LETTER ON, OTe IMPROVEMENT Of: ££ ees _M TON Be ADDRESSED To a YOUNG LADY. J confider an Human Soul without Education, like Mar- ble in the Quarry, which fhews none ofits inherent Beauties, till the Skill of the Polifher fetches out the Colours, makes the Surface fhine, and difcovers every ornamental Cloud, Spot and Vein that runs through : the Body of it. Education, after the fame Manuer, Sell gt when it works uponanoble Mind, draws ont to View ee every latent Virtue and PerfeGion, which without fuch | ey : Helps, are never able to make theiy Appearance. oor i 1 ADDISON, : i Hee nnn eer ae aati AST ona a eT TES GT OED ODT By Mes. © H APO} F. vxO fe BO SEO . BRS PerntED BY ROBERT HODGE, os For WILLIAM GREEN. Mes. WARREN. MADAM, W HILE the Herces of our Coun- try have fhone diftinguilied in arms, in defence of its Liberties, and its Legiflators have given themfelves up to ‘the cares of the Cabinet, you have been at- tentive to the domeftic incerefts of fociety, and have fought to form the manners of youth by your example and inftructions, To you, therefore, the American Editor ef Mrs. Cuarone’s Letrers, takes the liberty to dedicate this Edition of them, confident, that from your name and pro- tection they will derive a new value, an become more extenfively uleful. An vun- feigned regard for the Female Sex, anda wilh to. promote the beft interefls of focie- Dep iC A T-LO N. ty, are the only excufes he can make for prefuming publicly to addrefs you. On thefe principles, your goodnefs will be in- duced to pardon, and believe him to be, though unkown to you, with the fincerelt efieem, Manp-aM, Your moft obedient and Mof humble fervant, WILLIAM GREEN, CONTENTS. ¥o°O./ Ly UTM Baik L Bee. E Rt. On the Firft Principles of Religion. LETTE R Ut. On the Study of the holy Scriptures. LET Fe Rk UT. ©n the Same. Coen hr Eo mh S iE fT wR iv. On the Regulation of the Heart and Af- fections. eS a ee On the Same. oe OOM R.. 2 at Lert ak Vi. On the Government of the Temper. ik? TTR Reh VIL On CEconomy. Let te Rk yl, On Politenefs and Accomiplifhments, —————————— a ERT EO AO CR 8 NE EST. TAT RESIS EAE TE ITE E TITTY, Cc oO WT ££ NM FS, LiE TP ER ax On Geography and Chronology. LET Te HR Ke On the Manner and Courfe of reading Hiftory. | | i . 4 3a . Ftd aut nae a it elt, a SRE ERE ee aed geet ON THE ; FIRST PRINCIPLES O F BE ft Gol oO eT A a My pearest Nrecz, ) HOUGH you are fo happy as to have parents, who are both capable and defirous of giving you all proper in- ftruction, yet I, who love you fo tenderly, cannot help fondly wifhing to contribute fomething, if poffible, to your improvement and welfare :—And, as I am fo far fepara- ted from~you, that it is only by pen and ink I can offer you my fentiments, I will hope that your attention may be engaged, by feeing on paper, from the hand of one of your warmeft friends, Truths of the higheft importance, which; though you may. not find new, can never be too deeply engraven on your mind. Some of them, perhaps, may make no great impreffion at prefent, and B eee 14 On the firjt Principles of Religion. yet may fo far gain a place in your memo- ry, as readily to return to your thoughis when occafion recals them.—-And, if you pay me the compliment of preferving my letters, you may poffibly re-perufe them at fome future period, when concurring cir: cumftances may give them additional weight ;and thus they may prove more et- fe€tual than the fame things fpoken in con- verfation.—But, however this may prove, f cannot refift this defire of trying to be in fome degree ufeful to you, on your fetting out in a life of trial and difficulty ; your fuccefs in which, muft determine your fate for ever. | Hitherto you have ‘ thought as a child, €¢ and underftood as a child ; but it is time ** to put away childifh things.”-—You are now in your fifteenth year, and muft foon act for yourfelf; therefore it is high time to ftore your mind with thofe principles, which mutt direct your conduct, and fix your cha- racter.—If you defire to live in peace and honour, in favour with God and Man, and to die in the glorious hope of rifing from the grave to a life of endlefs happinefs—if On the firft Principles of Religion. 15 thefe things appeat worthy your ambiti ‘ion, you maft fet out in earneft in the purfuit of them.— Virtue and happinefs are not attain- ed by chancé, nor by a cold and languid approbation ; they muft be fought with ar- dour, attended to with diligence, and every afiftance muft bé eagerly embraced, that may enable you to obtain them.—Confider, that good and évif are now before you ;—= that, if you do not heartily chufe and love the one, you muft undoubtedly be the wretched victim of the other.— Your trial is now begun—vou muft either become one of the glorious children of God, who are to rejoice in his love for ever, or a aha of de- jfiruétion—miferable in this life, and punith- ed with eternal death hereafter.