Becoming America - An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution, 2018a

BECOMING AMERICA
REVOLUTIONARY AND EARLY NATIONAL PERIOD LITERATURE
I could not but reect with wonder at this man’s treatment of me. I could plead
none of the rights of relationship; yet I enjoyed the privileges of a son. He had not
imparted to me any scheme, by pursuit of which I might nally compensate him
for the expense to which my maintenance and education would subject him. He
gave me reason to hope for the continuance of his bounty. He talked and acted as if
my fortune were totally disjoined from his; yet was I indebted to him for the morsel
which sustained my life. Now it was proposed to withdraw myself to studious
leisure, and romantic solitude. All my wants, personal and intellectual, were to be
supplied gratuitously and copiously. No means were prescribed by which I might
make compensation for all these benets. In conferring them he seemed to be
actuated by no view to his own ultimate advantage. He took no measures to secure
my future services.
I suered these thoughts to escape me, on this occasion, and observed that to
make my application successful, or useful, it was necessary to pursue some end.
I must look forward to some post which I might hereafter occupy benecially
to myself or others; and for which all the eorts of my mind should be bent to
qualify myself.
These hints gave him visible pleasure; and now, for the rst time, he deigned to
advise me on this head. His scheme, however, was not suddenly produced. The way
to it was circuitous and long. It was his business to make every new step appear to
be suggested by my own reections. His own ideas were the seeming result of the
moment, and sprung out of the last idea that was uttered. Being hastily taken up,
they were, of course, liable to objection. These objections, sometimes occurring to
me and sometimes to him, were admitted or contested with the utmost candour. One
scheme went through numerous modications before it was proved to be ineligible,
or before it yielded place to a better. It was easy to perceive, that books alone were
insucient to impart knowledge: that man must be examined with our own eyes
to make us acquainted with their nature: that ideas collected from observation and
reading, must correct and illustrate each other: that the value of all principles, and
their truth, lie in their practical eects. Hence, gradually arose, the usefulness of
travelling, of inspecting the habits and manners of a nation, and investigating, on
the spot, the causes of their happiness and misery. Finally, it was determined that
Spain was more suitable than any other, to the views of a judicious traveller.
My language, habits, and religion were mentioned as obstacles to close and
extensive views; but these diculties successively and slowly vanished. Converse
with books, and natives of Spain, a steadfast purpose and unwearied diligence would
eace all dierences between me and a Castilian with respect to speech. Personal
habits, were changeable, by the same means. The bars to unbounded intercourse,
rising from the religion of Spain being irreconcilably opposite to mine, cost us no
little trouble to surmount, and here the skill of Ludloe was eminently displayed.
I had been accustomed to regard as unquestionable, the fallacy of the Romish
faith. This persuasion was habitual and the child of prejudice, and was easily
shaken by the artices of this logician. I was rst led to bestow a kind of assent
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