stops at temporary expedients, with- on your mind that sacred rule, of out rising to comprehensive views" doing in all things to others, acof conduct. It betrays, at the same cording as you wish that they should time, a dastardly spirit. It is the re-do unto you." For this end, impress source of one who wants courage to yourselves with a deep sense of the avow his designs, or to rest upon original and natural equality of men. himself. Whereas, openness of cha- Whatever advantages of birth or forracter displays that generous bold- tune you possess, never display them ness which ought to distinguish with an ostentatious superiority. youth. To set out in the world with Leave the subordinations of rank to no other principle than a crafty at-regulate the intercourse of more adtention to interest, betokens one who vanced years. At present it becomes is destined for creeping through the you to act among your companions, inferior walks of life: but to give as man with man. Remember how an early preference to honour above unknown to you are the vicissitudes gain, when they stand in competi- of the world; and how often they, tion; to despise every advantage, on whom ignorant and contemptuous which cannot be attained without young men once looked down with dishonest arts; to brook no meanness, scorn, have risen to be their supeand to stoop to no dissimulation; are riors in future years. Compassion is the indications of a great mind, the an emotion of which you never ought presages of future eminence and dis- to be ashamed. Graceful in youth tinction in life. At the same time is the tear of sympathy, and the heart this virtuous sincerity is perfectly that melts at the tale of woe. Let consistent with the most prudent vi- not ease and indulgence contract gilance and caution. It is opposed your affections, and wrap you up in to cunning, not to true wisdom. It selfish enjoyment. Accustom youris not the simplicity of a weak and selves to think of the distresses of improvident, but the candour of an human life; of the solitary cottage, enlarged and noble mind; of one the dying parent, and the weeping who scorns deceit, because he ac- orphan. Never sport with pain and counts it both base and unprofitable; distress, in any of your amusements; and who seeks no disguise, because nor treat even the meanest insect he needs none to hide him. with wanton cruelty. Ibid.

Blair.

$30. Courtesy and engaging Man

ners.

29. Benevolence and Humanity. Youth is the proper season of cul- In order to render yourselves amitivating the benevolent and humane able in society, correct every appearaffections. As a great part of your ance of harshness in behaviour. Let happiness is to depend on the con- that courtesy distinguish your denexions which you form with others, meanour, which springs not so much it is of high importance that you ac- from studied politeness, as from a quire betimes the temper and the mild and gentle heart. Follow the manners which will render such con- customs of the world in matters innexions comfortable. Let a sense different; but stop when they become of justice be the foundation of all sinful. Let your manners be simple your social qualities. In your most and natural; and of course they will early intercourse with the world, and be engaging. Affectation is certain even in your youthful amusements, deformity. By forming yourselves let no unfairness be found. Engrave on fantastic models, and vieing with

one another in every reigning folly, but as rational beings; not only as the young begin with being ridicu- rational, but social; not only as solous, and end in being vicious and cial, but immortal. Whatever vioimmoral. Blair. lates your nature in any of these respects, cannot afford true pleasure;

commended.

31. Temperance in Pleasure re-any more than that which undermines an essential part of the vital system, can promote health. For the Let me particularly exhort youth truth of this conclusion, we appeal to temperance in pleasure. Let me not merely to the authority of reliadmonish them to beware of that gion, nor to the testimony of the rock on which thousands, from race aged, but to yourselves, and your own to race, continue to split. The love experience. We ask, whether you of pleasure, natural to man in every have not found, that in a course of period of his life, glows at this age criminal excess, your pleasure was with excessive ardour. Novelty adds more than compensated by succeedfresh charms, as yet, to every gratifi- ing pain? Whether, if not from cation. The world appears to spread every particular instance, yet from a continual feast; and health, vigour, every habit, at least, of unlawful graand high spirits, invite them to par- tification, there did not spring some take of it without restraint. In vain thorn to wound you; there did not we warn them of latent dangers. Re- arise some consequence to make you ligion is accused of insufferable seve- repent of it in the issue? How long rity, in prohibiting enjoyment; and will you repeat the same round of the old, when they offer their admo- pernicious folly, and tamely expose nition, are upbraided with having for- yourselves to be caught in the same. got that they once were young.— snare? If you have any consideraAnd yet, my friends, to what do the tion, or any firmness left, avoid temptconstraints of religion, and the coun- ations, for which you have found yoursels of age, with respect to pleasure, selves unequal, with as much care as amount? They may all be comprised you would shun pestilential infecin a few words-not to hurt your- tion. Break off all connexions with selves, and not to hurt others, by your the loose and profligate pursuit of pleasure. Within these

Ibid.

