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ADVERTISEMENT.
ADVERTISEMENT.
This work is translated from a more voluminous one in Dutch, written by Madame de Cambon, professedly for the instruction of young people. The author has judiciously interspersed little introductory hints relative to natural philosophy; which, while they tend to awaken curiosity, lead to reflections calculated to expand the heart. Indeed any instruction which has not evidently this tendency, will be found not only useless but pernicious; if it be allowed that a smattering of knowledge can never
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LETTER I. William D—— to his Mother:
LETTER I. William D—— to his Mother:
You desired me to write to you, my dear mother. What a comfort it is to be able to converse with you in this way, now I am at such a distance, and cannot see you! I did not find the journey fatiguing; I was not sea-sick—but I was sorrowful—very sorrowful, I assure you. You will say that I am childish, when I tell you, that, during the voyage, as often as I thought of the last kiss you gave me, I could scarcely restrain my tears, or mention your name without sobbing. I hid myself in a corner of t
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LETTER II. Mrs. D—— to William.
LETTER II. Mrs. D—— to William.
Your letter afforded me the most solid satisfaction, my dear son; while I felt for you, the sorrow, you so well described, drew you still closer to my heart. Your warm manner of expressing your filial affection pleased me, as it convinced me, that you have a feeling heart. A son who could leave an indulgent mother, without experiencing similar emotions, will never love God, or do good to his fellow-creatures; he will live for himself alone, and gradually lose the dignity of his nature. But dry u
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LETTER III. William to his Mother.
LETTER III. William to his Mother.
A thousand thanks do I wish to send you, my dear mother, for your letter; I feel myself of some consequence now you correspond with me. Was I wrong, when I was proud of your praises? I wished Lady Grandison to know that I had been an obedient son, and I gave her your letter to read. What an excellent mother you have, William, said she! you must obey all her commands, and console her by acquiring virtue. You must try to amuse her by communicating your sentiments; and do not forget to tell her of
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LETTER IV. Mrs. D—— to William.
LETTER IV. Mrs. D—— to William.
I wish you happy, my son, and rejoice that you have chosen such a friend as Charles. Yet, while you admire your friend, do not hate Edward; remark his faults only to avoid them. He is really an object that should excite your compassion, while you thank God for having placed you in a different situation. You had the advantage of receiving early instruction, and was not allowed to contract any bad habits. Sir Charles paid the same diligent attention to cultivate your new friend’s mind, and Dr. Bar
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LETTER V. William to his Mother.
LETTER V. William to his Mother.
I enjoy here much pleasure; we walk, we draw, we learn music; and we sometimes go to the Play. But what pleases me most, is a microscope, my friend has. We see in it the most wonderful things; every body ought to have microscopes to know rightly what there is in the world. We view the flies, the spiders, &c. I shall speak to you often of them, I shall communicate our conversations word for word. Dr. Bartlett, who is with us every day, teaches us many wonderful things. Yes, Mama, your son
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LETTER VI. William to his Mother.
LETTER VI. William to his Mother.
To-morrow we go to the country-seat—what pleasure I shall have there! Charles has packed up a great many books to take with him; for we are both fond of reading. Our drawings and our pencils are not forgotten. Charles has drawn some landscapes from nature; and I will try to do a view of the house, and send it to you. I enclose you one of the town habitation. You must observe two windows on the left side of the house, I will mark them, your William sleeps in that room, pray look at it. We are all
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LETTER VII. William to his Mother.
LETTER VII. William to his Mother.
Here we are at the country-seat, dear mother. What a fine house! what a pretty garden! There are a number of trees I never saw before. Charles has a little garden, which he manages entirely himself. He plants and sows seeds according to his own mind. As soon as we were rested, he ran to his garden, and what do you think he did? he is certainly a good boy, he gave half a guinea to the gardener, who had taken care of it in his absence. The man receives constant wages from his father; but he has si
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LETTER VIII. Mrs. D—— to William.
LETTER VIII. Mrs. D—— to William.
Your last letter gave me inexpressible pleasure, my son. I am pleased with you for loving Charles, for loving his virtues; but you must do more, let your affection have an influence on your conduct, and endeavour to copy the good qualities you approve. The pleasure that was painted on the gardener’s countenance found its way quickly to the heart of Charles, and made it glad; and this pleasure will be continually renewed, when he meets the smiling infants with the shoes on he gave them. The momen
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LETTER IX. William to his Mother.
LETTER IX. William to his Mother.
Ah, Mama! a great misfortune has happened here. Edward has fallen into the water, he is very ill. Lady Grandison is indisposed, and we are much afflicted. If he had not got help quickly, he would certainly have been drowned. It was yesterday afternoon; he had not wrote his theme, and his uncle ordered him to stay in his room to make it. He is always disobedient; he was never taught to obey when he was not in the presence of those who had a right to command him. He went down notwithstanding what
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LETTER X. William to his Mother.
LETTER X. William to his Mother.
Lady Grandison is better, and Edward almost recovered: and he is grown much wiser. I mentioned in my last letter, a young boy who had jumped into the water to save Edward: now this was the same boy whom we assisted, when Edward laughed at us. I thought of the fable of the Lion and the Mouse for certainly he would have been drowned if this courageous boy had not been there. But I must tell you part of a conversation which we had concerning this matter, when we sat in the sick chamber. You are ver
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LETTER XI. William to his Mother.
LETTER XI. William to his Mother.
We have been very happy at Lord L——’s; I wish you had seen how well my friend Charles behaves himself in company. Not like young Dulis, I assure you. He has so much affectation and formality: he does nothing but bow, and make compliments, with a half-ashamed face, as if he had done wrong, and was afraid to look the person he spoke to in the face. Charles, on the contrary, is polite with a noble freedom; he walks with ease and grace; he listens with attention, and speaks little; but when the disc
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LETTER XII. Miss Emilia Grandison to Miss Charlotte L——.
LETTER XII. Miss Emilia Grandison to Miss Charlotte L——.
