Besidethecomfortofknowledge，everyscienceisauxiliarytoeveryother。Whileyouareattendingthesecoursesyoucanproceedbyyourselfinaregularseriesofhistoricalreading。Itwouldbeawasteoftimetoattendaprofessorofthis。Itistobeacquiredfrombooksandifyoupursueitbyyourselfyoucanaccommodateittoyourotherreadingsoastofillupthosechasmsoftimenototherwiseappropriated。Thereareportionsofthedaytoowhenthemindshouldbeeased，particularlyafterdinneritshouldbeappliedtolighteroccupation：historyisofthiskind。Itexercisesprincipallythememory。Reflectionalsoindeedisnecessarybutnotgenerallyinalaboriousdegree。Toconductyourselfinthisbranchofscienceyouhaveonlytoconsiderwhataerasofitmeritagrasp&
whataparticularattention，&ineachaeraalsotodistinguishbetweenthecountriestheknowledgeofwhosehistorywillbeuseful&
thosewhereitsufficesonlytobenotaltogetherignorant。Havinglaiddownyourplanastothebranchesofhistoryyouwouldpursue，theorderoftimewillbeyoursufficientguide。AfterwhatyouhavereadinantienthistoryIshouldsupposeMillot’sdigestwouldbeuseful&sufficient。ThehistoriesofGreeceandRomeareworthyagooddegreeofattention，theyshouldbereadintheoriginalauthors。ThetransitionfromantienttomodernhistorywillbebesteffectedbyreadingGibbon’s。ThenageneralhistoryoftheprincipalstatesofEurope，butparticularonesofEngland。Heretootheoriginalwritersaretobepreferred。Kennetpublishedaconsiderablecollectionofthesein3vols。folio，buttherearesomeothersnotinhiscollectionwellworthbeingread。AfterthehistoryofEnglandthatofAmericawillclaimyourattention。Heretoooriginalauthors¬compilersarebest。Anauthorwhowritesofhisowntimesoroftimesnearhisownpresentsinhisownideas&
mannerthebestpictureofthemomentofwhichhewrites。Historyneednotbehurriedbutmaygivewaytotheothersciencesbecausehistorycanbepursuedafteryoushallhaveleftyourpresentsituationaswellaswhileyouremaininit。Whenyoushallhavegotthrothissecondorderofpreparationthestudyofthelawistobebegun。Thislikehistoryistobeacquiredfrombooks。Alltheaidyouwillwantwillbeacatalogueofthebookstoberead&theorderinwhichtheyaretoberead。ItbeingabsolutelyindifferentinwhatplaceyoucarryonthisreadingIshouldproposeyourdoingitinFrance。TheadvantagesofthiswillbethatyouwillatthesametimeacquirethehabitofspeakingFrenchwhichistheobjectofayearortwo。Youmaybegivingattentiontosuchofthefineartsasyourturnmayleadyouto&youwillbeforminganacquaintancewiththeindividuals&charactersofanationwithwhomwemustlongremainintheclosestintimacy&towhomweareboundbythestrongtiesofgratitudeandpolicy。Anationinshortofthemostamiabledispositionsonearth，thewholemassofwhichispenetratedwithanaffectionforus。YoumightbeforeyoureturntoyourowncountrymakeavisittoItalyalso。
IshouldhaveperformedtheofficeofbuthalfafriendwereI