proper　times；　and　in　proper　places；　is　what　particularly　constitutes　a
  man　of　the　world；　and　a　well…bred　man。
  Here　is　advice　enough；　I　think；　and　too　much；　it　may　be；　you　will　think；
  for　one　letter；　if　you　follow　it；　you　will　get　knowledge；　character；　and
  pleasure　by　it；　if　you　do　not；　I　only　lose　'operam　et　oleum；'　which；　in
  all　events；　I　do　not　grudge　you。
  I　send　you；　by　a　person　who　sets　out　this　day　for　Leipsig；　a　small　packet
  from　your　Mamma；　containing　some　valuable　things　which　you　left　behind；
  to　which　I　have　added；　by　way　of　new…year's　gift；　a　very　pretty　tooth…
  pick　case；　and；　by　the　way；　pray　take　great　care　of　your　teeth；　and　keep
  them　extremely　clean。　　I　have　likewise　sent　you　the　Greek　roots；　lately
  translated　into　English　from　the　French　of　the　Port　Royal。　　Inform
  yourself　what　the　Port　Royal　is。　　To　conclude　with　a　quibble：　I　hope　you
  will　not　only　feed　upon　these　Greek　roots；　but　likewise　digest　them
  perfectly。　　Adieu。
  LETTER　XXI
  LONDON；　December　15；　O。　S。　　1747
  DEAR　Boy：　There　is　nothing　which　I　more　wish　that　you　should　know；　and
  which　fewer　people　do　know；　than　the　true　use　and　value　of　time。　　It　is
  in　everybody's　mouth；　but　in　few　people's　practice。　　Every　fool；　who
  slatterns　away　his　whole　time　in　nothings；　utters；　however；　some　trite
  commonplace　sentence；　of　which　there　are　millions；　to　prove；　at　once；　the
  value　and　the　fleetness　of　time。　　The　sun…dials；　likewise　all　over
  Europe；　have　some　ingenious　inscription　to　that　effect；　so　that　nobody
  squanders　away　their　time；　without　hearing　and　seeing；　daily；　how
  necessary　it　is　to　employ　it　well；　and　how　irrecoverable　it　is　if　lost。
  But　all　these　admonitions　are　useless；　where　there　is　not　a　fund　of　good
  sense　and　reason　to　suggest　them；　rather　than　receive　them。　　By　the
  manner　in　which　you　now　tell　me　that　you　employ　your　time；　I　flatter
  myself　that　you　have　that　fund；　that　is　the　fund　which　will　make　you　rich
  indeed。　　I　do　not；　therefore；　mean　to　give　you　a　critical　essay　upon　the
  use　and　abuse　of　time；　but　I　will　only　give　you　some　hints　with　regard　to
  the　use　of　one　particular　period　of　that　long　time　which；　I　hope；　you
  have　before　you；　I　mean；　the　next　two　years。　　Remember；　then；　that
  whatever　knowledge　you　do　not　solidly　lay　the　foundation　of　before　you
  are　eighteen；　you　will　never　be　the　master　of　while　you　breathe。
  Knowledge　is　a　comfortable　and　necessary　retreat　and　shelter　for　us　in　an
  advanced　age；　and　if　we　do　not　plant　it　while　young；　it　will　give　us　no
  shade　when　we　grow　old。　　I　neither　require　nor　expect　from　you　great
  application　to　books；　after　you　are　once　thrown　out　into　the　great　world。
  I　know　it　is　impossible；　and　it　may　even；　in　some　cases；　be　improper；
  this；　therefore；　is　your　time；　and　your　only　time；　for　unwearied　and
  uninterrupted　application。　　If　you　should　sometimes　think　it　a　little
  laborious；　consider　that　labor　is　the　unavoidable　fatigue　of　a　necessary
  journey。　　The　more　hours　a　day　you　travel；　the　sooner　you　will　be　at　your
  journey's　end。　　The　sooner　you　are　qualified　for　your　liberty；　the　sooner
