" May 16, 1750. 



" My dear Dicky, — I would write to you a good deal about 

 your studies, if I thought it to much purpose ; but I am pretty 

 much of opinion, that experience alone must effect what advice will 

 not at present. I apprehend that chemistry, or some such abstruse 

 study, takes up your time and attention too much ; for I believe 

 philosophy, rhetoric, or any such study which you are to go 

 through regularly, after one another, won't require such a number 

 of books at once. The consequence will convince you, I fear when 

 it's too late, of your studying any thing but as you are directed ; 

 doing any more is but a childish curiosity that would not be ap- 

 proved by persons of sense here, whom I have sounded on this 

 head ; and I am sure it is so there ; they say that beginning che- 

 mistry before one has studied philosophy is beginning the wrong 

 end. How confounding must that be, and pernicious to the body 

 and mind? The faculties of the one, and the strength and growth of 

 the other, cannot but be hurt and weakened by it extremely, neither 

 being come to perfection yet in you that are so young. Therefore, 

 let me tell you, if you go beyond the dictation of your masters, you 

 are ruined. I write you this early enough to prevent your doing 

 ■yourself any harm ; and, my dear child, you can't imagine what 

 comfort it would give me to hear that you take my advice in this 

 particular. You see whether I have cause to be uneasy about it, 

 when I tell you the misfortunes of two that were eminent in that 

 way : one Furlong, who found out the way to make Bath metal, 

 grew by study at last melancholy, let his beard grow, and talked to 

 himself; in short, by all I heard, he was lost by it : and the Domi- 

 nican friar, that found out the way to make gunpowder, blew him- 

 self up. There was the end of their labours and profound studies, 

 as they fancied. There are several instances of people that were 

 turned or touched, as they call it, by study, which makes me insist 

 so long upon your not falling into the dangerous practice which I 

 suspect you do, as you were so fond of it here, and not to be easily 

 put off of what you would be inclined to. Your brother Patrick, if 

 he had the greatest passion for any thing, I would require but just 

 to let him know my reasons to disapprove on't, and he would be 



VOL. IV. 1 



