A young man who poffeffes the inherent feeds of good fenfe, fhould endeavour to fuppofe himself in the character of a man of knowledge and experience, and then confider in what view the crude, forward, and unformed fentiments of a young man, would appear to him, when fet forth in oppofition to his better judgement and more extenfive knowledge. They indeed would appear in contemptible colours. This would enable him to acquire a modeft difpofition, prevent him from contradicting his fuperiors, preferve him in his true character, and incline him to offer his fentiments more for his own improvement, than meaning to inftruct others. For a young man to truft chiefly his own judgement and opinions, is reprehenfible; for him to have no opinion of his own, is a weakness. For him to have no confidence in himself, is an extreme alfo : this would, in a great measure, unfit him for the practice of the many duties of life, which are attended with difficulties; and moft certainly would check that laudable and well directed ambition, which is the fource of every brave and noble fentiment and action. Adopt, therefore, the medium,-a modeft confidence in yourself and your opinions, and you will do well.

I would farther recommend to you to exercife your ingenuity in diftinguishing modefty from an aukward bafhfulness. The former is fhocked by all indecencies in every fituation: the laft is often unaccompanied by real modefty; in which cafe, although in the company of fuperiors, and dazzled with exterior elegance, it would be ftruck with ftupidity; yet, in another fituation, could, with deliberation and prefence of mind, depart from decency, and even the common refinements of humanity. True modefty has a fteady uniformity of character, always eafy and unembarraffed. There are, indeed, fome very good modeft men, who, through the effect of education, want of intercourfe with the world, and natural timidity of temper, cannot bring themselves up to this happy uniformity of difpofition. And thefe may be on a par with the former in the duties of life, and the avoiding of indecencies; but you cannot but perceive how much the firft is fuperior to the laft: keep it, therefore, in your eyes. As modefty is a virtue eminently fuitable to human nature, and a peculiar ornament to a young man, so it is excellently calculated to preferve him in every other virtue, to forward him in the acquifition of knowledge, and to render him happy in life.

In the journey of life, there are a thousand avenues full of foliciting charms, which often prove too effectual in leading the forward and curious from the direct road of virtue. In these he pleases his fancy, and gratifies his inclinations; infenfible, at

the

the time, of the hurt he receives on the one hand, and of what he lofes on the other. The yielding once, prepares him to yield a fecond and a third time with ftill more eafe, until he is perhaps bewildered altogether. But the truly modeft young man, being lefs forward, lefs curious, lefs confident in himself, more cautious, and having a more delicate fenfe of propriety and regularity, is not fo eafily captivated. Does he refift one temptation-he does a fecond with more ease. The farther he advances, he becomes the better acquainted with his journey; until he arrives at that firmness of mind, which fpurns with contempt all the flattering language, all the artful folicitations, of thofe objects, which please the fancy and gratify the fenfes, but wound and degrade the foul.-In fhort, modefty is a perpetual constraint in favour of virtue ;-the dangerous and difagreeable fcenes which the forward, oftentatious and confident, are too often betrayed with, fhould, I think, be a ftrong reafon for you to cultivate this virtue.

If error and prejudice prevail in the world, every benevolent man, who ardently wishes thefe to be eradicated, looks up with an anxious concern to the young and fucceeding generation. For accomplishing his benevolent defigns, to it he directs his efforts, as affording the moft apparent fuccefs. And certainly, he who is moft ready to receive his inftructions, who gives him the moft patient and thankful attention, and, in fhort, who is of the moft teachable difpofition, has the fureft chance to procure most of his attention, efteem and regard. To convince you of this, fuppofe yourself in his fituation,-would you not prefer a humble, affable, and diffident pupil, in place of one conceited, confident, and full of himfelf? Moft certainly you would.-Every fenfible man will ftudy, in a variety of refpects, to benefit a youth who ingenuoufly confeffes his ignorance, by his interrogations and patient attention. On the contrary, few will be fo ready to exert themselves in favour of one who fhews himself conceited, diffatisfied, and unthankful. Crude and fenfelefs objections to methods of inftruction and good intentions, will difcourage and difguft, but never attract, or give pleasure or fatisfaction. And poor is the young man who is his own master. Even wife men, when they have no friend to deliberate with, fall into many oddities and fancies ;-how much more does the felfish, inexperienced young man, who will not deign to have a fuperior!

Mark the modeft man, his countenance indicates contentment. He is diftinguished by a calm and ferene deportment. He accommodates himself to every circumftance, fituation, and occurrence of life. Although bold in duty, and in every laudable

attempt

attempt towards the enjoyment of true happiness, and in promoting that of others, yet he is far from afpiring to the government of the world, or to the moulding of his own fortune. Hence he is free from anxious cares, from much trouble, fear, and difcontent. His confidence in heaven, and his diffidence of himself, prevents him from the anticipation of ideal joys or forrows, which often elevates and depreffes to the extreme, and proves the bane of prefent happiness. This affable and kind difpofition procures him the love of mankind, and makes his company folicited. He is far from the temper and manner of thofe who are so tenacious to their own opinions, fo impatient of contradiction, fo irritated when things do not correfpond with their fancy and humour, that they render themselves difagreeable to all they are connected with, and are as much fo to themfelves. Be ever on your guard, that you do not approve in others, by your conduct, what you may be apt to reprobate in another manner in them. Be kind, without fervility; affable, without meannefs; and confident, without immodefty. Remember you have it fill in your power to make yourself what you please.

