stand each other, he gently led me, from a blind and undistinguished love of reading, into the path of instruction. I consented with pleasure that a portion of have even reason to think that he has imbibed some regard for me, which gives me great pleasure; and I will labour to encrease it, in order to inspire him with more confidence in what I purpose to say to him. I have not yet addressed him on the subject of religion, because I do not understand the English language sufficiently to sustain a long conversation in it, although I can read English authors with tolerable facility; neither does Mr Gibbon yet understand enough of French, in which however he is making a rapid progress. I am much satisfied with the politeness and gentleness of your son's character; and I flatter myself that I shall be always able to speak of him with approbation; he applies much to reading. From M. PAVILLIARD to EDWARD GIBBON, Esq. A Lausanne, ce 13 Août 1753. MONSIEUR de Gibbon se porte bien par la grace de Dieu; je l'aime, et je me suis extrèmement attaché à lui parcequ'il est doux et tranquille. Pour ce qui regarde ses sentimens, quoique je ne lui aye encore rien dit là-dessus, j'ai lieu d'espérer qu'il ouvrira les yeux à la vérité. Je le pense ainsi, parcequ' étant dans mon cabinet, il a choisi deux livres de controversie qu'il a pris dans sa chambre, et qu'il les lit. Il m'a chargé de vous offrir ses très humbles respects, et de vous demander la permission de le laisser monter au manege: cet exercise pourroit contribuer à donner de la force à son corps, c'est l'idée qu'il en a. [TRANSLATION.] Lausanne, 13th August 1753. MR GIBBON enjoys good health, by the grace of God. I love, and am extremely attached to him, because he is gentle and tranquil. As regards his opinions, although I have not the morning hours should be consecrated to a plan of modern history and geography, and to the critical yet addressed him on the subject, I have reason to hope that he will open his eyes to the truth. I am led to think so by his selection of two books of controversy from my library, which he has taken into his own chamber to read. He has charged me to offer you his humble respects, and to request you to allow him to attend the riding-school, as he thinks the exercise will increase his bodily strength. From M. PAVILLIARD to EDWARD GIBBON, Esq. MONSIEUR, A Lausanne, ce 31 Octobre 1753. Depuis ma lettre du 15me Août, je recus le 18me du même mois la lettre que vous m'avez fait l'honneur de m'écrire en datte du 24e Juillet. Je l'ai lue avec attention: permettez moi de vous marquer les réflexions que j'y ai fait. Vous souhaitez que je tienne Monsieur votre fils à la maison attaché à ses études, et qu'il sorte peu. Vous êtes père, par là même, Monsieur, vous avez droit de prescrire la manière dont vous voulez qu'on le conduise. Sans doute vous ne prenez ce parti, que parceque vous croyez qu'on reussira mieux par cette voie, à le ramener des prejugés auxquels il s'est livré. Mais je vous prie de considérer que Monsieur votre fils est d'un caractère sérieux, qu'il se plait à refléchir, qu'étant dans sa chambre occupé à lire, il suivra ses idées, et il s'y attachera toujours plus, parceque personne ne le contredira: d'ailleurs regardant comme peine l'obligation qu'on lui impose, il sera toujours moins porté à écouter favorablement ce que je lui dirai: il envisagera tous mes discours, comme venant d'un homme qui est dans des idées qu'il désapprouve, et qui veut, cependant, les lui faire recevoir, parcequ'il est paié pour cela. une Je crois, Monsieur, qu'il seroit plus à propos de le distraire un peu, de l'égaier un peu, pour lui faire passer ce qu'il a de trop sombre dans le caractère: en voyant bonne compagnie, il appercevroit qu'on pense juste sur bien de sujets : il s'accoutumeroit à être contredit quelquefois, et à céder aussi dans l'occasion, il examineroit avec plus de soin et perusal of the French and Latin classics; and at each step I felt myself invigorated by the habits of applica avec moins de préoccupation les principes qu'il adopte, et les voyant souvent condamnés par des personnes qu'il voit qui ont du goût pour la verité, il ne les regarderoit pas comme infaillibles, et convaincu qu'on ne le hait pas à cause de ses sentimens, il écouteroit ce qu'on lui diroit avec plus de confiance. Tout ce que je viens de dire est une suite des remarques que j'ai fait sur son caractére, et sur ce que vous m'avez fait l'honneur de m'en dire dans votre lettre. Je me suis appercu qu'il étoit attaché au parti du Prétendant: il s'en est déclaré assez ouvertement dans la suite. Ja'i combattu ses idées sans faire semblant que c'étoit les siennes, et sans marquer aucune intention de lui faire de la peine: il a répliqué plusieurs fois, mais à la fin j'ai tellement renversé tous ses raisonnemens qu'il n'en parle plus, et qu'il s'exprime sur le sujet du roi d'une manière bien différente de ce qu'il faisoit autrefois. Je n'assurerai pas cependant qu'il ait entièrement changé d'idées, parcequ'il parle peu, et que je n'ai pas voulu faire connoftre que j'avois