| Description | (Directed to the Hotel de Chaulnes, rue d'Enfer.)
I receiv'd my dear son's letter of the 9th instant yesterday, which is just about eleven days from the date of it, and this I attribute to your sending it by a private friend; I therefore recommend it to you in future to send your letters by the regular post, which in general comes to London in four days, and sometimes three-besides, it is asking favours that are of no value when confir'd.
I agree with you in most of the sentiments contain'd in your last, and particularly that the sooner you begin to think and act for your self the better, and I should say so too if you were to be brought up to a maritime life, but I should also advise you to learn the principles and rules of navigation before you took the command, and never go on board without a compass, which I consider as the ship's conscience, and shews when it is going a wrong course.
I do not wish to restrain you from going into company sometimes, but on the contrary I wish you to embrace all proper oportunities of associating with good company, for it is a certain maxim, Tell me your company and I will tell you what you are. I do not estmate the goodness of one's company by the number of titles, for I am sorry there are bad men to be found in high life as well as in low. If any class hath more integrity, more industry, more usefull knowledge, and more virture than another, 'tis the middle class. I wish you to acquire knowledge that you may be qualify'd to associate with philosophers, and associating with them is the way to acquire knowledge.
Le chevalier L'Andriani is a very ingenious and learned philosopher; I wish I was more acquainted with him. Mr. Greville is brother to the Earl of Warwick, and all earl's brothers are call'd the Honorable Mr. -. Mr. Greville is of my acquaintance. He is possessed of the greatest collection of minerals and fossils of any man in Britain, or perhaps in Europe.
Pray give me some account of Mr. Sage's lectures and experiments, and tell me whether there is any thing new in the philosophical or chymical world.
I have wrote by this post to Mr. Manuel, but as I, no more than you, am in the habit of writing French, I have therefore put it into the hands of Mr. Collins (who is now return'd to me again) to translate, but he has made a German job of it, which explain to Mr. Manuel.
If you write by the return of the post I shall receive it before I leave London, and do tell me some news of Mr. Droz, who is silent.
I expect to receive an order from our Goverment before I leave town, for a new copper coinage, as they have sent for me up on that business only.
I wish I could spend an hour writing to you, but I am interupted and prevented from saying more than that I am, my dear son, your most affectionate father,
M. Boulton
Pray present my kindest compliments to all my friends and favourites dans le rûe Coqheron, with thanks for all their kindnesses to you.
[Edited transcript.] |