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(and I would willingly help you to one if I could) is the modern art de Perfifter, practised with great fucceſs by the petits maîtres at Paris. This noble art conſits in picking out ſome grave, ſerious man, who neither underſtands nor expeſts raillery, and talking to him very quick, and in inarticulate ſounds; while the man, who thinks that he either did not hear well, or attend ſuſſiciently, ſays, Monsieur, or Plaït-il? a hundred times; which affords matter of much mirth to thofe ingenious gentlemen. Whether you would follow this precedent I ſubmit to you.

Have you carried no Englifh or French comedies or tragedies with you to Leipzig? If you have, I infiſt upon your reciting ſome paſſages of them every day to Mr. Harte, in the moſt diſtinct and graceful manner, as if you were acting them upon a ſtage.

The firſt part of my letter is more than an anſwer to your queſtion concerning Lord Pulteney.

LETTER CXXV.

London, July the 26th, O. S. 1748.

DEAR BOY,

THERE are two forts of underſtandings; one of which hinders a man from ever being confiderable, and the other commonly makes him ridiculous; I mean the lazy mind, and the trifling, frivolous mind. Yours, I hope, is neither. The lazy mind will not take the trouble of going to the bottom of any thing; but, diſcouraged by the firſt difficulties, (and every thing worth knowing or having is attended with ſome) ſtops (short, contents itſelf with eafy, and, conſequently, ſupernical knowledge, and prefers a great degree of ignorance to a ſmall degree of trouble. Theſe people either think, or repreſent, moſt things

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as impoffible; whereas few things are ſo, to industry and activity. But difficulties ſeem to them impoffibilites, or, at leaſt, they pretend to think them ſo, by way of excufe for their lazineſs. An hour's attention to the fame object is too laborious for them; they take every thing in the light in which it firſt presents itſelf, never confider it in all its different views; and, in ſhort, never think it thorough. The conſequence of this is, that, when they come to ſpeak upon theſe ſubjects, before people who have confidered them with attention, they only diſcover their own ignorance and lazineſs, and lay themselves open to auſwers that put them in confuſion. Do not then be diſcouraged by the firſt difficulties, but *contra audentior ito*; and reſolve to go to the bottom of all theſe things, which every gentleman ought to know well. Theſe arts or ſciences, which are peculiar to certain proſeffions, need not be deeply known, by theſe who are not intended for theſe proſeffions. As for inſtance; fortification and navigation; of both which, a ſupernical and general knowledge, ſuch as the common course of converſation, with a very little inquiry on your part, will give you, is ſufficient. Though, by the way, a little more knowledge of fortification may be of ſome uſe to you; as the events of war, in ſieges, makes many of the terms of that ſcience occur frequently in common converſations; and one would be forry to ſay, like the Marquis de Mafcarille, in Moliere's *Précieſes Ridicules*, when he hears of *une demie Lune. Ma foi c'étoit bien une Lune toute entieres*. But theſe things which every gentleman, independently of proſeffion, ſhould know, he ought to know well, and dive into all the depths of them. Such are languages, hiftory, and geography ancient and modern; philofophy, rational logie, rhetoric; and, for you particularly, the conſtitutions, and the civil and military ſtate of every country in Europe. This, I conſeſs, is a pretty large circle