bounds, pleasure is lawful; beyond them it becomes criminal, because it§ 33. Industry and Application. is ruinous. Are these restraints any Diligence, industry, and proper other than what a wise man would improvement of time, are material choose to impose on himself? We duties of the young. To no purpose call you not to renounce pleasure, are they endowed with the best abilibut to enjoy it in safety. Instead of ties, if they want activity for exerting abridging it, we exhort you to pursue them. Unavailing, in this case, will it on an extensive plan. We propose be every direction that can be given measures for securing its possession, them, either for their temporal or and for prolonging its duration.

spiritual welfare. In youth, the haIbid. bits of industry are most easily acquired; in youth the incentives to it § 32. Whatever violates Nature, are strongest, from ambition and from duty, from emulation and hope, from cannot afford true Pleasure. all the prospects which the beginning Consult your whole nature. Con- of life affords. If, dead to these calls, sider yourselves not only as sensitive, you already languish in slothful in

action, what will be able to quicken bad passions. They weaken the manthe more sluggish current of advanc-ly powers. They sink the native viing years? Industry is not only the gour of youth into contemptible effeinstrument of improvement, but the minacy. foundation of pleasure. Nothing is

Blair.

so opposite to the true enjoyment of $34. The Employment of Time. life, as the relaxed and feeble state Redeeming your time from such of an indolent mind. He who is a dangerous waste, seek to fill it with stranger to industry, may possess, but employments which you may review he cannot enjoy. For it is labour with satisfaction. The acquisition only which gives the relish to plea- of knowledge is one of the most hosure. It is the appointed vehicle of nourable occupations of youth. The every good man. It is the indispen- desire of it discovers a liberal mind, sable condition of our possessing a and is connected with many accomsound mind in a sound body. Sloth plishments and many virtues. But is so inconsistent with both, that it is though your train of life should not hard to determine, whether it be a lead you to study, the course of edugreater foe to virtue, or to health and cation always furnishes proper em-> happiness. Inactive as it is in it-ployments to a well disposed mind. self, its effects are fatally powerful. Whatever you pursue, be emulous to Though it appear a slowly-flowing excel. Generous ambition, and senstream, yet it undermines all that is sibility to praise, are, especially at stable and flourishing. It not only your age, among the marks of virtue. saps the foundation of every virtue, Think not, that any affluence of forbut pours upon you a deluge of tune, or any elevation of rank, excrimes and evils. It is like water empts you from the duties of appliwhich first putrefies by stagnation, cation and industry. Industry is the and then sends up noxious vapours, law of our being; it is the demand and fills the atmosphere with death. of nature, of reason, and of God. ReFly, therefore, from idleness, as the member always, that the years which certain parent both of guilt and of now pass over your heads, leave ruin. And under idleness I include, permanent memorials behind them. not mere inaction only, but all that From your thoughtless minds they circle of trifling occupations, in which may escape; but they remain in the too many saunter away their youth; remembrance of God. They form an perpetually engaged in frivolous so- important part of the register of your ciety, or public amusements; in the life. They will hereafter bear testilabours of dress, or the ostentation of mony, either for or against you at their persons-Is this the foundation that day when, for all your actions, which you lay for future usefulness but particularly for the employments and esteem? By such accomplish- of youth, you must give an account ments do you hope to recommend to God. Whether your future course yourselves to the thinking part of the is destined to be long or short, after world, and to answer the expectations this manner it should commence; of your friends and your country? and, if it continue to be thus conAmusements youth requires: it were ducted, its conclusion, at what time vain, it were cruel, to prohibit them. soever it arrives, will not be ingloriBut, though allowable as the relaxa- ous or unhappy. Ibid. tion, they are most culpable as the business, of the young. For they then become the gulf of time, and the poison of the mind. They foment VOL. 1. No. 3.

$35. The Necessity of an early and close Application to Wisdom.

It is necessary to habituate our

Seed.

$36. The Unhappiness consequent on the Neglect of early improving the Mind.