  you　shall　have　it；　and　your　manumission　will　entirely　depend　upon　the
  manner　in　which　you　employ　the　intermediate　time。　　I　think　I　offer　you　a
  very　good　bargain；　when　I　promise　you；　upon　my　word；　that　if　you　will　do
  everything　that　I　would　have　you　do；　till　you　are　eighteen；　I　will　do
  everything　that　you　would　have　me　do　ever　afterward。
  I　knew　a　gentleman；　who　was　so　good　a　manager　of　his　time；　that　he　would
  not　even　lose　that　small　portion　of　it；　which　the　calls　of　nature　obliged
  him　to　pass　in　the　necessary…house；　but　gradually　went　through　all　the
  Latin　poets；　in　those　moments。　　He　bought；　for　example；　a　common　edition
  of　Horace；　of　which　he　tore　off　gradually　a　couple　of　pages；　carried　them
  with　him　to　that　necessary　place；　read　them　first；　and　then　sent　them
  down　as　a　sacrifice　to　Cloacina　：　this　was　so　much　time　fairly　gained；
  and　I　recommend　you　to　follow　his　example。　　It　is　better　than　only　doing
  what　you　cannot　help　doing　at　those　moments；　and　it　will　made　any　book；
  which　you　shall　read　in　that　manner；　very　present　in　your　mind。　　Books　of
  science；　and　of　a　grave　sort；　must　be　read　with　continuity；　but　there　are
  very　many；　and　even　very　useful　ones；　which　may　be　read　with　advantage　by
  snatches；　and　unconnectedly；　such　are　all　the　good　Latin　poets；　except
  Virgil　in　his　〃AEneid〃：　and　such　are　most　of　the　modern　poets；　in　which
  you　will　find　many　pieces　worth　reading；　that　will　not　take　up　above
  seven　or　eight　minutes。　　Bayle's；　Moreri's；　and　other　dictionaries；　are
  proper　books　to　take　and　shut　up　for　the　little　intervals　of　（otherwise）
  idle　time；　that　everybody　has　in　the　course　of　the　day；　between　either
  their　studies　or　their　pleasures。　　Good　night。
  LETTER　XXII
  LONDON；　December　18；　O。　S。　　1747。
  DEAR　Boy：　As　two　mails　are　now　due　from　Holland；
  I　have　no　letters　of　yours；　or　Mr。　Harte's　to　acknowledge；　so　that　this
  letter　is　the　effect　of　that　'scribendi　cacoethes；'　which　my　fears；　my
  hopes；　and　my　doubts；　concerning　you　give　me。　　When　I　have　wrote　you　a
  very　long　letter　upon　any　subject；　it　is　no　sooner　gone；　but　I　think　I
  have　omitted　something　in　it；　which　might　be　of　use　to　you；　and　then　I
  prepare　the　supplement　for　the　next　post：　or　else　some　new　subject　occurs
  to　me；　upon　which　I　fancy　I　can　give　you　some　informations；　or　point　out
  some　rules　which　may　be　advantageous　to　you。　　This　sets　me　to　writing
  again；　though　God　knows　whether　to　any　purpose　or　not；　a　few　years　more
  can　only　ascertain　that。　　But；　whatever　my　success　may　be；　my　anxiety　and
  my　care　can　only　be　the　effects　of　that　tender　affection　which　I　have　for
  you；　and　which　you　cannot　represent　to　yourself　greater　than　it　really
  is。　　But　do　not　mistake　the　nature　of　that　affection；　and　think　it　of　a
  kind　that　you　may　with　impunity　abuse。　　It　is　not　natural　affection；
  there　being　in　reality　no　such　thing；　for；　if　there　were；　some　inward
  sentiment　must　necessarily　and　reciprocally　discover　the　parent　to　the
  child；　and　the　child　to　the　parent；　without　any　exterior　indications；
  knowledge；　or　acquaintance　whatsoever；　which　never　happened　since　the
