Well, my dear Porphiry, you are going to profess yourself a man of letters! I certainly shall not oppose that design. False devotion or bigotry can alone condemn it. You have learning, a feeling heart, and have read a great deal; – leave then your closet, shut your books, and study mankind; unless you acquire a perfect knowledge of the human heart, you will write nothing but what is trifling or imperfect. See men of all ranks; examine them in all the different situations, from the humble labourer to the exalted courtier. Know them accurately; and do not despise amiable infants. As a painter, copy the striking and natural features they present; as a philosopher, observe the seed, from which spring all the virtues and passions of man. Be particularly assiduous in separating our natural faults and inclinations from that croud of irregularities and vices we derive from education. A mere scholar should remain in his study: an author should live in the great world. – If he dedicates to society four hours of the day, there will still remain time enough to reflect on what he has seen. But all this is insufficient; – you, my dear Porphiry, must still preserve your sensibility and your principles – if your heart and manners be corrupted, you will never produce a work of genius. From wit alone may slow amusing things, those works of a moment, made to dazzle but not to last; read with eagerness, praised and quoted during three months, and then consigned to oblivion. It was not to his wit, that Pierre Corneille was indebted for his fame; – it was his greatness of soul, that acquired him his surname, and the admiration of his contemporaries, and of posterity. Oh, my Porphiry! be honest, indulgent, and beneficent, that thy writings may inspire men with the love of virtue. There will then not be found (in them) exaggeration nor inconsistency; for he who is inspired by love of truth, can never contradict himself.