I send you a small landscape which I have drawn myself, my dear cousin. It is not very valuable I know; but I hope to improve as I grow older, and then I will send you one done in a superior style; but pray hang this in your chamber, and then you will often think of me. I wish now to ask your advice; next Thursday is mama’s birth-day, can you not transcribe for me some verses out of that pretty book you have, which I would present to my mother to express my respect and good wishes, and to shew h
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LETTER XIII. Mrs. D—— to William.
LETTER XIII. Mrs. D—— to William.
You learn natural philosophy, my son; consider it as the road to the most sublime knowledge, that of tracing the Creator in his works. His wisdom is conspicuous in the most minute of his productions; all are done well. Observing this uncommon harmony, you will every day love God—love goodness more and more. Sentiments of respect will be implanted in your heart, an awful reverential affection for the great Ruler of the universe; which affection, if it is active, virtue will flow from, founded on
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LETTER XIV. William to his Mother.
LETTER XIV. William to his Mother.
I thank you, dear mother, for your kind letter; it is so long since you wrote to me, I was almost afraid you were displeased with me. Hear what I do, I always carry your last letter in my bosom, then I can read it often, and remember the lessons you give me. I love dearly my little sister Annette, she is so good, and so dutiful to you. Miss Emilia sends her a fine doll, I am sure it will please her. Yesterday was the birth-day of Lady Grandison. Charles was up an hour earlier than usual, and whe
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LETTER XV. William to his Mother.
LETTER XV. William to his Mother.
I have here new pleasures every day, dear mother; your William is now become a gardener. Will you help me, said Charles, the day before yesterday? and if you like it, I will lay out my garden in another manner. It is now full of flowers; but it affords me not sufficient employment: I would wish to change a part of it at least into a kitchen-garden. My answer was ready. We accordingly went each with a small spade to work, and quickly dug up the whole garden. The next day we made a small bed for t
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LETTER XVI. William to his Mother.
LETTER XVI. William to his Mother.
Sir Charles and his Lady went yesterday to pay a visit, and took Emilia and Edward with them. Charles and I remained at home with Dr. Bartlett. After our lessons were finished, we requested him to walk with us; the evening was very fine, the sun was setting. Dr. Bartlett proposed ascending a neighbouring hill, that we might see the sun set—for, said he, it is a fine sight. You have often told me, Sir, that the sun did not move, but the earth on which we live goes round the sun. If so, why do you
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LETTER XVII. William to his Mother.
LETTER XVII. William to his Mother.
We were this morning, mama, at half past two, in the fields, to see the beautiful scene of the sun rising. Edward would not go with us, he rather chose to sleep. He is very lazy, and ignorant of course, Dr. Bartlett says. Yet, though he plays much more than we do, he is not so happy; he often seems not to know what to do with himself, idleness making the hours so heavy. He wishes for his meals long before the time, and torments insects and animals wantonly to shorten the tedious interval. I hear
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LETTER XVIII. William to his Mother.
LETTER XVIII. William to his Mother.
I have not forgotten what I promised you, dear mother. No, you have told me we should always remember what we promise. How beautifully green the fields are. Yes, that green enlivens the prospect, and does not require much cultivation: a common blessing we often overlook, though our gratitude on that very account should be excited. The garden gives us more flowers, and a greater variety. You are mistaken; the field flowers are innumerable. Look round about you, and you will see that I have reason
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LETTER XIX. William to his Mother.
LETTER XIX. William to his Mother.
Sir Charles and Lady Grandison have been for some days from home; but Dr. Bartlett is with us. The house-keeper, and all the servants, consult Emilia, and she, in the most modest manner, tells them what she knows her mother wishes them to do. She is not allowed to command any of them; the house-keeper in particular, a respectable woman, Lady Grandison said, ought not to receive orders from a child; but she behaves with such propriety, they are all eager to oblige her; indeed she follows her brot
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LETTER XX. William to his Mother.
LETTER XX. William to his Mother.
One of the servants has been very ill. You cannot think how compassionately Emilia attended her. She rose very early this morning to carry her some refreshment, and tried to amuse her. She requested Dr. Bartlett to send for a physician; and she took as much care of her as if the poor girl had been her own sister. Edward reproached her. It well becomes you, said he, to be sure, to wait on the maid. And why not, answered she; you play with the servant to amuse yourself (and such a degree of famili
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LETTER XXI. Mrs. D—— to William.
LETTER XXI. Mrs. D—— to William.
I admire Emilia, she is a good, and a pleasing girl; there is not a more amiable virtue than compassion. It is much to be wished that all young ladies would take her for their pattern; and, instead of falling into the two shameful extremes, familiarity and haughtiness, which are often to be observed in the same character, they would treat their servants with humanity and decent kindness. You know how frequently I have praised you for your affability to your inferiors.—But, William, why are you g
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LETTER XXII. Emilia Grandison to Lady Grandison.
LETTER XXII. Emilia Grandison to Lady Grandison.
We have been greatly alarmed, dear mother. Mr. Wilson’s house was last night burned to the ground. Oh what frightful flames! The air was as red as blood; my heart beat very strong, I trembled lest the family should be destroyed in their beds.—It was dreadful to see such devastation by fire; how careful we ought to be to avoid the sudden horror of so terrible a calamity. If they had been careful, this misfortune would not have happened; the two Miss Wilsons were the occasion of it. They had in th
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LETTER XXIII. Young Grandison to his Father.
LETTER XXIII. Young Grandison to his Father.
I am just returned, my dear father, from visiting poor Mr. Wilson. Emilia has written my mother an account of the dreadful accident which happened last night; and I wish, ardently wish, to alleviate the distress I could scarcely behold without tears—indeed I believe I should have wept, if I had not been full of a plan, which darted into my head, when I heard the grey-headed old man lament the disaster, which, in the course of one night, swept away the hard-earned fruits of many toiling years. To
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LETTER XXIV. Sir Charles Grandison to his Son.
LETTER XXIV. Sir Charles Grandison to his Son.
