首页 >出版文学> LETTERS>第70章

第70章

  Inthelargeboxinwhichtheprecedingbonesare,isasmallonecontainingapromiscuousmassofsmallbones,chieflyofthefeet。
  Inthelargeirregular-shapedbox,atuskoflargesize。Thespiraltwistinallthespecimensofthesetuskswhichwehaveseen,wasremarkedsolongagoasthetimeofBreyneus,inhisdescriptionofthetusksoftheSiberianmammothinthePhilosophicalTransactions,ifthatpaperisrightlyrecollected,forthebookisnotheretobeturnedtoatpresent。ManyfragmentsoftuskshavebeensentfromtheOhio,generallyresemblingportionsofsuchtusksasarebroughttousinthecourseofcommerce。Butofthesespiraltusks,inatolerablecompletestate,wehavehadonlyfour。OnewasfoundneartheheadofthenorthbranchoftheSusquehanna。AsecondpossessedbyMr。Peale,wasfoundwiththeskeleton,neartheHudson。
  AthirdisatMonticello,foundwiththebonesofthiscollectionattheBig-bonelickofOhio,andthefourthisthatnowsentfortheInstitute,foundatthesameplaceandlargerthanthatatMonticello。
  Thesmallestboxcontainsthehornsofthemountainram,andskinofthefleecygoat。
  PLOUGHS
  _ToMonsieurSylvestre_
  _Washington,July15,1808_
  SIR,——IhadreceivedfromyouonaformeroccasionthefourfirstvolumesoftheMemoirsoftheAgriculturalSocietyoftheSeine,andsincethat,yourletterofSeptember19th,withthe6th,7th,8ths,and9thvolumes,beingfortheyears1804’5’6,withsomeseparatememoirs。TheseIhavereadwithgreatavidityandsatisfaction,andnowreturnyoumythanksforthem。ButIoweparticularacknowledgmentsforthevaluablepresentoftheTheatredeDeSerres,whichIconsiderasaprodigyfortheageinwhichitwascomposed,andshowsanadvancementinthescienceofagriculturewhichIhadneversuspectedtohavebelongedtothattime。Broughtdowntothepresentdaybytheveryvaluablenotesadded,itisreallysuchatreasureofagriculturalknowledge,ashasnotbeforebeenofferedtotheworldinasinglework。
  Itisnotmerelyformyself,butformycountry,thatImustdohomagetothephilanthropyoftheSociety,whichhasdictatedtheirdestinationformeoftheirnewly-improvedplough。Ishallcertainlysouseitastoanswertheirliberalviews,bymakingtheopportunitiesofprofitingbyitasgeneralaspossible。
  IhavejustreceivedinformationthataploughaddressedtomehasarrivedatNewYork,_fromEngland_,butunaccompaniedbyanyletterorotherexplanation。AsIhavehadnointimationofsuchanarticletobeforwardedtomefromthatcountry,IpresumeitistheonesentbytheSocietyoftheSeine,thatithasbeencarriedintoEnglandundertheirordersofcouncil,andpermittedtocomeonfromthence。ThisIshallknowwithinashorttime。IshallwithgreatpleasureattendtotheconstructionandtransmissiontotheSocietyofaploughwithmymouldboard。ThisistheonlypartofthatusefulinstrumenttowhichIhavepaidanyparticularattention。Butknowinghowmuchtheperfectionoftheploughmustdepend,1st,onthelineoftraction;2d,onthedirectionoftheshare;3d,ontheangleofthewing;4th,ontheformofthemould-board;andpersuadedthatIshallfindthethreefirstadvantageseminentlyexemplifiedinthatwhichtheSocietysendsme,Iamanxioustoseecombinedwiththeseamould-boardofmyform,inthehopeitwillstilladvancetheperfectionofthatmachine。ButforthisImustasktimetillIamrelievedfromthecareswhichhavenowarighttoallmytime,thatistosay,tillthenextSpring。Thengiving,intheleisureofretirement,allthetimeandattentionthisconstructionmeritsandrequires,IwillcertainlyrendertotheSocietytheresultinaploughofthebestformIshallbeabletohaveexecuted。Inthemeantime,acceptforthemandyourselftheassurancesofmyhighrespectandconsideration。
  EDUCATIONOFAGRANDSON
  _ToThomasJeffersonRandolph_
  _Washington,Nov。24th,1808_