of

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of knowledge, attended with fome difficulties, and requiring fome
trouble; which, however, an active and induſtrious mind will
overcome, and be amply repaid. The trifling and frivolous
mind is always buſed, but to little purpofe; it takes little
objeets for great ones, and throws away upon trifles that time and
attention, which only important things deferve. Knick-knacks,
butterflies, fhell's, infects, &c. are the objeets of their moſt feri-
ous reſearches. They contemplate the drefs, not the characters,
of the company they keep. They attend more to the decorations
of a Play, than to the ſenſe of it; and to the ceremonies of a
Court, more than to its polities. Such an employment of time
is an absolute loſs of it. You have now, at moſt, three years,
to employ, either well or ill; for, as I have often told you,
you will be, all your life, what you ſhall be three years hence. For
God's ſake then reflect: Will you throw away this time, either
in lazineſs, or in trifles? Or will you not rather employ every
moment of it in a manner that muſt ſo ſoon reward you, with ſo
much pleaſure, figure, and character? I cannot, I will not
doubt of your choice. Read only uſeful books; and never quit
a ſubject till you are thoroughly maſter of it, but read and inquire
on till then. When you are in company, bring the converſa-
tion to ſome uſeful ſubject, but a portée of that company.
Points of hiftory, matters of literature, the cuſtoms of particular
countries, the ſeveral Orders of Knighthood, as Teutonic, Mal-
theſe, &c. are ſurely better ſubjects of converſation than the wea-
ther, drefs, or fiddle-faddle ſtories, that carry no information
along with them. The characters of Kings, and great Men, are
only to be learned in converſation; for they are never fairly written,
during their lives. This, therefore, is an entertaining and inſtru-
cive ſubject of converſation, and will, likewise, give you an
opportunity of obſerving how very differently characters are given,
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from the different paffions and views of thofe who give them.
Never be affhamed nor afraid of aſking queſtions; for, if they
lead to information, and if you accompany them with ſome ex-
cufe, you will never be reckoned an impertinent or rude queſtioner.
All thofe things, in the common course of life, depend entirely
upon the manner; and, in that reſpect, the vulgar faying is true,
That one man may better fleal a horſe, than another look over the
hedge. There are ſew things that may not be faſd, in ſome man-
ner or other; either in a ſeeming confidence, or a genteel irony,
or introduced with wit: and one great part of the knowledge of
the world, confiſts in knowing when, and where, to make uſe of
thefe different manners. The graces of the perſon, the counte-
nance, and the way of ſpeaking, contribute ſo much to this, that
I am convinced, the very fame thing, faſd by a genteel per-
ſon, in an engaging way, and gracefully and diſtinetly ſpoken,
would pleafe; which would ſhock, if muttered out by an awk-
ward figure, with a ſullen, ſerious countenance. The Poets al-
ways reſpreſent Venus as attended by the three Graces, to intimate,
that even Beauty will not do without. I think they ſhould
have given Mineya three alio ſubjects without them. I am ſure,
Learning is very unattractive. Invoke them, then, diſtinetly,
to accompany all your words and motions. Adieu.

P. S. Since I wrote what goes before, I have received
your letter, of no date, with the enclosed ſlate of the Pruſian
forces: of which, I hope you have kept a copy; this you should
lay in a porte-feuille, and add to it all the military eſtabliſh-
ments that you can get, of other States and Kingdoms: the Saxon
eſtabliſhment you may, doubtles, eafily find. By the way, do
not forget to ſend me anſwers to the queſtions which I ſent you
VOL. I.
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SOME

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fome time ago, concerning both the civil and the ecclesiastical
affairs of Saxony.

Do not mittake me, and think I only mean that you
should fpeak elegantly with regard to flyle, and the purity of
language; but, I mean, that you should deliver and pronounce
what you fay, gracefully and diffinctly; for which purpofe, I
will have you frequently read, very loud, to Mr. Harte, recite
parts of orations, and fpeak paflages of plays. For, without a
graceful and pleafing enunciation, all your elegancy of flyle, in
fpeaking, is not worth one farthing.

I am very glad that Mr. Lyttelton approves of my new houſe,
and particularly of my Canonical pillars. My buſt of Cicero is a
very fine one, and well preferved; it will have the beſt place in
my library, unleſs, at your return, you bring me over as good a
modern head of your own; which I ſhould like ſtill better. I can
tell you that I ſhall examine it as attentively, as ever antiquary
did an old one.

Make my compliments to Mr. Harte, whose recovery I re-
joice at.

The Miller of his house, his Staircase, were purchased from the Duke of Ormond, a decolleteed Peaf of a Canons near Chymore.

LETTER CXXVI.

London, August the 2d, O. S. 1748.