You have learned of me, you say, to be compassionate. It has ever been my wish and endeavour, to make your heart feel the miseries of your fellow-creatures; and I have laboured to inculcate the virtue, which next to the love, the goodness of God ought to inspire, is the noblest ornament of our nature. The request you make is a proof of the warm generosity of your heart: and so praise worthy a desire merits a reward. The fresh discovery I have made of your benevolent disposition, is of more value
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LETTER XXV. Lady Grandison to Emilia.
LETTER XXV. Lady Grandison to Emilia.
You were right, my dear Emilia, when you imagined I could not be angry with you for following the humane dictates of your heart. As a proof of my approbation of your conduct, and to reward you for it, I will give you another opportunity of experiencing the pleasure which arises from benevolence. You will find in my drawers a piece of calico; send for the mantua-maker, and desire her to make Mrs. and Miss Wilson a dress immediately. I know this commission will afford you more pleasure, than if I
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LETTER XXVI. Charles to his Father.
LETTER XXVI. Charles to his Father.
What a pleasure you have allowed me to enjoy, my dear father! indeed I know not how to thank you for it; but I will tell you how happy you have made Mr. Wilson, and that will reward you. The tears rolled down his cheeks as he pressed the hand I held out;—but I must relate the particulars. Mr. Wilson has a great spirit; I was afraid it would hurt him to receive a present from a boy; I wished to have put it in his snuff-box, to have avoided hurting his delicacy; but I could not contrive to do it u
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LETTER XXVII. William to his Mother.
LETTER XXVII. William to his Mother.
We went yesterday with Dr. Bartlett to visit a farm-house, where there are some bee-hives. I had often heard of bees, but I never saw them work before. What wonderful little creatures! but I will give you our conversation. Will not these bees hurt us, Sir? No. But we must not make any violent noise; we must approach them softly. Look, you may imagine you view a whole city, well peopled; where every one does his best to earn a subsistence in an honest way; none here stand idle. What a lesson for
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LETTER XXVIII. William to his Mother.
LETTER XXVIII. William to his Mother.
Oh! my dear mother, my friend Charles has scalded his leg, and cannot walk. Edward, who always does things rashly, was the occasion of it, by throwing down a kettle of boiling water. But I never saw such patience, such goodness as Charles possesses. Instead of being angry, he, on the contrary, concealed the pain he felt. It is nothing, said he, it has not hurt me much, do not make yourself uneasy Edward. But we soon perceived how it was, for his leg swelled so suddenly, they were obliged to cut
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LETTER XXIX. William to his Mother.
LETTER XXIX. William to his Mother.
Charles begins to walk a little. I love him, and if I was not excited by affection, my sense of duty would prompt me to attend him now he is sick. Besides, I have much pleasure when we are alone together. We were yesterday busy with our glasses the whole afternoon. Dear mother, what amazing things there are which we cannot see with our naked eye. Should you think there are living creatures in a small grain of sand, and that those grains of sand contain small holes, in which they hide themselves.
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LETTER XXX. William to his Mother.
LETTER XXX. William to his Mother.
Sir Charles and Lady Grandison are expected this afternoon. We are all glad, the servants join in the general joy. Is it not a good sign, when the servants are attached to their masters? I will endeavour to be good and humane, when I am a man, it is so delightful to be loved. But I must again speak of my friend Charles. Dr. Bartlett asked us after breakfast if we would take a short walk. Charles, who is much better, desired to be excused going with us. My leg, said he, is not quite well; if I wa
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LETTER XXXI. William to his Mother.
LETTER XXXI. William to his Mother.
Yesterday, when we returned home, we found Charles in the parlour waiting for us, and ready to receive his father and mother, who soon after arrived. He forgot the pain in his leg, and ran eagerly to meet them; indeed he loves his parents. We were this night to sup with Sir Charles and his Lady, a pleasure we do not often enjoy, as we go to bed early: they retired to settle some business, and we were left alone together while the cloth was laying. Emilia was just going to play us a tune, when we
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LETTER XXXII. William to his Mother.
LETTER XXXII. William to his Mother.
Charles has played Emilia and me a fine trick this morning, dear mother. Dr. Bartlett generally rises with the sun to take a walk before breakfast; Charles, who was this morning just awake, heard him. He rose softly out of bed, hurried on his clothes, and ran down to ask him, in both our names, if we might go with him; to which he consented. It was hardly light. Charles knocked at his sister’s chamber door, Emilia, Emilia! are you still asleep, you little think it is almost ten o’clock. Oh! crie
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LETTER XXXIII. William to his Mother.
LETTER XXXIII. William to his Mother.
I must tell you of another walk which we had yesterday noon. The summer will soon be over, we take our pleasure while the weather is fine; and Dr. Bartlett says, we never can choose a more innocent diversion than a walk. It was very warm, and to avoid the heat of the sun darting directly over our heads, our friend conducted us to a wood, which is not far from the house. Emilia remained at home with her mother, who was a little indisposed; Emilia always cheerfully attends to her duty. But I will
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LETTER XXXIV. William to his Mother.
LETTER XXXIV. William to his Mother.
You will wonder, my dear mother, at Charles; he did not buy books with the money—but you shall hear all about it. His father came into his room before he had finished his prayers, I was in the next room; I had said mine, and waited for him to go with him to Dr. Bartlett. He rose hastily when his father entered, who laid a paper on the table, and desired him to conclude the sacred duty he was employed in, before he paid any respect to his earthly father;—and saying so, he left the chamber. When C
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LETTER XXXV. William to his Mother.
LETTER XXXV. William to his Mother.
We rode out yesterday, and had not the pleasure we expected. When we left home the weather was fine; but the sky soon began to lower, and the rain fell in large drops; we were obliged to gallop to a little farm-house, and wait there till the storm was over. Edward was grumbling all the way, and Emilia was low-spirited, and I own I was disappointed; Charles looked so for a moment, but soon recollected himself. This is dreadful.—What a pity it is—the rain will prevent our enjoying any pleasure. No
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LETTER XXXVI. William to his Mother.
LETTER XXXVI. William to his Mother.
