Thomas Jefferson to Wythe, 17 December 1789

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"Thomas Jefferson to Wythe, 17 December 1789." Image from the Library of Congress, The Thomas Jefferson Papers.

Dear Sir              Cumberland Dec. 17. 1789
    My friend Mr Eppes is informed that his son’s situation at the college, by subjecting him to attendance on certain courses of lectures, withdraws him from the pursuit of what you might recommend preferably. but his first wish being that his son should follow implicitly what you vowed be so good as to recommend, he does not hesitate to decide on his quitting the college, and boarding in such a part of the town as you think best, where he may be employed as you shall direct. On this subject he writes to his son his wish is to bring him up to the law, and we imagine that till he shall be ready to begin the study of that, he may usefully take lessons sometimes in the mathematics & natural philosophy, & begin a course of historical reading: because these will extend the sphere of his knowledge if he should embrace the profession of [law] & be ornamental, useful, & pleasant to him, if circumstances determine him finally to prefer the equal respected occupations of agriculture, & domestic life. I join my salutations, my dear Sir, to Mr Eppe’s, that you will be so good to continue your good offices to this our young friend, assumed the Eppes will in all cases desire him to conform to whatever you [desire] & that he will consider himself as under the greatest of obligations as will also your sincere & affectionate friend.
                                  Th. Jefferson