LETTER LXXXII. From Lien Chi Altangi to Hingpo, by the way of Mofcow. You are now arrived at an age, my fon, when pleafure diffuades from application; but rob not by prefent gratification all the fucceeding period of life of its happiness. Sacrifice a little pleasure at firft to the expectance of greater. The ftudy of a few years will make the reft of life completely eafy. But inftead of continuing the fubject myself, take the following inftructions borrowed from a modern philofopher of China *. "He who has begun his fortune by ftudy will certainly confirm it by per"feverance. The love of books damps the paffion "for pleasure, and when this paffion is once ex"tinguifhed, life is then cheaply fupported; thus a man being poffeffed of more than he wants, can never be fubject to great difappointments, and "avoids all thofe meanneffes which indigence fometimes unavoidably produces. i έσ "There is unfpeakable pleasure attending the "life of a voluntary ftudent. The first time I read "an excellent book, it is to me juft as if I had "gained a new friend. When I read over a book "I have perufed before, it resembles the meeting "with an old one. We ought to lay hold of every "incident in life for improvement, the trifling as * A translation of this paffage may also be seen in Du Halde, Vol. II. Fol. p. 47, and 58. This extract will at least serve to fhew that fondnefs for humour which appears in the writings of the Chinese. "well "well as the important. It is not one diamond "alone which gives luftre to another, a common "coarse ftone is alfo employed for that purpose. "Thus I ought to draw advantage from the infults " and contempt I meet with from a worthless fellow. "His brutality ought to induce me to self-examina"tion, and correct every blemish that may have gi"ven rise to his calumny. 66 Yet with all the pleasures and profits which are generally produced by learning, parents often "find it difficult to induce their children to study. "They often feem dragged to what wears the appearance of application. Thus being dilatory in "the beginning, all future hopes of eminence are "entirely cut off. If they find themselves obliged "to write two lines more polite than ordinary, their pencil then feems as heavy as a mill-ftone, and they spend ten years in turning two or three pe"riods with propriety. "These perfons are moft at a lofs when a banquet " is almoft over; the plate and the dice go round, "that the number of little verfes which each is obliged to repeat may be determined by chance. "The booby, when it comes to his turn, appears "quite ftupid and infenfible. The company divert "themfelves with his confufion; and fneers, winks, and whispers are circulated at his expence. As for him, he opens a pair of large heavy eyes, "ftares at all about him, and even offers to join in "the laugh, without ever confidering himself as the "burthen of all their good humour. 66 "But it is of no importance to read much, ex cept you be regular in reading. If it be inter"rupted for any confiderable time, it can never be "attended with proper improvement. There are "fome who study for one day with intenfe application, and repofe themfelves for ten days after. "But "But wisdom is a coquet, and must be courted with "unabating affiduity. "It was a faying of the antients, that a man ne"ver opens a book without reaping fome advantage "by it. it. I fay with them, that every book can "ferve to make us more expert, except romances, "and thefe are no better than the inftruments of "debauchery. They are dangerous fictions, where "love is the ruling paffion. 66 "The moft indecent ftrokes there pafs for turns "of wit, intrigue and criminal liberties for gallantry and politenefs. Affignations, and even villainy are put in fuch ftrong lights, as may infpire even grown men with the ftrongest paffion; "how much more therefore ought the youth of ei"ther fex to dread them, whofe reafon is fo weak, "and whofe hearts are fo fufceptible of paffion! "To flip in by a back-door, or leap a wall are "accomplishments that when handfomely fet off en"chant a young heart. It is true the plot is com monly wound up by a marriage, concluded with "the confent of parents, and adjusted by every ce"remony prescribed by law. But as in the body of "the work there are many paffages that offend good "morals, overthrow laudable cuftoms, violate the "laws, and deftroy the duties moft effential to fo"ciety, virtue is thereby expofed to the most dan"gerous attacks. But, fay fome, the authors of these romances "have nothing in view, but to reprefent vice "punished and virtue rewarded. Granted. But "will the greater number of readers take notice of "these punishments and rewards? Are not their "minds carried to fomething elfe? Can it be ima gined that the heart with which the author in'66 fpires the love of virtue, can overcome that "crowd of thoughts which fway them to licentiouf "nefs? nefs? To be able to inculcate virtue by fo leaky "a vehicle, the author must be a philofopher "of the firft rank. But in our age we can find but few first-rate philosophers. "Avoid fuch performances where vice affumes "the face of virtue; feek wisdom and knowledge "without ever thinking you have found them. A man is wife, while he continues in the pursuit of "wifdom; but when he once fancies that he has "found the object of his enquiry, he then becomes "a fool. Learn to pursue virtue from the man that "is blind, who never makes a ftep without firft ex"amining the ground with his staff. "The world is like a vast sea, mankind like a "veffel failing on its tempeftuous bofom. Our prudence is its fails, the fciences ferve us for oars, 66 good or bad fortune are the favourable or contrary "winds, and judgement is the rudder; without this "laft the veffel is toffed by every billow, and will "find fhipwreck in every breeze. In a word, obfcurity and indigence are the parents of vigilance "and œconomy; vigilance and economy of riches "and honour; riches and honour of pride and lux"ury; pride and luxury of impurity and idleness; "and impurity and idlenefs again produce indigence and obfcurity. Such are the revolutions of "life." Adieu. 66 LETTER From Lien Chi Altangi, to Fum Hoam, firft Prefident of the Ceremonial Academy at Pekin, in China. I FANCY the character of a poet is in every country the fame, fond of enjoying the prefent, careless of the future, his converfation that of a man of fenfe, his actions thofe of a fool! of fortitude able to ftand unmoved at the bursting of an earthquake, yet of fenfibility to be affected by the breaking of a tea-cup; fuch is his character, which confidered in every light is the very oppofite of that which leads to riches. The poets of the Weft are as remarkable for their indigence as their genius, and yet among the numerous hofpitals defigned to relieve the poor, I have heard of but one erected for the benefit of decayed authors. This was founded by pope Urban VIII. and called the retreat of the incurables, intimating, that it was equally impoffible to reclaim the patients, who fued for reception, from poverty, or from poetry. To be fincere, were I to fend you an account of the lives of the Western poets, either antient or modern, I fancy you would think me employed in collecting materials for an hiftory of human wretchedness. Homer is the firft poet and beggar of note among the antients; he was blind, and fung his ballads about the streets; but it is observed, that his mouth was more frequently filled with verfes than with bread. Plautus the comic poet was better off; he had two trades, he was a poet for his diverfion, and helped |