I cannot forbear relating to you, my dear mother, what happened here last night. We had scarcely been in bed half an hour, before we heard a dreadful noise. What is that, said Charles? I do not know, answered I, but I am afraid somebody is breaking into the house. We listened, and the moment after heard Edward cry out. Charles jumped immediately out of bed, and I followed him; he caught up the poker and the candle, and lighted it at the lamp on the staircase. We almost flew to Edward’s room, whe
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LETTER XXXVII. William to his Mother.
LETTER XXXVII. William to his Mother.
Yesterday, after we had finished our exercises, Charles asked me to take a walk in the garden, and, seeing Dr. Bartlett, we hastened to join him; for indeed we both like to hear him talk, and try to profit by his instructions, which are delivered in such a familiar manner, I forget that I am but a boy when he calls me his friend. We found him with a book in his hand. You are reading, Sir, we will not disturb you. When I have finished the passage I am reading, I shall be glad of your company. We
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LETTER XXXVIII. William to his Mother.
LETTER XXXVIII. William to his Mother.
Oh! my dear mother, poor Emilia had yesterday such a dreadful accident. I do pity her, I never before saw her cry so bitterly. Charles and I were amusing ourselves, working in our little garden; Emilia came running to us sobbing; but you shall hear all. My dear brother—I am so sorry. Tell me on what account? You astonish me; has any thing befallen my father or mother? No, no.— But I am afraid to tell you; it will vex you. Tell it me directly; if I may know it. The cat has eat my sweet canary-bir
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LETTER XXXIX. Mrs. D—— to William.
LETTER XXXIX. Mrs. D—— to William.
You are a comfort to me, my son, and Annette deserves my tender affection, she is so tractable and good. Your letters improve and please her; she requests me to read them twenty times over, that she may remember them. The tears were in her eyes when I read what you had written concerning the canary-bird. Poor Emilia, said she, how I do pity her. It gives me pleasure, replied I, that you participate in your friend’s grief; it is a sign that you have a good heart, and deserve the sympathy of other
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LETTER XL. William to his Mother.
LETTER XL. William to his Mother.
I must give you another proof of the virtue and wisdom of my friend Charles. Yesterday, when we had done our lessons, for we never neglect them, we went to the wood, to take our pleasure, and found it very pleasant; but the thickness of the trees prevented our seeing a heavy storm that was approaching, till a violent peal of thunder made us jump. Emilia is very much afraid of thunder. Brother, it thunders—what shall I do? Do not terrify yourself, there is no cause for fear; it is only the natura
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LETTER XLI. William to his Mother.
LETTER XLI. William to his Mother.
Judge of the good heart of Emilia; an accident yesterday made it appear to advantage. She was in the parlour with Edward, playing on the harpsicord; after she had finished the tune, she went to look for a china flower-pot in a china-closet near the parlour. She found what she wanted; but still loitered, looking at the china; and one jar she would reach from a high shelf, though Edward cautioned her: the consequence was, it fell out of her hand, and was dashed to pieces. She trembled, well knowin
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LETTER XLII. William to his Mother.
LETTER XLII. William to his Mother.
Oh! my dear mother, we are all here full of anxiety; Charles, who went very early this morning on horseback, with one of the servants, to pay Mr. Friendly a visit, and promised to return early, is not yet come home; and it is past nine o’clock. He was always punctual—some misfortune must have befallen him.—I do not know what to think, or fear. The night is very dark, and the weather stormy. Sir Charles has just sent off a servant to obtain some information:—how we all long for his return! Eleven
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LETTER XLIII. William to his Mother.
LETTER XLIII. William to his Mother.
Now you shall hear the servant’s account—I long to tell you all about an affair, which is to clear my friend;—for a moment you must not think ill of him. Charles set out from Mr. Friendly’s soon after dinner, Harry, his man, of course attended him. The weather had been all day lowering; they quickened their pace; but such a thick mist arose gradually, they could scarcely see two yards before them. Charles, though he is very courageous, shewed some signs of fear, and they then rode slowly, observ
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LETTER XLIV. William to his Mother.
LETTER XLIV. William to his Mother.
We have Charles here again, dear mother. O how rejoiced was I to see him! The old officer is better, and we are all happy. We sat down cheerfully this morning to breakfast, and did not then expect to see him. Emilia saw him first, she flew from her chair; there is my dear brother Charles! cried she, and ran to meet him as quick as possible. They came into the house hand in hand; but Charles let his sister’s hand go, as he entered the room, and ran to his father.—I will relate the conversation wo
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LETTER XLV. William to his Mother.
LETTER XLV. William to his Mother.
I have another proof to give you, my honoured mother, of the goodness of heart Charles continually exhibits. A gentleman, who visits very frequently this family, made him a present of a beautiful spaniel; young Falkland, our neighbour, had often asked for it; but the gentleman refused to give him it, because he treats his own dogs cruelly. You must know, Falkland has already five dogs, besides cats, pigeons, and a parrot. These afford him his chief employment; not to make them happy, but to plea
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LETTER XLVI. William to his Mother.
LETTER XLVI. William to his Mother.
We had yesterday a whole day of pleasure, gathering the winter fruits. The gardener and his son climbed into the high trees, and plucked the apples and pears from the heavy laden branches; and we held the baskets to save them from being bruised, for those that fall to the ground will not keep. Some country girls had been observing our employment; and one of them spoke to Harry, eagerly looking at the apples. What does that girl want? She desires me to ask you for some apples for a sick mother; a
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LETTER XLVII. Charles to William.
LETTER XLVII. Charles to William.
We have had a tedious journey, dear William. Foolish ignorant people would say it foreboded no good; but we have been better instructed, and have not been allowed to catch those weak prejudices, which, my tutor says, produce more than half the ills of life; and are a greater weight on the spirits, than the real unavoidable evils. Well, now for a full and true account of all our disasters. When we came to the second stage, we could not get fresh horses; and those we had were scarcely able to drag
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LETTER XLVIII. Charles to William.
LETTER XLVIII. Charles to William.
