Atfirstblushitmayberalliedasatheoreticalspeculation；butexaminationwillproveittobesolidandsalutary。Itwouldfurnishmatterforafinepreambletoourfirstlawforappropriatingthepublicrevenue；anditwillexclude，atthethresholdofournewgovernmentthecontagiousandruinouserrorsofthisquarteroftheglobe，whichhavearmeddespotswithmeansnotsanctionedbynatureforbindinginchainstheirfellow-men。Wehavealreadygiven，inexampleoneeffectualchecktotheDogofwar，bytransferringthepoweroflettinghimloosefromtheexecutivetotheLegislativebody，fromthosewhoaretospendtothosewhoaretopay。Ishouldbepleasedtoseethissecondobstacleheldoutbyusalsointhefirstinstance。Nonationcanmakeadeclarationagainstthevalidityoflong-contracteddebtssodisinterestedlyaswe，sincewedonotoweashillingwhichmaynotbepaidwitheaseprincipalandinterest，withinthetimeofourownlives。Establishtheprinciplealsointhenewlawtobepassedforprotectingcopyrightsandnewinventions，bysecuringtheexclusiverightfor19。insteadof14。
　　years_[alineentirelyfaded]_aninstancethemoreofourtakingreasonforourguideinsteadofEnglishprecedents，thehabitofwhichfettersus，withallthepoliticalhereciesofanation，equallyremarkableforit’sencitementfromsomeerrors，aslongslumberingunderothers。Iwriteyounonews，becausewhenanoccasionoccursIshallwriteaseparateletterforthat。
　　ADIEUTOFRANCE
　　_ToMadamed’Enville_
　　_NewYork，April2，1790_
　　Ihadhoped，MadamelaDuchesse，tohaveagainhadthehonorofpayingmyrespectstoyouinParis，butthewishofourgovernmentthatIshouldtakeashareinitsadministration，hasbecomealawtome。CouldIhavepersuadedmyselfthatpublicofficesweremadeforprivateconvenience，Ishouldundoubtedlyhavepreferredacontinuanceinthatwhichplacedmenearertoyou；butbelievingonthecontrarythatagoodcitizenshouldtakehisstandwherethepublicauthoritymarshalshim，Ihaveacquiesced。Amongthecircumstanceswhichreconcilemetomynewpositionthemostpowerfulistheopportunitiesitwillgivemeofcementingthefriendshipbetweenourtwonations。Beassuredthattodothisisthefirstwishofmyheart。Ihavebutonesystemofethicsformen&fornations——tobegrateful，tobefaithfultoallengagementsandunderallcircumstances，tobeopen&generous，promotesinthelongruneventheinterestsofboth；andIamsureitpromotestheirhappiness。Thechangeinyourgovernmentwillapproximateustooneanother。Youhavehadsomechecks，somehorrorssinceIleftyou；
　　butthewaytoheaven，youknow，hasalwaysbeensaidtobestrewedwiththorns。Whyyournationhavehadfewerthananyotheronearth，Idonotknow，unlessitbethatitisthebestonearth。IfI
　　assureyou，Madam，moreover，thatIconsideryourselfpersonallyaswiththeforemostofyournationineveryvirtue，itisnotflattery，myheartknowsnotthat，itisahomagetosacredtruth，itisatributeIpaywithcordialitytoacharacterinwhichIsawbutoneerror；itwasthatoftreatingmewithadegreeoffavorIdidnotmerit。BeassuredIshalleverretainalivelysenseofallyourgoodnesstome，whichwasacircumstanceofprincipalhappinesstomeduringmystayinParis。Ihopethatbythistimeyouhaveseenthatmyprognosticationsofasuccessfulissuetoyourrevolutionhavebeenverified。Ifearedforyouduringashortinterval；butafterthedeclarationofthearmy，tho’theremightbeepisodesofdistress，thedenoumentwasoutofdoubt。HeavensendthatthegloriousexampleofyourcountrymaybebutthebeginningofthehistoryofEuropeanliberty，andthatyoumaylivemanyyearsinhealth&happinesstoseeatlengththatheavendidnotmakemaninit’swrath。AcceptthehomageofthosesentimentsofsincereandrespectfullesteemwithwhichIhavethehonortobe，MadamelaDuchesse，yourmostaffectionate&obedienthumbleservant。
