179^' °^ LORD KAIMS. 247 



vantage of me, the fmgle inhabitant of a large houfe, 

 plodding over law from morning to evening ? 'Tia 

 much (I think) even -to relifla the fprlghtlinefs of your 

 epiftle, which I do greatly, without the leafl: hopes of 

 making a fuitable return. It would have been kinder 

 to have faluted me withfome puzzling law queftion to 

 chew the cud upon, more fuitable to niy~ prefent oc- 

 cupation. 



I muft confefs, however, that though my modelly 

 will not allow me to wear the praifes you beftow on 

 me ; yet, that my vanity is able to extract from your 

 letter, a fort of flattery, which perhaps you did not 

 intendj that is, Jhat you muil have fome opinion of a 

 man when you take advantage of him. But indeed my 

 vanity is not fo great as to jnake it dilhcuit to yield 

 you the upper hand with a good grace. I will tell you 

 fincerely that you are one of tlie few young men of 

 figure, whom I have deftined in my ov/n mind to be 

 an ornament to your country; and it gives me real fatis- 

 fa£tion to find that my expectations arc in tlie courfe 

 of being fulfilled. ^ It is extremely happy for this nar- 

 row countrv of Scotland, that by our method of educa- 

 tion, a man of rank and figure may be a good fcho- 

 lar, and at the fame time a mm of the world, and 

 a fine gentleman. What fuperiorlty muft this give 

 our men of falhion above thofe In the other end of the 

 ifland. I would fupprefs fuch ambitious thoughts : 

 let us rather turn our whole attention to acquire ufs- 

 ful knowledge, and to qualify ourfelves for all the im- 

 portant duties of life : praifeand eitsem will follov.', 

 whether we think of them or not. 



I had the good fortune to dine at N v, with my 



n:tmcfake, on Saturday laft. He promifes fair, and v/ill 

 probably follow your footfleps. All I could do for 

 lum, ty tellify my love to you, was to promife him a 

 ticket to our' concert wheii'cvcr he inclined. This is a 

 mite, 'tis true, it is the widovv's mite. If he follov/ 

 tlie law, I mav poffibly be able to do more for bin:: af- 

 'crward^. 