I could not guess the reason why my uncle sent in such a hurry for me. Now you shall hear, and certainly I am very fortunate. The day after I arrived, he took hold of my hand, we were alone, and pressing it, he said, I have observed with pleasure your improvement, Charles; you are the worthy son of a good father, and I doubt not will render his latter days happy—he deserves it, for he has made mine comfortable, I blush not to tell you, by teaching me to conquer myself and practise virtue. You ha
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LETTER XLIX. William to his Mother.
LETTER XLIX. William to his Mother.
My friend Charles is returned, dear mother; with what joy was he received. The servants were all in the lobby to wish him health and long life to enjoy his estate; and the tenants gathered about the gate, and uttered their good wishes in a most audible roar. The next day many of the neighbouring families came to congratulate him. An old gardener, who has lived thirty or forty years in the family, and is allowed to cultivate a little farm in the pleasure grounds, came this morning, just after som
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LETTER L. William to his Mother.
LETTER L. William to his Mother.
Last night, dear mother, we again entered this great city; I should have written as I promised, but I was too late for the post, and I have a long story to tell you. Poor Harry broke his leg while we were on the road; a hack-horse threw him, as he was turning suddenly to open a gate. Charles ran to him, and supported him in the carriage till we arrived at a large town; soon after we reached it, Sir Charles, who was in another carriage with Lady Grandison, Emilia, and Edward, overtook us, and wer
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LETTER LI. William to his Mother.
LETTER LI. William to his Mother.
I mentioned to you that I expected to see some manufactories; yesterday Dr. Bartlett conducted us all, except Edward, who is gone for a short time to visit a relation, to several; and our curiosity was fully satisfied. I had seen some formerly, but without taking much notice of them: I viewed them all as something very common and rather mean; the case is altered now, I am taught to reason about them, and to admire the goodness of God displayed in the ingenuity of man. O, my dear mother, how wond
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LETTER LII. William to his Mother.
LETTER LII. William to his Mother.
Honest Harry is returned quite recovered, that is, as well as he will ever be; for the surgeon was right, he will be a cripple all his life. Sir Charles and his Lady are much concerned, for he was a faithful servant, and has been in the family some years. This morning we had the following conversation. Harry’s accident makes me very uneasy.—Poor fellow! he was so well-made—so active. We ought to draw useful lessons from the misfortunes we deplore. You find we are not a moment sure of ourselves.
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LETTER LIII. William to his Mother.
LETTER LIII. William to his Mother.
Edward is come again this afternoon, and looks very well. He informed us of a disagreeable accident which happened lately, and shows very clearly how imprudent it is to talk idly, and merely for the sake of having something to say, to canvass the faults or even the vices of others. But I will give you the particulars of a conversation we had in consequence of this information. You knew Colonel Brown, Charles. Last week Captain Fiery shot him. And for what reason? Because his son, in a large comp
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LETTER LIV. William to his Mother.
LETTER LIV. William to his Mother.
Last Friday we all of us went to pay a visit where there was a large party of young people, and some of them of the first rank. After we came home we conversed about them. What think you, Charles, of the various dresses you saw? Young Owen’s shabby coat appeared very conspicuous near Sir William Turner’s elegant fashionable suit. Young Owen is not rich, but I am sure that he in his plain dress commands more respect than Sir William, if we go into company to be amused and improved and not to see
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LETTER LV. William to his Mother.
LETTER LV. William to his Mother.
Forgive me, dear mother, for having been so long silent, but I have only disagreeable tidings to communicate to you. We all wear a face of woe; my worthy benefactor, our dear Sir Charles, is very ill, and has been so for some time. The physicians think him in great danger, and we expect nothing but death. Lady Grandison, as you may well imagine, is almost inconsolable. Emilia is continually weeping, and Edward appears almost distracted. I will give you an account of a conversation we had yesterd
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LETTER LVI. Mrs. D—— to William.
LETTER LVI. Mrs. D—— to William.
I was very much concerned when I heard of your benefactor’s alarming illness; but I would fain hope, with you, my dear William, that heaven will restore so good a man, whose example the world has so much need of. Yet, my son, what an opportunity presents itself for you to view death without terror. You see with what peace and tranquility a Christian can wait for his dying hour; one who has observed the duties of christianity, and not assumed the mere name. You behold the good Sir Charles resigne
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LETTER LVII. William to his Mother.
LETTER LVII. William to his Mother.
Rejoice with us, my dear mother, Sir Charles is now entirely out of danger; I omitted writing for some days, that I might be quite certain that our hopes were well-founded. Our mourning is now turned into joy: I think we were never so happy before. But what should I have done had he died? the time of my departure for Holland approaches, how could I have left my friend in the midst of his grief? It is in the hour of sorrow that we most need a friend, and I think I love him better than ever, since
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LETTER LVIII. William to his Mother,
LETTER LVIII. William to his Mother,
Next Thursday is fixed for my departure, so that this is my last letter. I did wish to have remained here till after Emilia’s birth-day, but one of Sir Charles’s friends intends setting off next week for Holland, and he wishes me to go with him, as another opportunity may not soon occur. How happens it, dear mother, that I am so low-spirited when I am returning to you whom I have so continually longed to see? I love Sir Charles and his Lady, and I love my friend as myself, yet, I love you better
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LETTER I. William D—— to young Charles Grandison.
LETTER I. William D—— to young Charles Grandison.
I wish to inform you, my dear Grandison, what joy I felt when I returned back again to a dearly loved mother.—But, no;—you who love your parents so tenderly, can easily imagine what I cannot describe. How full of transport was the moment, when, after a year’s absence, I again embraced the dear guardian of my youth. It was very early in the morning when we entered the city; my mother, as we had not had a fair wind, did not expect me, and of course was in bed. My first eager desire made me ascend
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LETTER II. Charles to William.
LETTER II. Charles to William.
Believe me, my dear William, I very severely feel your absence: you will be convinced of this when I tell you, that this house, in which my best friends, my parents reside, for the first time in my life appeared dreary to me. I ran from room to room, and could scarcely believe that I am at home. I went into the chamber where we used to amuse ourselves; but vainly did I endeavour to pursue the same employments; I recollected, every instant, that I was alone, and should have wept, only I was asham
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LETTER III. William to Charles.
LETTER III. William to Charles.
