THE HIVE ОБ ANCIENT AND MODERN LITERATURE. THE On the Conduct of Youth. HERE feems to be a peculiar propriety in addres fing moral precepts to the rifing generation. Befides that, like travellers entering on a journey, they want direction, there are circumftances which render it probable, that inftruction will be more efficacious in youth than at a maturer period. Long habits of bufinefs or pleasure, and an indifcriminate intercourse with mankind, often fuperinduce a great degree of infenfibility; and the battered veteran at laft confiders the admonitions of the moralift as the vain babbling of a fophift, and the declamation of a school-boy. The keen edge of moral perception is blunted by long and reiterated colliffion; and to him who has loft the finer fenfibilities, it is no less fruitless to address a moral discourse, than to reprefent to the dead the charms of melody, or to the blind the beauties of a picture. But youth poffeffes fenfibility in perfection; and unless education has been totally neglected, or erroneously pursued, its habits are usually virtuous. Furnished with a natural fufceptibility, and free from any acquired impediment, the mind is then in the moft fa A vourable vourable ftate for the admiffion of inftruction, and for learning how to live. I will then fuppofe a young man prefent who has paffed through the forms of a liberal education at school, and who is juft entering on the ftage of life, to act his part according to his own judgment. I will address him, with all the affection and fincerity of a parent, in the following manner : "You have violent paffions implanted in you by "Nature for the accomplishment of her purposes; but "conclude not, as many have done to their ruin, that "because they are violent, they are irresistible. The "fame Nature which gave you paffions, gave you also " reafon and a love of order. Religion, added to the "light of Nature and the experience of mankind, has ❝ concurred in establishing it as an unquestionable "truth, that the irregular or intemperate indulgence "of the paffions is always attended with pain in fome "mode or other, which greatly exceeds its pleasure. "Your paffions will be easily reftrained from enor"mous excefs, if you really wifh and honeftly endea❝vour to restrain them. But the greater part of young men ftudy to inflame their fury, and give them a degree of force which they poffefs not in a "state of nature. They run into temptation, and de"fire not to be delivered from evil. They knowingly " and willingly facrifice, to momentary gratifications, "the comfort of all which fhould fweeten the remain der of life. Begin then with moft fincerely wifhing "to conquer those subtle and powerful enemies whom "you carry in your bofom. Pray for Divine afliftance. "Avoid folitude the first moment a loose thought "infinuates itself, and haften to the company of those "whom you respect. Converfe not on subjects which "lead to impure ideas. "The perverfe ambition of arriving at the character "of a man of fpirit by vicious audacity, has of late. univerfally prevailed, and has ruined the greater part of the British youth. I have known many young "men "men proud of the impureft of diftempers, and boaft"ing of misfortunes which are attended with the greatest pain and mifery, and ought to be accom"panied with fhame. Far more have taken pains to "fhine, amidst the little circle of their vicious acquain"tance, in the character of gay libertines, than to ac"quire, by useful qualities, the esteem of the good. "From motives of vanity, health and peace are facri❝ficed, fortunes lavished without credit or enjoyment, "every relative and perfonal duty neglected, and Reli"gion boldly fet at defiance. To be admitted into the "company of those who difgrace the family title which "they inherit, thousands plunge into debauchery with"out paffion, into drunkenness without convivial en"joyment, into gaming without the means or inclina "tion for play. Old age rapidly advances. When "vanity at length retreats from infult and from morti"fication, avarice fucceeds; and meanness, and disease, " and disgrace, and poverty, and discontent, and despair, "diffufe clouds and darkness over the evening of life. "Such is the lot of those who glory in their shame, "and are ashamed of their glory. 、 "Have fenfe and refolution enough, therefore, to "give up all pretenfions to thofe titles, of a fine fel"low, a rake, or whatever vulgar name the temporary "cant of the vicious beftows on the diftinguifhed liber❝tine. Preferve your principles, and be steady in your conduct. And though your exemplary be"haviour may bring upon you the infulting and ironi"cal appellation of a Saint, a Puritan, or even a Me"thodist, persevere in rectitude. It will be in your 66 power foon, not indeed to insult, but to pity. Have "fpirit, and display it. But let it be that fort of fpirit "which urges you to proceed in the path in which you were placed by the faithful guide of your infancy. "Exhibit a noble fuperiority in daring to difregard the "artful and malicious reproaches of the vain, who "labour to make you a convert to folly, in order to "keep them in countenance. They will laugh at first, A 2 " but "but will efteem you in their hearts, even while they ❝ laugh, and in the end revere your virtue. "Let that generous courage, which confcious recti"tude infpires, enable you to defpife and neglect the "affaults of ridicule. When all other modes of attack "have failed, ridicule has fucceeded. The bulwark "of virtue, which stood firmly against the weapons of "argument, has tottered on its bafis, or fallen to the "ground, on the flightest touch of magic ridicule. In "the school, in the college, in the world at large, it is "the powerful engine which is ufed to level an exalted "character. You will infallibly be attacked with it, "if you be in any refpect fingular; and fingular in "many respects you must be, if you be eminently vir ❝tuous. "With all your good qualities, unite the humility "of a Christian. Be not morofe. Be cautious of "overvaluing yourfelf. Make allowances for the vices "and errors which you will daily fee. Remember "that all have not had the benefit of moral instruction; "that a great part of mankind are in effect orphans, " turned loose into the wide world, without one faith ful friend to give them advice; left to find their own "way in a dark and rugged wildernefs, with fnares, "and quickfands, and chafms around them. "If you follow fuch advice as, from the pure mo❝tive of ferving you most effentially, I have given you, "I will not indeed promife that you fhall not be un"fortunate, according to the common idea of the "word; but I will confidently affure you, that you « shall not be unhappy. I will not promise you worldly fuccefs, but I will engage that you fhall deferve it, «and shall know how to bear its abfence." Оп J (5) On an excessive and indiscriminate Love of Company. THE 'HE love of company and of focial pleasures is to natural to us, and attended with fome of the fweeteft fatisfactions of human life; but, like every other love, when it proceeds beyond the limits of moderation, it ceases to produce its natural effect, and terminates in disgustful fatiety. The foundation-stone and the pillar on which we build the fabric of our felicity, must be laid in our own hearts. Amusement, mirth, agreeable variety, and even improvement, may be fometimes fought in the gaiety of mixed company, and in the ufual diverfions of the world; but, if we found our general happiness on thefe, we shall do little more than raise castles in the air, or build houses on the fand. To derive the proper pleasure and improvement from company, it ought to be felect, and to confift of perfons of character, refpectable both for their morals and their understandings. Mixed and undiftinguished fociety tends only to diffipate our ideas, and induce a laxity of principles and practice. The pleasure it affords is of a coarse, vulgar, noify, and rude kind. Indeed, it commonly ends in wearinefs and difguft, as even they are ready to confefs, who yet conftantly pursue it, as if their chief good confifted in living in a crowd. Among those, indeed, who are exempted by their circumstances from profeffional and official employments, and who profeffedly devote themselves to a life of pleasure, little elfe feems to conftitute the idea of it, but an unceasing fucceffion of company, public or private. The drefs, and other circumstances preparatory to the enjoyment of this pleasure, fcarcely leave a moment for reflection. Day after day is fpent in the fame toilfome round, till a habit is formed, which renders diffipation neceffary to exiftence. What, indeed, is A 3 life |