part14-第4节

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really　such　a　treasure　of　agricultural　knowledge；　as　has　not　before

been　offered　to　the　world　in　a　single　work。




　　　　　　　　It　is　not　merely　for　myself；　but　for　my　country；　that　I　must　do

homage　to　the　philanthropy　of　the　Society；　which　has　dictated　their

destination　for　me　of　their　newly…improved　plough。　　I　shall　certainly

so　use　it　as　to　answer　their　liberal　views；　by　making　the

opportunities　of　profiting　by　it　as　general　as　possible。




　　　　　　　　I　have　just　received　information　that　a　plough　addressed　to　me

has　arrived　at　New　York；　_from　England_；　but　unaccompanied　by　any

letter　or　other　explanation。　　As　I　have　had　no　intimation　of　such　an

article　to　be　forwarded　to　me　from　that　country；　I　presume　it　is　the

one　sent　by　the　Society　of　the　Seine；　that　it　has　been　carried　into

England　under　their　orders　of　council；　and　permitted　to　come　on　from

thence。　　This　I　shall　know　within　a　short　time。　　I　shall　with　great

pleasure　attend　to　the　construction　and　transmission　to　the　Society

of　a　plough　with　my　mould　board。　　This　is　the　only　part　of　that

useful　instrument　to　which　I　have　paid　any　particular　attention。　　But

knowing　how　much　the　perfection　of　the　plough　must　depend；　1st；　on

the　line　of　traction；　2d；　on　the　direction　of　the　share；　3d；　on　the

angle　of　the　wing；　4th；　on　the　form　of　the　mould…board；　and　persuaded

that　I　shall　find　the　three　first　advantages　eminently　exemplified　in

that　which　the　Society　sends　me；　I　am　anxious　to　see　combined　with

these　a　mould…board　of　my　form；　in　the　hope　it　will　still　advance　the

perfection　of　that　machine。　　But　for　this　I　must　ask　time　till　I　am

relieved　from　the　cares　which　have　now　a　right　to　all　my　time；　that

is　to　say；　till　the　next　Spring。　　Then　giving；　in　the　leisure　of

retirement；　all　the　time　and　attention　this　construction　merits　and

requires；　I　will　certainly　render　to　the　Society　the　result　in　a

plough　of　the　best　form　I　shall　be　able　to　have　executed。　　In　the

meantime；　accept　for　them　and　yourself　the　assurances　of　my　high

respect　and　consideration。







　　　　　　　　EDUCATION　OF　A　GRANDSON




　　　　　　　　_To　Thomas　Jefferson　Randolph_

　　　　　　　　_Washington；　Nov。　24th；　1808_




　　　　　　　　MY　DEAR　JEFFERSON　　I　have　just　recieved　the　inclosed　letter

under　cover　from　Mr。　Bankhead　which　I　presume　is　from　Anne　and　will

inform　you　she　is　well。　　Mr。　Bankhead　has　consented　to　go　and　pursue

his　studies　at　Monticello；　and　live　with　us　till　his　pursuits　or

circumstances　may　require　a　separate　establishment。　　Your　situation；

thrown　at　such　a　distance　from　us　and　alone；　cannot　but　give　us　all；

great　anxieties　for　you。　　As　much　has　been　secured　for　you；　by　your

particular　position　and　the　acquaintance　to　which　you　have　been

recommended；　as　could　be　done　towards　shielding　you　from　the　dangers

which　surround　you。　　But　thrown　on　a　wide　world；　among　entire

strangers　without　a　friend　or　guardian　to　advise　so　young　too　and

with　so　little　experience　of　mankind；　your　dangers　are　great；　and

still　your　safety　must　rest　on　yourself。　　A　determination　never　to　do

what　is　wrong；　prudence；　and　good　humor；　will　go　far　towards　securing

to　you　the　estimation　of　the　world。　　When　I　recollect　that　at　14。

years　of　age；　the　whole　care　and　direction　of　my　self　was　thrown　on

my　self　entirely；　without　a　relation　or　friend　qualified　to　advise　or

guide　me；　and　recollect　the　various　sorts　of　bad　company　with　which　I

associated　from　time　to　time；　I　am　astonished　I　did　not　turn　off　with

some　of　them；　and　become　as　worthless　to　society　as　they　were。　　I　had

the　good　fortune　to　become　acquainted　very　early　with　some　characters

of　very　high　standing；　and　to　feel　the　incessant　wish　that　I　could

even　become　what　they　were。　　Under　temptations　and　difficulties；　I

could　ask　myself　what　would　Dr。　Small；　Mr。　Wythe；　Peyton　Randolph　do

in　this　situation？　　What　course　in　it　will　ensure　me　their

approbation？　　I　am　certain　that　this　mode　of　deciding　on　my　conduct

tended　more　to　it's　correctness　than　any　reasoning　powers　I

possessed。　　Knowing　the　even　and　dignified　line　they　pursued；　I　could

never　doubt　for　a　moment　which　of　two　courses　would　be　in　character

for　them。　　Whereas　seeking　the　same　object　through　a　process　of　moral

reasoning；　and　with　the　jaundiced　eye　of　youth；　I　should　often　have

erred。　　From　the　circumstances　of　my　position　I　was　often　thrown　into

the　society　of　horseracers；　cardplayers；　Foxhunters；　scientific　and