How agreeable, my dear Charles, has Dr. Bartlett made my life; by teaching me the habit of exercising my mind, he has inspired me with curiosity to improve myself in the sciences, and your whole family have led me to love the arts. I would draw, and learn music, to be the companion of Emilia and Charles. And pray thank your father for the books and mathematical instruments he gave me, and I hope, by my future diligence, to prove that I am grateful for the instructions I received at your house. I
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LETTER IV. Charles to William.
LETTER IV. Charles to William.
Again do I see return that delightful season in which every thing appears to be revived, and we are once more at our beloved Grandison Hall. You remember well how pleasantly last summer past away; the shady woods, these charming walks, all brought you to my remembrance, and particularly our little garden. Edward has left us for some time; his friends have procured a commission for him; but I have another companion, my cousin James, the eldest son of Lord G—. He is a handsome lively youth, and, m
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LETTER V. Charles to William.
LETTER V. Charles to William.
Well, my dear friend, my father has exerted his interest, and the captain has consented to release young Bradley from his engagement. I returned the bounty money; my father would have reimbursed me, but I wished to do something myself. I then visited the unhappy mother, who joyfully received the news, and even the son thanked me with tears in his eyes, for he appears to have a good disposition, though he has not sufficient firmness to bear the laugh of his dissipated companions. The poor woman s
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LETTER VI. Charles to William.
LETTER VI. Charles to William.
I am so happy, my dear William, I can scarcely tell you what has made me so. I am out of breath with joy; you are to come, with your dear mother, to live always in England. My kind parent communicated the joyful tidings to me, and added, that she had prevailed on Mrs. D— to approve of her plan. Never, never, was I more agreeably surprised; but I will tell you all in a circumstantial manner, when I have taken breath, for my heart beats violently.—Well, I am now more composed. After breakfast, thi
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LETTER VII. William to Charles.
LETTER VII. William to Charles.
Could I believe that I should ever have been so happy as to have a prospect of spending all my life with you and your beloved family! No, I was even afraid to hope for such happiness, but now I number the days till I shall see you: I have already put my books in order; every thing is waiting for you. I gave my mother your letter to read; she bestowed the warmest praises on my dear friend. He seems to have a just sense of the duty due to parents, said she; a good son always supposes that tender p
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LETTER VIII. Charles to William.
LETTER VIII. Charles to William.
This morning I set out, with Dr. Bartlett, for the country where my father’s estate is situated. I shall not have many opportunities of sending letters to you, yet I shall not neglect to write. The account you gave me of Frederick does not prejudice me in his favour. I was obliged to leave off suddenly when I had written thus, for my cousin G—, who accompanied us part of the way, came to tell me that Dr. Bartlett was waiting for me. We left him near home, and for some time we missed his sprightl
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LETTER IX. Charles to William.
LETTER IX. Charles to William.
I am now arrived at the farm, dear William; the day is just beginning to dawn; the farmers are going whistling to work, whilst I am writing to my friend. You know I have been accustomed to rise early, and it would be now irksome to me to lie in bed the sweetest hours of the day. I am, at this moment, sitting near an open window, and the birds, just awake, are hopping from branch to branch; the flowers seem revived by the dew; in short, there is a delightful freshness in the morning which gives m
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LETTER X. Charles to William.
LETTER X. Charles to William.
I am now again with my good Dr. Bartlett at a small, but pleasant, country seat, belonging to a widow, his sister-in-law, who has but one daughter, an agreeable, and indeed a very handsome girl. As she has always lived in the country with her mother, she has had time to improve her understanding, by reading to her books calculated to improve a young mind. Dr. Bartlett has kept up a constant correspondence with her, in which they have discussed the different subjects of her reading; such as natur
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LETTER XI. Charles to William.
LETTER XI. Charles to William.
Dr. Bartlett went this morning to visit an old friend, and left me to comfort the females, as he, smiling, said, who would have been quite disconsolate, if they had lost both their beaux at once. I enjoy here all the pleasures of the country; ride, walk, and go on the water, with the sons of a neighbouring clergyman, whom he has educated himself. They are modest, sensible young men, and so far advanced in their studies, that I felt yesterday evening, after our conversation, a little vexed with m
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LETTER XII. Charles to William.
LETTER XII. Charles to William.
I am writing now by Edward’s bedside; he has received a very dangerous, but I hope not a mortal wound, though his fever is very high. Young Atkins, who was his antagonist, set off for France an hour after the duel. From every account I can gather, he was the aggressor; a trifling joke at the mess, after dinner, so exasperated this furious man, that he loaded Edward with the most opprobrious epithets. Edward was obliged to take notice of them, or quit the army with dishonour. Such are the false n
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LETTER XIII. Charles to William.
LETTER XIII. Charles to William.
Edward is much better, which gives me great pleasure on every account; his hot-headed antagonist may now safely return to his regiment. Edward was very anxious about him: if I should die, said he, when the surgeon thought him in danger, pray intreat Sir Charles to endeavour to obtain a pardon for young Atkins, who has only his commission to depend on; he is passionate, I knew it, and yet provoked him by my unfeeling jest; if I recover, I will be more prudent for the future. It gave me great plea
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LETTER XIV. Charles to William.
LETTER XIV. Charles to William.
Edward is so far recovered as to be able to travel; he is to set off to-morrow for Grandison Hall, and I am to return to my tutor. When I reach home I will finish this letter. Well, here I am once more with my good friends. I reached home without meeting with any disagreeable occurrence, and my tutor received me with his usual kindness, but I observed a gloom on his countenance which made me very uneasy. Before he went to bed, he began to write a letter, and was visibly agitated while he was wri
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LETTER XV. Charles to William.
LETTER XV. Charles to William.
Pity me, my friend; Dr. Bartlett has just received a letter from Grandison Hall; he instantly informed me, with seeming emotion, that there was not the least danger, but that my mother was ill, and that if I pleased, we would set off in the morning. Do you say, my dear Sir, if I please; my heart is there already; my mother in danger, and her son so far off! I never was so low spirited in my life; I am sure the Doctor softens the matter to me. I received a few lines from Emilia, delivered private
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LETTER XVI. Charles to William.
