ment, to reward your attempts at their intimacy, fhould you on any occafion be advised or prompted to court it: for I cannot fuppofe, that you would ever court: it of choice: the character I draw is naturally infrigidating, and odious to youth of the least generofity or openness. Setting afide the danger, which is but too probable, of your being fooner or later grievously betrayed by fuch politicians, what could you expect from them at beft, but counfels or aids, on the kind or upright intention of which you could never rely with certainty? Whilft you laboured in vain to poffefs their confidence, they would be willing enough to accept of yours whilft you told them with fimplicity of foul all you thought or felt, they might feem perhaps to tell you fomething in return; but, depend upon it, you would then know as little of their real opinions or inclinations as before-except it were this, which a fmall fhare of difcernment indeed might teach you, if you would take

the trouble to use it, that neither their inclinations nor opinions were worth the ftudying, unless the neceffities of business made them fo; in short, that they were at bottom but poor creatures, of vulgar minds and narrow breeding, or however of no genuine ability or sterling value.

For you who are entering the world, that great theatre of diffimulation, it would doubtless be a good rule, whatever difficulty the ardent and unfufpicious may find in obferving it, not to throw away your fecrets on those who keep back their own. By acting differently, you will prevent the freedom of communication from the wife, who will think the worse of your understandings, though perhaps they may think the better of your hearts; and by fuch frankness you expose yourselves every way to the cunning, who, if they should not, be wicked enough to hurt you in your intereft, will yet most affuredly divert themfelves at your expence. To reconcile

candour with prudence, and the confi→ dential spirit of Friendship with the guard of habitual circumfpection, is indeed an arduous. attainment, and in the cafe of fome tempers, I believe, the most arduous that could be proposed.

When the worthlefs and the frivolous fuffer from indifcretion, we feldom feel much concern. But those are always objects of our pity, that from a want of diftruft, occafioned by the warmth of their benevolence, and by too favourable fentiments of mankind, become the prey of the artful, the selfish, and the malevolent; a fet of beings, who, if they have once feriously injured any man, never fail from that moment, and for that reafon, to hate him as long as they live, more especially, when they find that he comes to know them. This knowledge it is commonly thought, in such cases, a very necessary piece of wisdom to conceal. But I have not often seen young perfons of honour VOL. I.

Y

and fenfibility, who were fo cautious: they could not fupprefs their honest indignation; and, to confefs the truth, I loved them the better for it. Nothing in life can recompence a good mind, for the pain of perpetually ftifling its emotions, and parrying, with the vigilance of a fencer, the ftrokes of envy or injuftice. To fhun for ever thofe who are difpofed to ftrike them, to pray for their amendment, and to fet a better example, appears to me at once the wife and the christian part, in fituations of this na

ture.

To proceed but one ftep farther at prefent, let me say somewhat about forming connexions of the amicable kind, with men of learning. If they are alfo men of principle, and will permit you to repair with them to the temple of Friendship, you would be ftrangely wanting to yourselves, did you neglect fo happy an oppportunity. If you have ground to believe that they

ner.

are not men of principle, you cannot be too careful to avoid their intimacy: they certainly are, of all others, the perfons who can hurt you in the most effential manWhat multitudes of youth, who were unfettled in their faith, have been ruined in their morals, by affociating with ingenious libertines and infidels! Norwould I advise even the best established of my young auditors to venture very freely among fuch company. I am fure, that no entertainment to be found there could make you an adequate compenfation, should your minds be fhaken, and at last your hearts corrupted, by cavils and witticisms, to the prejudice of virtue and religion, whether more or less, avowed.

But fuppofe you not to run any risk of this fort, among those scholars whom you wish to make your Friends: have you room to hope they will return your attach-. ment? Do they appear to refemble that