dialect；　must　be　the　text　books　of　the　reading　of　the　learners；　they
  will　imbibe　with　the　language　their　free　principles　of　government。
  The　volumes　you　have　been　so　kind　as　to　send；　shall　be　placed　in　the
  library　of　the　University。　　Having　at　this　time　in　England　a　person
  sent　for　the　purpose　of　selecting　some　Professors；　a　Mr。　Gilmer　of　my
  neighborhood；　I　cannot　but　recommend　him　to　your　patronage；　counsel
  and　guardianship；　against　imposition；　misinformation；　and　the
  deceptions　of　partial　and　false　recommendations；　in　the　selection　of
  characters。　　He　is　a　gentleman　of　great　worth　and　correctness；　my
  particular　friend；　well　educated　in　various　branches　of　science；　and
  worthy　of　entire　confidence。
  Your　age　of　eighty…four　and　mine　of　eighty…one　years；　insure　us
  a　speedy　meeting。　　We　may　then　commune　at　leisure；　and　more　fully；　on
  the　good　and　evil；　which；　in　the　course　of　our　long　lives；　we　have
  both　witnessed；　and　in　the　mean　time；　I　pray　you　to　accept　assurances
  of　my　high　veneration　and　esteem　for　your　person　and　character。
  THE　PROGRESS　OF　SOCIETY
  _To　William　Ludlow_
  _Monticello；　September　6；　1824_
  SIR；　　The　idea　which　you　present　in　your　letter　of　July　30th；
  of　the　progress　of　society　from　its　rudest　state　to　that　it　has　now
  attained；　seems　conformable　to　what　may　be　probably　conjectured。
  Indeed；　we　have　under　our　eyes　tolerable　proofs　of　it。　　Let　a
  philosophic　observer　commence　a　journey　from　the　savages　of　the　Rocky
  Mountains；　eastwardly　towards　our　sea…coast。　　These　he　would　observe
  in　the　earliest　stage　of　association　living　under　no　law　but　that　of
  nature；　subscribing　and　covering　themselves　with　the　flesh　and　skins
  of　wild　beasts。　　He　would　next　find　those　on　our　frontiers　in　the
  pastoral　state；　raising　domestic　animals　to　supply　the　defects　of
  hunting。　　Then　succeed　our　own　semi…barbarous　citizens；　the　pioneers
  of　the　advance　of　civilization；　and　so　in　his　progress　he　would　meet
  the　gradual　shades　of　improving　man　until　he　would　reach　his；　as　yet；
  most　improved　state　in　our　seaport　towns。　　This；　in　fact；　is
  equivalent　to　a　survey；　in　time；　of　the　progress　of　man　from　the
  infancy　of　creation　to　the　present　day。　　I　am　eighty…one　years　of
  age；　born　where　I　now　live；　in　the　first　range　of　mountains　in　the
  interior　of　our　country。　　And　I　have　observed　this　march　of
  civilization　advancing　from　the　sea　coast；　passing　over　us　like　a
  cloud　of　light；　increasing　our　knowledge　and　improving　our　condition；
  insomuch　as　that　we　are　at　this　time　more　advanced　in　civilization
  here　than　the　seaports　were　when　I　was　a　boy。　　And　where　this
  progress　will　stop　no　one　can　say。　　Barbarism　has；　in　the　meantime；
  been　receding　before　the　steady　step　of　amelioration；　and　will　in
  time；　I　trust；　disappear　from　the　earth。　　You　seem　to　think　that　this
  advance　has　brought　on　too　complicated　a　state　of　society；　and　that
  we　should　gain　in　happiness　by　treading　back　our　steps　a　little　way。
  I　think；　myself；　that　we　have　more　machinery　of　government　than　is
  necessary；　too　many　parasites　living　on　the　labor　of　the　industrious。
  I　believe　it　might　be　much　simplified　to　the　relief　of　those　who
  maintain　it。　　Your　experiment　seems　to　have　this　in　view。　　A　society
  of　seventy　families；　the　number　you　name；　may　very　possibly　be
  governed　as　a　single　family；　subsisting　on　their　common　industry；　and
  holding　all　things　in　common。　　Some　regulators　of　the　family　you
  still　must　have；　and　it　remains　to　be　seen　at　what　period　of　your
  increasing　population　your　simple　regulations　will　cease　to　be
  sufficient　to　preserve　order；　peace；　and　justice。　　The　experiment　is
  interesting；　I　shall　not　live　to　see　its　issue；　but　I　wish　it　success
  equal　to　your　hopes；　and　to　yourself　and　society　prosperity　and
  happiness。
  RETURN　OF　THE　HERO
  _To　Lafayette_
  _Monticello；　October　9；　1824_
  I　have　duly　received；　my　dear　friend　and　General；　your　letter
  of　the　1st　from　Philadelphia；　giving　us　the　welcome　assurance　that
  you　will　visit　the　neighborhood　which；　during　the　march　of　our　enemy
  near　it；　was　covered　by　your　shield　from　his　robberies　and　ravages。
  In　passing　the　line　of　your　former　march　you　will　experience　pleasing
  recollections　of　the　good　you　have　done。　　My　neighbors；　too；　of　our
  academical　village；　who　well　remember　their　obligations　to　you；　have