LETTER XVI. Charles to William.
My mother is out of danger; my sister’s letter made me very apprehensive; the tenderness of her nature makes her tremble at the least indisposition that attacks her parents, and she exaggerates the danger, till she is unable to see things as they really are. But why do I blame her? What have I not suffered myself through anxiety, in my way hither? I sometimes feared my mother was already dead, and we appeared to ride too fast forward: I was afraid to approach the hall one minute, and the next wa
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LETTER XVII. Emilia to Charlotte.
LETTER XVII. Emilia to Charlotte.
My mother is now out of danger, my dear Charlotte, but Charles went to bed last night very ill, and is it to be wondered at, after the perturbation of mind he has lately gone through? Heaven preserve me such a brother! The time seemed so long while he was away, that I do not know how I should live without him. He found a lost child last night, and brought it in his arms to our gardener, and desired him to take care of it until we could find out the mother. She came this morning, and informed us,
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LETTER XVIII. Emilia to Charlotte.
LETTER XVIII. Emilia to Charlotte.
You desire that I will send you as early an account as possible of Charles’s health; he is, I fear, very ill. In order to conceal it from my mother, he tried to employ himself, but in vain. I am with him every moment I can leave my mother; and this morning we had a conversation, which I will relate. He asked me to put by his drawings, and he looked so altered, that my eyes filled with tears, and I turned my head from him to conceal them; but it did not escape his observation. He caught me by the
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LETTER XIX. Emilia to Charlotte.
LETTER XIX. Emilia to Charlotte.
I have another proof to give you of Charles’s good disposition, but first let me tell you he is much better. After I had finished my letter to you yesterday evening, I went into Charles’s room again, and found him and Edward looking over some drawings; amongst them was the mount of a fan, which Charles had finished with more than usual care, intending to surprise our dear parent with it. Though he is very modest when speaking of his own performances, yet he spoke of this with some degree of sati
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LETTER XX. William to Charles.
LETTER XX. William to Charles.
I have been very uneasy on your account, and need not tell you what a relief it was to my heart to hear of your recovery. I neglected my music; all my employments were a task to me, whilst I imagined you were sick; the sorrow is now over, and I only dream of seeing you; surely it will not be long first. I will now relate a circumstance that does not do me much honour; but it will relieve me to confess my fault. A few weeks ago, when my mother received her annuity, she made me a present of twelve
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LETTER XXI. Emilia to Charlotte.
LETTER XXI. Emilia to Charlotte.
What a fright have I had, and what anxiety and distress have I gone through! I must tell you all, and I know you will pity me. We were allowed yesterday to pay a visit to a gentleman, whose seat is about two hours ride from our house. Harry, our faithful Harry, (who came to live with us again after the death of his mother) went with us. We spent a very pleasant day, and set out again for Grandison Hall about half past five o’clock. Harry seemed rather to lag behind, and we every now and then wai
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LETTER XXII. Charles to Emilia.
LETTER XXII. Charles to Emilia.
Drive away your fears with respect to a sea voyage, my dear sister, for mine has been a very speedy one, though we were overtaken in our passage by a dreadful storm. You know on shore I can talk very philosophically of a storm as highly necessary to purify the air; but on the sea, where the view is almost boundless, and one seems particularly exposed to its fury, I felt myself struck with a solemn kind of dread: it was as if the clouds were pouring with accumulated fury, from the four quarters o
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LETTER XXIII. Charles to Emilia.
LETTER XXIII. Charles to Emilia.
The order and regularity which reigns in this family would surprise you, considering they have but one servant. Mrs. D— sees but little company—a few particular friends, and the society of her children, is all she wishes for. She is always employed; and William reads to her, in the evening, history and books of rational amusement, which she comments on, and frequently repeats his father’s sentiments of the various authors they read, which William treasures up, and often transcribes in a little b
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LETTER XXIV. William to Emilia.
LETTER XXIV. William to Emilia.
May I presume to write to you, dear Miss Emilia; your brother desires me not to fear your displeasure. I have not been much accustomed to write to young ladies; you must not, then, laugh at my blunders, and I am sure my subject will interest you, for I shall tell you what your brother does and says, as I used to tell my mother. The appearance of our country pleases him, and I endeavour to let him see as much of it as I can. Yesterday we went to Leyden, one of the most beautiful cities in Holland
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LETTER XXV. Charles to Emilia.
LETTER XXV. Charles to Emilia.
My friend William has acquitted himself so well, that I have very little more to say of our late excursion. I shall soon be with you to tell you all, as our voyage to England is fixed for the end of next month. Your brother is grown very idle, and our time is almost entirely lost in amusements. We walk, or ride, from one village to another; go to the play, pay visits, &c. Yet, now I think of it, I cannot call it time lost, I endeavour to get all the information I can respecting the custo
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LETTER XXVI. William to Emilia.
LETTER XXVI. William to Emilia.
Your brother mentioned, in his last letter, that we were going to take a walk; the weather was very fine when we set out, but the sky looking a little cloudy, I proposed to your brother to go in the schuit. How, said he, are you afraid of a little rain, we have no clothes on that can be spoiled? Let us not guard against every trifling inconvenience: and so we went on. When we reached the village, which was rather a long walk, we went into a coffee-house to drink tea to refresh ourselves. While y
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LETTER XXVII. Emilia to William.
LETTER XXVII. Emilia to William.
My brother reproved me in his last, for not having answered your letter. I will now write a long one to make amends; and, following your example, tell you minutely what I have been doing since my brother left me. My mother has allowed me a new amusement, which I hope you and Charles will have a share in when you return. It is a weekly concert, which our music master directs at the different houses of a select number of his scholars. He thinks, and my mother agrees with him, that it will very muc
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LETTER XXVIII. Emilia to Charles.
LETTER XXVIII. Emilia to Charles.
