Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-10-03
TIL: JEFFERSON.
PARIS. Aug. l9, 1885.

PARIS, Aug. l9, 1885
Dear Peter--I received by Nj. Marie your
letter of April goth. | am much mortified to
hear that you have lost sc much time, and that
when arrived at Williamsburg you were not at
all advanced from what you were when you left
Monticello. Time now begins to be precious
to you. Every day you lose, relards day,
your entrance on that public stage whereon you
NAV begin 10 be useful to yourself However,
the way to repair the loss, is 10 improve the flu
ture time trust that with your dispositions,
the acquisition of science is a pleasing employ
ment can assure you that the possession of
it is what (neSt to an honest hearty will above
all things render you dear TO your friends, and
give you fame and promotion in your own coun-
try. When your mind shall be well improved
with science, nothing will be necessary to place
you in the highas, point Of view, hut to pursue
the interests of your country, Of your friends,
and YOURSELF with the purest integrity, the most
chaste honor. The defect of these virtues, can
Of body and mind Make these then your first
objects. Give up money, give up fame, give
up science, give the earth and all it retains ra-
ther than do an immoral act. And never sup
pose, that in any possible situation or under
TO do a dshonorable thing, however slightly il
may appear TO you Whenever you are about
to do any thing, though it can never be known
but to yourself ask yourself how you would act,
were the whole world looking at YOU, and ACT
accordingly. Encourage all your virtuous dis
positions, and exercise them whenever an OPP
portunty arises, being assured that they will
gain strength by exercise, as a limb OF the bo-
dy does, and that exercise will render them ha-
btual. From the practice of the purest virtue,
you may be assured you will derive the most
sublime comforts in every moment Of life and
in the moment of death. Ifever you find your
self environed with difficulties and perplexing
circumstances, out of which you are at loss
how TO extrcate yourself, do what is right, and
be assured that that will extricate you the best,
out of the worst situations Although you cannot
see, when you take one step what will be the
next, yet go on, follow truth, justice, ard plain
dealing, and never fear their leading you out
of the labyrinth, the easiest manner possible =
The knot which you thought Gordian, will un-
tie itself before YOU. Nothing is SO mistaken
as the supposition that a person is TO extricate
himself from difficulty by intrigue, by diss-
mutation, by an untruth, by an injustice. This
increases the difficulties ten fold, and they who
pursue these methods get themselves SO involv-
ed at length that they can turn no way but their
infamy becomes more exposed 1t is of great
importance. to set a resolution, not TO be shak-
en-, never 10 tell an unlruth. There is no vice
SO mean, SO pitiiul, SO contemplate; and he
who permits himself to tell lie once, will find
it easiera second and third time. At length,
il becomes habi,uaI: he tells lies without attend
| ing 10 them, and truths without the world be-
lieving him. This falsehood Of the tongue
leads to that Of the heart, and in time, deprayes
all lis good dispositions.
| An honest heart being the first blessing, a
knowing head it the second. 1t is time for you
lnowto begin to BE choice in your reading; to
pursue regular course in it, and not to suffer
yourselfto be turned TO the right or the left, by
reading any thing out of that course. have
long ago digested plan for you, suited to the
circumstances in which you will be placed
| This will detail to you from time to time, as
you advance. For the present. advise you to
begin course Of antient history reading every
thing in the original and not in lransla,ions.-
First, read Goldsmith's History of Greece
This will give you digested view of tina, field
Then take it up in the detail, reading the fol-
lowing books in the following order Herodo-
| tus Thucidvdes Zenonhontis HalIenica Zano