minds, in our younger years, to some inseparable attendant upon a flush of employment which may engage our sanguine health, and a fulness of thoughts, and fill the capacity of the youthful spirits: but you will find, in soul at a riper age. For, however we process of time, that among the wise may roam in youth from folly to folly, and good, useless good-nature is the too volatile for rest, too soft and ef- object of pity, ill-nature of hatred; feminate for industry, ever ambitious but nature beautified and improved to make a splendid figure; yet the by an assemblage of moral and inteltime will come when we shall out-lectual endowments, is the only obgrow the relish of childish amuse-ject of a solid and lasting esteem. ments and, if we are not provided with a taste for manly satisfactions to succeed in their room, we must of course become miserable, at an age more difficult to be pleased. While men, however unthinking and unemployed, enjoy an inexhaustible flow There is not a greater inlet to of vigorous spirits; a constant suc- misery and vices of all kinds, than cession of gay ideas, which flatter the not knowing how to pass our vaand sport in the brain, makes them cant hours. For what remains to be pleased with themselves, and with done, when the first part of their every frolic as trifling as themselves; lives, who are not brought up to any but when the ferment of their blood manual employment, is slipped away abates, and the freshness of their without an acquired relish for readyouth, like the morning dew, passes ing, or taste for other rational satisaway, their spirits flag for want of en- factions? That they should pursue tertainments more satisfactory in their pleasures ?-But, religion apart, themselves, and more suited to a common prudence will warn them to manly age; and the soul, from a tie up the wheel as they begin to go sprightly impertinence, from quick down the hill of life. Shall they then sensations, and florid desires, sub-apply themselves to their studies? sides into a dead calm, and sinks into Alas! the seed-time is already past: a flat stupidity. The fire of a glow- the enterprising and spirited ardour ing imagination (the property of of youth being over, without having youth) may make folly look pleasing, been applied to those valuable purand lend a beauty to objects, which poses for which it was given, all amhave none inherent in them; just as bition of excelling upon generous and the sun beams may paint a cloud, laudable schemes quite stagnates. If and diversify it with beautiful stains they have not some poor expedient to of light, however dark, unsubstantial, deceive the time, or, to speak more and empty in itself. But nothing can properly, to deceive themselves, the shine with undiminished lustre, but length of a day will seem tedious to religion and knowledge, which are them, who, perhaps, have the unreaessentially and intrinsically bright. sonableness to complain of the shortTake it therefore for granted, which ness of life in general. When the you will find by experience, that former part of our life has been nonothing can be long entertaining, but thing but vanity, the latter end of it what is in some measure beneficial; can be nothing but vexation. In short, because nothing else will bear a calm we must be miserable, without some and sedate review. employment to fix, or some amuseYou may be fancied for a while, ment to dissipate our thoughts: the upon the account of good-nature, the latter we cannot command in all

Seed.

places, nor relish at all times; and is much preferable to the pleasures therefore there is an absolute neces- of the animal life. He can travel on sity for the former. We may pursue from strength to strength; for, in this or that new pleasure; we may literature as in war, each new conbe fond for a while of a new acquisi- quest which he gains, empowers him tion; but when the graces of novelty to push his conquests still farther, are worn off, and the briskness of and to enlarge the empire of reason: our first desire is over, the transition thus he is ever in a progressive state, is very quick and sudden, from an still making new acquirements, still eager fondness to a cool indifference. animated with hopes of future disHence there is a restless agitation in coveries. our minds, still craving something new, still unsatisfied with it, when possessed; till melancholy increases, $37. Great Talents not requisite as we advance in years, like shadows for the common Duties of Life. lengthening towards the close of day. Some may allege, in bar to what I Hence it is that men of this stamp have said, as an excuse for their inare continually complaining that the dolence, the want of proper talents times are altered for the worse: be- to make any progress in learning. cause the sprightliness of their youth To which I answer, that few stations represented every thing in the most require uncommon abilities to disengaging light; and when men are charge them well; for the ordinary ofin high good humour with them- fices of life, that share of apprehension selves, they are apt to be so with all which falls to the bulk of mankind, around; the face of nature brightens provided we improve it, will serve up, and the sun shines with a more well enough. Bright and sparkling agreeable lustre but when old age parts are like diamonds, which may has cut them off from the enjoyment adorn the proprietor, but are not neof false pleasures, and habitual vice cessary for the good of the world; has given them a distaste for the only whereas common sense is like curtrue and lasting delights; when a re- rent coin; we have every day, in the trospect of their past lives presents ordinary occurrences of life, occanothing to view but one wide tract sion for it and if we would but of uncultivated ground; a soul dis- call it into action, it would carry us tempered with spleen, remorse, and much greater lengths than we seem an insensibility of each rational satis- to be aware of. Men may extol, as faction, darkens and discolours every much as they please, fine, exalted and object; and the change is not in the superior sense; yet common sense, times, but in them, who have been if attended with humility and indusforsaken by those gratifications which try, is the best guide to beneficial they would not forsake. truth, and the best preservative

:

How much otherwise is it with those against any fatal errors in knowledge, who have laid up an inexhaustible and notorious misconducts in life. fund of knowledge! When a man has For none are, in the nature of the been laying out that time in the pur-thing, more liable to error, than those suit of some great and important who have a distaste for plain sober truth, which others waste in a circle sense and dry reasoning; which yet of gay follies, he is conscious of hav- is the case of those whose warm and ing acted up to the dignity of his elevated imagination, whose uncomnature; and from that consciousness mon fire and vivacity, make them in there results that serene compla- love with nothing but what is strikcency, which, though not so violent, ing, marvellous, and dazzling: for