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ftreets manfully when every moment you are expecting a dun, or tip from a marshals catchpole.

Another thing I must advifé you, is not to be countrified, nor bigotted to religion: I was once fo filly as to be fonder of my countrymenTM than of others, and enjoyed a fecret pleasure when I had an opportunity of ferving them; but though I had it not in my power to grant favours for freely, as Timon in the play had, my friends often in the end behaved as ungrateful to me as his did to him; I could mention many inftances of their base ingratitude, but it is folly to repeat grievances. Ingratitude is a moft heinous fin; if you wish to lible or to ftigmatize your enemy, you cannot say worse than that he is ungrateful. Gratitude, offspring of the generous merciful heart, fhews itself in a thoufand varied forms: the confolation a good man feels at doing a generous action or returning a favour is great. When you do a charitable or generous action, conceal it from every person as private as poffible; let it be done freely, not as if extorted, or oftentatiously, for thereby the value will be enhanced: and do not, for a trifle, quarrel with an old friend, to forget all the good turns he did you, which is often the cafe amongst men, for that is ungrateful.

"On adament our wrongs we all engrave,
"But write our benefits upon the wave.”

I would

I would wish you to write letters frequently, in order to make letter-writing familiar to you: if you have no particular friend to whom you can unbofom your mind, you may suppose one, an imaginary friend, it will answer the fame, and you will thereby improve yourfelf: let the ftile be plain and eafy, free from affectation and ill-connected phrafes; when writing, always fuppose the perfon present, as if you was speaking to him, thereby your fancy and paffions will be more strongly excited; it is a great recommendation to a young man to write a letter well, to speak smooth and harmonious upon paper, (for there is a harmony in profe as well as in verfe).-As Pope says,

"Speed the foft intercourfe from foul to foul,
"And waft a figh from Indies to the Pole."

I would wish you to have a small collection of well chofen books; you never can be alone while you have a good book about you. "Books are fair virtues, advocates and friends." And though religion is practifed very little in the British colonies, I beg, for God's fake, you will take fome thought of your poor foul; commit as little fin as poffible: I know it is impoffible for us to avoid finning, but if we be always on our guard, and beg fervently for God's grace to give us refolution to follow good example, we need not be too wicked finners. God is gracious and good, and all merciful; he formed

us

us of a frail nature." He knoweth whereof we are made: he remembereth that we are but duft;" and he will, if we put our fole trust and confidence in his mercies, through the merits of his bleffed Son, forgive us our fins; fo that we should not put our truft in man, that veering precarious animal; all men are treacherous even to themselves; a man may be your warm friend to day, and to-morrow a frivolous matter may make him your enemy; alas,-fo weak is our nature! Therefore, let no man know the bottom of your heart; always converse and act with your intimates as if you expected, one time or other, they would be your inveterate enemies.

"Safe in thy breast close lock up thy intents,
"For he who knows thy purpose best prevents."

Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide; keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bofom. Micah vii. 5.

FINI S.

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