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subtle and powerful Minister in all Europe, was almost daily, and in point of spirit and urgency in behalf of America, clearly unrivaled. His correspondence with the bankers of the United States, at Amsterdam and Paris, to preserve the credit of the United States, was constant, and laborious; and his exertions for the redemption of American captives at Algiers, for establishing a general coalition of all the civilized Powers against the piratical States, and, on failure of that, for negotiating treaties of peace with them, on the most favorable terms, are unprecedented in the history of diplomatic affairs.

But of all the private labors of Mr. Jefferson, in behalf of his country, none were more useful, none more praiseworthy and patriotic, than those which were directed to the moral improvement of the rising generation. It was to them he looked, and not to those then on the stage, for the perfection of the glorious political work which he had exhausted every resource, and sacrificed every comfort, in advancing; and his ambition appeared insatiable to fashion their minds, their habits, their tastes and principles, after the model of the incorruptible generation of '76. His letters addressed to several young men of Virginia, in whose studies and future pursuits he felt a particular interest, are among the most valuable parts of his. private correspondence. The following, addressed to Peter Carr, will suffice as a specimen.

"I received by Mr. Mazzei, your letter of April the 20th. I am much mortified to hear that you have lost so much time; and that when you arrived in Williamsburgh, you were not at all advanced from what you were when you left Monticello. Time now begins to be precious to you. Every day you lose, will retard a day your entrance on that public stage whereon you may begin to be useful to yourself. However, the way to repair the loss is to improve the future time. I trust, that with your dispositions, even the acquisition of science is a pleasing employment. I can assure you, that the possession of it is, what (next to an honest heart) will above all things render you dear to your friends, and give you fame and promotion in your own country. When your mind shall be well improved with science, nothing will be necessary to place you in the highest point of view, but to pursue the interests of your country, the interests of your friends, and your own interests also, with the purest integrity, the most chaste honor. The defect of these virtues can never be made up by all the other acquirements of body and mind. Make these then your first object. Give up money, give up fame, give up science, give the earth itself and all it contains, rather than

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do an immoral act. And never suppose, that in any possible situation, or under any circumstances, it is best for you to do a dishonorable thing, however slightly so it may appear to you. Whenever. you are to do a thing, though it can never be known but to yourself, ask yourself how you would act were all the world looking at you, and act accordingly. Encourage all your virtuous dispositions, and exercise them whenever an opportunity arises; being assured that they will gain strength by exercise, as a limb of the body does, and that exercise will make them habitual. From the practice of the purest virtue, you may be assured you will derive the most sublime comforts in every moment of life, and in the moment of death. If ever you find yourself environed with difficulties and perplexing circumstances, out of which you are at a loss how to extricate yourself, do what is right, and be assured that that will extricate you the best out of the worst situations. Though you cannot see, when you take one step, what will be the next, yet follow truth, justice, and plain dealing, and never fear their leading you out of the labyrinth, in the easiest manner possible. The knot which you thought a Gordian one, will untie itself before you. Nothing is so mistaken as the supposition, that a person is to extricate himself from a difficulty by intrigue, by chicanery, by dissimulation, by trimming, by an untruth, by an injustice. This increases the difficulties ten fold; and those who pursue these methods, get themselves so involved at length, that they can turn no way but their infamy becomes more exposed. It is of great importance to set a resolution, not to be shaken, never to tell an untruth. There is no vice so mean, so pitiful, so contemptible; and he who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do it a second and third time, till at length it becomes habitual; he tells lies without attending to it, and truths without the world's believing him. This falsehood of the tongue leads to that of the heart, and in time depraves all its good dispositions.

"An honest heart being the first blessing, a knowing head is the second. It is time for you now to begin to be choice in your reading, to begin to pursue a regular course in it, and not to suffer yourself to be turned to the right or left by reading any thing out of that course. I have long ago digested a plan for you, suited to the circumstances in which you will be placed. This I will detail to you, from time to time, as you advance. For the present, I advise you to begin a course of ancient history, reading every thing in the original and not in translations. First read Goldsmith's History of Greece. This will give you a digested view of that field. Then take up ancient history in the detail, reading the following books in the following order: Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophontis Hellenica, Xenophontis Anabasis, Arrian, Quintus Curtius, Diodorus Siculus, Justin. This shall form the first stage of your historical reading, and is all I need mention to you now. The next, will be of