—Surely, you will be imprefied by fo awful a fituati- on ! you will earneftly pray to be directed into that road of life, which leads to excel- lence and happinefs— and, you will be thank- ful to every kind hand that is held out, to fet you forward on yourjourney. _ The firft tep muft be to awaken your mind to a fenfe of the importance of the tafk before you ; which is no lefs than to B2 16 On the firft Principles of Religion. bring your frail nature to that degree of Chriftian perfection, which is to qualify it for immortality, and, without which, it is neceffarily incapable of happinefs ; for, it is a truth never tobe forgotten, that God has “annexed happinefs to virtue, and mifery to vice, by the unchangeable nature of things ; and that a wicked being (while he continues fuch) is in a natural incapacity of enjoying happinefs, even with the concurrence of all thofe outward circumftances, which in a vir- tuous mind would produce it. As there are degrees of virtue and vice, fo are there of reward and punifhment, both here and hereafter}: But, do not, my déar- eft Niece, aim only at efcaping the dreadful doom of the wicked ;—let your defires take anobler flight, and afpire after thofe tranf- cendant honours, and that brighter crown of glory, which await thofe who have excel- led in virtue—and, let the animating thought, that every fecret effort to gain his favour is noted by your all-fecing Judge, and that he will, with infinite goodnefs, proportion his goodnefs to your labour, excite every facul- ty of your foul to pleafe and ferve him.— ———— “ Sa a —. DRDevaeee a On the fit Principles of Religion. i7 Tothis end you mutt inform your under- ftanding what you ought to Jelieve and to do.—You mult correé and purify your heart ; cherifh and improve all its good affeétions ; and contifiually mortify and fulbdue thofe that are evil. You mutt form and govern your temper and imanners, according to the laws of benevolence and juftice , and quali- fy yourfelf, by all means in your power, for an ufeful and agreeable member of fociety. All this you fee is no light bufinefs, nor can it be performed without a fincere and earn- eft application of the mind, as to its great and conftant object. When once you con- fider life, and the duties of life, in this man- ner, you will liften eagerly to the voice of inftruétion and admonition ; and feizeevery ‘Opportunity of improvement ; every ufeful hint will be laid up in your heart, and your chief delight will be in thofe perfons, and . thofe books, from which you can learn true wifdom. : | The only fure-foundation of human vir- tue is religion, and the foundation and firft principle of religion is the belief of the one only God, and ajuft fenfe of his attributes. B3 | POL NOR CT ETE L TE RTS TTT A A TA DSR GE SEEN TI ADORE I eI i8 Ox the firft Principles of Religion. © ‘This you will think you have learned long fince, and poffefs in common with almoft every human creature in this enlightened age and nation ; but, believe me, it is lefs common than you imagine, to believe in the true God---that is, to form fuch a notion of the Deity as is agreeable to truth, and con- fiftent with thofe infinite perfections which all profefs to afcribe to him. To form wor- thy notions of the fupreme Being, as far as we are capable, is effential to true religion and morality ; for as it is ourduty to imitate thofe qualities of the Divinity, which are imitable by us, fo it is neceffary we fhould know what they are, and fatal to miftake them. Can thofe who think of God with fervile dread and terror, as of a gloomy ty- rant, armed with almighty power to tor- ment and deftroy them, be faid to believe in the true God ?—in that God, who, the {crip- tures fay is love? The kindeft and beft of © Beings, who made all: creatures in bounti- ful goodnefs, that he might communicate to them fome portion of his own unalter- ‘ able happinefs !---who condefcends to ftile himfelf our Father---and, who pitieth us, On the firft Principles of Religion. 1 as a father pitieth his own children ! Can thofe who expect to pleafe God by cruelty to themfelves, or to their fellow creatures--- by horrid punifhments of their own bodies. for the fin of their fouls---or, by more hor- rid perfecution of others for difference of Opinion, be called true believers? Have they not fet up another God in their own minds, who rather refembles the worft of beings than the beft ? Nor do thofe aé on furer principles, who think to gain the fa- vour of God by fenfelefs enthufiafm and _ frantic raptures, more like the wild exceffes of the moft depraved human love, than that teafonable adoration, that holy reverential love, which is due to the pure and holy Fa- ther of the Univerfe. Thofe likewile, who murmur againft his providence, and-repine under the reftraint of his commands, cannot firmly believe him infinitely wife and god. If we are not difpofed to truft him for fu- ture events, to banifh fruitlefs anxiety, and to believe that all things work together for good to.them that love him, furely we do not really believe in the God. of mercy and truth, If we with to avoid all remembrance eat SOR NaS cet RES A TUT tecnico cor 20 On the firft Principles of Religion. of him, all communion with him, as mucli as we dare, furely we do not believe him to be the fource of joy and comfort, the dif penfer of all good. How lamentable is it, that fo few hearts fhould feel the pleafures of real piety. — That prayer and thankfgiving fhould be per- formed, as they too often are, not with joy, and love, and gratitude; but, with cold in- difference, melancholy ‘dejection, or fecret horror !it is true, we are all fuch frail and finful creatures, that we juftly fear to have offended our gracious Father ; but, let us remember the condition of his forgivenefs ; if you have finned“ fin no more.”