June the 19:1747

Puta Ambulantem Cum Sapienti fore Sapientem1

Dear Sr.,

As I can't perswade my Self that you have forgot the proposals which we agreed upon not longe since yet if you have Verbum Sat est Sapienti.2 And so I have no Need to Apoligize or detaine you with a Compleseant Introduction while I do but Verge upon the truth and leave the Quintessence undiscovered.

As my Design at present is cheifly to acquaint you with some few remarks that I have made so I shall wait Impatient to hear your Candid Sentiments as unwilling to lean unto my own Understanding. Sr. I have observ'd that ther is a Sect of persons in the World who Consume their fleeting Moments in a Seres of high low Jack &c. I am ready to Conclude men of this Sort are Infatuated Animals & are Ignorant of the main design of life. Another Sect of men make themselves Conspicious and are Notable for the Superior regard they pay to Bacchus. While I obseve these Toping at their bowls 'till they have Extinguished and obliterated their 19reason that glorious faculty by which Men are distinguished from the rest of the Creation, I can Scarce believe they are of an higher rank or Superior order of beings than that of the beast. Another Scene of Man have open'd to my View whose dispositions is dull and saturnine who perhaps will go to bed at Eight and not rise till Nine next morning thus they are very Sedulus and Carefull to Ketch at Every opportunity for a moments Sleep and Seem to take a delight in the dprivations of their Rational powers.

I have been Equally diverted by the Animadvertency of those who Loiter away their precious time in an idle & indolent manner or those who are Vox et preterea Nihil3 those are Continually Exclameing against the Conduct of this or that person as guilty of to much Sedulity in their Studies or religion. Another sort who differ from these in some point may be ranged with them and whose fate will not be Inferior or perdition more Certain and these by Some have been thought worthy the Name of Evil Company-Keepers or Rakes who allowing that Actions Speek lowder than Word affirm the whole affair of Mans life lies abroad & not at home but I am of the mind that these will find the Unhappy Event of their gross Mistake when they find that he who governs himself is happier than he who takes a City.

Thus far I considered mankind as a Mass of Sin and Iniquity, the Epitema of Imprudences a composition of All Evills & an Emblem of Unhappiness. My Spirits allmost failed & I was Ready to Curse my Species & pronounce a blessing to the Toads & Serpents who being destitute of Reason Could not Abuse it.

But a Briter Scene open'd I found Some among the Ruins of Nature Who avoided these Vices & practis'd the Contrary Virtues who Improv'd their reason & Cultivated their Natural powers for the rendering themselves & their fellow men Worthy the Name of happy Reasonable Creatures whose Ingenuity & Accuracy in behavour whose progress in knowledge made them Sociable beings & Render'd them happifying to all their Consorts. And O Terq: quarterque Beatus4 is he who Enters the list of these and Joyns Affinity.

Alas! that the Number of the former sort is found to Amount to such a Vast Multitude Even in our Accademys the Seat of the Muses & Seminary of good Litterature and the latter may be Compriz'd in a Cyfer or two. Oh! may Each of Us be found amongst the latter sort who live Conscious of the great End of life and are in persute of Real and Substantial happiness. Thus Dear friend I have given you my Thoughts in a few lines 20please to overlook whatsoever is low & Contemtable and make Suitable Remarks upon the Subject & Send them to me & you will Oblige him who Esteems it his happiness to be accounted Worthy any Converse with you & add one more to the Innumerable Obligations with which you have obliged your most humble Servant,

ANIMADVERTENTEM5

RC ; addressed: "To Mr. Robert Treat Paine at Cambridg"; endorsed: "Samll. Haven June 19 1747." Enclosure: a poem by Samuel Haven.

1.

Think that one walking with a wise man will be wise.

2.

A word to the wise is sufficient (proverb).

3.

Voice and beyond that nothing.

4.

O thrice and four times blessed! (Virgil, Æneid, bk. 1, 1. 94).

5.

Noticing.

1

My Muse Instruct a Surer plan nor left at random, pint the man Whose Joyfull life is blest Who Cautious Shuns each viler Clod maintains a friendship with his God And lives at perfect Rest.

2

Not he who thoughtless of his Time forgits those things that are Sublime in Sports Consumes Each day his careless heart Will Ne're Obtain A blessing by high Jack and game till God Absconds his sway.

3

Nor he whose brutish mind demmands a flowing bowl & flowing Cans to quench his Sordid Thirst Such drunkards ne're Can soar above nor live with men in peace and love Whose Earthly Souls are Curst.

4

Not he who Chuses for his friends A Vitious Croud, those hellish fiends Shall all his bliss Destroy peace Can't await a guilty mind While Death and hell persues behind & robs him of his Joy. 21

5

Nor is he blest Whose guilty Tongue Envious Seeks his Neigbours Wrong & Slanders all around While here below he lives in strife and when to death he yields his life mongst Sinners he'll be found.

6

No guilty Soul of Vitious mould Whose hands are Strong & hearts are bold to perpetrate their Sin by all their Strength or all their art Can 'ere obtain that blissfull part A mind Serene within.

7

Tis he Whose Soul is born again Curbs in his lust nor yields to Sin that Spends his happy days in peace & love he lives With men and by his hands or by his pen he gains a future praise.

8

Tis he who Joyns that Wiser Throng and finds a friend than he more Strong to lend a genrose hand this is the man that here is blest Whose gentle Soul shal live at rest til God his life demand.