towns in reach of Paris. The principal hours of the day, you will
attend to your studies, and in those of relaxation, associate with the
family. You will learn to speak better from women and children in three
months, than from men in a year. Such a situation, too, will render
more easy a due attention to economy of time and money. Having pursued
your main studies here, about two years, and acquired a facility in
speaking French, take a tour of four or five months through this
country and Italy, return then to Virginia, and pass a year in
Williamsburg, under the care of Mr. Wythe; and you will be ready to
enter on the public stage, with superior advantages. I have proposed to
you, to carry on the study of the law with that of politics and
history. Every political measure will, forever, have an intimate
connection with the laws of the land; and he, who knows nothing of
these, will always be perplexed, and often foiled by adversaries having
the advantage of that knowledge over him. Besides, it is a source of
infinite comfort to reflect, that under every chance of fortune, we
have a resource in ourselves from which we may be able to derive an
honorable subsistence. I would, therefore, propose not only the study,
but the practice of the law for some time, to possess yourself of the
habit of public speaking. With respect to modern languages, French, as
I have before observed, is indispensable. Next to this, the Spanish is
most important to an American. Our connection with Spain is already
important, and will become daily more so. Besides this, the ancient
part of American history is written chiefly in Spanish. To a person who
would make a point of reading and speaking French and Spanish, I should
doubt the utility of learning Italian. These three languages, being all
degeneracies from the Latin, resemble one another so much, that I doubt
the probability of keeping in the head a distinct knowledge of them
all. I suppose that he who learns them all, will speak a compound of
the three, and neither perfectly. The journey which I propose to you
need not be expensive, and would be very useful. With your talents and
industry, with science, and that steadfast honesty which eternally
pursues right, regardless of consequences, you may promise yourself
everything--but health, without which there is no happiness. An
attention to health, then, should take place of every other object. The
time necessary to secure this by active exercises,