I will not pretend, in words, to convey to you the great Pleasure your Favour of the 19 and 23 May past, gave me. Your own Mind must do it; by reflecting on the great Gratification it cou’d receive, by hearing of, and conceiving one, so much esteam’d and beloved as you assuredly are, by me. Your said Present of your Medallion, I Shall ever prize; and it will ever be present before me. Not that I want it to serve as a Remembrancer: for your Friendship is too deeply impressed in my Mind.
King Alphonsus’s saying, and wish was, if I remember right, to have old Friends, old Books, old Wine; and old Wood. Thence I gather, that the Age of Friends ought not to be a Plea for Indolence, or Inexactness.
Your Remark on Pope’s Epitaph is very just as to the natural Disposition of us all; that we cannot help wishing to be well thought of; and the qu’en diraton, must weigh in our Minds, malgré nous, et nos Dents; but I apprehend Mr. Pope’s expression is not to be taken à la Lettre; but as a Poetical Licence.
I ever have been an Admirer, and from my Youth had, the greatest veneration for the Song you so finely celebrate of the old Mans Wish. I have got it, and it’s Sat to Music by some body. No matter who the author was, of the Song or the Music. Nevertheless I shou’d be glad to know it, to pay a proper Tribute to their worth. I have it in Latin, which tho’ no great Latinist, I can enjoy a little.
I had got so far, in answering parographically, your kind Letters; when hearing of Mr. Williams I determind to see him, and acquaint him of my willingness, as also of my good Friend Dr. Rowley, to help, all in our Power, towards your Ease, and Accomodation in your Voyage. I carry’d the Doctor to him, and we jointly have done, what Mr. Williams will tell you. We both wish, that more had been in our Power. If it contribute in the least to your Ease and Comfort, it will give us that Pleasure which Minds susceeptible of Feeling for their Friends Happiness, cannot so well express, as feel.
One thing I have to say, on reading over what I have wrote, and turning to your Letter, as a Criticism on the Song above mention’d; and that is; if we were without Passions we shou’d be mere Logs and Stocks. It is they that animate; that cause us to fill the Parts we were created for; in short make us do, what we cannot account for; and that for purposes beyond our Conception: So that I agree fully in the wish of governing my Passion’s with an absolute Sway, yet I reprobate “For hes governd his Passions with an absolute Sway &c. Because as governing you fell you are not yet Master of all your Passions, tho’ you have been at work at it, up to Fourscore.
I am much oblig’d by your Note about the Foundlings at Paris. You know my Principle, or axiom, about the Children of the Fool; that it is the Duty of the State to take Care of them, as said in our Principles of Trade, and not only of them, but of Beasts that are necessary in so many States. When Children are wantonly thrown on the Public, it is certainly wrong, but as in the French side, they may embrace too much, on our side here, we do too little. How to manage on both sides is a difficult Task, I will alow; but it is not impossible. You must have Poor in your growing States; but, if I judge right, the Turn to Industry, will keep Poverty aloof. As you have not been able to get me the Numbers of Foundlings from 1755 up to all 1784 I shall despair of doing it, and shall take for granted, in my Contemplation, that half of the Christend are Sent to the Foundling Hospital, and as you Hint Nine tenths of them die, it’s what requires great Consideration some how to amend. I am very clear, that when a Mother who has had a Child sometime with her will have more what is call’d Natural afection for it, than if not kept, any time, by her. That this ought to be cultivated by every means is obvious: for in point of what is generally call’d natural afection, I hold it is all acquired; and not in the Sense of the word ariseing from Nature.
If report says true your Philadelphian Bank Directors have gone too fast. I will look back, and colect from what I think I have somewhere, about Banks. I am vex’d I have procrastinated as I have done. If I succeed, and I can be of use, you shall have it; if not you’ll not be troubled hereon.
You saw I at once condemn’d your Cincinati. It is neither your, or my thinking, in regard to our diferent Governments that count any thing. The true, and only Principle, never to deviate from, is that it’s End, and Drift is for your Welfare; Suport; Maintenance: in Short what is called the Good of the whole. Every dustitution every Idea not tending thereto, is good for nothing. May you be spared by Providence [to] make some of your turbulent People have a Sense of true Justice; which I think, I said in my Last, to be the true Interest of a State, is what I sincerly hope and pray for!
The Dollonds are oblig’d by what you have been at the pains to say, and describe of your double Spectacles. They fully comprehend it at the Same time say, such Sight as yours That therefore they only make for such as are like yours
I have troubled Mr. Williams with some of our Principles of Trade: Some of the first Edition, and some of the Second, with the Notes. The Copys of your Notes, in which we agreed, and were publish’d; and those we disagreed in, your Grand Son took; and we collated with your original. It is the general atachment to the Thing calld Money which, if I mistake not, even weigh’d and by ass’d you, that cannot be enough reprobated, and held to be only as a Counter or Counters at Quadrille. As to your Translation of our Principles on Trade; possibly may the French think better of Trade, than when I liv’d amongst them. If they do not, it will be labor as much [as] thrown away, as it seems to be here; where what you quote of the Consultation of the old Merchants with Mons Colbert is not at all minded Laissez nous faire. In considering these things I say with the Turks Allah Kharim. God is great. and with Pope Urban the 8th. Il mondo in certa maniere si governa da Se Shesso. The world in some measure governs its self by it Self.
May all Ease, Health, Hapiness, and Contentment be your Lot for ever! So Says and heartily wishes My Dear Friend Yours ever most sincerely and affectionately