professional　men；　and　of　dignified　men；　and　many　a　time　have　I　asked

myself；　in　the　enthusiastic　moment　of　the　death　of　a　fox；　the　victory

of　a　favorite　horse；　the　issue　of　a　question　eloquently　argued　at　the

bar　or　in　the　great　Council　of　the　nation；　well；　which　of　these　kinds

of　reputation　should　I　prefer？　　That　of　a　horse　jockey？　　A　foxhunter？

An　Orator？　　Or　the　honest　advocate　of　my　country's　rights？　　Be

assured　my　dear　Jefferson；　that　these　little　returns　into　ourselves；

this　self…cathechising　habit；　is　not　trifling；　nor　useless；　but　leads

to　the　prudent　selection　and　steady　pursuits　of　what　is　right？　　I

have　mentioned　good　humor　as　one　of　the　preservatives　of　our　peace

and　tranquillity。　　It　is　among　the　most　effectual；　and　it's　effect　is

so　well　imitated　and　aided　artificially　by　politeness；　that　this　also

becomes　an　acquisition　of　first　rate　value。　　In　truth；　politeness　is

artificial　good　humor；　it　covers　the　natural　want　of　it；　and　ends　by

rendering　habitual　a　substitute　nearly　equivalent　to　the　real　virtue。

It　is　the　practice　of　sacrificing　to　those　whom　we　meet　in　society

all　the　little　conveniences　and　preferences　which　will　gratify　them；

and　deprive　us　of　nothing　worth　a　moment's　consideration；　it　is　the

giving　a　pleasing　and　flattering　turn　to　our　expressions　which　will

conciliate　others；　and　make　them　pleased　with　us　as　well　as

themselves。　　How　cheap　a　price　for　the　good　will　of　another！　　When

this　is　in　return　for　a　rude　thing　said　by　another；　it　brings　him　to

his　senses；　it　mortifies　and　corrects　him　in　the　most　salutary　way；

and　places　him　at　the　feet　of　your　good　nature　in　the　eyes　of　the

company。　　But　in　stating　prudential　rules　for　our　government　in

society　I　must　not　omit　the　important　one　of　never　entering　into

dispute　or　argument　withanother。　　I　never　yet　saw　an　instance　of　one

of　two　disputantsconvincing　the　other　by　argument。　　I　have　seen　many

on　their　getting　warm；　becoming　rude；　and　shooting　one　another。

Conviction　is　the　effect　of　our　own　dispassionate　reasoning；　either

in　solitude；　or　weighing　within　ourselves　dispassionately　what　we

hear　from　others　standing　uncommitted　in　argument　ourselves。　　It　was

one　of　the　rules　which　above　all　others　made　Doctr。　Franklin　the　most

amiable　of　men　in　society；　‘never　to　contradict　any　body。'　If　he　was

urged　to　anounce　an　opinion；　he　did　it　rather　by　asking　questions；　as

if　for　information；　or　by　suggesting　doubts。　　When　I　hear　another

express　an　opinion；　which　is　not　mine；　I　say　to　myself；　He　has　a

right　to　his　opinion；　as　I　to　mine；　why　should　I　question　it。　　His

error　does　me　no　injury；　and　shall　I　becomea　Don　Quixot　to　bring　all

men　by　force　of　argument；　to　one　opinion？　　If　a　fact　be　misstated；　it

is　probable　he　is　gratified　by　a　belief　of　it；　and　I　have　no　right　to

deprive　him　of　the　gratification。　　If　he　wants　information　he　will

ask　it；　and　then　I　will　give　it　in　measured　terms；　but　if　he　still

believes　his　own　story；　and　shows　a　desire　to　dispute　the　fact　with

me；　I　hear　him　and　say　nothing。　　It　is　his　affair；　not　mine；　if　he

prefers　error。　　There　are　two　classes　of　disputants　most　frequently

to　be　met　with　among　us。　　The　first　is　of　young　students　just　entered

the　threshold　of　science；　with　a　first　view　of　it's　outlines；　not　yet

filled　up　with　the　details　and　modifications　which　a　further　progress

would　bring　to　their　knoledge。　　The　other　consists　of　the

ill…tempered　and　rude　men　in　society　who　have　taken　up　a　passion　for

politics。　　（Good　humor　and　politeness　never　introduce　into　mixed

society　a　question　on　which　they　foresee　there　will　be　a　difference

of　opinion。）　From　both　of　these　classes　of　disputants；　my　dear

Jefferson；　keep　aloof；　as　you　would　from　the　infected　subjects　of

yellow　fever　or　pestilence。　　Consider　yourself；　when　with　them；　as

among　the　patients　of　Bedlam　needing　medical　more　than　moral　counsel。

Be　a　listener　only；　keep　within　yourself；　and　endeavor　to　establish

with　yourself　the　habit　of　silence；　especially　in　politics。　　In　the

fevered　state　of　our　country；　no　good　can　ever　result　from　any

attempt　to　set　one　of　these　fiery　zealots　to　rights　either　in　fact　or

principle。　　They　are　determined　as　to　the　facts　they　will　believe；

and　the　opinions　on　which　they　will　act。　　Get　by　them；　therefore　as

you　would　by　an　angry　bull：　it　is　not　for　a　man　of　sense　to　dispute

the　road　with　such　an　animal。　　You　will　be　more　exposed　than　others

to　have　these　animals　shaking　their　horns　at　you；　because　of　the

relation　in　which　you　stand　with　me　and　to　hate　me　as