no STUDIES OF NATURE, 



" My dear and much- loved Mother, 



" I have already written to you feveral letters, 

 " in my own hand j but, as I have received no an- 

 *' fwer, I muft fufpeâ; that they have never reached 

 *' you. 1 hope this will be more fortunate, both 

 *' from the precaution which 1 have taken, to fend 

 " you news of myfelf, and to receive your's in 

 " return. 



** Many tears have I (bed fmce our feparation» 

 *' I, who fcarcely ever before wept, except at the 

 *' misfortunes of another ! On my arrival, my 

 *' grand-aunt was much furprized, when, on quef- 

 " tioning me concerning my attainments, I in- 

 " formed her, that I could neither read nor write. 

 " She afked me what I had been doing, then, fmce 

 " I came into the World j and when I told her, that 

 *' my whole ftudy had been the care of a family, and 

 .*' obedience to you, flie replied, that 1 had receiv- 

 •*' ed the education of a menial fervant. The day 

 *' following, fhe placed me, as a boarder, in a large 

 *' convent, near Paris, where 1 had mafters of every 

 *' defcription : among other things, they inftrufted 

 *' me in hiftory, in geography, in grammar, in 

 " mathematics, and in horfemanfliip ; but my in- 

 " clination for all thefe fciences was fo faint, that I 



** profited 