  MYDEARJEFFERSON——IhavejustrecievedtheinclosedletterundercoverfromMr。BankheadwhichIpresumeisfromAnneandwillinformyousheiswell。Mr。BankheadhasconsentedtogoandpursuehisstudiesatMonticello,andlivewithustillhispursuitsorcircumstancesmayrequireaseparateestablishment。Yoursituation,thrownatsuchadistancefromusandalone,cannotbutgiveusall,greatanxietiesforyou。Asmuchhasbeensecuredforyou,byyourparticularpositionandtheacquaintancetowhichyouhavebeenrecommended,ascouldbedonetowardsshieldingyoufromthedangerswhichsurroundyou。Butthrownonawideworld,amongentirestrangerswithoutafriendorguardiantoadvisesoyoungtooandwithsolittleexperienceofmankind,yourdangersaregreat,andstillyoursafetymustrestonyourself。Adeterminationnevertodowhatiswrong,prudence,andgoodhumor,willgofartowardssecuringtoyoutheestimationoftheworld。WhenIrecollectthatat14。
  yearsofage,thewholecareanddirectionofmyselfwasthrownonmyselfentirely,withoutarelationorfriendqualifiedtoadviseorguideme,andrecollectthevarioussortsofbadcompanywithwhichI
  associatedfromtimetotime,IamastonishedIdidnotturnoffwithsomeofthem,andbecomeasworthlesstosocietyastheywere。Ihadthegoodfortunetobecomeacquaintedveryearlywithsomecharactersofveryhighstanding,andtofeeltheincessantwishthatIcouldevenbecomewhattheywere。Undertemptationsanddifficulties,I
  couldaskmyselfwhatwouldDr。Small,Mr。Wythe,PeytonRandolphdointhissituation?Whatcourseinitwillensuremetheirapprobation?Iamcertainthatthismodeofdecidingonmyconducttendedmoretoit’scorrectnessthananyreasoningpowersI
  possessed。Knowingtheevenanddignifiedlinetheypursued,Icouldneverdoubtforamomentwhichoftwocourseswouldbeincharacterforthem。Whereasseekingthesameobjectthroughaprocessofmoralreasoning,andwiththejaundicedeyeofyouth,Ishouldoftenhaveerred。FromthecircumstancesofmypositionIwasoftenthrownintothesocietyofhorseracers,cardplayers,Foxhunters,scientificandprofessionalmen,andofdignifiedmen;andmanyatimehaveIaskedmyself,intheenthusiasticmomentofthedeathofafox,thevictoryofafavoritehorse,theissueofaquestioneloquentlyarguedatthebarorinthegreatCouncilofthenation,well,whichofthesekindsofreputationshouldIprefer?Thatofahorsejockey?Afoxhunter?
  AnOrator?Orthehonestadvocateofmycountry’srights?BeassuredmydearJefferson,thattheselittlereturnsintoourselves,thisself-cathechisinghabit,isnottrifling,noruseless,butleadstotheprudentselectionandsteadypursuitsofwhatisright?I
  havementionedgoodhumorasoneofthepreservativesofourpeaceandtranquillity。Itisamongthemosteffectual,andit’seffectissowellimitatedandaidedartificiallybypoliteness,thatthisalsobecomesanacquisitionoffirstratevalue。Intruth,politenessisartificialgoodhumor,itcoversthenaturalwantofit,andendsbyrenderinghabitualasubstitutenearlyequivalenttotherealvirtue。
  Itisthepracticeofsacrificingtothosewhomwemeetinsocietyallthelittleconveniencesandpreferenceswhichwillgratifythem,anddepriveusofnothingworthamoment’sconsideration;itisthegivingapleasingandflatteringturntoourexpressionswhichwillconciliateothers,andmakethempleasedwithusaswellasthemselves。Howcheapapriceforthegoodwillofanother!Whenthisisinreturnforarudethingsaidbyanother,itbringshimtohissenses,itmortifiesandcorrectshiminthemostsalutaryway,andplaceshimatthefeetofyourgoodnatureintheeyesofthecompany。ButinstatingprudentialrulesforourgovernmentinsocietyImustnotomittheimportantoneofneverenteringintodisputeorargumentwithanother。Ineveryetsawaninstanceofoneoftwodisputantsconvincingtheotherbyargument。Ihaveseenmanyontheirgettingwarm,becomingrude,andshootingoneanother。
