第95章

Isaluteyouwithassurancesofgreatrespectandesteem。”AREALCHRISTIAN”

_ToCharlesThomson_

_Monticello，January9，1816_

MYDEARANDANCIENTFRIEND，——Anacquaintanceoffifty-twoyears，forIthinkoursdatesfrom1764，callsforaninterchangeofnoticenowandthen，thatweremaininexistence，themonumentsofanotherage，andexamplesofafriendshipunaffectedbythejarringelementsbywhichwehavebeensurrounded，ofrevolutionsofgovernment，ofpartyandofopinion。Iamremindedofthisdutybythereceipt，throughourfriendDr。Patterson，ofyoursynopsisofthefourEvangelists。IhadprocureditassoonasIsawitadvertised，andhadbecomefamiliarwithitsuse；butthiscopyisthemorevaluedasitcomesfromyourhand。Thisworkbearsthestampofthataccuracywhichmarkseverythingfromyou，andwillbeusefultothosewho，nottakingthingsontrust，recurforthemselvestothefountainofpuremorals。I，too，havemadeawee-littlebookfromthesamematerials，whichIcallthePhilosophyofJesus；itisaparadigmaofhisdoctrines，madebycuttingthetextsoutofthebook，andarrangingthemonthepagesofablankbook，inacertainorderoftimeorsubject。AmorebeautifulorpreciousmorselofethicsIhaveneverseen；itisadocumentinproofthat_I_ama_realChristian_，thatistosay，adiscipleofthedoctrinesofJesus，verydifferentfromthePlatonists，whocall_me_infideland_themselves_Christiansandpreachersofthegospel，whiletheydrawalltheircharacteristicdogmasfromwhatitsauthorneversaidnorsaw。Theyhavecompoundedfromtheheathenmysteriesasystembeyondthecomprehensionofman，ofwhichthegreatreformeroftheviciousethicsanddeismoftheJews，werehetoreturnonearth，wouldnotrecognizeonefeature。IfIhadtimeIwouldaddtomylittlebooktheGreek，LatinandFrenchtexts，incolumnssidebyside。AndI

wishIcouldsubjoinatranslationofGosindi’sSyntagmaofthedoctrinesofEpicurus，which，notwithstandingthecalumniesoftheStoicsandcaricaturesofCicero，isthemostrationalsystemremainingofthephilosophyoftheancients，asfrugalofviciousindulgence，andfruitfulofvirtueasthehyperbolicalextravagancesofhisrivalsects。

Iretaingoodhealth，amratherfeebletowalkmuch，butridewithease，passingtwoorthreehoursadayonhorseback，andeverythreeorfourmonthstakinginacarriageajourneyofninetymilestoadistantpossession，whereIpassagooddealofmytime。Myeyesneedtheaidofglassesbynight，andwithsmallprintinthedayalso；myhearingisnotquitesosensibleasitusedtobe；notoothshakingyet，butshiveringandshrinkinginbodyfromthecoldwenowexperience，mythermometerhavingbeenaslowas12degreesthismorning。Mygreatestoppressionisacorrespondenceafflictinglylaborious，theextentofwhichIhavebeenlongendeavoringtocurtail。Thiskeepsmeatthedrudgeryofthewriting-tablealltheprimehoursoftheday，leavingforthegratificationofmyappetiteforreading，onlywhatIcanstealfromthehoursofsleep。CouldIreducethisepistolarycorveewithinthelimitsofmyfriendsandaffairs，andgivethetimeredeemedfromittoreadingandreflection，tohistory，ethics，mathematics，mylifewouldbeashappyastheinfirmitiesofagewouldadmit，andIshouldlookonitsconsummationwiththecomposureofone_”quisummumnecmetuitdiemnecoptat。”_

Somuchastomyself，andIhavegivenyouthisstringofegotismsinthehopeofdrawingasimilaronefromyourself。Ihaveheardfromothersthatyouretainyourhealth，agooddegreeofactivity，andallthevivacityandcheerfulnessofyourmind，butI

wishtolearnitmoreminutelyfromyourself。Howhastimeaffectedyourhealthandspirits?Whatareyouramusements，literaryandsocial?Tellmeeverythingaboutyourself，becauseallwillbeinterestingtomewhoretainsforyoueverthesameconstantandaffectionatefriendshipandrespect。

YOURPROPHECYANDMINE

_ToJohnAdams_

_Monticello，Jan。11，1816_

DEARSIR——OfthelastfivemonthsIhavepastfouratmyotherdomicil，forsuchitisinaconsiderabledegree。Nolettersareforwardedtomethere，becausethecrossposttothatplaceiscircuitousanduncertain。Duringmyabsencethereforetheyareaccumulatinghere，andawaitingacknolegments。ThishasbeenthefateofyourfavorofNov。13。

Iagreewithyouinallit’seulogiesonthe18th。century。Itcertainlywitnessedthesciencesandarts，mannersandmorals，advancedtoahigherdegreethantheworldhadeverbeforeseen。AndmightwenotgobacktotheaeraoftheBorgias，bywhichtimethebarbarousageshadreducednationalmoralitytoit’slowestpointofdepravity，andobservethattheartsandsciences，risingf