dessein de l'emporter sur lui. Monsieur, Votre très humble et obéissant serviteur, PAVILLIARD, Pasteur. [TRANSLATION.] SIR, Lausanne, 31st October 1753. Since my letter of the 15th August, I received on the 18th of the same month the letter which you did me the honour to write, of the date of the 24th July. Having read it with attention, allow me to represent to you the reflections which have occurred to me. You desire that your son should go out little, but be retained within doors, and obliged to occupy himself in his studies. You are his parent, sir, and consequently have a right to prescribe the manner in which he should be treated. Without doubt you select this course because you think that it will succeed better in removing the prejudices to which he has resigned himself. I beg you, however, to tion and method. His prudence repressed and dissembled some youthful sallies; and as soon as I was consider that your son is of a serious character, that he is fond of reflection, and that, being so much in his chamber employed in reading, he will follow his own ideas exclusively, to which he will be the more attached, as there will be no one to contradict him; moreover, regarding the obligation as a species of restraint imposed upon him, he will be less inclined to listen to what I shall say to him, and will regard all my conversation as coming from a man who entertains notions which he disapproves, and who is paid for endeavouring to make him of the same opinion. I believe, sir, that it would be more advisable for him to unbend a little, and seek additional amusement, in order to dissipate a portion of the too great gravity of his character. By seeing good company he would learn what is deemed correct in regard to a variety of subjects; he would be accustomed to contradiction, and to the necessity of occasionally yielding, and would thereby be led to examine with serious care, and with less pre-occupation, the principles which he adopts. Often finding them condemned by persons whom he will see evince a solicitude to be correct, he will not regard them as infallible; and convinced that they who differ from him do not dislike him for his opinions, he will listen to them with more confidence. All that I have just said has been suggested by my observations on his character, and my consideration of what you have done me the honour to say in your letter. Having perceived that he was attached to the party of the Pretender, which he openly acknowledged in the sequel, I have combatted his opinions, without seeming to regard them as entertained by him, and without exhibiting any intention to annoy him. He has frequently replied; but I have finally so repelled his arguments, that he speaks no more in this strain, and expresses himself very differently in relation to the king from what he did formerly. I am not sure, however, that his opinions are altogether changed, as he speaks little, and I have never wished him to think that I had any design to dictate to or overrule him. Sir, Your very humble and obedient servant, confirmed in the habits of industry and temperance, he gave the reins into my own hands. His favourable report of my behaviour and progress gradually obtained some latitude of action and expense; and he wished to alleviate the hardships of my lodging and entertainment. The principles of philosophy were associated with the examples of taste; and by a singular chance, the book, as well as the man, which contributed the most effectually to my education, has a stronger claim on my gratitude than on my admiration. M. De Crousaz, the adversary of Bayle and Pope, is not distinguished by lively fancy or profound reflection; and even in his own country, at the end of a few years, his name and writings are almost obliterated. But his philosophy had been formed in the school of Locke, his divinity in that of Limborch and Le Clerc; in a long and laborious life, several generations of pupils were taught to think, and even to write; his lessons rescued the academy of Lausanne from Calvinistic prejudice; and he had the rare merit of diffusing a more liberal spirit among the clergy and people of the Pays de Vaud. His system of logic, which in the last editions has swelled to six tedious and prolix volumes, may be praised as a clear and methodical abridgment of the art of reasoning, from our simple ideas to the most complex operations of the human understanding. This system I studied, and meditated, and abstracted, till I obtained the free command of an universal instrument, which I soon presumed to exercise on my Catholic opinions. Pavilliard was not unmindful that his first task, his most important duty, was to reclaim me from the errors of popery. The intermixture of sects has rendered the Swiss clergy acute and learned on the topics of controversy; and I have some of his letters in which he celebrates the dexterity of his attack, and my gradual concessions after a firm and well-managed defence.* I was * M. Pavilliard has described to me the astonishment with which he gazed on Mr Gibbon standing before him; a thin |