  Convictionistheeffectofourowndispassionatereasoning,eitherinsolitude,orweighingwithinourselvesdispassionatelywhatwehearfromothersstandinguncommittedinargumentourselves。ItwasoneoftheruleswhichaboveallothersmadeDoctr。Franklinthemostamiableofmeninsociety,`nevertocontradictanybody。’Ifhewasurgedtoanounceanopinion,hediditratherbyaskingquestions,asifforinformation,orbysuggestingdoubts。WhenIhearanotherexpressanopinion,whichisnotmine,Isaytomyself,Hehasarighttohisopinion,asItomine;whyshouldIquestionit。Hiserrordoesmenoinjury,andshallIbecomeaDonQuixottobringallmenbyforceofargument,tooneopinion?Ifafactbemisstated,itisprobableheisgratifiedbyabeliefofit,andIhavenorighttodeprivehimofthegratification。Ifhewantsinformationhewillaskit,andthenIwillgiveitinmeasuredterms;butifhestillbelieveshisownstory,andshowsadesiretodisputethefactwithme,Ihearhimandsaynothing。Itishisaffair,notmine,ifhepreferserror。Therearetwoclassesofdisputantsmostfrequentlytobemetwithamongus。Thefirstisofyoungstudentsjustenteredthethresholdofscience,withafirstviewofit’soutlines,notyetfilledupwiththedetailsandmodificationswhichafurtherprogresswouldbringtotheirknoledge。Theotherconsistsoftheill-temperedandrudemeninsocietywhohavetakenupapassionforpolitics。Goodhumorandpolitenessneverintroduceintomixedsocietyaquestiononwhichtheyforeseetherewillbeadifferenceofopinion。Frombothoftheseclassesofdisputants,mydearJefferson,keepaloof,asyouwouldfromtheinfectedsubjectsofyellowfeverorpestilence。Consideryourself,whenwiththem,asamongthepatientsofBedlamneedingmedicalmorethanmoralcounsel。
  Bealisteneronly,keepwithinyourself,andendeavortoestablishwithyourselfthehabitofsilence,especiallyinpolitics。Inthefeveredstateofourcountry,nogoodcaneverresultfromanyattempttosetoneofthesefieryzealotstorightseitherinfactorprinciple。Theyaredeterminedastothefactstheywillbelieve,andtheopinionsonwhichtheywillact。Getbythem,thereforeasyouwouldbyanangrybull:itisnotforamanofsensetodisputetheroadwithsuchananimal。Youwillbemoreexposedthanotherstohavetheseanimalsshakingtheirhornsatyou,becauseoftherelationinwhichyoustandwithmeandtohatemeasachiefintheantagonistpartyyourpresencewillbetothemwhatthevomit-grassistothesickdoganostrumforproducinganejaculation。Lookuponthemexactlywiththateye,andpitythemasobjectstowhomyoucanadministeronlyoccasionalease。Mycharacterisnotwithintheirpower。Itisinthehandsofmyfellowcitizensatlarge,andwillbeconsignedtohonororinfamybytheverdictoftherepublicanmassofourcountry,accordingtowhatthemselveswillhaveseen,notwhattheirenemiesandmineshallhavesaid。Neverthereforeconsiderthesepuppiesinpoliticsasrequiringanynoticefromyou,andalwaysshewthatyouarenotafraidtoleavemycharactertotheumpirageofpublicopinion。LooksteadilytothepursuitswhichhavecarriedyoutoPhiladelphia,beveryselectinthesocietyyouattachyourselfto;avoidtaverns,drinkers,smoakers,andidlersanddissipatedpersonsgenerally;foritiswithsuchthatbroilsandcontentionsarise,andyouwillfindyourpathmoreeasyandtranquil。ThelimitsofmypaperwarnmethatitistimeformetoclosewithmyaffectionateAdieux。
  P。S。PresentmeaffectionatelytoMr。Ogilvie,andindoingthesametoMr。PealetellhimIamwritingwithhispolygraphandshallsendhimminethefirstmomentIhaveleisureenoughtopackit。
  SOWINGTHEUPLANDRICE
  _ToDr。BenjaminWaterhouse_
  _Washington,December1,1808_
  SIR,——InanswertotheinquiriesofthebenevolentDr。DeCarroonthesubjectoftheuplandormountainrice,OryzaMutica,I
  willstatetoyouwhatIknowofit。Ifirstbecameinformedoftheexistenceofaricewhichwouldgrowinuplandswithoutanymorewaterthanthecommonrains,byreadingabookofMr。DePorpre,whohadbeenGovernoroftheIsleofFrance,whomentionsitasgrowingthereandallalongthecoastofAfricasuccessfully,andashavingbeenintroducedfromCochin-China。Iwasatthattime1784-89inFrance,andtherehappeningtobethereaPrinceofCochin-China,onhistravels,andthenreturninghome,Iobtainedhispromisetosendmesome。Ineverreceivedithowever,andmentionitonlyasitmayhavebeensent,andfurnishedthegroundfortheinquiriesofDr。DeCarro,respectingmyreceivingitfromChina。WhenatHavreonmyreturnfromFrance,IfoundthereCaptainNathanielCutting,whowastheensuingspringtogoonavoyagealongthecoastofAfrica。I