on, and all our joys were hushed. In short, about eight o'clock we broke up from this sweet little rural retreat, which, believe me, dear Sukey, afforded high entertainment for a day to us all. I wished greatly that you could have been a partaker; but, however, at your return we will attempt the like again. By the help of your company, it is poffible we may fucceed as well a fecond time; though that, I muft own, an expectation of this fort is feldom the cafe. Well, for the prefent, I will take my leave of the cot; and now for the news of the town. The first that occurs to me is the marriage of our old miftrefs, who thought it better late than never, and last Friday thook hands for life with Mr S. the draper. He is a little advanced as well as fhe, but no matter; why may there not be pleasure at the latter time of life, as well as at the beginning? Though, for my own part, I must confefs, I am not for putting happinefs off till to morrow, if it may as well be had to-day.

But, to be ferious, my dear, there is no other news all over the town worth mentioning; 'tis all as infipid as the last dish of old bachelors' tea. But when are we to fee you? you have long, very long, talked of returning home; pray, talk no more of it, nay write no more, but inftead of your agreeable letters, let us have your more agreeable company, and you'll most truly oblige, Your affectionate fifter,

E. B.

LETTER

XXXIV.

From an elder brother in the country, to his younger bro◄ ther, put apprentice in London.

I

Dear Brother,

AM very glad to hear you are pleafed with the new fituation into which the care of your friends has put you; but I would have you pleafed, not with the novelty of it, but with the real advantage. It is natural for you to be glad that you are under lefs restraint than you were; a mafter has neither occafion nor inclination

for

to

to watch a youth fo much as his parents. But if you are not careful, this, although it now gives you a childish fatisfaction, may, in the end, betray you into mifchief; nay, to your ruin. Though your father is not in fight, dear brother, act always as if you were in his prefence; and be affured, that what would not offend him, will never difplease any body.

You have more fenfe, I have often told you so, than moft perfons at your time. Now is the opportunity to make a good use of it; and take it for certain, every right ftep you enter upon now will be a comfort to you for your life. I would have your reafon as well as your fancy pleafed with your new fituation, and then you will act as becomes you. Confider, brother, that the state of life that charms you fo at this time, will bring you to independence and affluence; that you will, by behaving as you ought now, become master of a house and family, and have every thing about you at your own command, and have apprentices as well as fervants to wait upon you... The mafter, with whom you are placed, was fome years ago in your fituation; and what fhall hinder you from being hereafter in his? All that is required is patience and induftry; and thefe, brother, are very cheap articles, with which to purchafe fo comfortable a condition.. Yo master, I am told, had nothing to begin the hal. In that he was worse than you; for if you bonave well, there are those who will fet you up in a handsome manner. So you have fufficient inducements to be good, and a reward always follows it. Brother, farewell! Obey your mafter, and be civil to all perfons; keep out of company, for boys have no occafion for it; and most that you will meet with is very bad. Be careful and honeft, and God will bless you. If ever you commit a fault, confefs it at once; for the lie in denying it is worse than the thing itfelf. Go to church conftantly; and write to us often. I think I need not say more to fo good a lad as you, to induce you to continue fo.

Wor

I am

Your affectionate brother,

D- A

LET.

LETTER XXXV.

A letter of excufe for filence, and affurance it was not out of difrefpect.

TH

HERE are times, Madam, in which it is failing in care, not to write to one's friends; there are others in which it is prudence. Methinks it better becomes an unhappy man to be filent than to fpeak; for he tires if he fpeaks of his mifery, or he is ridiculous if he attempts to be diverting. I have not done myself the honour of writing to you fince my departure, to avoid one or other of thefe inconveniencies. I have too much respect for you, Madam, to importune you with my griefs; and I am not fool enough to have a mind to laugh. I know very well that there may be a mean between these two extremes; but, after all, the correfpondence of the unhappy is feldom pleafing to those who are in profperity: and yet, Madam, there are duties with which one ought not to difpenfe; and it is to acquit myself of them that I now affure you, that no one can be with more esteem and refpect than

I am,

Your faithful and affectionate fervant

B.

LETTER XXXVI.

A letter from a fervant in London, to his mafter in the

SIR,

A

country.

S I find you are detained longer in the country than you expected, I thought it my duty to acquaint you that we are all well at home; and to affure you that your bufinefs fhall be carried on with the fame care and fidelity as if you were perfonally prefent. We all wish for your return as foon as your affairs will permit; and it is

with pleasure that I take this opportunity of fubfcribing

myself,

Sir,

Your most obedient and faithful fervant.

LETTER XXXVII.

From a father to his fon, just beginning the world.

Dear Billy,

A

S you are now beginning life, as it were, and will probably have confiderable dealings in your bufinefs, the frequent occafions you will have for advice from others, will make you defirous of fingling out amongst. your most intimate acquaintance, one or two, whom you would view in the light of friends.

In the choice of thefe, your utmost care and caution will be neceffary; for, by a mistake here, you can fcarcely conceive the fatal effects you may hereafter experience. Wherefore, it will be proper for you to make a judgment of thofe who are fit to be your advisers, by the conduct they have observed in their own affairs, and the reputation they bear in the world. For he who has, by his own indifcretions, undone himself, is much fitter to be fet up as a land-mark for a prudent mariner to fhun his courfes, than an example to follow.

Old age is generally flow and heavy, youth head-ftrong and precipitate; but there are old men who are full of vivacity, and young men replete with difcretion; which makes me rather point out the conduct than the age of the perfons with whom you fhould chufe to affociate; though, after all, it is a never-failing good fign to me of prudence and virtue in a young man when his feniors chufe his company, and he delights in theirs.

Let your endeavours therefore be, at all adventures, to confort yourself with men of fobriety, good fenfe, and virtue; for the proverb is an unerring one, that says, "A man is known by the company he keeps." If fuch men you can fingle out, while you improve by their converfation, you will benefit by their advice: and be fure

to

to remember one thing, that, though you must be frank and unreserved in delivering your fentiments, when occafions offer, yet that you be much readier to hear than speak; for to this purpose it has been fignificantly obferved, that Nature has given a man two ears, and but one tongue. Lay in, therefore, by obfervation and a modeft filence, fuch a store of ideas, that you may, at their time of life, make no worse figure than they do; and endeavour to benefit yourself rather by other people's ills than your own. How must those young men expose themselves to the contempt and ridicule of their seniors, who, having seen little or nothing of the world, are continually fhutting out, by open mouths and clofed ears, all poffibility of inftruction, and making vain the principal end of converfation, which is improvement? A filent young man makes generally a wife old one, and never fails of being refpected by the best and most prudent men. When, therefore, you come among strangers, hear every one fpeak, before you deliver your own fentiments; by this means you will judge of the merit and capacities of your company, and avoid expofing yourself, as I have known many do, by fhooting out hafty and inconfiderate bolts, which they would have been glad to recal, when perhaps a filent genius in company has burst out upon them with fuch obfervations as have ftruck confcioufness and shame into the forward speaker, if he has not been quite infenfible of inward reproach.

I have thrown together, as they occurred, a few thoughts, which may fuffice for the prefent, to fhew my care and concern for your welfare. I hope you will conftantly, from time to time, communicate to me whatever you may think worthy of my notice, or in which my advice may be of use to you; for I have no pleasure in this life equal to that which the happiness of my children gives me. And of this you may be affured; for I am,