Inform yourself minutely of everything concerning this extraordinary establishment; go into their houses, get acquainted with individuals, hear some of them preach.  The finest preacher I ever heard in my life is le Pere Neufville, who, I believe, preaches still at Paris, and is so much in the best company, that you may easily get personally acquainted with him.

If you would know their ‘morale’ read Pascal’s ‘Lettres Provinciales’, in which it is very truly displayed from their own writings.

Upon the whole, this is certain, that a society of which so little good is said, and so much ill believed, and that still not only subsists, but flourishes, must be a very able one.  It is always mentioned as a proof of the superior abilities of the Cardinal Richelieu, that, though hated by all the nation, and still more by his master, he kept his power in spite of both.

I would earnestly wish you to do everything now, which I wish, that I had done at your age, and did not do.  Every country has its peculiarities, which one can be much better informed of during one’s residence there, than by reading all the books in the world afterward.  While you are in Catholic countries, inform yourself of all the forms and ceremonies of that tawdry church; see their converts both of men and women, know their several rules and orders, attend their most remarkable ceremonies; have their terms of art explained to you, their ’tierce, sexte, nones, matines; vepres, complies’; their ’breviares, rosaires, heures, chapelets, agnus’, etc., things that many people talk of from habit, though few people know the true meaning of anyone of them.  Converse with, and study the characters of some of those incarcerated enthusiasts.  Frequent some ‘parloirs’, and see the air and manners of those Recluse, who are a distinct nation themselves, and like no other.

I dined yesterday with Mrs. F——­d, her mother and husband.  He is an athletic Hibernian, handsome in his person, but excessively awkward and vulgar in his air and manner.  She inquired much after you, and, I thought, with interest.  I answered her as a ‘Mezzano’ should do:  ’Et je pronai votre tendresse, vos soins, et vos soupirs’.

When you meet with any British returning to their own country, pray send me by them any little ‘brochures, factums, theses’, etc., ’qui font du bruit ou du plaisir a Paris’.  Adieu, child.

LETTER CLVII

London, January 23, O. S. 1752.

My dear friend:  Have you seen the new tragedy of Varon,—­[Written by the Vicomte de Grave; and at that time the general topic of conversation at Paris.]—­and what do you think of it?  Let me know, for I am determined to form my taste upon yours.  I hear that the situations and incidents are well brought on, and the catastrophe unexpected and surprising, but the verses bad.  I suppose it is the subject of all conversations at Paris, where both women and men are judges and critics of all such performances; such conversations, that both form and improve the taste, and whet the judgment; are surely preferable to the conversations of our mixed companies here; which, if they happen to rise above bragg and whist, infallibly stop short of everything either pleasing or instructive.