310 LETTERS TO BROTHER JOHN. 



habits and diet ; and then endeavour to reduce your 

 own, as nearly as conventional customs will allow, 

 to that standard. Let your habits be more hardy 

 your fare more frugal. Eat that you may live; 

 and do not live only that you may eat. Dimmish 

 the activity of the mind, and increase that of the 

 body. Work more, and think less. Avoid the 

 excitement of music, cards, wine, assemblies, poli- 

 tics, religious controversies, &c. ; or share in them 

 with the utmost moderation. The only legitimate 

 excitement is that of exercise in the open air. 



I know, my dear John, very well, that the gene- 

 ral tenor of this Letter is so much at variance with 

 the preconceived opinions of mankind, that those 

 who are too lazy to think for themselves, and those 

 who think in chains, and those who are afraid to 

 think, and those who know not how to think, will 

 not stop to ask themselves whether it can be true ; 

 but, taking it for granted that it must be false, be- 

 cause in opposition to the general opinion, will pass 

 it over as a piece of mere extravagance. I write 

 not for such as these. But to you who are not, I 

 hope, of their number I say, that a proposition 

 being opposed to the general opinion forms no 

 argument whatever against it; because there is 

 hardly any man so ignorant as not to know that 



