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he was six he could manage a compass, ruler, and pencil, very prettily, and perform many little geometrical tricks, and advanced to writing and arithmetic; and has been about three months at latin, wherein his tutor observes, as nigh as he can, the method prescribed by you. He can read a gazette, and, in the large maps of Sanson, shews most of the remarkable places as he goes along, and turns to the proper maps. He has been shewn some dogs dissected, and_can give some little account of the grand traces of anatomy. And as to the formation of his mind, which you rightly observe to be the most valuable part of education, I do not believe that any child had ever his passions more perfectly at command. He is obedient and observant to the nicest particular, and at the same time sprightly, playful, and active.

But I will say no more; this may be tiresome to others, however pleasing to myself.

SIR,

LETTER XXXIII.

MR. LOCKE TO MR. MOLYNEUX.

London, 2d July, 1696. I CANNOT without great trouble hear of any indisposition of yours; your friendship, which Heaven has bestowed on me, as one of the greatest blessings I can enjoy for the remainder of my life, is what I value at so high a rate, that I cannot consider myself within danger of losing a person every way so dear to me without very great uneasiness of mind.

Thus far I got, when I sat down to write to you about a month since, as you will see by the date at the top; business, and a little excursion into the country, has hindered me ever since. Were you a man I only cared to talk with out of civility, I should sooner answer your letters; but not contenting myself with such a formal correspond-ence with you, I cannot find in my heart to begin writing to you till I think I shall have time to talk a great deal, and pour out my mind to a man to whom I make sure I can do it with freedom; his candour and friendship allows that, and I find I know not what pleasure in doing it. I promised myself abundance of pleasure this summer in seeing you here, and the disappointment is one of the most sensible I could have met with in my private concerns; and the occasion that robbed me of that satisfaction frights me. I have, I thank God, now as much health as my constitution will allow me to expect; but yet, if I will think like a reasonable man, the flattery of my summer vigour ought not to make me count beyond the next winter at any time for the future. The last sat so heavy upon me, that it was with difficulty I got through it; and you will not blame me if I have a longing to see and embrace a man I esteem and love so much, before I leave this silly earth; which, when the conveniencies of life are moderately provided for, has nothing of value in it equal to the conversation of a knowing, ingenious, and largeminded friend, who sincerely loves and seeks truth.

Though your colic has done me no small prejudice, yet I am much more angry with it upon the account of those inconveniencies it has made you

suffer. I know you are in skilful, as well as careful hands, under the care of your brother, and it could not be advisable in any one to draw you from them. The colic is so general a name for pains in the lower belly, that I cannot from thence pretend to make any judgment of your case; but it can be no harm to advise you to ask him whether he does not think that the drinking of our Bath waters may be useful to you in your case. I know those waters mightily strengthen those parts.

Your congratulation to me I take as you meant, kindly and seriously, and, it may be, it is what another would rejoice in; but if you will give me leave to whisper truth without vanity, in the ear of a friend, it is a preferment which I shall get nothing by, and I know not whether my country will, though that I shall aim at with all my endea

vours.

Riches may be instrumental to so many good purposes, that it is, I think, vanity, rather than religion or philosophy, to pretend to contemn then. But yet they may be purchased too dear. My age and health demand a retreat from bustle and business, and the pursuit of some inquiries I have in my thoughts makes it more desirable than any of those rewards which public employments tempt people with. I think the little I have enough, and do not desire to live higher, or die richer than I am; and therefore you have reason rather to pity the folly, than congratulate the fortune, that engages me in the whirlpool.

LETTER XXXIV.

MR. LOCKE TO MR. MOLYNEUX.

SIR, London, 12th September, 1696. COULD the painter have made a picture of me capable of your conversation, I should have sat to him with more delight than ever I did any thing in my life. The honour you do me, in giving me thus a place in your house, I look upon as the effect of having a place already in your esteem and affection; and that made me more easily submit to what methought looked too much like vanity in me. Painting was designed to represent the gods, or the great men that stood next to them. But friendship, I see, takes no measure of any thing, but by itself and where it is great and high, will make its object so, and raise it above its level. This is that which has deceived you into my picture, and made you put so great a compliment upon me; and I do not know what you will find to justify yourself to those who shall see it in your possession. You may indeed tell them the original is as much yours as the picture; but this will be no great boast, when the man is not more considerable than his shadow. When I looked upon it after it was done, methought it had not that countenance I ought to accost you with. I know not whether the secret displeasure I felt while I was sitting, from the consideration that the going of my picture brought us no nearer together, made me look grave; but this I must own, that it was

not without regret that I remembered that this counterfeit would be before me with the man that I so much desired to be with, and could not tell him how much I longed to put myself into his hands and to have him in my arms. One thing pray let it mind you of, and when you look on it at any time pray believe, that the colours of that face on the cloth are more fading and changeable than those thoughts which will always represent you to my mind as the most valuable person in the world, whose face I do not know, and one whose company is so desirable to me, that I shall not be happy till I do.

LETTER XXXV.

FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME.

SIR, Oates, 22d February, 1696-7. I FEAR you will be of an opinion that I take my picture for myself, and think you ought to look no farther, since that is coming to you or is already with you. Indeed we are shadows much alike, and there is not much difference in our strength and usefulness. But yet I cannot but remember, that I cannot expect my picture should answer your letters to me, pay the acknowledgments I owe you, and excuse a silence as great as if I were nothing but a piece of cloth overlaid with colours. I could lay a great deal of blame on business, and a great deal on want of health. Between these two I have had little leisure since I writ to you last. But all that will bear no excuse to myself

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