　　READINGTHELAW
　　_ToJohnGarlandJefferson_
　　_NewYork，June11，1790_
　　DEARSIR，——YourunclemrGarlandinformsme，that，youreducationbeingfinished，youaredesirousofobtainingsomeclerkshiporsomethingelseundergovernmentwherebyyoumayturnyourtalentstosomeaccountforyourselfandhehadsupposeditmightbeinmypowertoprovideyouwithsomesuchoffice。Hiscommendationsofyouaresuchastoinducemetowishsincerelytobeofservicetoyou。Butthereisnot，andhasnotbeen，asinglevacantofficeatmydisposal。NorwouldI，asyourfriend，everthinkofputtingyouintothepettyclerkshipsintheseveraloffices，whereyouwouldhavetodrudgethroughlifeforamiserablepittance，withoutahopeofbetteringyoursituation。Buthetellsmeyouarealsodisposedtothestudyofthelaw。Thisthereforebringsitmorewithinmypowertoserveyou。ItwillbenecessaryforyouinthatcasetogoandlivesomewhereinmyneighborhoodinAlbemarle。TheinclosedlettertoColo。LewisnearCharlottesvillewillshowyouwhatIhavesupposedcouldbebestdoneforyouthere。
　　Itisageneralpracticetostudythelawintheofficeofsomelawyer。Thisindeedgivestothestudenttheadvantageofhisinstruction。ButIhaveeverseenthattheservicesexpectedinreturnhavebeenmorethantheinstructionshavebeenworth。Allthatisnecessaryforastudentisaccesstoalibrary，anddirectionsinwhatorderthebooksaretoberead。ThisIwilltakethelibertyofsuggestingtoyou，observingpreviouslythatasotherbranchesofscience，andespeciallyhistory，arenecessarytoformalawyer，thesemustbecarriedontogether。Iwillarrangethebookstobereadintothreecolumns，andproposethatyoushouldreadthoseinthefirstcolumntill12。oclockeveryday：thoseinthe2d。from12。to2。thoseinthe3d。aftercandlelight，leavingalltheafternoonforexerciseandrecreation，whichareasnecessaryasreading：Iwillrathersaymorenecessary，becausehealthisworthmorethanlearning。
　　1st。
　　CokeonLittletonCoke’s2d。3d。&4th。
　　institutes。
　　Coke’sreports。
　　Vaughan’sdoSalkeld’sLd。Raymond’sStrange’s。
　　Burrows’sKaim’sPrinciplesofequity。
　　Vernon’sreports。
　　PeereWilliams。
　　PrecedentsinChancery。
　　TracyAtheyns。
　　Verey。
　　Hawkin’sPleasofthecrown。
　　Blackstone。
　　Virginialaws。
　　2d。
　　Dalrymple’sfeudalsystem。
　　Hale’shistoryoftheCom。law。
　　GilbertonDevisesUses。
　　Tenures。
　　Rents。
　　Distresses。
　　Ejectments。
　　Executions。
　　Evidence。
　　Sayer’slawofcosts。
　　Lambard’scirconantia。
　　Bacon。vocePleas&Pleadings。
　　Cunningham’slawofbills。
　　Molloydejuremaritimo。
　　Lockeongovernment。
　　Montesquieu’sSpiritoflaw。
　　Smith’swealthofnations。
　　Beccaria。
　　Kaim’smoralessays。
　　Vattel’slawofnations。
　　3d。
　　Mallet’sNorthantiquit’。
　　HistoryofEnglandin3。volsfoliocompiledbyKennet。
　　Ludlow’smemoirsBurnet’shistory。
　　Ld。Orrery’shistory。
　　Burke’sGeorgeIII。
　　Robertson’shist。ofScotl’dRobertson’shist。ofAmerica。
　　OtherAmericanhistories。
　　Voltaire’shistoricalworks。
　　ShouldtherebeanylittleintervalsinthedaynototherwiseoccupiedfillthemupbyreadingLowthe’sgrammar，Blair’slecturesonrhetoric，Masononpoetic&prosaicnumbers，Bolingbroke’sworksforthesakeofthestile，whichisdeclamatory&elegant，theEnglishpoetsforthesakeofthestylealso。
