TEX.\:-; Srxrn LIBRARY in«h- with<lrnwn my~elf from my eve11iJ1g studies for the purpose of gi~ii1g you u 5hort. e:c::;ay upon that species of praimatical mortality u:;uully kuown by the name of Law_rN. That. I really <lo l·ome up to the hi«h notions commonallv entertained of a learned ma11 there can be no J>ossible <loubt when n~y extensin: reading and extriardinary ac- 11uirC'mC'nts ar<' onre known; Having in the course of my Ii fe a tten- 1 in•ly perused the tales of my Landlor Rob Hoy my Uncle Thomas and a hu:-t of othC'r modern publications besides 110 small number ol' the Engli::h l'la~sicks antl part of Blackstone's Commentaries where l saw ,luhn Doe and .Hieharcl Roe but what was said about them :;ueh is the unhappy shortness of my memory that I do not at this moment recol- lPd- moreorer you must know that [ ha,'e studie1\ bellettres ancl have made no small proficiency in the art of composition, being the :-on of a very wealthy farmer I would practice myself when young in writing pa5se:; orders and so forth for the uegroes And since I hine nrrirecl to the age of maturity it has been my particular study to write letter$ to my acquaintam:es in various part:; of the country .\1ul a~ a specimen of my talents in epistolary composition I will give \'UH a letter whirh l sent to Ill\' aunt out of town in the year of our i.onl 1818 · )Ir DE.rn Auxr VEsn:n l am now at a tea-party smrounded by cups & saucers & turea.ns & plat!',; uf th<' most exquisitely beautiful texture & handsome ladies who an• 1·outi11uall,Y $Oliciting my C'Omersation therefore have but a few 11wmenh; to devote to writin~ However haYing always had a desire tu promote your welfarC' as far ns my flimsy exertions could effect I 11111~1 Pren at this time forego thC' pleasantry of a tea table chat to mnkl' a few remurk~ to _you about ~lr. Jack Stiles of whom you spoke ~11ml 0 tim(• ago in the hi~hest terms in a letter to me- I have had 1111 i111l-rdew with him and upon my word Aunt I would not suffer him to <lauce attendance any longer- He pretends to be versed in all the abstruce intricacies of jurisprudence and is blessed with a very rnn• 11:1,·k of impo~in~ himself upon unsuspecting credulity as a smart 111;111 and i11clP<·cl l11 hear him speak of himself you would suppose that St. l'anl,- t·lnmh woul hardly be able to contain all of his brains- S1u·h i:: the c·a~e my clear aunt with a great man.,· of his profes::1ion. I :111 tu speak more poetically Among the ntlgar & untutourd class The~· ~eem like steeples with their heads of brass But when amidst the literary order l'pon the cowtail gro\\ih they border- It i:- inclre,l trnly amusing dear Aunt to see the means to which Mr. Stih•,- rr,-llrll'tl i11 orclrr to iutruduc:e himself into the high circles of -,ll'i,•t_r-- \\"hen he fir,-t crime to this place he was made acquainted \rith 11111• of tlw mu~t rc,.pl'dalih• families l,y his friencl under the char- ad,•r 11f II ~l.1jur Hild ~ot hi,. lllllthc•r to aclclre~:; her letters to him in thnt titlr lmt unfortnnntPly iu a ~hort time he was stripped of his l11,rr11w1•d plume:- l~ lik,, thr l'\'er fabulous jacktlaw made to appear in hi,- 11ali\'1• 1ll•form1t}· ~Ir. Stiles ma~· have been a ~lajor and com- 11w111l1·d a rn,.t. rl'lnmr of 1la~tanl\~· imps suc·h ns Pride Ignorance l111pir1i11a111·1• Hi)!utry ek. l'tl·. But to be a major in its true uccep-
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