best features of a great many. When you hear of any young man, of an universal good character, observe him attentively, and in great measure imitate him; I say in a great measure, for no man living is so perfect as to deserve imitation in every particular. When you hear of another whose good breeding and address are generally applauded, form yourself upon his model in those particulars. Ill examples are sometimes useful to deter from the vices that characterize them. Horace tells us that his father trained him up to virtue by pointing out to him the turpitude of the vices of several individuals.

XXIX.

THE ART OF LETTER-WRITING.

BLACK-HEATH, Sept. 15, 1768.

MY DEAR BOY, -I send you enclosed a letter from your friend young Mr. Chenevix, which you should answer in about a month. Politeness is as much concerned in answering letters within a reasonable time as it is in returning a bow immediately. À propos of letters, let us consider the various kinds of letters, and the general rules concerning them. Letters of business must be answered immediately, and are the easiest either to write or to answer, for the subject is ready and only requires great clearness and perspicuity in the treating. There must be no prettinesses, no quaintnesses, no antitheses, nor even wit. Non est his locus. The letters that

are the hardest to write are those that are upon no subject at all, and which are like small talk in conversation. They admit of wit if you have any, and of agreeable trifling or badinage. For as they are nothing in themselves, their whole merit turns upon their ornaments; but they should seem easy and natural, and not smell of the lamp, as most of the letters I have seen printed do, and probably because they were wrote in the intention of printing them. Letters between real intimate friends are of course frequent, but then they require no care nor trouble, for there the heart leaves the understanding little or nothing to do. Matter and expression present themselves. There are two other sorts of letters, but both pretty much of the same nature. These are letters to great men, your superiors, and lettres galantes I do not mean love letters to fine women. Put flattery enough in them both, and they will be sure to please. I can assure you that men, especially great men, are not in the least behindhand with women in their love of flattery. Whenever you write to persons greatly your inferiors, and by way of giving orders, let your letters speak what I hope in God you will always feel, the utmost gentleness and humanity. If you happen to write to your valet de chambre or your bailiff, it is no great trouble to say "Pray do such a thing; " it will be taken kindly, and your orders will be the better executed for it. What good heart would roughly exert the power and superiority which chance more than merit has given him over many of his fellow creatures? I pray God to bless

you, but remember at the same time that probably he will only bless you in proportion to your deserts.

XXX.

TREATMENT OF SERVANTS.

MY DEAR BOY,

BLACK-HEATH, Aug. 29, 1769.

It gave me great pleasure to observe the indignation which you expressed at the brutality of the Pacha you lately dined with to his servant, which I am sure you are and ever will be incapable of. Those Pachas seem to think that their servants and themselves are not made of the same clay, but that God has made by much the greatest part of mankind to be the oppressed and abused slaves of the superior ranks. Service is a mutual contract, the master hires and pays his servant, the servant is to do his master's business; but each is equally at liberty to be off of the engagement upon due warning. Servants are full as neces sary to their masters as their masters are to them, and so in truth is the whole human species to each other; God has connected them by reciprocal wants and conveniences which must or at least ought to create that sentiment of universal benevolence or good-will which is called humanity. Consider were you the only living creature upon this globe what a wretched, miserable being you must be. Where would you get food or clothes? You are full as much obliged to the ploughman for your bread as the ploughman is to you for his wages. In this

state then of mutual and universal dependence, what a monster of brutality and injustice must that man be who, though of the highest rank, can treat his fellow creatures even of the lowest with insult and cruelty as if they were of a different and inferior species. But this exhortation is not necessary to you, for I thank God he has given you a good and tender heart; but I would have your benevolence proceed equally from a sense of your duty both to God and man as from the compassionate sentiments and feelings of your heart. Say often to yourself, "Homo sum, nihil humani a me alienum puto." I will encroach no longer upon Dr. Dodd's province, who can and will explain the whole duty of man to you much better than I can; so God bless you, my dear boy.

XXXI.

PRIDE OF RANK AND BIRTH.

MY DEAR BOY,

BLACK-HEATH, Sept. 12, 1769.

After my death, Sir William's, and your father's, you will be in a situation that would make a fool proud and insolent, and a wise man more humble and obliging. I therefore easily judge of the effect which it will have upon you. You will have a pretty good estate, and a pretty ancient title. I allow you to be glad of both, but I charge you to be proud of neither of those merely fortuitous advantages, the attendants of your birth, not the rewards of any merit of yours. Your title

will enable you to serve your country, your estate to serve your friends, and to realize your present benevolence of heart into beneficence to your fellow creatures. The rabble — that is, at least three parts in four of mankind — admire riches and titles so much that they envy and consequently hate the possessors of them; but if (which too seldom happens) those riches are attended by an extensive beneficence, and the titles by an easy affability, the possessors will then be adored. Take your choice; I am sure you will not hesitate. There is not in my mind a finer subject for ridicule than a man who is proud of his birth and jealous of his rank; his civility is an insolent protection, his walk is stately and processional, and he calls his inferiors only "fellows.” I remember a silly lord of this kind who one day, when the House was up, came to the door in Palace Yard, and finding none of his servants there, asked the people who stood at the door, "Where are my fellows; upon which one of them answered him, "Your lordship has no fellow in the world." silly men are not proud, but I aver that all proud men are silly without exception. Vanity is not always pride, but pride is always a foolish, ill-grounded vanity. Vanity that arises from a consciousness of virtue and knowledge is a very pardonable vanity, but then even that vanity should be prudently concealed. Upon the whole, the greater your rank, the greater your fortune may be, the more affability, complaisance, and beneficence will be expected

All

from you, if you would not be hated or ridiculous.

But I need not I am sure have treated this subject,