28 
Mr. Smith to Mr. James Edward Smith. 
My dear Son, Norwich, Dec. 1781. 
The manner in which you speak of your situation, 
the pleasure you take in the objects of your studies, 
the satisfaction the prospect gives you, the company 
you have got acquainted with, and, above all, the 
friendly manner in which Dr. Hope treats you, quite 
transports us; and as we have so much confidence 
in your prudence and virtue as to be quite satisfied 
that neither the examples of ———— will draw you 
into vice, nor the blandishments of beauty mixed 
with coquetry will steal you from yourself and us, 
we have no uneasy reflections on those considera- 
tions: but as it will give you more enlarged know- 
ledge of the world, I doubt not you will be more 
confirmed in your principles of the excellence of 
virtue, and will receive a polish and ease of deport- 
ment from the other, which, if it does not enhance 
the intrinsic value of your mind, will set off your 
more valuable qualities, and altogether will recom- 
mend you to the esteem of the penetrating and the 
superficial, to people truly valuable and the world 
in general. The one is obtained by true merit ; the 
other by external show of it: and there is nothing 
either vicious or base in courting the approbation 
of both by the talents they are adapted to admire, and 
both will be found useful if properly estimated. As 
for ———, you draw an amiable picture of him, and 
you may do him much good if he does you no harm ; 
you also may gather knowledge, curious at least, 
from him: but beware of strict friendships. I don’t 
