gold? Do you reckon my attachment worth your care? You must engage me by your temper, by your conversation, by your manners. If thefe correspond to my fentiments and feelings, if you will leave me in poffeffion of "the liberty with "which God has made me free," and will treat me with confidential kindness, I fhall deem myself happy in your Friendfhip; and though I fhould never receive aught at your hands, I fhall ftill love and honour you. But remember the terms of our commerce: I cannot facrifice my understanding: I cannot force my principles: I cannot applaud when I do not approve, affent when I am not convinced, or, like the venal herd, cringe and fawn to yellow duft, or yet be perfuaded that a fine houfe, a gay equipage, or a great estate, can confer a right to domineer, or to dictate. Should you mistake me, or forget yourself, fo far as to expect this complai fance, and to fhow by your behaviour that you expect it, I must be excufed, if I

make my escape from the chilling influence of such company, to the genial society of unaffuming and unaffected Friends, where I can lay open my foul without restraint, and liften by turns to the inchanting voice of Truth, of Sympathy, and of Freedom.

It has been always remarked, that the moft unpretending characters are those of intrinfic value and inward dignity. It is only to fuch, (and you will commonly meet them in the middle walks of life) that I would counsel you to refign your affection; for fuch only will return it, because they alone who perceive worth in themselves can cherifh it in you. How often have we seen the honest sensations of Nature, the beautiful tenderneffes of youth, fuppreffed and deadened as men advanced to wealth and preferment! How often have we seen thofe, who on lower ground appeared fincere, benevolent, engaging, become unamiable, unfeeling, and artificial, when they rofe to higher!

But when we warn you against the mif taken ambition of courting the Friendship of those who confider themselves as much above you, we should be forry to think of your contracting an intimacy with persons of abject character, of fordid condition, or greatly your inferiors. A generous and feasonable condefcenfion, indeed, can never degrade you, but, on the contrary, will do you honour in every difcerning, as well as christian eye; while a fupercilious behaviour is at once unworthy and contemptible, no less than offenfive and disgusting: it is a fin against the majefty of our Common Nature, at the fame time that it looks as if a man could not truft to his power of procuring refpect by deferving it. Nor would we infinuate, that fingular excellence may not be discovered in the shade of abfcurity. But it will eafily be underftood, that, though diftinguifhed virtue, wherever found, or however depreffed, fhould ftill be cherished and revered, you ought in general to avoid any peculiar

Familiarity with thofe, whofe want of repute might take from your confequence without adding to your improvement, or whose obnoxious fituation might involve you in difficulties that would impede your fuccefs and your usefulness.

If you have chofen your Friends well, and fhould at any future period find your liberality particularly called upon, to affist them under misfortunes, you cannot exert it too warmly. If touched by that celeftial fire which flamed in the bofom of Jonathan, and some other heroic perfons of the fame ftamp, you should display on fuch an occafion all the grandeur of difinterested zeal and felf-facrifice, so much the more glorious for you, though modern judges might pronounce it madness. But let it be remembered alfo, that your felicity in the progrefs of life, your advancement both in worth and breeding, and your acceptance among the good and wife," will depend not a little on your connect

ing yourselves early and closely with those who to found morals join a sense of sta tion, and a regard for fame.

We read in English ftory of a Prince, who, though he difgraced his youth by conforting with creatures far beneath him, of vulgar manners, and infamous lives, had yet the vigour and greatness of mind to atone for that debasement afterwards, by a conduct alike royal and exemplary. But it was a rare inftance; and when we fee young men let themselves down to fuch companions, whether from the petty va nity of being at their head, or from an unrestrained propensity to coarse pleasures, what can we think, but that, as they certainly betray a groveling tafte for the prefent, fo they will probably contract habits of incurable profligacy and meannefs? There is not perhaps any thing relative to youth, more ftrikingly obvious, or more univerfally acknowledged, than the corrupting and ruinous influence of low com