Dear Papa

Sunday 15 th Febr y.

1761.

I send you inclosed my Translation as I promised you and shall

continue it every Week and send it you this day as being the last of the

Week, for I think I need have at least a whole Week to do

it in, as I am got to a very hard part, and deeply immersed in

Philosophy; for a proof which You need only read the Original at Your

leisure before You read my Translation, and if you get to a hard

passage, you may then look in for information, or to see whether I have

rendered it right. You see I have wrote the greatest part very small,

upon consideration that if I was to write as I commonly do, it would

be so large, that the Expence would be much greater, than I have

made it by this means. tho' I say it is difficult, and all that, do not

imagine that I desire to have any of it take off, or that I shall be

unwilling to keep to my contract, for if it was 3 times as much I

would do it, as I promised I would, and you would like it: I

flatter myself You will think I have hit off some of

the difficult parts not unhappily, and be convinced that what I say is not

out of mere Idleness, and dislike of the Business I am about. I expect to

begin Logic to morrow together with 4 more of us, and

with that, together with my Translation, I think I

shall have employment enough: One thing I forgot to desire is, that You

would not make any Alterations in my Translation except there be any

manifest mistakes in the use of the particles &c,&c. for there may

be various Sections, and what is in my book, (which I should have told you,

I found was one of the loose volumes of Tully which you sent me)

may be different in Yours. I can add no more at

present, as I am just going to drink in Company with an old Schoolfellow,

who is come to see one of my intimate
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    Description: Dear Papa

    I send you inclos'd the last 36 Pages of the Tusculan

    disputations, which I doubt not will give you pleasure, as it does me

    to think my labours are at an End, which I hope are not in vain. you

    must needs think I studied pretty hard, to do 6 pages a day besides the

    College-Exercises which however as I told you were not so many this week as they

    used to be, else I think I could hardly have done so much.

    I hope my dear Papa, I have not done any thing that you are

    displeased at, I have not heard from you since the Wednesday

    or Thursday after I came to Oxford; above three weeks ago.

    Wheatly goes to town on Friday the 18 th the next day after the

    last in term, so that if you please I may take that Opportunity to go

    with him, as he said he would wait till then for me, but was obliged to be

    in town by next day, otherwise he would have gone the 15 th or 16 th: I hope

    you will send me a line by next post, whether I may go or not then: but

    as I hope to be in town before the week is out, I will conclude with professing myself

    Your dutifull

    and affectionate Son

    J. Bentham.

    Sunday Dec r 12 1761.

    My duty to my Grand mama

    and love to my dear Brother.

    Accipe quos mitto, studii, Pater optime, fructus;

    En tibi longi operis, denique finis adest.
  • Title: [Queen's Coll. Wednesday March 4 th 1761]
    Description: Queen's Coll. Wednesday March 4 th 1761

    Dear Papa

    Your letter which I received yesterday gave me a great deal of concern to

    find you so angry with me tho' justly for a fault which I indeed was guilty

    off, but not willingly; Sir I would have wrote to you as I

    promised if it had not been for a deep cut in my finger which I gave

    myself while I was mending a pen to write you with, just where I hold my

    pen; so that I could not hold it well enough to write intelligibly; indeed

    you write to me nothing but bad news; but I hope you will send me better

    next time; for it concerned me vastly to hear poor dear Sammy was

    so ill. I hope I have justified myself as to not writing to you

    in all this while; as to the Translation I have been forced to

    omitt sending you if I can 40 pages this week instead of 20,

    and the same number the next which will just do. however you may think me

    idle I fancy when you

    understand how much business I do, you will alter your opinion.

    for what with logic, Geography, Greek Testament Tully de

    Oratore and this translation, I think I shall have

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  • Title: [Dear Papa I hope you will excuse my]
    Description: Dear Papa

    I hope you will excuse my having sent you but 15

    pages of my Translation instead of 20 I intended to have sent you,

    having met with some hard passages which made me lose a good deal

    of time, and time is precious with me whatever you may think, as

    I have no time at all in the Morning except Thursday for this

    business and but little in the afternoon on Teusdays and Fridays: I

    have 36 pages left to do which I hope to get done next week as I shall

    have a great deal more time than I have had yet, on account of an Examination of the Scholars which lasts Monday Tuesday and Wednesday which exempts us from the lectures and disputations which

    otherwise we must attend on those days except the Night-lectures w ch

    I believe we must attend notwithstanding. These Examinations are when

    one of the Scholars the Senior is made Taberdar, on which occasion he and the

    rest are locked into the hall from 9 in the Morning till dinner,

    and from dinnertime to prayertime, which time they are employed

    in doing Themes &c and while they are in the hall there are

    no Lectures that the Scholars may not lose the benefit of them

    I hope you received the things that I sent you safe: if you

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    Your dutifull and

    obedient Son

    J. Bentham.

    Sunday Dec r 6 th 1761.