tuous attachment to a perfon who deferves it, it will make a man not lefs but more friendly to all others, as opportunity or circumstances shall call him to ferve them, og ombre-19vo to an

You will perhaps be furprised that as I have fo often expreffed a defire of your being accomplished in every refpect, that I have heretofore faid nothing or but little on that politencfs and grace in behaviour, which is fo much talked of, and which, in fome late writings, has been fo highly extolled. What has been already explained to you, I hope will lay the foundation for the moft folid, valuable and durable politenefs. Think of others as reafon and religion require you, and treat them as it is your duty to do, and you will not be far from a well-polifhed behaviour. As to any thing further, that is external in mode and propriety of carriage, it can never be learned but by intercourfe with the beft company. As to the writings above referred to, the chief of which are Rochefoucault's Maxims, and Chesterfield's Letters, I think of them as of many other free writings, that when viewed properly, they may be as ufsful, as by being viewed otherwife, they are generally pernicious. They con tain a digefted fyftem of hypocrify, and, betray. fuch pride and felf-fufficiency, and fuch hatred or contempt of mankind, as may well be an antidote against the poifon which they mean to convey. Nay, one would think the publication of fuch fentiments is ridiculous, because it is tel

་

ling you that they defire to be polite, and at the fame time that this politenefs confifts in taking you by the weak side, and displaying their own addrefs by over-reaching yourstrolo

I muft alfo obferve, that fuch writers give, in general, a very unjuft as well as difhonourable view of nature and mankind. I remember indeed Dean Swift fays,do no slaud jud to priaza

As Rochefoucault his maxims drew

From nature, I believe them true."

What must I fay to this? fhall I fay that he did not draw his maxims from nature? I will not, because I think he did. Am I obliged then to admit them to be true? By no means. It is nature, but it is juft fuch a view of nature, as a man without principle must take. It is in himfelf, that all the error and exaggeration is to be found.

Those who difcover an univerfal jealoufy, and indifcriminate contempt for mankind in general, give very little reason to think well of themselves. Probably men are neither fo good as they pretend, nor fo bad as they are often thought to be. At any rate, candour in fentiment as well as conduct, as it is an important duty of religion, so it is a wife maxim for the conduct of life; and I believe these two things are very feldom if ever found either fepárate from or opposed to each others an

The laft advice that I fhall offer you, is to preferve a facred and inviolable regard to fincerity

and

and truth. Those who have received their education here, or at least who have completed it, must know how much pains have been taken to establish the univerfal and unalterable obligation of truth. This is not however mentioned now to introduce the general fubject, or to fhew the guilt, folly and danger of deliberate interested falfhood, but to warn you against the smaller breaches of truth now fo very common, fuch as want of punctuality in appointments; breach of promife in fmall matters; officious falfhoods, that is, deceiving children, fick perfons or others for their good; jocular deceptions, which are not intended to continue long, or to be materially hurtful to others. Not one of thefe is without fin before God, and they are much more hurtful than is commonly fuppofed. So very facred a thing indeed is truth, that the very shadow of departure from it is to be avoided. Suppofe a man only to exprefs his present purpose as to futurity, for example, to fay he will go to fuch a place to-mor row, though there is no proper obligation given, nor any right to require performance, yet if he does so often, he will acquire the character of levity and unsteadiness, which will operate much to his difadvantage. Let me therefore recommend to you a ftrict, univerfal and fcrupulous regard to truth.-It will give dignity to your character it will put order into your affairs-it will excite the most unbounded confidence, fo that whether your view be your own intereft, or

the

the fervice of others, it promifes you the most affured fuccefs. I am alfo perfuaded, that there is no virtue that has a more powerful influence upon every other, and certainly, there is none by which you can draw nearer to God himself, whofe diftinguifhing character is, that he will not, and he cannot lie.

OF

SERVANT S*..

Discovered a few Years ago in the Interior Parts of SOUTH AMERICA.

Containing fome very Surprifing Events Anand Extraordinary Characters.

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INTRODUCTION.

HE fkill of an author, like that of a mer

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chant, lies chiefly in judging with readiness and certainty, what kind of commodities, and in

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*The Reader will find himself obliged to the Author of the following History, for the pains he hath taken to render it as entertaining, and fentimental as poffible. With this view he hath en