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appear aukward even among ladies; and too much familiarity breeds contempt.

Pride and vanity commonly attend youth, and are hateful to God and man;-avoid every symptom of both: if you have merit, it will be difcovered by others; yet you must strive to keep yourself neat and clean; and be not mimically in or ridiculously out of the fashion; have your apparel rather above than below your circumstances, and support your dignity according to the station you may be in, and avoid profligate and low company: fit alone in a cellar or a garret, rather than associate with bad company; -fuch as dissipate their vacant moments in taverns or elsewhere, or with lewd mungrel women, are bad company :-" He that walketh with wife men will be wife, but a companion of fools will be destroyed."

And always pray to God to give you grace to have resolution sufficient never to do any thing in private that would put you to the blush if made public; endeavour always to make your evening's diversion bear the morning's reflection.

Shun the company and despise the friendship of those who are given to detraction, or who on account of any private pique or quarrel, strive to injure those with whom they were once on friendly and intimate terms, least they serve you so in turn; and be not ready to expose the faults in another which you commit

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yourself,

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yourself; and speak cautiously either in praise or dispraise of men.

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"When to the world you others faults make known, "Ingeniously reflect upon your own."

And again:

"Commend not, 'till a man is thoroughly known; " A rafcal prais'd, you make his faults your own."

Remember that if you speak scandalously of any person, you may be as guilty of a lible as if you committed your words to writing. You probably may say, that I have wrote very freely in the preceding pages, and think it is a lible; but you must know I have not defcended to particulars and individuals, therefore it is no lible.

It is very necessary to be polite and civil to all people, and complaisant even to your enemies: be flow in forming connections with any; enquire privately into the characters and dispositions of people first, least you get acquainted with such as you can't readily shake off again without offending them; always endeavor to get introduced into the most polite and respectable companies.

Should you get invitations from people whom you don't like, to partake of their amusements, have some apology ready to excuse you without giving offence;-your business will not permit,

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or you are engaged, &c. Should business call you into a Grog-shop, or other house of ill fame, as it often will to collect debts, be on thorns 'till you get out again; and whenever you get into blackguard, vulgar company, fay little, and enter into no conversation, least you get insulted in the end. You must be guarded in your words and actions, particularly amongst strangers, and you must confider every man a stranger 'till you know him well. Let no bad example divert you from turning your time as much as poffible to your own advantage ;

" For age and want fave while you may;
"No morning fun lasts a whole day."

Indolence and idleness are the roots of all evil:

"Go to the Ant, thou sluggard, confider her ways, &c."

Flatter no man, for it is very mean; nor listen with attention to deceitful flatterers, least you be caught in their treacherous 'fnares. When you are in polite, sensible company, observe their address and manners-forget their foibles, and endeavour to imitate their virtues: you may depend that if you keep company with bad men, you will be confidered no better: men are known by their company. However, in almost every country you will fee some good men; the friend ship of fuch only is worth cultivating. I wish

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you may have merit to gain friends, and prudence to retain their friendship:-and, O!remember if you ever meet a fincere friend, "Grapple him to your foul with hooks of steel."

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Never tell in one company what you have heard in another; nor never make any man merry at the expence of another's reputation; and be not a story-carrier amongst friends, for busy bodies or incendiaries often get their just defert, i. e. broken heads and kicked backsides.

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And don't make a practice of low and ludicrous repartees, or witticisms of any kind, whifpering in company, irronical sneers, or snivelling laughter at almost every sentence you utter, for they are all fure signs of ill breeding, treachery and deceit, and be careful, if you wish to make your own company agreeable to others, (which you should endeavour to do) not to en-.. gross too much of the conversation to yourself; you will please others by allowing them to speak in turn, and by liftening attentively to them. And when you tell a joke or humorous story, endeavour to be the last who laughs at it. And be not positive nor felf-opiniated; confider that others may have a right to be as intilligent as yourself. Though you will improve by conversation with sensible men or women, yet be not fond of controversy, or of entering into unnecessary arguments. If you meet in company where quarrels or disputes arrise, should you not

have any particular friend attacked, be, neuter, and endeavour to make peace; if you are asked who was the aggreffor, or your opinion of the matter, be flow to speak; but if you can't honourably avoid it, let it be in a modest manner: -say that it is a difagreeable task to you, and that it is with much reluctance you interfere amongst friends; however, as you are called upon, you will give your candid opinion, and say that the matter appeared fo or fo; this may pre. vent the difputants from being offended with you; for confequently you oppose one party or other by giving your opinion.

"Never judge between two friend, but see
" If thou can'ft bring them friendly to agree."

Be not fond of borrowing, or of lending, or of becoming security for another, least you not only lose the loan and friend, but get yourself into a snare. "Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are securities for debts." And when you transact business for yourself, be very particular who you credit, and get bonds or notes, as life is very precarious.

Do not be ready to contract debts more than you will be capable of discharging punctually; for by involving yourself in debt, you leave both your liberty and property at the disposal of your creditors; nor can you, in my opinion, unless you are a stranger to virtue and shame, and cafe-hardened with affurance, walk the ftreets