—he is ready to receive you whenever you fincerely turn to him—and, he is ready to affift you, when you do but defire to obey him.—Let your devotion then be the language of filial love and gratitude—confide to this kindeft of i athers every want, and every wish of your heart ;—but fubmit them all to his will, and freely offer him the difpofal of yourfelf, and of all your affairs—Thank him for his be- nefits, and even for his punifhments ;—con- vinced that thefe alio are benefits, and met: iaevonsanaiel WK On the jirft Principles of Religion. 21 cifully defigned for your good. Implore his direction in all difficulties; his affiftance in all trials ; his comfort and fupport in fick- nefs or affliction; his reftraining grace in the time of profperity and joy. Do not per- fift in defiring what his Providence denies you; but be affured it is not good for you— _ Refufe not any thing he allots you, but em- brace it as the beft and propereft for you.—~ Can you do lefs to your heaverily Fathér than what your duty to an earthly one re- quires ?—If you were to afk permiffion of your father todo, or to have any thing you defire, and he fhould refufe it to you, would you obftinately perfift in fetting your heart upon it notwithftanding his prohibition? would you not rather fay, My father is wifer than lam? he loves me, and would not deny my requeft, if it was fit to be granted. I will therefore banifh the thought and chearfully acquiefce in his will: How much rather fhould this be faid of our hea- venly Father, whofe wifdom cannot be mif- taken, and whofe bountiful goodnefs-is infi- nite !~-Love him therefore in the fame man- ner you love your earthly parents, but ina Lt oe hi iadiharutddinniattien aaneddaadic - = a : SNR 8S is SERRATE fT GT Aes hereon nicer aienireet, 24. On the firft Principles of Religion. become dear and amiable to your. fellow creatures ; contented and peaceful in your- felf ; and qualified to enjoy the beft bleffings of this life, as well as to inherit the glorious promife of immortality. Thus far have I fpoken_ of the firft principles of Religion : namely, belief in Gop, worthy notions of his attributes, and fuitable affections towards him,---which will naturally excite a fincere defire of obedience. But, before you can obey his will, you muft know what that will is, you muft enquire in what manner he has declared it, and where you may find thofe laws, which muft be the rule of your actions, Pr The great laws of morality are indeed °° written in our hearts, and may be difcover- 4 ed by seafon; but ourreafon is of flow, growth; very unequally difpenfed to differ=) ent perfons ; liable to error, and confined. 4 in very narrow limits in all. If therefore, Gop has vouchfafed to grant a particular revelation of his will---if he has been fo un- fpeakably gracious, as to fend his Son into the world to reclaim mankind from error and wickednefs---to die for our fins---and to teach us the way to eternal life ;---iurely it f i a a if | EOL PO GIS at ne ei ~ i ae leg eo eR EI EE On the firft Principles of Religion. 2g becomes us to receive his precepts with the deepeft reverence ; to love and prize them above all things; and to: ftudy them con- ftantly, with an earneft defi to conform our thoughts, our words, and actions to ‘them, | As you advance in years and under{tand- “ing, I hope you willbe able to examine for | yourfelf the evidences of the Chriftian re- ligion, and be convinced, on rational grounds, of its divine authority. At pre- fent fuch enquiries would demand more ftudy, and greater powers of reafoning, than your age admits of. It is your part there- ore till you are capable of underflanding tne proofs, to believe your parents and teach- ers, that the holy Scriptures are writings in- {fpired by Gop, containing a true hiftory of facts in which we are deeply concerned---a true recital of the laws given by Gop to Mofes; and the precepts of our. blefled Lord and Saviour, delivered from his own mouth to his difciples, and repeated and en- Jarged upon in the edifying epiftles of his Apoftles——-who were men chofen from a- mongft thofe who had the advantage of C || } | a ae se i 26 On the firft Principles of Religion. converfing with our Lord, to bear witnefs of his miracles and refurrection—and who, after his Afcenfion, were affifted and infpir- ed by the Holy Ghoft. This facred vo- lume muft be the rule of your life. In it you will find all truths, neceffary to be be- lieved; and plain and eafy directions, for the practice of every duty; Your Bible then muft be your chief ftudy and delight : but as it contains many various kinds of writing—fome parts obfcure and difficult _of interpretation, others plain and intelligible to the meaneft capacity—I would princi- pally recommend to your frequent perufal fuch parts of the holy writings as are moft) adapted to your underftanding, and molt, neceffary for your inftru€tion, Our Savi- our’s precepts were {poken to the common people amongft the Jews; and were there- fore given ina manner eafy to be under- ftood, and equally ftriking and inftructive to the learned and unlearned : for the moft — ignorant may comprehend them, whilft the wifeft muft be charmed and awed, by the beautiful and majeftic fimplicity with which they are exprefled. Of the fame kind are On the jirft Principles of Religion. 