Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER CLXXXIV.—­TO WILLIAM B. GILES, April 27, 1795

TO WILLIAM B. GILES.

Monticello, April 27, 1795,

Dear Sir,

Your favor of the 16th came to hand by the last post.  I sincerely congratulate you on the great prosperities of our two first allies, the French and Dutch.  If I could but see them now at peace with the rest of their continent, I should have little doubt of dining with Pichegru in London, next autumn; for I believe I should be tempted to leave my clover for a while, to go and hail the dawn of liberty and republicanism in that island.  I shall be rendered very happy by the visit you promise me.  The only thing wanting to make me completely so, is the more frequent society of my friends.  It is the more wanting, as I am become more firmly fixed to the glebe.  If you visit me as a farmer, it must be as a condisciple:  for I am but a learner; an eager one indeed, but yet desperate, being too old now to learn a new art.  However, I am as much delighted and occupied with it, as if I was the greatest adept.  I shall talk with you about it from morning till night, and put you on very short allowance as to political aliment.  Now and then a pious ejaculation for the French and Dutch republicans, returning with due despatch to clover, potatoes, wheat, &c.  That I may not lose the pleasure promised me, let it not be till the middle of May, by which time I shall be returned from a trip I meditate to Bedford.

Yours affectionately,

Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER CLXXXV.—­TO MANN PAGE, August 30, 1795

THOMAS JEFFERSON TO MANN PAGE.

Monticello, August 30, 1795.

It was not in my power to attend at Fedricksburg according to the kind invitation in your letter, and in that of Mr. Ogilvie.  The heat of the weather, the business of the farm, to which I have made myself necessary, forbade it; and to give one round reason for all, mature sanus, I have laid up my Rosinante in his stall, before his unfitness for the road shall expose him faltering to the world.  But why did not I answer you in time?  Because, in truth, I am encouraging myself to grow lazy, and I was sure you would ascribe the delay to any thing sooner than a want of affection or respect to you, for this was not among the possible causes.  In truth, if any thing could ever induce me to sleep another night out of my own house, it would have been your friendly invitation and my solicitude for the subject of it, the education of our youth.  I do most anxiously wish to see the highest degrees of education given to the higher degrees of genius, and to all degrees of it, so much as may enable them to read and understand what is going on in the world, and to keep their part of it going on right:  for nothing can keep it right but their own vigilant and distrustful superintendence.