13. You will recollect what has already been said about the necessity for religious and moral training being carried on along with intellectual culture. I may, here, only add that you ought to make a rule of reading and considering at least one chapter of the Bible daily. You will not, for various reasons, fail to experience the benefit of doing so; and in travelling to a distance, let a small Bible form part of your equipment. Although Sunday is specially set apart as a Sabbath for religious observances and meditation, you cannot be too forcibly reminded that Christianity must form a pervading principle every day—at all times shedding a divine sunshine through the soul, and affording that tranquillising enjoyment which springs from a sense of being in communion with God. A careful perusal and reperusal of the book of Job, Psalms of David, and Prophets generally, will in particular inspire lofty feelings; and in every page of the New Testament are found themes for improving study.

14. The proper division of your time, so far as you possess the means of dividing it, is well worth consideration. It is an old classic saying, 'that the bow of Apollo is not always bent.' The danger of excessive mental exertion has already been pointed out. Your studies must be intermitted with sleep, labour, outdoor exercise, and social converse. The ancient rule is, eight hours to sleep, eight to labour, and eight divided into a time for meals, exercise, conversation, study.

15. Usually, ten hours are devoted to labour, and adding to these eight for sleep, six will remain for miscellaneous purposes. Leaving the adjustment of claims on your time to your own sense of propriety, I would only suggest that besides a time. for physical exercise, some time should be given to society. If you compromise no principle, avoid eccentricity. Some young men, in their eagerness for mental improvement, neglect to cultivate the amenities of life-become shy, solitary, morose, and disagreeable to all connected with them. It need hardly be said

E

that this is paying too dearly for the object of their pursuit. Besides, it is well known to all men of studious habits, that they invariably increase their power of correct thinking by coming at intervals into contact with their fellows, and so interchanging thoughts on subjects of daily concern. The outer world is the best of all schools for curing conceit. An hour of social converse-it may be even a walk along a busy streetI will banish the crotchets which cluster about the mind in solitude. On these grounds, daily associated labour, when not oppressive, is alike beneficial to mind and body-not that unmitigated evil which it has been sometimes inconsiderately represented.

16. Latterly, great advances have been made in the establishment of mechanics' institutes, libraries, reading-rooms, courses of lectures, and other means for popular improvement. These you should avail yourself of, so far as circumstances permit. There are, also, now so many cheap editions of standard works, that you can have little difficulty in purchasing a small and well-selected library for private use. Under a subsequent head, we have noted a list of books, which will form an improving Course of Reading.

'Shun delays-they breed remorse;

Take thy time while time is lent thee;
Creeping snails have weakest force-

Fly their fault, lest thou repent thee:
Good is best when soonest wrought,
Lingering labour comes to nought.

Hoist up sail while gale doth last

Tide and wind stay no man's pleasure:

Seek not time when time is past,

Sober speed is wisdom's leisure:

After-wits are dearly bought,

Let thy fore-wit guide thy thought.

Time wears all his locks before,

Take thou hold upon his forehead;

When he flies, he turns no more,

And behind, his scalp is naked.

Works adjourned have many stays,
Long demurs breed new delays.

Seek thy salve while sore is green,

Festered wounds ask deeper lancing;

After-cures are seldom seen,

Often sought, scarce ever chancing :

Time and place give best advice,

Out of season, out of price.'

SOUTHWELL.

FRANKLIN'S METHOD OF SELF-IMPROVEMENT.

I

PRESUME you have read the memoirs of Benjamin Franklin; if not, you should do so, for they contain an amusing and instructive account of what a partially educated youth may do in moral and intellectual culture, and for advancing himself in life by persevering and honest industry. Some of Franklin's plans for self-improvement deserve our notice. While he was a young man just entered into business as a bookseller and printer in Philadelphia, about 1730, he endeavoured to spread a taste for literature among his acquaintances, and established a kind of club for the purpose of reading essays on subjects of importance. In this scheme, as well as in his efforts to encourage habits of professional diligence in the young, he was eminently successful. In his own person, he set a remarkable example of scrupulous attention to

business and to his family. He mentions, in the papers he left behind him, that at this period of his life he avoided all frivolous amusements; his only relaxation being a game at chess, of which he was very fond. He methodised the expenditure of his time throughout the twenty-four hours of the day, devoting so many hours to sleep, so many to work, and the remainder to self-examination and improvement. One of his rules imposed an obligation to rise every morning at five o'clock, by which means he enjoyed an opportunity of self-instruction, which was and is commonly lost by young men. This is a point in the habits of Franklin exceedingly worthy of imitation; for there can be little doubt that early rising was one of the chief causes of his success in life. Among other studies to which he directed his attention at this period was that of languages, to which his capacity seems to have been adapted. He mentions that he thus gained a competent knowledge of the French, Italian, and Spanish languages, and also made himself acquainted in some degree with Latin, of which he had acquired only a limited knowledge at school.

It appears from the autobiographic sketch of Franklin, that his opinions and conduct were not in all respects commendable -that he committed some errors, of which he afterwards repented. One of these, natural to the self-sufficiency of a half-instructed mind, had been a habit of cavilling at religious expositions; but on such matters he now thought more correctly, and his candour in owning his early faults cannot but be received as a proof of that mental improvement to which he earnestly addressed himself. Looking back to the period when he commenced his career in Philadelphia, at which time his better views had acquired an ascendancy, he presents the following statement:

'It was about this time I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wished to live without committing any fault at any time, and to conquer all that

either natural inclination, custom, or company, might lead me into. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other. But I soon found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined. While my attention was taken up and care employed in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another; habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason. I concluded at length that the mere speculative conviction, that it was our interest to be completely virtuous, was not sufficient to prevent our slipping, and that the contrary habits must be broken, and good ones acquired and established, before we can have any dependence on a steady uniform rectitude of conduct.' For this purpose, he selected thirteen virtues, generally annexing to them explanatory precepts, which ought to be rigorously attended to. These virtues were 1. TEMPERANCE.-Eat not to dulness: drink not to elevation. [The precept, drink nothing at all which is intoxicating, might have been preferable.] 2. SILENCE.Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself: avoid trifling conversation. 3. ORDER.-Let all your things have their places let each part of your business have its time. 4. RESOLUTION.-Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. 5. FRUGALITY.-Make

no expense but to do good to others or yourself; that is, waste nothing. 6. INDUSTRY.-Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. 7. SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly; and if you speak, speak accordingly. 8. JUSTICE.-Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. 9. MODERATION.-Avoid extremes: forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. 10. CLEANLINESS. -Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation. 11. TRANQUILLITY.-Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents