[dateline] Paris March 22 1780
[salute] My dear Son
I have just now received your Letter, of Yesterday, and am very well pleased with
it, because it is written with care,
1 in an handsome Hand, and is prettily expressed, which shews that nothing is wanting
but Pains and care, to make you an excellent Writer, for your Age.
I am of Mr. Pechini's Opinion that it is better to keep your Brother Charles to conjugating
Verbs for some time, I agree therefore to his Proposition, and will give him some
Assistance in this Exercise, by making Charles a Present of another Grammar, which
I found Yesterday. The Title of it is, Les Verbes Francois, ou nouvelle Grammaire
en form de Dictionaire Par. M. Demarville.
2
The Critical Reviewers, March 1 1767 said of this Book. “Every one acquainted with
the french Language, knows, that the Intricacies of the irregular Verbs render it
the most difficult for Foreigners to speak or write with Propriety; and this Pocket
Dictionary will certainly be serviceable to those who are desirous of attaining the
Niceties of the French Tongue.”
The monthly Reviewers say. “It is sufficiently known to every one who has studied
the French Language, that the most difficult Part of the Task, consists, in the Conjugation
of the Verbs. In almost every Language indeed, the Conjugation of the Verbs, constitutes
one of the most essential, and at the same Time one of the most difficult Parts of
Grammar. Even in English, the few Verbs that can properly be said to be conjugated,
are so amazingly irregular, that they give foreigners a great deal of Trouble. But
the French Verbs are very different from the English, and like those of the Latin
are conjugated through the different Moods and Tenses. The Work before Us is calculated
to remove this Difficulty, and will in a great measure answer the Intention and save
the Learner much Time and Trouble.”
Mr. Demarville's Grammar is confined, wholly to one Part of Speech, the Verb. There
are a great Number of Verbs conjugated through all the Moods and Tenses, some of them
both of the Active and Passive Voices, and some are even conjugated affirmatively,
negatively, and interrogatively.
I should Advise Mr. Charles to take his Pen and Ink, and tran•
{ 316 } scribe some of these Verbs as conjugated by Demarville, and place the English down
against every Word.
As the Letter you inclosed
3 in yours to me, was not Superscribed to any one: I thought it was intended for me,
and accordingly opened it, when, to my Surprize I found it written very differently
from that to me—very hastily: very carelessly: the Letters badly made, the Lines as
crooked as possible. I desire you would write it over again, and take more care. I
will not over look one such heedless Piece of Work. I have suffered too many Inconveniences
my self, from writing a bad Hand, all my Life, to neglect your Education in this Particular,
as mine was.
Let me give you one Piece of Advice more, which is not to spend much of your Time
in learning to flourish, with your Pen. Ornaments of this Kind, if not done with very
great skill, are worse than none, and an Accuracy, and real Elegance in them would
cost you more time to acquire than they are worth.—I am with the tenderest Affection,
your Father,