nakedness; to injuries, against which, every passion is in arms; and to wants, which nature, without the aids of religi on, cannot fuftain.

OF thefe calamities, mankind in general feem to be fenfible. We hear on every fide the noife of trade; and fee the streets thronged with numberless multitudes, whofe faces are clouded with anxiety, and whose Steps are hurried by precipitation, from no other motive than the hope of gain. The whole world is put in motion by the defire of that wealth, which is chiefly to be valued as it fecures us from poverty and its miferies. But there are always fome whofe paffions or follies lead them to a conduct widely different from the general prac-. tice of mankind. I mean the thoughtless and the negligent, who, from an excess of careleffness, or the feductions of company, indulge habits of pleasure and expence above their fortunes; and thus mispend their time, or waste the inheritance of

their fathers, without ever feeming to reflect on the great facrifice they are making, or the gulph to which they approach, till poverty, like an unexpected winter, comes upon them with all its chilling calamities, and awakens them to a pungent fenfe of their folly and wretchedness. The young, and thofe of the most generous and unfufpecting tempers, often fall into this evil net, out of which they feldom efcape without fuffering injuries, which they painfully feel and feriously lament through life. No man had a heart more difpofed to pity, nor a head more able to counsel these unfortunates, than the fage Dr. FRANKLIN, the friend of man, and the great economist of AMERICA. His little work, entitled, "THE WAY TO WEALTH," is univerfally confidered as a master-piece, on the art of making and preferving a fortune. But before we give the Reader a fight of this, we will exhibit to his view Some of the many felicities of wealth, that

on

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on feeing how much happiness he may derive from it to himself, and how many fervices he may therewith confer on others, he may apply with vigor and perfeverance to the means conducive to fo defireable an end.

IN the first place-WEALTH always commands refpect, unless its owner be an infamous wretch indeed; and even in that deplorable cafe, it has the magic powers of charity, to cover and hide a multitude of fins. It gives a man an air of confequence, and like true beauty, without any exertion of its own, wins the favour of all beholders. When the rich man goes into company, every body rife up to falute him: no features too hard to affume a fmile; no back fo ftiff but can afford him a bow. He is placed in the uppermost feat at the table, and men covet to direct their converfation to him. The poor man fpeaketh, but no one regardeth: the rich openeth

?

openeth his mouth, and lo! filence is

kept.

WHAT can be more pleafing to a man than to fee himself thus honoured by his friends? But befides this fatisfaction, which to the good, is very exquifite; it has a very happy moral effect on the mind. In a mind poffeffed of common fenfibility, it muft kindle the foft fire of good humour, and good humour naturally infpires benevolence and affection. Whence we infer, that a rich man, who is prudent, ftands a much fairer chance to be good humoured than the poor, whofe poverty expofes them to fuch frequent flights and neglects.

IN the second place-WEALTH places a man in a ftate which all must covet; a State of INDEpendence. To owe no man any thing; to be able to go witherfoever we pleafe; and to face any company without dread of dunning, is a luxury too divine, even to be conceived by any whọ have not been haunted and hag ridden by creditors.

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creditors. Say, ye debtors, ye poorest of mankind, fay, ye who cannot look at a creditor without confufion, nor hear the name of justice without a pang; who Startle at the found of a fhaken leaf, as though the feet of the sheriff were at the door, and fly as the murderer flies from the avenger of blood, whofe forrowful days are wafted in meditating fruitless plans of payment, while your midnight flumbers are frightened by dreams of bankruptcy, and apparitions of merciless creditors, fales, and houfelefs children: fay, wherein is the life of a debtor better than the life of a dog. Are not the profpects of independence as reviving to your hearts, as the profpects of paradife to fouls that have long pined in purgatory?

BUT, on the other hand, never to go in debt; or, if accident should render a trifling debt necessary; to have at home more than enough to defray it; to receive a creditor with a Smiling countenance; to de