than the former. There is nothing in my opinion fo hard to execute, as thofe political maps, if you will allow me fuch an expreffion, and those systems of hints, rather than relations of events, which are neceffary to connect and explain them; and which must be fo concife, and yet fo full; fo complicate, and yet fo clear. I know nothing of this fort well done by the antients. SALLUST's introduction, as well as that of THUCYDIDES, might ferve almoft for any other piece of the Roman or Greek ftory, as well as for thofe which these two great authors chofe. POLYBIUS does not come up, in his introduction, to this idea neither. Among the moderns, the first book of MACHIAVEL'S Hiftory of Florence is a noble original of this kind: and perhaps father PAUL'S Hiftory of Benefices is, in the fame kind of compofition, inimitable.

THESE are a few of thofe thoughts, which come into my mind when I confider how incumbent it is on every man, that he fhould be able to give an account even of his leifure; and, in the midst of folitude, be of fome ufe to fociety.

I KNOW not whether I fhall have courage enough to undertake the task I have chalked

4

chalked out: I diftruft my abilities with reason, and I fhall want feveral informations, not easy, I doubt, for me to obtain. But, in all events, it will not be poffible for me to go about it this year; the reafons of which would be long enough to fill another letter, and I doubt that you will think this grown too bulky already..

Adieu.

OF THE

TRUE USE

O F

RETIREMENT and STUDY:

To the Right Honorable

Lord BATHURST.

SIN

LETTER II.

INCE my last to your lordship, this is the first favorable opportunity I have had of keeping the promise I made you. I will avoid prolixity, as much as I can, in a first draught of my thoughts; but I must give you them as they rise in my mind, without staying to marshal them in close order.

As proud as we are of human reason, nothing can be more abfurd than the general fyftem of human life, and human knowledge. This faculty of diftinguishing true from false, right from wrong, and Cc what

what is agreeable, from what is repugnant, to nature, either by one act, or by a longer procefs of intuition, has not been given with fo fparing an hand, as many appearances would make us apt to believe. If it was cultivated, therefore, as early, and as carefully as it might be, and if the exercife of it was left generally as free as it ought to be, our common notions and opinions would be more confonant to truth than they are and, truth being but one, they would be more uniform likewise.

BUT this rightful miftrefs of human life and knowledge, whofe proper office it is to prefide over both, and to 'direct us in the conduct of one and the purfuit of the other, becomes degraded in the intellectual oeconomy. She is reduced to a mean and fervile ftate, to the vile drudgery of conniving at principles, defending opinions, and confirming habits, that are none of hers. They, who do her most honor, who confult her ofteneft, and obey her too very often, are ftill guilty of limiting her authority according to maxims, and rules, and fchemes, that chance, or ignorance, or intereft, first devifed, and that cuftom. fanctifies cuftom, that refult of the paffions and prejudices of many, and of the

defigns