Letter LV

Summary

Dearest Sir,

I now resume my Subject. I had gone thro’ the Article of the Tutor, as well as I could; and now let me trouble you with a few Lines upon what Mr. Locke says, That Children are wholly, if possible, to be kept from the Conversation of the meaner Servants; whom he supposes to be, as too frequently they are, unbred and debauch‘d, to use his own Words.

Now, Sir, let me observe, on this Head, that I think it is very difficult to keep Children from the Conversation of Servants at all times. The Care of personal Attendance, especially in the Child's early Age, must fall upon Servants of one Denomination or other, who, little or much, must be conversant with the inferior Servants, and so be liable to be tainted by their Conversation; and it will be difficult in this Case to prevent the Taint being communicated to the Child.Wherefore it will be a surer, as well as a more laudable Method, to insist upon the regular Behaviour of the whole Family, than to expect the Child, and its immediate Attendant or Tutor, should be the only good ones in it.

Nor is this so difficult a thing to bring about, as may be imagin’d. Your Family, dear Sir, affords an eminent Instance of it: The Good have been confirm’d, the Remiss have been reform’d, the Passionate have been tam’d; and there is not a Family in the Kingdom, I will venture to say, to the Honour of every Individual of it, more uniform, more regular, and freer from Evil, and more regardful of what they say and do, than yours. And, I believe, Sir, you will allow, that tho’ they were always honest, yet they were not always so laudably, so exemplarily virtuous, as of late: Which I mention only to shew the Practicableness of a Reformation, even where bad Habits have taken place—For your Pamela, Sir, arrogates not to herself the Honour of this Change: ‘Tis owing to the Divine Grace shining upon Hearts naturally good; for else an Example so easy, so plain, so simple, from so young a Mistress, who, moreover, had been exalted from their own Station, could not have been attended with such happy Effects.