fyIe and
the elegancy of diction which are abio-
iutely necefary to exprets that knowledge
with clearnefs and advantage.
You do NOT dittinguiih (and that fngly
becauie youdo not attend) between Little
things, which you neglect by the lump,
without confdering, tina. as there arr
iome little things which ihoud be defpiied
by every body, there are others, fleming.
ly as little, which, from, certain circum-
itances, cuitoms, and fituations, become
relatively Of the greatett Importance
such are the minuteh attention O manners
air and addrefs, which the weakness. va
nifty, and felf love of the generality Of
mankind have made of much greater con-
iequence.than fome greater things. You
have fits of abience and difrat}ion. which
no body fhouid have, and which are ioiu-
rious & objectionable in company, became
no body need have them. They arc fnp
Iy the reiult OF indifference & negligence
You have lazineis of mind which, thouob
1t does not hinder you from purfnine pro
per objects, makes you prefer the fhorteft
TO the tureft way TO them. You run
itraight at them, and then are detected &
discouraged by the obitacIes and barriers
that oPpoie you /; whereas often by going
little round about, and looking orr for
private paths, you would furely and fafely
arrive at your journeys end. You think
a.great deal too ihort when you think thar
the matter is all and take my word for i
the manner is till more. You have fome-
times told me, and ! was very forry to
find that you thought in that way, thar I
was 10 exact. / am 70 and why fbould
one NOT be 10? 1t is that exactneis as Won
cailit, but that prudence aid nece0ary At
tention as call it, that diaingu;hes the
few who make figure in the world from
the Perplexed, puzzled, muddy, ineleeant
unreGned, and awkward multitude of man
kind IN general, who may notwithstand
ing have good plain common fenic.
From 7bomass MqDaebafrns Spy.