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afide, when the foul is to enter into real lifes This is rather an embrio ftate, a preparation for living. A man is not completely born until he be dead. Why then should we grieve that a new child is born among the immortals, a new meinber added to their happy fociety? We are spirits. That bodies fhould be lent us, while they can afford us pleasure, affift us in acquiring knowledge, or doing good to our fellow-creatures, is a kind and benevolent act of God. When they become anfit for thefe purposes, and afford us pain inftead of pleafure, inftead of an aid become an incumbrance, and answer none of the intentions for which they were given, it is, equally kind and benevolent that a way is provided by which we may get rid of them. Death is that way. We ourselves, in fome cafes, prudently choose a partial death. A mangled painful limb, which cannot be reftored, we willingly cut off. He who plucks out a tooth, parts with it freely, fince the pain goes with it: and he who quits the whole body, parts at once with all pains, and poffibilities of pains and diseases it was ijable to, or capable of making him fuffer.

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Our friend and we were invited abroad on a party of pleasure, which is to laft for ever. chair was ready firft; and he is gone before us. We could not all conveniently start together: and why fhould you and I be grieved at this, fince we are foon to follow, and know where to find him?

Adieu,

B. FRANKLIN,

...To the late DR. MATHER, of BOSTON,

REV. SIR,

I RECEIVED your kind letter, with your ex

cellent advice to the United States, which I read with great pleaufure, and hope it will be duly regarded. Such writings, though they may be lightly paffed over by many readers, yet, if they make a deep impreffion on one active mind in a hundred, the effects may be confiderable:

Permit me to mention one little inftance; which,though it relates to myself, will not be quite uninteresting to you. When I was a boy, I met. with a book entitled, "Effays to do good," which I think was written by your father. It had been fo little regarded by a former poffeffor, that seve ral leaves of it were torn out; but the remainder gave me fuch a turn of thinking, as to have an influence on mỳ, conduct through life: for I have always fet a greater value on the character of a doer of good, than any other kind of repu :tation; and if I have been, as you feem to think, a ufeful citizen, the public owes the advantage of it to that book.

You mention your being in your seventyeighth year. I am in my feventy-ninth. We äre grown old together. It is now more than fixty years fince I left Boston; but I remember well both your father and grandfather, having heard them both in the pulpit, and seen them in their houses. The laft time I faw your father, was in the beginning of 1724, when I visited him after my first trip to Pennsylvania: he res ceived me in his library; and on my taking leave,

fhewed me a fhorter way out of the house, thro a narrow paffage, which was croffed by a beam over head. We were still talking as I withdrew, he accompanying me behind, and I turning partly towards him, when he said haftily, "Stoop, Stoop!" I did not understand him till I felt my head hit against the beam. He was a man who never miffed any occafion of giving inftruction; and upon this he faid to me: are young, and have the world before you: stoop as you go through it, and you will miss many hard thumps." This advice, thus beat into my heart, has frequently been of use to me; and I often think of it, when I fee pride mortified, and misfortunes brought upon people by their carrying their heads too high.

"You

I long much to see again my native place; and ance hoped to lay my bones there. I left it in 1723. I visited it in 1733, 1743, 1753, and 1763; and in 1773 I was in England. In 1775 I had a fight of it, but could not enter, it being in poffeffion of the enemy. I did hope to have been there in 1783, but could not obtain my difmiffion from this employment here; and now I fear I fhall never have that happiness. My best wishes however attend my dear country, efto perpetua." It is now bleffed with an excellent conftitution may it laft for ever!

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This powerful monarchy continues its friendfhip for the United States. It is a friendship of the utmost importance to our fecurity, and fhould be carefully cultivated. Britain has not

yet well digefted the lofs of its

dominions over

us; and has ftill at times fome flattering hopes

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v. My brothers, and fifters, and coufins, rftanding the bargain I had made, told me

given four times as much for it as it was This put me in mind what good things ve bought with the rest of my money; hed at me fo much for my folly, vexation; and the reflection in than the whiftle gave me

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