University of Virginia Library

LETTER XVII.

When I wrote to you yesterday, I did not advert to
the circumstance of your being engaged in reading "Elemens
de Chymie," which will serve to prevent your forgetting
your French altogether. Nevertheless, I could wish
you to accustom yourself to translate into that language,
or (what is better) to compose in it; since, in a short time,
you would acquire the habit of thinking in it, also, instead
of thinking in English and translating your thoughts. Do
not suppose, from this, that I prefer the French, as a language,
to our own. Far from it. In my estimation it
stands at an immeasurable distance, in the scale of excellence,
below our native tongue. But the progress of the
arts in France, and still more, the progress of her arms,
render an acquaintance with the language of that formidable
people almost indispensable. Widely diffused as it now
is, every day enlarges its range. It will be to Europe what
the Latin was in the age of Trajan; and the time, perhaps, is
not far distant, when the language and literature of England
will be unknown out of North America, and we shall not

preserve them without a struggle. They have not taken
root deep enough in India to withstand the storm: perhaps
their insignificancy may preserve the settlements in New
Holland, and thus perpetuate the mother tongue in both hemispheres.
Under these circumstances, nothing short of infatuation
could induce the English cabinet to force us into a
war with them. But I am running into politics.

Is it true that Dr. Haller intends to break up his school,
and for the reason which I have heard assigned?—"Mr. Pelzer's
striking one of his scholars?" Is Mr. Pelzer still with
Dr. H. and Mr. Garnet? Has the philosophical apparatus arrived?
Does any one lecture on natural philosophy or chemistry?
Are there any other Greek scholars but yourself?
if so, what books do they read? Have you practised much
in arithmetic?—without a ready knowledge of it, the study
of the mathematics will be vain. I hope, in your next, a
reply to these queries, for I have observed that your letters
are very seldom answers to mine.

Sally was much pleased with your intelligence concerning
her parents and brethren. She is well, and desires to
be remembered affectionately to you: so does your cousin
Judy. I'm afraid that we shall have very few partridges,
owing to the wetness of the season. Yesterday was the
first day that has passed without rain since the 10th. The
crops are ruined, corn excepted, and that much injured by
wet. Farewell, my dear Theodore.