pany. One favourite affociate of this kind fhall have power, by his importunity or infinuation, by his flattery or banter, nay by a smile or a frown, without speaking a fyllable, to counteract and render fruitless, in a few moments, all that reafon, authority, confcience, honour, intereft, earth and heaven united, can urge in recommendation of a right behaviour. But while you, my auditors, are intimate. only with gentlemen, or fuch as, without the name, have yet in many respects the spirit and deportment of gentlemen, although without higher principles you may too often go aftray, (I am forry to think how often, fo common is it now for that character to deviate from the ftrictness of its ancient rules) ftill however a fentiment of dignity, and a feeling of reputation, will prevent your total degeneracy: And, if to elegance of manners, and refinement of ideas, your Friends fuper-add a regular piety and fteady virtue, what is there beautiful, good, or excellent, among men, VOL. II.

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to which you may not rife, by cultivating fuch a commerce?

In fine, I must conjure you to avoid a chofen familiarity with the Vicious and the Frivolous of whatever condition. I faid, Familiarity, because it can never, among fuch perfons, improve into the facredness or stability of Friendship; and I faid, A Chofen Familiarity, because many of you may be often forced into their company by inevitable causes. Of those who mix with the world, there are comparatively but few whose independent lot leaves them the unlimited power of felecting their own fociety; and of them there are yet fewer who have the spirit or the sense to affert this invaluable privilege. In fact, the moft part of rich men enslave themselves to the ceremonial of life, and to the humours of others, even more, very frequently, than perfons of the most moderate fortunes. This is fo true, that he who values probity and peace beyond all

fecular gratifications, will certainly prefer a decent competence, with the liberty of enjoying undisturbed a small circle of worthy and fentimental Friends, to the Jargest profpects of opulence, if that is to be obtained only by intimacy with the debauched, or the diffipated. Give me, indulgent Heaven, give me for my dearest companion, the man or the woman to whom I can still repair, with Virtue and Tranquillity in my train; and from whom, when called away, I can retire without remorfe, or the leaft painful retrofpect on time mis-fpent, fincerity forfeited, talents abúfed, bufinefs neglected, temperance or purity, benevolence or piety, goodnature or good-breeding, offended. Were fashionable Friendships, and the common run of juvenile intercourse, to be tried by this teft, in what light, think ye, would they probably appear?

Forgive me, Gentlemen, if on such an occafion I speak with the utmost bold

nefs. My duty to God, and to you, de mands it. In his name I lift up my voice, to give you warning against a set of smiling mifcreants, "that lie in wait to de"ceive, that fleep not except they have "done mischief, and their fleep is taken 66 away unless they caufe fome to err," among unheeding youth; whofe looks, whofe words, whofe paffions, whofe appetites, they watch and study with an infidious eye, to find out how and where they may affail or undermine their inno

cence.

I will not attempt a minute defcription of the monsters whofe regular occupation it is to feduce and destroy; who batten in favage luxury, by felling to voluptuous men those spoils of female youth and beauty, which indigence, or idleness, or ignorance, has thrown into their clutches. May good angels protect you from so base and fo barbarous a commerce! In the mean time inform us, ye magiftrates and men

of authority, why the thunder of the laws is not more frequently, and more effectually, discharged on fuch infernal foes of fociety. Is the brothel the place where the British youth fhould receive their education? Are pandars and prostitutes the perfons with whom they ought to contract an intimacy?

But there is a fpecies of tempters yet more pernicious, as they are lefs avowed. Mark them well. They wear the fairest afpect of courtesy, kindness, generosity. Alas, how attractive many of them appear! What pity that the faculties of pleafing fhould be fo often debafed into the inftruments of ruin! Let me ftrip thofe polifhed perverters of their mafk. They feem all affection, fervour, and zeal. It is your entertainment, and your gratification, they profefs to feek. They only afpire to the honour of introducing you to a free and happy life, or of aiding you in the chafe, if already entered.