m, he spent his
leisure hours with Pope, Plutarch, Shakespeare, Milton, Plato, and the
few other English poets and works of Greek philosophers which Knox
possessed, as well as several abridged histories of England and Europe.
These interested him more than aught else, purely literary as his
proclivities were supposed to be, and he read and reread them, and
longed for some huge work in twenty volumes which should reveal Europe
to his searching vision. But this was when he was fourteen, and had
almost forgotten what the life of a mere boy was like. Shortly after he
entered Mr. Cruger's store he wrote his famous letter to young Stevens.
It will bear republication here, and its stilted tone, so different from
the concise simplicity of his business letters, was no doubt designed to
produce an effect on the mind of his more fortunate friend. He became a
master of style, and before he was twenty; but there is small indication
of the achievement in this letter, lovable as it is:--

ST. CROIX, November 11, 1769.

DEAR EDWARD, This serves to acknowledge the receipt of yours per
Capt. Lowndes, which was delivered me yesterday The truth of Capt.
Lightbowen and Lowndes' information is now verified by the presence
of your father and sister, for whose safe arrival I pray, and that
they may convey that satisfaction to your soul, that must naturally
flow from the sight of absent friends in health; and shall for news
this way, refer you to them.

As to what you say, respecting your soon having the happiness of
seeing us all, I wish for an accomplishment of your hopes, provided
they are concomitant with your welfare, otherwise not; though doubt
whether I shall be present or not, for to confess my weakness, Ned,
my ambition is prevalent, so that I contemn the grovelling
condition of a clerk, or the like, to which my fortune condemns me,
and would willingly risk my life, though not my character, to exalt
my station. I am confident, Ned, that my youth excludes me from any
hopes of immediate preferment, nor do I desire it; but I mean to
prepare the way for futurity. I'm no philosopher, you see, and may
be justly said to build castles in the air; my folly makes me
ashamed, and beg you'll conceal it; yet, Neddy, we have seen such
schemes successful, when the projector is constant. I shall
conclude by saying I wish there was a war.