I have need of your advice, dear brother. You know that my mother designed some months ago to let me have a waiting maid, and she has ever since been enquiring among her acquaintance for a proper one; and she hired one last week who had been particularly recommended to her. But this is not all; I discovered Charles, before she had been with me two days, that she was very unhappy, and I perceived when she was dressing me that she had been weeping. This affected me very much; I attempted to comfor
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LETTER XXIX. Charles to Emilia.
LETTER XXIX. Charles to Emilia.
You must not keep the unfortunate young lady who has entered into your service, you must let her go back to comfort her afflicted mother. Emilia is much too tender and humane to bear with the attendance of an equal to gratify herself. You know my mother’s goodness; excuse me, but I must say that your sensibility was ill placed when you promised to conceal the matter from her. She who formed your heart to virtue is better able to advise you than I am. Her liberality will provide for that unfortun
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LETTER XXX. William to Emilia.
LETTER XXX. William to Emilia.
A letter from Emilia—from the sister of my friend Charles—what a pleasure! you are indeed an amiable girl—how far do you outshine the haughty Lady Jane! Do not frown at the comparison or suppose that I mean to flatter you, for your brother bestowed the warmest praises on your behaviour. But perhaps our conversation may entertain you. How glad I am that my sister has imbibed such just notions; I am proud of my sister. You have reason to be so, she deserves to be esteemed; too many young ladies th
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LETTER XXXI. William to Emilia.
LETTER XXXI. William to Emilia.
Young Landbergen, through the interest of his father and some other friends, is again restored to his office. He seems to have a fixed resolution to adhere to his promise, and his old father is revived now he sees his son returned to virtue. What a satisfaction for my friend, who has produced this reformation. Yesterday in my presence he returned him a thousand thanks. You have taught me to know what is true happiness, Mr. Grandison, exclaimed he; I at last see that a wicked life is no life; how
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LETTER XXXII. William to Emilia.
LETTER XXXII. William to Emilia.
An officer was just now announced, and who do you think it was, dear Miss Emilia, but our old friend Edward. What an agreeable surprise to us all! Annette, who saw me shaking him cordially by the hand, ran to tell my mother, but she expected him, for Lady Grandison, as we afterwards heard, had acquainted her with his intention. I would instantly have called your brother, but Edward held me back: let us play him a trick, said he, he knows nothing of my coming. Perhaps the sudden surprise may hurt
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LETTER XXXIII. William to Emilia.
LETTER XXXIII. William to Emilia.
We have been in a most dreadful consternation occasioned by a false alarm, but it is now over, and has not been attended with any bad consequences. Edward was very curious to see the environs of this city, accordingly we went the day before yesterday to a village that is reckoned one of the pleasantest in Holland; the weather was that day very fine, considering the time of the year. Edward and I were conversing with great earnestness; he was particularly pleased with the high cultivation of the
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LETTER XXXIV. William to Emilia.
LETTER XXXIV. William to Emilia.
We live now in a kind of continual dissipation; our instruments, our drawings, our books, all are packed up and ready to be sent on board. We are perpetually in motion, we eat, drink, sleep and visit like those people who have nothing to do, and try to kill time because they do not know how to employ it; what a miserable life must such beings lead! Shall I tell you, that the thoughts of taking leave of my native country is very painful to me; I must confess my weakness, dear Emilia; though I ard
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LETTER XXXV. William to Emilia.
LETTER XXXV. William to Emilia.
Your brother went yesterday to visit the painter I mentioned to you, and Edward to read the newspaper in a neighbouring coffee-house; I stayed at home to transact some business for my mother. Charles returned first, and was scarcely seated, when Edward ran in with great haste.—I am glad, said he, to find you at home, I met at the coffee-house, by chance, a poor Englishman. Will you assist me to relieve a countryman, for they seem to have the first claim to our benevolence? I do not think so; I s
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LETTER XXXVI. William to young Mr. Van Landbergen.
LETTER XXXVI. William to young Mr. Van Landbergen.
I promised to inform you of our safe arrival; well, here we are in London, happy as our hearts could wish. We were received in the most cordial manner by all this dear worthy family, and Sir Charles and Lady Grandison embraced their son with fresh warmth, when they saw the little cur we brought with us: and he seemed delighted with this fresh testimony of their affection. Our passage was very pleasant, and I cannot forbear communicating to you an instance of Charles’s considerate benevolence. It
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LETTER XXXVII. Landbergen to Charles.
LETTER XXXVII. Landbergen to Charles.
Permit me, dear Sir, to beg your advice respecting a plan which gratitude and duty have suggested to me. I earnestly long to make some amends for my past behaviour, and convince my father that I have now a just sense of his goodness. I contracted many debts, the discharge of which involved him in difficulties; I have now determined to save a part of my income, and have reason to think I shall soon be advanced on account of my diligence. You know that for some years he has been obliged, as the on
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LETTER XXXVIII. Charles to Landbergen.
LETTER XXXVIII. Charles to Landbergen.
With what pleasure did I read over your letter! how happy am I to find that you have such a just sense of your duty! I agree with you that an old man, whose health has been injured by cares and sorrows, ought not to work for his bread, when he has young and healthy children. Allow him as much of your salary as you can spare; it is the first debt you ought to pay. You may, by this means, be obliged to deny yourself some superfluities, and even what the world calls necessaries, but how richly will
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LETTER XXXIX. William to Landbergen.
LETTER XXXIX. William to Landbergen.
Next week we are to leave this house, and the very thought of it makes me sad; but our future residence is so near that I can have a daily intercourse with my valuable friends. Charles and I shall exercise ourselves together in the arts and sciences, and I shall receive the benefit of all his masters: it will then be my own fault if I do not acquire knowledge. I shall write to you often, my dear Landbergen, and you, I hope, will answer my letters. But let me now tell you, that Sir Charles is so
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SUPPLEMENT.
SUPPLEMENT.
Charles Grandison still continues to improve his understanding, and practises those virtues which so eminently distinguished him and his father; and in the course of time he had the pleasure of calling his friend William brother. May these examples excite an emulation in the minds of my young readers. May they read with attention the precepts these volumes contain, always remembering that our temporal as well as eternal welfare is only to be secured by a constant attention to our duty; and that
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