  creation　of　the　world；　whatever　poets；　romance；　and　novel　writers；　and
  such　sentiment…mongers；　may　be　pleased　to　say　to　the　contrary。　　Neither
  is　my　affection　for　you　that　of　a　mother；　of　which　the　only；　or　at　least
  the　chief　objects；　are　health　and　life：　I　wish　you　them　both　most
  heartily；　but；　at　the　same　time；　I　confess　they　are　by　no　means　my
  principal　care。
  My　object　is　to　have　you　fit　to　live；　which；　if　you　are　not；　I　do　not
  desire　that　you　should　live　at　all。　　My　affection　for　you　then　is；　and
  only　will　be；　proportioned　to　your　merit；　which　is　the　only　affection
  that　one　rational　being　ought　to　have　for　another。　　Hitherto　I　have
  discovered　nothing　wrong　in　your　heart；　or　your　head：　on　the　contrary
  I　think　I　see　sense　in　the　one；　and　sentiments　in　the　other。　　This
  persuasion　is　the　only　motive　of　my　present　affection；　which　will　either
  increase　or　diminish；　according　to　your　merit　or　demerit。　　If　you　have
  the　knowledge；　the　honor；　and　probity；　which　you　may　have；　the　marks　and
  warmth　of　my　affection　shall　amply　reward　them；　but　if　you　have　them　not；
  my　aversion　and　indignation　will　rise　in　the　same　proportion；　and；　in
  that　case；　remember；　that　I　am　under　no　further　obligation；　than　to　give
  you　the　necessary　means　of　subsisting。　　If　ever　we　quarrel；　do　not　expect
  or　depend　upon　any　weakness　in　my　nature；　for　a　reconciliation；
  as　children　frequently　do；　and　often　meet　with；　from　silly　parents；
  I　have　no　such　weakness　about　me：　and；　as　I　will　never　quarrel　with　you
  but　upon　some　essential　point；　if　once　we　quarrel；　I　will　never　forgive。
  But　I　hope　and　believe；　that　this　declaration　（for　it　is　no　threat）　will
  prove　unnecessary。　　You　are　no　stranger　to　the　principles　of　virtue；　and；
  surely；　whoever　knows　virtue　must　love　it。　　As　for　knowledge；　you　have
  already　enough　of　it；　to　engage　you　to　acquire　more。　　The　ignorant　only；
  either　despise　it；　or　think　that　they　have　enough：　those　who　have　the
  most　are　always　the　most　desirous　to　have　more；　and　know　that　the　most
  they　can　have　is；　alas！　but　too　little。
  Reconsider；　from　time　to　time；　and　retain　the　friendly　advice　which　I
  send　you。　　The　advantage　will　be　all　your　own。
  LETTER　XXIII
  LONDON；　December　29；　O。　S。　　1747
  DEAR　BOY：　I　have　received　two　letters　from　you　of　the　17th　and　22d；　N。
  S。；　by　the　last　of　which　I　find　that　some　of　mine　to　you　must　have
  miscarried；　for　I　have　never　been　above　two　posts　without　writing　to　you
  or　to　Mr。　Harte；　and　even　very　long　letters。　　I　have　also　received　a
  letter　from　Mr。　Harte；　which　gives　me　great　satisfaction：　it　is　full　of
  your　praises；　and　he　answers　for　you；　that；　in　two　years　more；　you　will
  deserve　your　manumission；　and　be　fit　to　go　into　the　world；　upon　a　footing
  that　will　do　you　honor；　and　give　me　pleasure。
  I　thank　you　for　your　offer　of　the　new　edition　of　'Adamus　Adami；'　but　I　do
  not　want　it；　having　a　good　edition　of　it　at　present。　　When　you　have　read
  that；　you　will　do　well　to　follow　it　with　Pere　Bougeant's　'Histoire　du
  Traite　de　Munster；'　in　two　volumes　quarto；　which　c