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love him for himself, not to speak of his Education which makes his company particularly agreeable to me, his Modesty, Chearfulness, Good-Nature and Splendid dawn of other Virtues render him very dear to us, in short our little peaceful fireside is not complete without him. nort must I omit to praise the progress he makes in his new profession, his first model, fortunate Omen! was a copy from a Man & horse's head in bassrelief of the School of Phidias, he has modelled three Antique masks, and is now copying a beautiful Antique Fauns [sic] head as large as life; his health seems well established, he scarce ever complains of the Head-ach, he seems very happy in the Study of Sculpture, and to judge by the short tryal we have had I think that all my friends will be his likewise; it is equally your wish and mine that our dear Disciple should attain to great excellence but as "life is short and Art is long" great excellence cannot be attained without great application, now I submit to you whether Thomas's invitation to attend the lessons of dancing may not interfere with his other studies, especially as some of the best hours of the day must by that means be lost to Sculpture, Sculpture is a jealous lady and will not be courted by halves, all that he can want of dancing in future will be to enter, and go out of a room with grace, he cannot want it for exercise he will have enough of that in his own profession, as it can be of no real use to him on the one hand, and on the other may lead him into connexions and habits, detrimental, to his future life if pursued. Thomas and I think it would be better to

give it up