Much more could be faid upon the fubject of this letter; but all I mean by my correfpondence is, to give you fome of my thoughts as they occur on different fubjects. Farewell.

ARISTIDES.

IMPERIAL

CLEMENCY.

A MORAL TALE.

HE marechal de Sabran had retired from the fervice of

This king and country at the age of fixty five, having been equally diftinguished for undaunted valour, and the most extenfive knowledge of military affairs. The place of his retreat was a folitary, romantic chateau, the fplendour and hospitality of which were every way worthy of fo noble and illustrious a guest. To this abode fame attended her hoary warrior, after having led him fecure, through a series of dangers, to the highest honours which a grateful monarch could beflow. Here he proposed enjoying the bright evening of that day, the meridian iplendour of which had never been obfcured by a cloud. Under this friendly roof, that cordial hofpitality was realized, which is now feldom heard of, but in times remote, or legendary tales. No furly Swifs, in all the pride of upftart infolence, was placed,

like a dragon, before the gate of this feat of affluence; nor was it ever clofed against the foot of even vagrant mifery. Every eye invited the franger with a condefcenfion fuited to his rank and pretenfions; and the very dogs thémfelves (as if influenced by their lord's example) feemed to tell him he was welcome; whilft the board of plenty, at which he was placed without cere. mony, effectually convinced him he was fo.

Ye, whose days flow on in one dull fcene of ufelefs inactivity, or roll in a continued torrent of voluptuous enjoyment; who bask in the fun-fhine of fortune, due to virtues which can alone be traced in the annals of your fires; compare your frivolous existence with that of the old marechal de Sabran, and, whilft ambition excites you to envy his fame, Tet reafon urge you to the imitation of his virtues.

Of all thofe Who, from friendship or want, fought His protection, none were received with more apparent fatisfaction than thofe who, like himself, had devoted their lives to arms, Scarcely any diftinction was known among perfons of this defcription. It was enough that the ftranger either was, or had been, a foldier: his arrival was announced, the marechal ran to meet him, and all his necefties were relieved as foon as known. The account which his guests had to give of their feveral exploits in the field brought back the remembrance of what he had himfelf been; and what he hoped his fon might prove when he fhould be no more. To educate this youth in the early knowledge and practice of true vircae and honour, was the chief pleafare and occupation of his age. This he did not attempt by planting on the unprepared foil abftrafe and metaphyfical notions of this world or the next, which never can be learned too late, but by the infettion of fuch plain truths as naturally fprung from the har mony and order of things. Was the point, for instance, to inveftigate the Deity?-His existence was proved by that of creation his benevolence, by the bleflings diffufed around it. The. lily of the vale ferved as an emblem of his parity, and every pontaneous note, which warbled from the fpray or grove, feemed to indicate that praife is due to his facred name. All dark and difconfolate ideas, by which faperftition is too apt to calt a gloom over the prefent, or cloud the profpect of futurity, were either wholly rejected as dangerous, or referved 'till the powers of reafon fhould be fufficiently ftrong to compare ideas with a proper degree of juft and philofophical difcrimination. By thefe cares and attentions from a fond, but not a too fond parent, the young comte de Sabran, at a very early period, had acquired a fund of real knowledge, which few others attain after all the labours of what is called a complété fyftem of educa VOL. II. 49. - 3 Y tion.

tion. His ideas, naturally fluent and extenfive, were confined within proper bounds, by the aids of a well-informed judgement though a tenant of the fhade, he conversed with men ; nor, in the choice of a companion, gave that preference to a brute, which can only be fuppofed to originate in a fimilarity of temper and manners.

The enraptured marechal, who faw this plant of his care flourish beneath his foftering hand, already received the reward of his labours in the fhade he forefaw it would in time afford to the wretched, and the fruits it would in due season bring forth to his country.

The comte, who was now entering on his fifteenth year, was impatient for the time when his father's expectations should be put to the defired teft. With what tranfport did he liften to him, when addreffed in the following manly terms !

Sabran," faid the hoary fage and warrior, (for the two characters were equally blended in his foul,)" a new scene is now opening before you, and I hope you are prepared to act your part in it agreeably to the maxims you have received from me. If fo, my boy, (continued he, a tear of aufpicious prefentiment ftealing down his aged cheek,) then shall my grey hairs go down with refignation to the grave, and my laft breath be expired in calling down bleffings on thy head. Remember, my fon, that every man, however free by nature, is born the fervant of that fociety in which he is a fubject: let the flave be led on by mercenary views; a gentleman should act from much nobler motives. Duty and fame are the two objects he muft have in view; nor can he, without forfeiting his claim to true nobility, attend to any other.

"Take (added he, as he delivered his fword into his hands,) this faithful companion of thy father's labours, and with that keep clear the path to glory, which his arm has hewn out for thee; the fortune, the rank, the titles, it has gained mę, muft, I know, be thine, but that is not enough, I expect thee to des ferve them. Take, then, this trufty fword, not to be polluted by the ftreams of private vengeance; referve it, with thyself, for what alone has claim to both-thy country. Be this, in a word, thy rule on every occurrence; never to unsheath this fword but with mercy, never to refign it but with life!"

The comte received this prefent with eyes that for a while alone fpoke, the language of his heart; then, drawing it on a fudden, and pointing to the blade, he exclaimed, with all the fervour of youth," Let the enemies of my country appear, and the blood in which I hope to fee it tinged, fhall prove if your's has degenerated in my veins !"