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Transcriber’s note:

      Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_).

      There are about seventy Notes at the back of the book. These
      are referenced in the text by a numeric anchor eg [1] or [15];
      some anchors have an ‘a’ suffix eg [15a] or [21a].

      There are two Footnotes in the main text, whose anchors are
      [A] and [B]. There are six Footnotes in the Notes section,
      whose anchors are [C] to [H]. All eight Footnotes have been
      placed at the back of the book after the Notes section.

      Numerous minor text changes are noted in the Transcriber’s Note
      at the end of the book.




THE ART OF BEING HAPPY:

From the French of DROZ,

‘SUR L’ART D’ETRE HEUREUX;’

In a Series of Letters
from
a Father to His Children:
with
Observations and Comments.

by

TIMOTHY FLINT.

   ‘----sua si bonna nôrint.’--VIRGIL.






Boston,
Published By Carter And Hendee.
1832.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1832,
BY CARTER AND HENDEE,
in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of Massachusetts.




ADVERTISEMENT.


The text, upon which the following observations and comments
are based, does not assume to be a literal translation of the
celebrated work of Droz. The original is strongly idiomatic;
and the author has carried an uncommon talent of being laconic
sometimes to the point of obscurity. I have often found it
impossible to convey to the English reader a sentiment, perfectly
obvious in the original, in as few words as are there used. The
French, in its more numerous articles, more allowable and bold
personifications, and arbitrary use of gender, has, in the hand
of certain writers, this advantage over our language. When the
doctrines of the book are compared one with the other, and each
with the general bearing of the work, the inculcation, namely, of
the truth that _virtue is happiness_, there will be found nothing
immoral or reprehensible in it. The author, on the whole, leans to
the Epicurean philosophy. Unfavorable, though erroneous impressions
have been very generally entertained of that philosophy. In
deference to that opinion, I have altogether omitted the few
sentences, which seemed appropriate to some of the dogmas of the
Epicureans. Nothing can be more remote from their alleged impiety,
than the general tenor of this work. One of its most eloquent and
impressive chapters is that upon religion. There is a distinct
class in France, both numerous and important, the _literatures_.
Many of the remarks of the author, bearing chiefly upon that class,
seemed inapplicable, or unintelligible in our country, where there
is no such class to address. I have passed over many passages and
parts of chapters, which had an almost exclusive reference to
persons in that walk in life. I have added members of sentences,
and even whole sentences to the text, where such additions seemed
necessary to develope the doctrine to an English reader.

In a word, I do not offer the text, as an exact translation, but
as the only treatise within the compass of my reading, which has
discussed the pursuit of happiness, as a science or an art; and
as one which has advanced more eloquent and impressive sentiments
upon the subject, than I have elsewhere met. With the slight
alterations, which I have made, I have found this book to meet
my own thoughts; and I have laid out of the text all phrases and
passages, which spoke otherwise. I have availed myself of the words
of another, because they have expressed my own views better than
I could have hoped to express them myself. This explanation will
be my reply to all remarks, touching mistranslation, or liberties
taken with the author.




ERRATA.


  Page 44, last line, dele the 5.
  Page 111, 5th line from bottom, dele 29.
  Page 121, end of second paragraph, dele 32.
  Page 149, 2d line from top, dele 51.
  Page 200, for Note 5, page 44, read 6, page 45.




CONTENTS.


                                                       Page.

      LETTER I.

  Introduction,                                            1

      LETTER II.

  The Physical, Organic and Moral Laws,                    8

      LETTER III.

  The same subject continued,                             25

      LETTER IV.

  General Views of the subject,                           39

      LETTER V.

  Our Desires,                                            45

      LETTER VI.

  Tranquillity of Mind,