TO GIANBATISTA FROM HIS FATHER. 191 



uncertain hold of reputation, with weak health, and a 

 prospect of scarcely more than maintenance among so 

 many taxes, in face of the great dearness of everything, 

 surrounded by so many wars, of which an end is scarcely 

 to be hoped : I am to go without, or lose the little gains 

 derived out of my printed books, which form no small 

 proportion of my income ; to abandon hope of office ; and 

 to support you, numerous, impotent, without a calling, 

 or without repute in any, without sense, with the most 

 ruinous habits of indolence, luxury, and prodigality. 

 What say you ? To have done that would not have been 

 to avoid danger, but wilfully to send for it. But, lastly, 

 if there was or is any hope in our affairs, it may be that 

 you, living outside my house, without being in any way 

 an impediment or cause of danger to me and (what I 

 count as infinitely more important) without being a 

 cause of grief or care, can obtain a subsistence if you 

 will obey my commands. How that is to be done I will 

 now tell you. 



" In the first place, I seem very opportunely to have 

 written two books of which you both are in much need ; 

 one is entitled Consolation, and the other, much more to 

 the purpose, I am now finishing, upon the use that is to 

 be got out of Adversity : they are of use, too, to me, as 

 it is fit they should be. First, then, for the assistance of 

 which you perhaps stand in present need ; it will be two- 



