Robert Treat Paine Papers, Volume 1
Love nott Sleep least thou come to poverty Pro: 20: 13 &c.
Nature the Liberall indulger of us & all the Universe has taken care to Order the Succession & alternate Revolution of Day & Night of Sleeping time & times for Waking so as that our week & frail Bodies should neither be two much stupify'd & clogg'd with the 39One nor yet two much Raryfy'd (if I may so say) with the other, & she has hereby laid out a Rule for our Conduct in this respect & is nott she who is in fact part of our selves a proper Judge & Rule for our Conduct, but besides the Dictates of Nature we have the express Command in the Sacred Writt and yett more, for it greatly conduces to our health & nott only so but what can be more pleasant than to see the Sun that Emblem of Diligence but beginning to run his race & we to reflect within our own self I've begun mine already, wt. more delicious than to hear the feather'd innocents Warbling their Notes & beggining their Day wth. praise, when Nature seems serene and gay when Aurora arises with her Saffron Mantle blushing that she has lain so long? Can our own Bodies att any time be found more fitt for the Exercises it was first adapted too & design'd for, & yet in despite of all these reasons & perswasions shall we spend our time in Bed & slumber till high noon in down. Shall nott we begin our hours of Sleep sooner that so we may be afore the very Sun in our Labours, that so by exerciseing our witts att that time they are most sagacious, & begginning our Bodily Work soon & continue it leasurely & moderately we may become poor neither in Witt, Wealth, nor Flesh. Accept dear Eunice these few undigested but sincere Lines from him who would perswade you to lay yr. hands to the Spindle & wth. your Arms to hold the distaff, to make fine linnen & to work hancerchifs apace, to look well to yr. ways & to eat not the Bread of Idleness; to rise while it is yett Night & give a portion to yr. Witt & a Task to yr. Understanding, to open yr. mouth with Wisdom & in yr. Tongue lett be the law of Kindness,
The few moments that I had the pleasure of your Company this week does but increase my desire to See you again, the Malencholy disposition than you were in when you came down has given me 40great uneasyness. I have fear'd a thousand things for you; and I Long to know how you are in health for that is my greatest Concern.
I have Sent your Linnin and other nesesarys to you by the Bearrer and beg you to write me word how you are as to all your Curcumstances. Father is not Come home nor the Councill1 is not dissmiss'd, therefore I wou'd not have you Come down till the begining of the next week, and untill that time I shall wait with impatience. Your Sincere Friend & Loving Sisster,
PS Pray send me word how your Class mates that were Sick are now, & dont Expose your health by watching2 too much. I design to send John Willards3 with your things.
Thomas Paine acted as a representative of the Old South Church at a council requested by the Church in Medfield to settle a matter of discipline (Hamilton A. Hill, History of the Old South Church (Third Church) Boston, 1669–1884, 2 vols. [Boston, 1900], 1:597).
Attending a sick classmate.
John Willard (1732/3–1807), a second cousin of RTP and brother of Joseph Willard, later president of Harvard. His college costs were covered by his great-uncle Province Secretary Josiah Willard, and he probably spent time with that family who lived near the Paines. John Willard graduated from Harvard in 1751 and was later the minister at Stafford, Conn. (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 13:158–162).