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scarce ever known to be quite drunk, nor was his nature much inclined to lewdness.

One evening, as he was musing alone, his thoughts happened to take a most unusual turn, for they cast a glance backward, and began to reflect on his manner of life. He bethought himself what a number of living beings had been made a sacrifice to support his carcase, and how much› corn and wine had been mingled with those offerings. He had not quite lost all the arithmetic that he had learned when he was a boy, and he set! himself to compute what he had devoured since he came to the age of man.

"About a dozen of feathered creatures, small and great, have one week with another (said he): given up their lives to prolong mine, which in teni years amounts to at least six thousand

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Fifty sheep have been sacrificed in a year, with half a hecatomb of black cattle, that I might have the choicest part offered weekly upon my table. Thus a thousand beasts out of the flock and the herd have been slain in ten years' time to feed} me, besides what the forest has supplied me with. Many hundreds of fishes have, in all their varieties, been robbed of life for my repast, and of the smaller fry as many thousands.

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"A measure of corn would hardly afford me fine flour enough for a month's provision, and this arises to above six score bushels; and many hogsheads of ale and wine, and other liquors, have

passed through this body of mine, this wretched strainer of meat and drink.

"And what have I done all this time for God or man? What a vast profusion of good things upon an useless life, and a worthless liver! There is not the meanest creature among all these which I have devoured, but hath answered the end of its creation better than I. It was made to support human nature, and it hath done so. Every crab and oyster I have eat, and every grain of corn I have devoured, hath filled up its place in the rank of beings with more propriety and honor than I have done: O shameful waste of life and time!

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In short, he carried on his moral reflections with so just and severe a force of reason as constrained him to change his whole course of life, to break off his follies at once, and to apply himself to gain some useful knowledge, when he was more than thirty years of age; he lived many following years, with the character of a worthy man, and an excellent Christian; he performed the kind offices of a good neighbor at home, and made a shining figure as a patriot in the senate-house; he died with a peaceful conscience, and the tears of his country were dropped upon his tomb.

The world, that knew the whole series of his life, stood amazed at the mighty change. They beheld him as a wonder of reformation, while he himself confessed and adored the Divine power and mercy which had transformed him from a brute to a man.

But this was a single instance; and we may almost venture to write MIRACLE upon it. Are there not numbers of both sexes among our young gentry, in this degenerate age, whose lives thus run to utter waste, without the least tendency to usefulness?

When I meet with persons of such a worthless character as this, it brings to my mind some scraps of Horace :

"Nos numerus sumus, et fruges consumere nati.

-Alcinoique juventus,

Cui pulchrum fuit in medios dormire dies," &c.

PARAPHRASE.

There are a number of us creep
Into this world, to eat and sleep;
And know no reason why they're born,
But merely to consume the corn,
Devour the cattle, fowl, and fish,
And leave behind an empty dish:
Tho' crows and ravens do the same,
Unlucky birds of hateful name;
Ravens or crows might fill their places,
And swallow corn and eat carcases.
Then if their tomb-stone, when they die,
Ben't taught to flatter and to lie,
There's nothing better will be said,
Than that they've eat up all their bread,
Drank all their drink, and gone to bed.

There are other fragments of that heathen poet, which occur on such occasions; one in the first of his Satires, the other in the last of his Epistles,

which seem to represent life only as a season of luxury.

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ADVICE TO A YOUNG TRADESMAN, WRITTEN ANNO 1748.

TO MY FRIEND, A. B.

As you have desired it of me, I write the following hints, which have been of service to me, and may, if observed, be so to you.

Remember, that time is money. He that can earn ten shillings a-day by his labor, and goes abroad, or sits idle one half, of that day, though he spends but sixpence: during his diversion or idleness, ought not to reckon that the only expense; he has really spent, or rather thrown away, five shillings besides,.

Remember, that credit is money. If a man lets his money lie in my hands after it is due, he gives

me the interest, or so much as I can make of it during that time. This amounts to a considerable sum where a man has good and large credit, and, makes good use of it.

Remember, that money is of the prolific generating nature, Money can beget money, and its offspring can beget more, and so on. Five shillings turned is six, turned again it is seven and three-pence, and so on till it, becomes, an hundred pounds. The more there is, of it, the more it produces, every turning, so that the profits rise quicker and quicker. He that kills a breeding sow, destroys, all her, offspring to the, thousandth generation. He that murders a crown, destroys, all that it might have produced, even scores of pounds,

Remember, that six-pounds a-year is but a groat, a-day, For this, little sum (which may be daily wasted either in time or expense unperceived) as man of credit may, on his own security, have the constant possession and use of an hundred pounds. So much in stock, briskly turned by an industrious, man, produces great advantage.

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Remember this saying, "The good paymaster. is lord of another man's purse." He that is known, to pay punctually, and exactly to the time he promises, may at any time, and on, any occasion, raise all the money his friends can spare. This is sometimes of great use, After industry and frugality, nothing contributes more to the raising of as young man in the world than punctuality, and jus

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