DEAR BOY,

DUVAL, the jeweller, is arrived, and was with me three
or four days ago. You will easily imagine that I aſked
him a few queſtions concerning you; and I will give you the
fatiſaction of knowing, that, upon the whole, I was very well
pleafed

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pleafed with the account he gave me. But, though he ſeem-
ed to be much in your intereſt, yet he fairly owned to
me, that your utterance was rapid, thick, and ungraceful. I
can add nothing to what I have already ſaid upon this
ſubjeſt; but I can and do repeat the abſolute neceſſity of
ſpeaking diſtinetly and gracefully, or eſſe of not ſpeaking at
all, and having reconſe to ſigns. He tells me that you are
pretty fat, for one of your age: this you ſhould attend to in a
proper way; for, if, while very young, you ſhould grow fat, it
would be troubleſome, unwholſome, and ungraceful: you ſhould
therefore, when you have time, take very ſtrong exerciſe, and in
your diet avoid fattening things. All malt-liquors ſatten, or at
leaſt bloat; and I hope you do not deal much in them. I look
upon wine and water to be, in every reſpect, much wholeſomer.

Duval ſays, there is a great deal of very good company
at Madame Valentin's, and at another Lady's, I think one Ma-
dame Ponce's, at Leipzig. Do you ever go to either of thofe
houſes, at leifure times? It would not, in my mind, be amifs if
you did; and would give you a habit of attentions: they are a
tribute which all women expeſt, and which all men, who would
be well received by them, muſt pay. And, whatever the mind
may be, manners, at leaſt, are certainly improved by the com-
pany of women of ſaſhion.

I have formerly told you, that you ſhould inform yourſelf of
the ſeveral Orders, whether military or religious, of the reſpèctive
countries where you may be. The Teutonic Order, is the great
Order of Germany, of which I ſend you encloſed a ſhort account.
It may ſerve to ſuggeſt queſtions to you, for more particular
inquiries, as to the prefent ſtate of it: of which you ought
to be minuterly inſormed. The Knights, at prefent, make vows,
of which they obſerve none, except it be that of not marrying;
and

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and their only object, now, is to arrive, by seniority, at the Commanderies in their respective provinces; which are, many of them, very lucrative. The Order of Maltha is, by a very few years, prior to the Teutonic, and owes its foundation to the fame caufes. These Knights were first called Knights Hofpitaliers of St. John of Jerusalem; then Knights of Rhodes; and, in the year 1530, Knights of Maltha, the Emperor Charles V. having granted them that island, upon condition of their defending his island of Sicily against the Turks: which they effectually did. L'Abbé de Vertot has written the History of Maltha, but it is the least valuable of all his works; and moreover, too long for you to read. But there is a short history of all the military Orders whatsoever, which I would advise you to get; as there is also of all the religious Orders; both which are worth your having, and consulting, whenever you meet with any of them in your way; as you will, very frequently, in Catholic countries. For my own part, I find that I remember things much better, when I recur to my books for them, upon fome particular occasion, than by reading them tout de suite. As for example; if I were to read the history of all the military or religious Orders, regularly, one after another, the latter puts the former out of my head; but when I read the history of any one, upon account of its having been the object of conversation or dispute, I remember it much better. It is the fame in Geography; where, looking for any particular place in the map, upon fome particular account, fixes it in one's memory for ever. I hope you have worn out your maps, by frequent use of that fort. Adieu.

A short

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A short Account of the TEUTONIC ORDER.

IN the ages of ignorance, which is always the mother of perfusion, it was thought not only juft, but meritorious, to propagate religion by fire and sword, and to take away the lives and properties of unbelievers. This enthusiasm produced the several Croifadoes, in the 11th, 12th, and following centuries; the object of which was to recover the Holy Land out of the hands of the Infidels: who, by the way, were the lawful poffifiers. Many honest enthufiafts engaged in these Croifadoes, from a miftaken principle of religion, and from the pardons granted by the Popes for all the fins of thofe pious adventurers; but many more knaves adopted these holy wars, in hopes of conqueſt and plunder.

