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

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Pride and vanity commonly attend youth, and are hateful to God and man ;-avoid every fymptom of both if you have merit, it will be dif covered 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 circumftances, 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 affociate with bad company-fuch as diffipate 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."

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

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

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yourself; and speak cautiously either in prail or difpraise of men.

"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 fcandalously of any perfon, you may be as guilty of a lible as if you committed your words to writing. You probably may fay, 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 neceffary to be polite and civil to all people, and complaifant even to your enemies be flow in forming connections with any; enquire privately into the characters and difpofitions of people first, leaft you get acquainted with fuch 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 excufe you without giving offence;-your bufinefs will not permit,

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or you are engaged, &c. Should bufinefs call you into a Grog-fhop, or other houfe 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 converfation, leaft you get infulted in the end. You must be guarded in your words and actions, particularly amongst ftrangers, and you must confider every man a ftranger 'till you know him well. Let no bad example divert you from turning your time as much as poffible to your own advantage ;

"For

Cage and want fave while you may;

"No morning fun lasts a whole day.”

Indolence and idlenefs are the roots of all

evil:

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

Flatter no man, for it is very mean; nor liften with attention to deceitful flatterers, leaft you' be caught in their treacherous fnares. When you are in polite, fenfible 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 fome good men; the friend Ship of fuch only is worth cultivating. I wi N 2

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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 fteel."

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 bufy bodies or incendiaries often get their just defert, i, e. broken heads and kicked back fides.

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

have

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 fpeak; but if you can't honourably avoid it, let it be in a modest manner:

say that it is a disagreeable, 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 fay that the matter appeared fo or fo; this may prevent 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't bring them friendly to agree."

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

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

streets

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