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come, and has very little, if any, regard for his reputation. In short, not to mince the matter, he is a perfect libertine, and is ever boasting of favours from our weak fex, whofe fondness and frailty are the conftant topics of his raillery and ridicule.

All this, therefore, duly confidered, let me prevail on you, dear niece, to avoid his company as you would a madman: for, notwithstanding I ftill think you strictly virtuous, yet your good name may be irreparably loft by fuch open acts of imprudence. As I have no other motive but an unaffected zeal for your intereft and welfare, I flatter myfelf you'll put a favourable conftruction on the liberty here taken by

Your fincere friend, and affectionate aunt,
J-

SIR,

IR

LETTER XXVI.

Letter of thanks.

RECEIVED the favour of yours, with a very kind prefent; and I know not, indeed, at this time, any other way to fhew my gratitude, than by my hearty thanks for the fame. Every thing you do carries a charm with it; your manner of doing it is as agreeable as the thing In fhort, Sir, my heart is full, and would overflow with gratitude, did I not ftop, and fubfcribe myself, your most obliged, and

done.

Obedient humble fervant,

LETTER XXVII.

From an apprentice to his parents.

Honoured Father and Mother,

Y thefe I let you know, that, by your good care and

B conduct, I am well fettled, and pleafed with my

ftation, and think it my duty to return you my hearty

thanks,

thanks, and grateful acknowledgment of your love and tender care of me: I will endeavour to go through my bufinefs chearfully. And, having begun well, I hope I fhall perfevere to do fo to the end, that I may be a comfort to you hereafter, and, in fome measure, make a return for your love and kindness to me, who am,

Your most dutiful and obedient fon and fervant.

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Dear Brother,

S

As you are now gone from home, and are arrived at

years of fome difcretion, I thought it not amifs to put you in mind that your childish affairs ought now to be entirely laid afide, and inftead of them more ferious thoughts, and things of more confequence fhould take place; whereby we may add to the reputation of our family, and gain to ourselves the good esteem of being vittuous and diligent in life, which is of great value, and ought to be ftudied beyond any trifling amufements whatsoever for it will be an ornament in youth, and a comfort in old age. You have too much good nature to be offended at my advice, especially when I affure you, that I as fincerely with your happiness and advancement in life, as I do my own. We are all, thank God, very well, and defire to be remembered to you. Pray, Write as often as opportunity and leifure will permit; and be affured a letter from you will always give great pleasure to all your friends here, but to none more than, Your most affectionate brother, And fincere humble fervant.

LETTER XXIX.

A letter from a nephew to an uncle, who wrote to him a letter of rebuke.

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Honoured Sir,

RECEIVED your kind advice, and, by the contents of your letter, perceive I have been reprefented to

G 3

you

you as one of immoral principles. I dare not write you any excufe for the follies and frailties of youth, because, in fome measure, I own I have been guilty of them, but not to that degree which you have had them reprefented: however, your rebuke is not unfeasonable, and it fhall have the defired effect, as well to fruftrate the defigns of my enemies, (who aim to prejudice you against me), as to please you, and obey all your commands and advice, which I now fincerely thank you for giving me ; and promife, for the future, I will make it my study to reform and regain, by adhering ftrictly to your inftructions, the good opinion you was once fo kind to entertain of me, I beg my duty to my aunt, and am,

Your moft obliged, and ever dutiful nephew.

HM

Madam,

ΤΗ

LETTER XXX.

Letter from a niece to her aunt.

HE trouble I have already given you, really concerns me when I think of it, and yet I cannot help intruding again upon your goodness; for.neceffity, that mother of invention, forces us to act contrary to our inclinations therefore, pray, dear Madam, excufe me, if I once more intreat your affiftance in this affair, in any manner that you fhall think proper; and I hope, at least one time in my life, to be able to convince you, that I have a thorough fenfe of the many obligations your goodnefs has conferred upon,

Your most dutiful and truly obliged niece,
And very humble fervant,

JP

LET.

LETTER XXXI.

Letter from a youth at school to his parents. Honoured Father and Mother,

YOU

OUR kind letter of the 24th inft. I received in due time, and foon after the things you therein mentioned, by the carrier, for which I return you my fincere thanks. They came very opportunely for my occafions. I hope foon to improve myself at school, though, I own, it feems a little hard and irkfome to me as yet; but my mafter gives me great encouragement, and affures me I fhall foon get the better of the little difficulties that almost every boy meets with at first, and then it will be a perfect pleasure instead of a tafk, and altogether as pleasant and eafy as it is now irkfome and hard.

My humble duty to yourselves; and I beg the favour of you to give my kind love to my brothers and fifters, and remember me to all friends and acquaintance; and you will oblige,

Your ever dutiful and obedient fon.

LETTER XXXII.

Letter from an apprentice in town, to his parents in the

country.

Honoured Father and Mother,

TH

HE bearer, Henry Jones, came to fee me laft night, and told me he should fet out for home next morning. I was not willing to let flip the opportunity of fending you a letter by him, to let you know that I am very well, and like both my mafter and mistress, and, by what I can fee of it, the bufinefs entirely well; and do intend (please God) to úfe my utmoft endeavours to make myself mafter of every thing that belongs to it, in which I fhall have treble fatisfaction; firft, in pleafing my mafter; fecondly, in picafing my friends; and, thirdly, in benefiting myfelf. I have but little leifure, nor

do

with

do I want a great deal; but will take every opportunity to let you know how I go on, and that I am, great gratitude,

Your ever dutiful and most obedient fon.

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LETTER XXXIII.

From Mifs R. at S. to her fifter in Salisbury.

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HAVE often, I may fay very often, propofed writ ing a long epistle to my dearest Sukey, and have as often been prevented. Mifs P. was to have been the bearer of one; but, to my great furprise, the left me without taking leave; nay, without giving notice of her going, and I never fo much as faw her fince yesterday fe'enight, when I very agreeably spent the day with her and Mrs H, at Mr W's at M. My uncle, whom I also intended to have wrote by, went away (as you know he always does) in fuch a hurry, that I had no time to fet about writing a long letter, and a short one I knew would by no means atone for fuch a long filence. You complain in your last of my writing with too much referve; for my own part, I think I write with too little, when I reflect on some particulars that my uncle rallied me upon before he went hence; which he nee ver could have known, had he not feen my letters, or been acquainted with the contents of them: What fay you to that, my dear? But I forgive.Well, but what news? fay you: I'll tell you. Laft Monday morning, a very agreeable party, among whom was Aunt R, met us at a sweet pleafant cottage of content on Weftphalia Common; they brought with them a little elegant repaft, exactly fuited to the fize of the cottage, which, though but just big enough for us to fit down in, was capable of holding a world of happiness, as we proved; for the weather was extremely pleafant, the company perfectly harmonious, and we were all exceflively agreeable to each other; but, in an inftant, for fuch a day of pleasure feemed but a moment, the fill evening came

on,

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