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Here my preceptrefs paufed; and I was going to exprefs my acknowledgments for her difcourfe, when a ring of bells from the neighbouring village, and the new rifen fun darting his beams through my windows, awoke me.

CARTER,

CHAP. II.

DIDACTIC PIECES.

SECTION I.

Vicious connections the ruin of virtue.

AMONG the numerous caufes which introduce corrup, tion into the heart, and accelerate its growth, none is more unhappily powerful than the contagion which is diffused by bad examples, and heightened by particular connexions with perfons of loofe principles, or diffolute morals. This, in a licentious ftate of fociety, is the most common fource of thofe vices and diforders which fo much abound in great cities ; and often proves, in a particular manner, fatal to the young; even to them whole beginnings were once aufpicious and promifing. It may therefore be a useful employment of attention, to trace the progrefs of this principle of corruption; to examine the means by which "evil communications" gradually undermine, and at last destroy "good morals." It is indeed difagreeable to contemplate human nature, in this downward courfe of its progrefs. But it is always profitable to know our own infirmities and dangers.

As certain virtuous principles are ftill inherent in human nature, there are few who fet out at firft in the world without good difpofitions. The warmth which belongs to youth naturally exerts itfelf in generous feelings, and fentiments of honour; in ftrong attachment to friends, and the other emotions of a kind and tender heart. Almoft all the plans with which perfons who have been liberally educated, begin the world, are connected with honourable views. At that period, they repudiate whatever is mean or base. It is pleafing to them to think of commanding the esteem of those among whom they live, and of acquiring a name among men. But alas! how foon does this flattering prof pect begin to be overcaft! Defires of pleasure ufher in temptation, and forward the growth of diforderly paffions.

Minifters of vice are feldom wanting to encourage and flatter the paffions of the young. Inferiors ftudy to creep into favour by fervile obfequiousness to all their defires and humours. Glad to find any apology for the indulgences of which they are fond, the young too readily liften to the voice of thofe who fuggeft to them, that ftrict notions of religion, order, and virtue, are old fashioned and illiberal; that the reftraints which they impofe are only fit to be prefcribed to those who are in the first ftage of pupillage; or to be preached to the vulgar, who ought to be kept within the clofelt bounds of regularity and fubjection. But the goodness of their hearts, it is infinuated to them, and the liberality of their views, will fully justify their emancipating themselves in fome degree, from the rigid discipline of parents and teachers. Soothing as fuch infinuations are to the youthful and inconfiderate, their firft fteps, however, in vice, are cautious and timid, and occafionally checked by remorfe. As they begin to mingle more in the world, and emerge into the circles of gaiety and pleasure, finding these loofe ideas countenanced by too general practice, they gradually become bolder in the liberties they take. If they have been bred to business, they begin to tire of industry, and look with contempt on the plodding race of citizens. If they are of fuperior rank, they think it becomes them to refemble their equals; to affume that freedom of behaviour, that air of forwardness, that tone of diffipation, that eafy negligence of thofe with whom they converfe, which appear fashionable in high life. If affluence of fortune unhappily concurs to favour their inclinations, amufements and diverfions fucceed in a perpetual round; night and day are confounded; gaming fills up their vacant intervals; they live wholly in public places; they run into many degrees of excefs, difagreeable even to themfelves merely from weak complaifance, and the fear of being ridiculed by their loofe affociates. Among these affociates, the most hardened and determined always take the lead. The resfollow them with implicit fubmiffion; and make profit ciency in this school of iniquity, in exact proportion to the weakness of their understandings, and the ftrength of their paffions.

How many pass away, after this manner, fome of the most valuable years of their life, toft in a whirlpool of what cannot be called pleasure, fo much as mere giddinefs and folly! In the habits of perpetual connection with idle or

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licentious company, all reflection is loft; while, circulated from one empty head, and one thoughtless heart, to another, folly fhoots up into all its most ridiculous forms; prompts the extravagant, unmeaning frolic in private; or fallies forth in public into mad riot; impelled fometimes. by intoxication, sometimes by mere levity of fpirits.

Amidst this courfe of juvenile infatuation, I readily admit that much good nature may ftill remain. Generofity and attachments may be found; nay, fome awe of religion may ftill fubfift, and fome remains of thofe good impreffions which were made upon the mind in early days. It might yet be very poffible to reclaim fuch perfons, and to form them for ufeful and refpectable stations in the world, if virtuous and improving fociety fhould happily fucceed to the place of that idle crew, with whom they now affociate; if important business fhould occur, to bring them into a different sphere of action; or, if some seasonable ftroke of affliction fhould in mercy be fent, to recall them to themfelves, and to awaken ferious and manly thought. But, if youth and vigour, and flowing fortune continue; if a fimilar fucceffion of companions go on to amuse them, to engros their time, and to ftir up their paffions; the day of ruin,-let them take heed, and beware!—the day of irrecoverable ruin, begins to draw nigh. Fortune is fquandered; health is broken friends are offended, affronted, eftranged; aged parents, perhaps, fent afflicted and mourning to the duft.