　　AsmrPeterCarrinGoochlandisengagedinacourseoflawreading，andhasmybooksforthatpurpose，itwillbenecessaryforyoutogotomrsCarr’s，andtoreceivesuchasheshallbethendonewith，andsettlewithhimaplanofreceivingfromhimregularthebeforementionedbooksasfastasheshallgetthroughthem。ThelossesIhavesustainedbylendingmybookswillbemyapologytoyouforaskingyourparticularattentiontothereplacingtheminthepressesasfastasyoufinishthem，andnottolendthemtoanybodyelse，norsufferanybodytohaveabookoutoftheStudyundercoverofyourname。Youwillfind，whenyougetthere，thatIhavehadreasontoaskthisexactness。
　　Iwouldhaveyoudeterminebeforehandtomakeyourselfathoroughlawyer，¬becontentedwithameresmattering。Itissuperiorityofknowledgewhichcanaloneliftyouabovetheheadsofyourcompetitors，andensureyousuccess。Ithinkthereforeyoumustcalculateondevotingbetweentwo&threeyearstothiscourseofreading，beforeyouthinkofcommencingpractice。Wheneverthatbegins，thereisanendofreading。
　　Ishallbegladtohearfromyoufromtimetotime，andshallhopetoseeyouinthefallinAlbemarle，towhichplaceIproposeavisitinthatseason。InthemeantimewishingyoualltheindustryofpatientperseverancewhichthiscourseofreadingwillrequireI
　　amwithgreatesteemDearSirYourmostobedientfriend&servant。
　　WHIPPOORWILLSANDSTRAWBERRIES
　　_ToMaryJefferson_
　　_NewYork，June13，1790_
　　MYDEARMARIA——IhaverecievedyourletterofMay23。whichwasinanswertomineofMay2。butIwroteyoualsoonthe23d。ofMay，sothatyoustillowemeananswertothat，whichIhopeisnowontheroad。Inmattersofcorrespondenceaswellasofmoneyyoumustneverbeindebt。Iammuchpleasedwiththeaccountyougivemeofyouroccupations，andthemakingthepuddingisasgoodanarticleofthemasany。WhenIcometoVirginiaIshallinsistoneatingapuddingofyourownmaking，aswellasontryingotherspecimensofyourskill。Youmustmakethemostofyourtimewhileyouarewithsogoodanauntwhocanlearnyoueverything。Wehadnotpeasnorstrawberriesheretillthe8th。dayofthismonth。OnthesamedayIheardthefirstWhip-poor-willwhistle。Swallowsandmartinsappearedhereonthe21st。ofApril。Whendidtheyappearwithyou?Andwhenhadyoupeas，strawberries，andwhip-poor-willsinVirginia?Takenoticehereafterwhetherthewhip-poor-willsalwayscomewiththestrawberriesandpeas。SendmeacopyofthemaximsIgaveyou，alsoalistofthebooksIpromisedyou。Ihavehadalongtouchofmyperiodicalheadach，butaverymoderateone。
　　Ithasnotquiteleftmeyet。Adieu，mydear，loveyouruncle，auntandcousins，andmemorethanall。Your’saffectionately，RICEFROMTIMORANDAFRICA
　　_ToSamuelVaughan，Jr。_
　　_Philadelphia，Nov。27，1790_
　　DEARSIR——IfeelmyselfmuchindebtedtoMr。Vaughanyourfatherfortheopportunityhehasfurnishedmeofadirectcorrespondencewithyou，andalsotoyourselffortheseedsoftheMountainriceyouhavebeensogoodastosendme。IhadbeforereceivedfromyourbrotherinLondonsomeofthesameparcelbroughtbyCapt。Bligh；butitwassolateinthespringofthepresentyearthatthotheplantscameupandgrewluxuriantly，theydidnotproduceseed。YourpresentwillenablemetoenlargetheexperimentIproposeforthenextyear，andforwhichIhadstillreservedafewseedsoftheformerparcel。AbouttwomonthsagoIwasfortunateenoughtorecieveacaskofmountainricefromthecoastofAfrica。