[ 722 Re 
[ Ottobex, 
ORIGINAL LETTERS OF EMINENT PERSONS. - 
ORIGINAL LETTER OF THE LATE 
DR. GOLDSMITH. 
f We are favoured by a correfpondent at Li- 
verpool with the following Original Letter, 
which was written by the late Dr. Gor p- 
SMITH, when about 25. years old, to a 
- young. gentleman whom he had for a thort 
time inftructed in different branches of 
learning. We are promifed more by the 
fame admirable writer ; all of which have 
never been publifhed. | 
es HAVE thought it advifeable, my 
_ dear young pupil, to adopt this me- 
thod of giving my thoughts to you on 
fome fubjeéts which I find myfelf not well 
difpofed to {peak of in your prefence. The 
reafon of this you will yourfelf perceivein 
the courfe of reading this letter. It is 
difagreeable to moft men, and particularly 
fo to me, to fay any thing which has the 
appearance of a difagreeable truth ; and as 
what I have now to fay to you is entirely 
refpecting yourfelf, it 1s highly probable, 
that in fome refpeét or other your views 
ef things and mine may confiderably 
differ. nie 
«© In the various fubjects of knowledge 
which I have had the pleafure of feeing 
you ftudy under my care, as well as thofe 
which you have acquired under the va- 
rious teachers who have hitherto infiruét- 
ed you, the moft material branch of infor- 
mation which it imports a human being to 
know, has been entirely overlooked, I 
mean the knowledge of yourfelf. 
are indeed very few perfons who poflefs at 
once the capability and the difpofition to 
give you this inftruction. Your parents, 
who alone are perhaps fufficiently ac- 
quainted with you for the purpofe,.are 
ufually difqualified for the tafk, by the 
very afteétion and partiality which would 
prompt them to undertake it. Your 
matters, who probably labour under no 
Such prejudices, have feldom either fufh- 
cient opportunities of knowing your cha- 
racter, or are fo much interefted in your 
_ welfare, as to undertake an employment 
fo unvleafant and laborious. You-are as 
yet too young and inexperienced to per- 
form this important office for yourfelf, or 
indeed to be fenfible of its very great con- 
fequence to your happinefs. ‘The ardent 
hopes and the extreme vanity, natural to 
early youth, blind you at’ once to every 
thing within and every thing without, and, 
make you fee both yourfelf and the world 
in falfe colours. ‘This illufion, it is true, 
will gradually wear away as your reafon 
matures and your experience increales ; 
There, 
but the quefticn is, what is to be done in 
the mean time ? Evidently there is no plan 
for you to adopt, but to make ule of the 
reafon and experience of thofe who are 
qualified to direct you. 
“< Of this however I can affure you, both 
from my own experience and from the 
opinions of all thofe whofe opinions de- 
ferve to be valued, that if you aim at an 
fort of eminence or refpeétability in the 
- 
eyes of the world, or in thole of your 
friends ; if you have any ambition to be 
diftinguithed in your future career, for 
your virtues, or talents, or accomplith- 
ments, this felf-knowledge of which I am 
{peaking, is above all things requifite. 
For how is your moral charaéter to be 
improved, uniefs you know what are the 
virtues‘and vices which your natural dif 
pofition is calculated to fofter, and what 
are the paffions which are moft apt to go- 
vern you? How are you to attain emi- 
nence in any talent or purfuit, unlefs you 
know in what particular way your powers 
} = 
of mind beft capacitate you for excelling ? 
It is therefore my intention, in this letter, 
to offer you a few hints on this moft im- 
portant fubject. 
** When you come to look abroad into the 
world, and to ftudy the different characters 
of men, you will find that the happinefs of 
any individual depends not, as you would 
fuppofe, on the advantages of fortune or 
fituation, but principally on the regulation 
of his own mind. If you are able to fe- 
cure tranquillity within, you will not be 
much annoyed by any difturbance with- 
out. The great art of doing this, con- 
iifts in the proper government of the paf- 
fions. In taking care that no propenfity 
is {uffered to acquire fo much power over 
your mind’as to be the caufe of immoderate 
uneafinefs either to yourfelf or others. JF 
infift particularly on this point, my dear 
young friend, becaufe, if Iam not great- 
ly deceived, you are yourfelf very much 
difpofed by nature to two paffions, the 
moft tormenting to the poffeffor, and the. 
moft offenfive to others, of any which af- 
flict the human race; I mean pride and 
anger. Indeed, thofe two difpofitions 
feem to be naturally conneéted with each 
other; for you have probably remarked, 
that moft proud men are addigted to anger, 
and that moit paffionate men are alfo 
proud. 
dently aflure you, that if an attempt is 
not made.to fubdue thofe uneafy propen- 
fities now, when your temper is flexible, 
and your mind ealy of impreffion, thev 
3} 
Be this as it may, F can config | 
. 
a ie 