Roman history. From that we will come down to modern history. In Greek and Latin poetry, you have read or will read at school, Virgil, Terence, Horace, Anacreon, Theocritus, Homer, Euripides, Sophocles. Read also Milton's Paradise Lost, Shakspeare, Ossian, Pope's and Swift's works, in order to form your style in your own language. In morality, read Epictetus, Xenophontis Memorabilia, Plato's Socratic dialogues, Cicero's philosophies, Antoninus, and Seneca. In order to assure a certain progress in this reading, consider what hours you have free from the school and the exercises of the school. Give about two of them every day to exercise; for health must not be sacrificed to learning. A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercise, I advise the gun. While this gives a moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body, and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun, therefore, be the constant companion of your walks. Never think of taking a book with you. The object of walking is to relax the mind. You should, therefore, not permit yourself even to think while you walk ; but divert your attention by the objects surrounding you. Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far. The Europeans value themselves on having subdued the horse to the uses of man; but I doubt whether we have not lost more than we have gained, by the use of this animal. No one has occasioned so much the degeneracy of the human body. An Indian goes on foot nearly as far in a day, for a long journey, as an enfeebled white does on his horse; and he will tire the best horses. There is no habit you will value so much as that of walking far without fatigue. I would advise you to take your exercise in the afternoon; not because it is the best time for exercise, for certainly it is not; but because it is the best time to spare from your studies; and habit will soon reconcile it to health, and render it nearly as useful if you gave to that the more precious hours of the day. A little walk of half an hour in the morning, when you first rise, is advisable also. It shakes off sleep, and produces other good effects in the animal economy. Rise at a fixed and an early hour, and go to bed at a fixed and early hour also. Sitting up late at night is injurious to the health, and not useful to the mind. Having ascribed proper hours to exercise, divide what remain (I mean of your vacant hours) into three portions. Give the principal to History, the other two, which should be shorter, to Philosophy and Poetry. Write to me every month or two, and let me know the progress you make. Tell me in what manner you employ every hour in the day. The plan I have proposed for you is adapted to your present situation only. When that is changed, I shall propose a corresponding change of plan. You are now, I expect, learning French. You must push this; because the books which will be put into your

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hands when you advance into Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, Natural History, &c., will be mostly French; these sciences being better treated by the French than the English writers. Our future connection with Spain renders that the most necessary of the modern languages, after the French. When you become a public man, you may have occasion for it, and the circumstance of your possessing that language may give you a preference over other candidates. I have nothing further to add for the present, but husband well your time, cherish your instructors, strive to make every body your friend; and be assured that nothing will be so pleasing, as your success, to, dear Peter, yours affectionately.”

It was Mr. Jefferson's fortune to be an eye-witness of the opening scenes of that tremendous Revolution, which began so gloriously, and ended so fatally for France. The immediate and exciting cause of this ill-fated struggle for political reformation, he ascribes to the influence of the American example, and American ideas. In his notes on that interesting event, he says:

"The American Revolution seems first to have awakened the thinking part of the French nation, in general, from the sleep of. despotism into which they were sunk. The officers, too, who had been to America, were mostly young men, less shackled by habit and prejudice, and more ready to assent to the suggestions of common sense, and feeling of common rights, than others. They came back to France with new ideas and impressions. The press, notwithstanding its shackles, began to disseminate them; conversation assumed new freedoms; politics became the theme of all societies, male and female; and a very extensive and zealous party was formed, which acquired the appellation of the Patriotic party, who, sensible of the abusive government under which they lived, sighed for occasions for reforming it. This party comprehended all the honesty of the kingdom, sufficiently at leisure to think, the men of letters, the easy Bourgeois, the young nobility, partly from reflection, partly from mode; for these sentiments became matter of mode, and, as such, united most of the young women to the party."

The part sustained by Mr. Jefferson in the early stages of the French Revolution, was of a weighty and prominent character. It has not yet been incorporated into written history, but the late revelation of his cabinet to the world, will soon place it there, when it will constitute one of the most interesting features of his posthumous reputation.

Possessing the confidence and intimacy of the leading patriots, and more than all, of the Marquis de La Fayette, their head and

Atlas, he was consulted by them, at every step, on all measures of importance; and the prudence and prophetic wisdom of his counsels, which were implicitly followed while they could have the benefit of them, retarded the moment of convulsion and civil war, until after his withdrawal from the scene of action. Being from a country which had successfully passed through a similar struggle, his acquaintance was eagerly sought by them, and his opinions carried with them an authority almost oracular. In attempting the redress of present grievances, he recommended a mild and gradual reformation of abuses, one after another, at suitable intervals, so as not to revolt the conciliatory dispositions of the King; and in providing against their recurrence in future, by remodeling the principles of the government, he recommended cautious approaches to republicanism, to give time for the growth of public opinion, and work a peaceable regeneration of the political system, by slow and successive improvements, through a series of years. The interest which he felt in the passing revolution, and his anxiety for the final result, were inconceivably great. He considered a successful reformation of government in France, as insuring a general reformation through Europe, and the resurrection to a new life of their people, now ground to dust by the oppressions of the constituted powers. He went daily from Paris to Versailles, to attend the debates of the States General, and continued there generally, until the hour of adjournment. This Assembly had been convened, as a mediatorial power between the government and the nation; and it was well understood, that the King would now concede, 1, Freedom of the person by habeas corpus; 2, Freedom of conscience; 3, Freedom of the press; 4, Trial by jury; 5, A representative legislature; 6, Annual meetings; 7, The origination of laws; 8, The exclusive right of taxation and appropriation; and 9, The responsibility of ministers. Mr. Jefferson urged, most strenuously, an immediate compromise, upon the basis of these concessions; and their instant adjournment for a year. They came from the very heart of the King, who had not a wish but for the good of the nation; and these improvements, if accepted and carried into effect, he had no doubt would be maintained during the present reign, which would be long enough for them to take some root in the constitution, and be consolidated by time and the attachment of the nation. The following letter, addressed to one of the leaders

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