Make use of this invitation,and as you live,in a manner,next door to her,step in and out there frequently.Monsieur du Boccage will go with you,he tells me,with great pleasure,to the plays,and point out to you whatever deserves your knowing there.This is worth your acceptance too;he has a very good taste.I have not yet heard from Lady Hervey upon your subject;but as you inform me that you have already supped with her once,I look upon you as adopted by her;consult her in all your little matters;tell her any difficulties that may occur to you;ask her what you should do or say in such or such cases;she has 'l'usage du monde en perfection',and will help you to acquire it.Madame de Berkenrode 'est paitrie de graces',and your quotation is very applicable to her.You may be there,I dare say,as often as you please,and I would advise you to sup there once a week.
You say,very justly,that as Mr.Harte is leaving you,you shall want advice more than ever;you shall never want mine;and as you have already had so much of it,I must rather repeat than add to what I have already given you;but that I will do,and add to it occasionally,as circumstances may require.At present I shall only remind you of your two great objects,which you should always attend to;they are parliament and foreign affairs.With regard to the former,you can do nothing while abroad but attend carefully to the purity,correctness,and elegance of your diction;the clearness and gracefulness of your utterance,in whatever language you speak.As for the parliamentary knowledge,I will take care of that when you come home.With regard to foreign affairs,everything you do abroad may and ought to tend that way.Your reading should be chiefly historical;I do not mean of remote,dark,and fabulous history,still less of jimcrack natural history of fossils,minerals,plants,etc.,but I mean the useful,political,and constitutional history of Europe,for these last three centuries and a half.The other thing necessary for your foreign object,and not less necessary than either ancient or modern knowledge,is a great knowledge of the world,manners,politeness,address,and 'le ton de la bonne compagnie'.In that view,keeping a great deal of good company,is the principal point to which you are now to attend.It seems ridiculous to tell you,but it is most certainly true,that your dancing-master is at this time the man in all Europe of the greatest importance to you.You must dance well,in order to sit,stand,and walk well;and you must do all these well in order to please.What with your exercises,some reading,and a great deal of company,your day is,I confess,extremely taken up;but the day,if well employed,is long enough for everything;and I am sure you will not slattern away one moment of it in inaction.At your age,people have strong and active spirits,alacrity and vivacity in all they do;are 'impigri',indefatigable,and quick.The difference is,that a young fellow of parts exerts all those happy dispositions in the pursuit of proper objects;endeavors to excel in the solid,and in the showish parts of life;whereas a silly puppy,or a dull rogue,throws away all his youth and spirit upon trifles,where he is serious or upon disgraceful vices,while he aims at pleasures.This I am sure will not be your case;your good sense and your good conduct hitherto are your guarantees with me for the future.Continue only at Paris as you have begun,and your stay there will make you,what I have always wished you to be,as near perfection as our nature permits.
Adieu,my dear;remember to write to me once a-week,not as to a father,but,without reserve,as to a friend.