There are certain degrees of vice which are chiefly stamped with the character of the ridiculous, and the contemptible and there are alfo certain limits, beyond which, if it pafs, it becomes odious and deteftable. If, to other corruptions which the heart has already received, be added the infufion of fceptical principles, that worst of all the "evil communications" of finners, the whole of morals is then on the point of being overthrown. For, every crime can then be palliated to confcience; every check and restraint which had hitherto remained is taken away. He who, in the beginning of his courfe, foothed himfelf with the thought, that while he indulged his defires, he did hurt to no man; now, preffed by the neceffity of fupplying thofe wants into which his expenfive pleasures have brought him, goes on without remorfe to defraud, and to opprefs. The lover of pleasure now becomes hardened and cruel; violates his truft, or betrays his friend; be

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comes a man of treachery, or a man of blood; fatisfying, or at least endeavouring all the while to fatisfy himself, that circumstances form his excufe; that by neceffity he is impelled; and that, in gratifying the paffions which nature had implanted within him, he does no more than follow nature.

Miferable and deluded man! to what art thou come at the last? Doft thou pretend to follow nature, when thou art contemning the laws of the God of nature? when thou art itifling his voice within thee, which remonstrates against thy crimes? when thou art violating the best part of thy nature by counteracting the dictates of justice and humanity? Doft thou follow nature, when thou renderest thyself a ufelefs animal on the earth; and not useless only, but noxious to the fociety to which thou belongeft, and to which thou art a disgrace; noxious, by the bad example thou haft fet; noxious, by the crimes thou haft committed; facrificing innocence to thy guilty pleasures, and introducing fhame and ruin into the habitations of peace; defrauding of their due the unfufpicious who have trufted thee; involving in the ruins of thy fortune many a worthy family; reducing the industrious and the aged to mifery and want; by all which, if thou haft escaped the deserved fword of justice, thou haft at leaft brought on thyfelf the resentment, and the reproach of all the respectable and the worthy. Tremble then at the view of the gulf which is opening before thee. Look with horror at the precipice, on the brink of which thou ftandeft: and if yet a moment be left for retreat, think how thou mayeft efcape, and be faved.

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SECTION II.
On Cheerfulness.

BLAIR.

I HAVE always preferred cheerfulness to mirth. The latter I confider as an act, the former as a habit of the mind. Mirth is fhort and tranfient, cheerfulness fixed and permanent. They who are fubject to the greatest depreffions of melancholy, are often raised into the greatest tranfports of mirth on the contrary, cheerfulness, though it does not give the mind a gladness fo exquifite, prevents it from falling into any depths of forrow. Mirth is like a flash of lightning, that breaks through a gloom of clouds and glitters for a moment; cheerfulness keeps up a kind of day-light in the mind, and fills it with a steady and perpetual ferenity.

Men of auftere principles look upon mirth as too wanton and diffolute for a fate of probation, and as filled with a certain triumph and infolence of heart, that are inconfiftent with a life which is every moment obnoxious to the greatest dangers.

Cheerfulness of mind is not liable to any of these excep. tions. It is of a ferious and compofed nature. It does not throw the mind into a condition improper for the prefent ftate of humanity; and is very confpicuous in the characters of those who are looked upon as the greatest philofophers among the heathens, as well as among those who have been defervedly effeemed as faints and holy men among Christians.

If we confider cheerfulness in three lights, with regard to ourselves, to thofe we converfe with, and to the great Author of our being, it will not a little recommend itself on each of these accounts. The man who is poffeffed of this excellent frame of mind is not only eafy in his thoughts, but a perfect mafter of all the powers and faculties of the foul his imagination is always clear, and his judgment. undisturbed; his temper is even and unruffled, whether in action or in folitude. He comes with a relifh to all those goods which nature has provided for him; taftes all the pleasures of the creation which are poured around him; and does not feel the full weight of those accidental evils which may befall him.

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If we confider him in relation to the perfons with whom he converses, it naturally produces love and good-will towards him. A cheerful mind is not only difpofed to be affable and obliging, but raises the fame good humour in those who come within its influence. A man finds himfelf pleased, he does not know why, with the cheerfulness of his companion it is like a fudden funfhine that awakens a fecret delight in the mind, without her attending to it. The heart rejoices of its own accord, and naturally flows out into friendship and benevolence towards the perfon who has fo kindly an effect upon it.

When I confider this cheerful state of mind in its third relation, I cannot but look upon it as a constant habitual gratitude to the great Author of nature. An inward cheerfulness is an implicit praise and thanksgiving to Providence under all its difpensations. it is a kind of acquiefcence in the ftate wherein we are placed, and a fecret approbation of the divine will in his conduct to

wards man.

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