After Godfrey of Bouillon, at the head of these knaves and fools, had taken Jerusalem, in the year 1099, Christians of various nations remained in that city; among the reft, one good honest German, that took particular care of his countrymen, who came thither in pilgrimages. He built a house for their reception, and an hofpital dedicated to the Virgin. This little eftablifhment foon became a great one, by the enthusiasm of many considerable people who engaged in it, in order to drive the Saracens out of the Holy Land. This fociety then began to take its first form; and its members were called Marian Teutonic Knights. Marian, from their chapel, sacred to the Virgin Mary; Teutonic, from the German, or Teuton, who was the author of it; and Knights, from the wars which they were to carry on against the Infidels.

These Knights behaved themselves so bravely, at first, that Duke Frederick of Suabia, who was General of the German army, in the Holy Land, sent, in the year 1191, to the Emperor Henry VI. and Pope Celeſtina III. to desire that this brave

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brave and charitable fraternity might be incorporated into a regular Order of Knighthood; which was accordingly done, and rules and a particular habit were given them. Forty Knights, all of noble families, were at first created, by the King of Jerusalem, and other Princes then in the army. The first Grand Master of this Order was Henry Wallpot, of a noble family upon the Rhine. This Order soon began to operate in Europe; drove all the Pagans out of Prussia, and took possession of it. Soon after, they got Livonia and Courland, and invaded even Prussia, where they introduced the Christian religion. In 1510, they elected Albert Marquis of Brandenburg for their Grand Master; who, turning Protestant soon afterwards, took Prussia from the Order, and kept it for himself, with the consent of Sigismund, King of Poland, of whom it was to hold. He then quitted his Grand-Manship, and made himself Hereditary Duke of that country, which is thence called Ducal Prussia. This Order now confits of twelve provinces; viz.: Alsatia, Austria, Coblentz, and Etsch; which are the four under the Prussian jurisdiction: - Franconia, Hesse, Bieffen, Westphalia, Lorraine, Thuringia, Saxony, and Utrecht; which eight are of the German jurisdiction. The Dutch now poffefs all that the Order had in Utrecht. Every one of these Provinces have their particular Commanderies; and the moft an-cient of these Commandeurs is called the Commandeur Provincial. These twelve Commandeurs are all subordinate to the Grand-Master of Germany, as their Chief, and have the right of electing the Grand Master. The Elector of Cologne is at prefent Grand Maître.

This Order, founded by mistaken Christian zeal, upon the Antichristian principles of violence and perfecution, soon grew strong, by the weakneſs and ignorance of the times; acquired unjustly great poffeffions, of which they juſtly loft the greatest part,

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part, by their ambition and cruelty, which made them feared and hated by all their neighbours.

I have this moment received your letter of the 4th, N. S. and have only time to tell you, that I can by no means agree to your cutting off your hair. I am very sure that your head-achs can not proceed from thence. And as for the pimples upon your head, they are only owing to the heat of the feaſon; and conference will not laſt long. But your own hair is, at your age, ſuch an ornament; and a wig, however well made, ſuch a diſguſe, that I will, upon no account whatsoever, have you cut off your hair. Nature did not give it you for nothing, ſtill leſs to cause you the head-ach. Mr. Eliot's hair grew ſo ill and buſhy, that he was in the right to cut it off. But you have not the fame ſeafon.

LETTER CXXVII.

London, August the 23d, O. S. 1748.

DEAR BOY,

YOUR friend Mr. Eliot has dined with me twice since I returned here; and I can ſay with truth, that, while I had the ſeals, I never examined or ſilted a ſtate prifoner, with ſo much care and curioſity, as I did him. Nay, I did more; for, contrary to the laws of this country, I gave him, in ſome manner, the Quſſion ordinary and extraordinary; and I have infinite pleasure in telling you, that the rack, which I put him to, did not extort from him one ſingle word that was not ſuch as I wifhed to hear of you. I heartily congratulate you upon ſuch an advantageous teflimony, from ſo creditable a witneſs. Laudari a laudato viro,

is