  expressed　to　you；　in　a　letter　from　a　committee　appointed　for　that
  purpose；　their　hope　that　you　will　accept　manifestations　of　their
  feelings；　simple　indeed；　but　as　cordial　as　any　you　will　have
  received。　　It　will　be　an　additional　honor　to　the　University　of　the
  State　that　you　will　have　been　its　first　guest。　　Gratify　them；　then；
  by　this　assurance　to　their　committee；　if　it　has　not　been　done。　　But
  what　recollections；　dear　friend；　will　this　call　up　to　you　and　me！
  What　a　history　have　we　to　run　over　from　the　evening　that　yourself；
  Meusnier；　Bernau；　and　other　patriots　settled；　in　my　house　in　Paris；
  the　outlines　of　the　constitution　you　wished！　　And　to　trace　it　through
  all　the　disastrous　chapters　of　Robespierre；　Barras；　Bonaparte；　and
  the　Bourbons！　　These　things；　however；　are　for　our　meeting。　　You
  mention　the　return　of　Miss　Wright　to　America；　accompanied　by　her
  sister；　but　do　not　say　what　her　stay　is　to　be；　nor　what　her　course。
  Should　it　lead　her　to　a　visit　of　our　University；　which；　in　its
  architecture　only；　is　as　yet　an　object；　herself　and　her　companion
  will　nowhere　find　a　welcome　more　hearty　than　with　Mrs。　Randolph；　and
  all　the　inhabitants　of　Monticello。　　This　Athenaeum　of　our　country；　in
  embryo；　is　as　yet　but　promise；　and　not　in　a　state　to　recall　the
  recollections　of　Athens。　　But　everything　has　its　beginning；　its
  growth；　and　end；　and　who　knows　with　what　future　delicious　morsels　of
  philosophy；　and　by　what　future　Miss　Wright　raked　from　its　ruins；　the
  world　may；　some　day；　be　gratified　and　instructed？　　Your　son　George　we
  shall　be　very　happy　indeed　to　see；　and　to　renew　in　him　the
  recollections　of　your　very　dear　family；　and　the　revolutionary　merit
  of　M。　le　Vasseur　has　that　passport　to　the　esteem　of　every　American；
  and；　to　me；　the　additional　one　of　having　been　your　friend　and
  co…operator；　and　he　will；　I　hope；　join　you　in　making　head…quarters
  with　us　at　Monticello。　　But　all　these　things　_a　revoir_　　；　in　the
  meantime　we　are　impatient　that　your　ceremonies　at　York　should　be
  over；　and　give　you　to　the　embraces　of　friendship。
  P。　S。　Will　you　come　by　Mr。　Madison's；　or　let　him　or　me　know　on
  what　day　he　may　meet　you　here；　and　join　us　in　our　greetings？
  COUNSEL　TO　A　NAMESAKE
  _To　Thomas　Jefferson　Smith_
  _Monticello；　February　21；　1825_
  This　letter　will；　to　you；　be　as　one　from　the　dead。　　The　writer
  will　be　in　the　grave　before　you　can　weigh　its　counsels。　　Your
  affectionate　and　excellent　father　has　requested　that　I　would　address
  to　you　something　which　might　possibly　have　a　favorable　influence　on
  the　course　of　life　you　have　to　run；　and　I　too；　as　a　namesake；　feel　an
  interest　in　that　course。　　Few　words　will　be　necessary；　with　good
  dispositions　on　your　part。　　Adore　God。　　Reverence　and　cherish　your
  parents。　　Love　your　neighbor　as　yourself；　and　your　country　more　than
  yourself。　　Be　just。　　Be　true。　　Murmur　not　at　the　ways　of　Providence。
  So　shall　the　life　into　which　you　have　entered；　be　the　portal　to　one
  of　eternal　and　ineffable　bliss。　　And　if　to　the　dead　it　is　permitted
  to　care　for　the　things　of　this　world；　every　action　of　your　life　will
  be　under　my　regard。　　Farewell。
  _The　portrait　of　a　good　man　by　the　most　sublime　of　poets；　for
  your　imitation_
  Lord；　who's　the　happy　man　that　may　to　thy　blest　courts　repair；
  Not　stranger…like　to　visit　them　but　to　inhabit　there？
  'Tis　he　whose　every　thought　and　deed　by　rules　of　virtue　moves；
  Whose　generous　tongue　disdains　to　speak　the　thing　his　heart
  disproves。
  Who　never　did　a　slander　forge；　his　neighbor's　fame　to　wound；
  Nor　hearken　to　a　false　report；　by　malice　whispered　round。
  Who　vice　in　all　its　pomp　and　power；　can　treat　with　just
  neglect；
  And　piety；　though　clothed　in　rages；　religiously　respect。
  Who　to　his　plighted　vows　and　trust　has　ever　firmly　stood；
  And　though　he　promise　to　his　loss；　he　makes　his　promise　good。
  Whose　soul　in　usury　disdains　his　treasure　to　employ；
  Whom　no　rewards　can　ever　bribe　the　guiltless　to　destroy。
  ｜P1500｜p1
  The　man；　who；　by　his　steady　course；　has　happiness　insur'd。
  When　earth's　foundations　shake；　shall　stand；　by　Providence
  secur'd。
  _A　Decalogue　of　Canons　for　observation　in　practical　life_。
  1。　Never　put　off　till　to…morrow　what　you　can　do　to…day。
  2。　Never　trouble　another　for　what　you　can　do　yourself。
  3。　Never　spend　your　money　before　you　have　it。
  4。　Never　buy　what　y