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that I am always as light, active, and chearful after meals as before.

O THOU vile wicked intemperance, my fworn enemy, who art good for nothing but to murder those who follow thee; how many of my dearest friends haft thou robbed me of, in confequence of their not believing me! But thou haft not been able to destroy me according to thy wicked intent and purpose. I am still alive in spite of thee, and have attained to fuch an age, as to fee around me eleven dear grand-children, all of fine understandings, and amiable difpofitions, all given to learning and virtue; all beautiful in their perfons and lovely in their manners, whom, had I not abandoned thee thou infamous fource of corruption, I fhould never have had the pleasure to behold. Nor fhould I enjoy those beautiful and convenient apartments which I have built from the ground, with fuch highly improved gardens,

dens, as required no fmall time to attain their prefent perfection. No, thou accurfed hag, thy nature is to impoverish and destroy those who follow thee. How many wretched orphans have I feen embracing dunghills; how many miferable mothers, with their helpless infants, crying for bread, while their deluded fathers, flaves to thy devouring lufts, were wafting their fubftance in rioting and drunkenness!

BUT thou art not content with confuming the fubftance, thou wouldest destroy the very families of those who are fo mad as to obey thee. The temperate poor man who labours hard all day, can boast a numerous family of rofy cheeked children, while thy pampered flaves, funk in ease and luxury, often languish without an heir to their ample fortunes. But fince thou art fo peftilential a vice, as to poison and deftroy the greatest part of mankind, I

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am determined to use my utmost endea. vours to extirpate thee, at least in part. And I promise myself, that my dear grandchildren will declare eternal war against thee, and following my example, will let the world fee the bleffedness of a temperate life, and fo expofe thee, O cruel intemperance! for what thou really art, a moft wicked, defperate, and mortal enemy of the children of men.

It is really a very furprising and fad thing to fee perfons grown to men's estate, and of fine wit, yet unable to govern their appetites, but tamely fubmitting to be dragged by them into such exceffes of eating and drinking, as not only to ruin the best constitutions, and fhorten their lives, but eclipfe the luftre of the brightest parts, and bury themfelves in utter contempt and ufeleffness. O what promiffing hopes have been shipwrecked, what immortal honours have been facrificed at the fhrine of low fen

fuality;

fuality; Happy, thrice happy, those who have early been inured to habits of self-denial, and taught to confider the gratification of their appetites as the unfailing fource of difeafes and death. Ye generous parents who long to see your children adorned with virtue, and beloved as the benefactors of their kind; O teach them the unfpeakable worth of felf government. Unfupported by this, every advantage of education and opportunity will avail them but little : though the history of ancient worthies, and the recital of their illuftrious deeds, may at times kindle up in their bofoms a flame of glorious emulation, yet alas! this glow of coveted virtue, this flush of promised honor, is tranfient as a gleam of winter funshine; foon overspread and obfcured by the dark clouds of fenfuality.

CHAP. III.

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HAT thanks do we not owe to the divine goodness, for this wonderful invention of writing, whereby we can easily communicate to our absent friends, whatever may afford them pleafure or improvement! By means of this moft welcome contrivance, I fhall now endeavour to entertain you with matters of the greatest moment. It is true indeed, that what I have to tell you news,—but I never told it you at the age of ninety-one. Is it not a charming thing, that I am able to tell you, that my health and strength are in fo excellent a

is no

state,

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