27 the Ten Commandments, fpoken by God to Mofes ; which, as they were defigned for -univerfal laws, are worded in the moft con- cife and fimple manner, yet with a majelty which commands our utmoft reverence. I think you will receive great pleafure, as well as improvement, from the hiftorical books of the Old Teftament—provided you read them as a hiftory, in a regular courfe, and keep the thread. of it in your mind, as you go on. I.know of none, true or ficti- tious, that is equally wonderful, interefting, and affecting : or that is told in fo. fhort and fimple a manner.as this, which is, of all hif- tories, the moft authentic. In my next letter, I will give you fome brief directions, concerning the method and courfe I with youto purfue, in reading the holy Scriptures. May. you be enabled. to- make the beft ufe of this moft precious gift of God—This facred tréafury of know- ledge! May you read the Bible, not as a tafk, nor as the dull employment of that day only, in which you are forbidden more lively entertainments—but with a fincere and ar- dent defire of inftruction ; with that love C2 SRS a a aria ne x | 4 i i me oh ae rs ED eked od ae ma ibe aan soem nl TIPS eae eer ae Sn re er eS “oes RLS feo oor remem eel Gain Pet SR ee ren 2g On the firft Principles of Religion. and delight in God’s word, which the holy Pfalmift fo pathetically felt and defcribed, and which is the natural confequence of loving Gop and virtue! Though I fpeak this of the Bible in general, I would not be underftood to mean, that every part of the volume is equally interefting. 1. have al- ready faid, that it confifts of various kinds of books, which muft be read with differ- ent views and fentiments. “Fhe having fume general notion of what you are to ex- pect from each book may poffibly help you to-underftand them, and heighten your relifh of them—I fliall treat you as if you were perfectly new to the whole ; for fol wifh you to confider yourfelf ; becaufe the time and manner in which children ufually read the Bible are very ill calculatedto | make them really acquainted with it ; and too many people who have read it thus, without underftanding it in their youth, fatisfy themfelves that they know enough of it, and never afterwards fludy it with attention, when they come to a maturer age. On the firft Principles of Religion. 26 Adieu, my beloved Neice! If the feel- ings of your heart, whilft you read my let- ters, correfpond with thofe of mine, whilft 1 write them, J shall not: be with- out the advantage of your partial affection to give weight to any advice ; for believe mie, my dear girl, my heart and my eyes” overflow with tendernefs, while I tell you, with how warm and earneft prayers for your happinefs here, and hereafter, I fub{cribe mytelf, Yous taitstor Priad, And moft affectionate Aufit] ON THE S Tira Down¥ QO F TH E HOLY. Sein es. UR BS. b Bit Perks Rood. N O W proceed to give my dear niece fome fhort fketches of the matter con- tained in the different books of the Bible— and of the courfe in which they ought to be read. The firt book, Genesis, contains the moft grand, and, to us, the moft intereft- ing events that ever happened in the uni- _verfe :—The creation of the world, and of man: The deplorable fall of man, from his firft ftate of excellence and blifs, to the diftreffed condition in which we fee all his defcendants continue : The fentence of death pronounced on Adam, and on all his “yace=with the reviving promife of that de- liverance, which has fince been wrought for . On the Study of the Holy Scriptures: 9% us, by our blefled Saviour: The account of the early ftate of the world : of the uni- verfal deluge : The divifion of mankind into different nations and languages : The ftory of Abraham, the founder of the Jew- ifh people, whofe unihaken faith and obe- dience, under the fevereft trial human nature could fuftain, obtained fuch favour in the fight of God, that he vouchfafed to ftile him his friend, and promifed to make of his poflerity a great nation ; and that in his feed—that is, in one of his defeendants— all the kingdoms’ of the earth fhould be bleffed : this you will eafily fee, refers to the Meffiah, who was to be the blefling and deliverance of all nations. It is amazing that the Jews, poffeffing this prophecy, with many others, fhould have been fo blinded by prejudice, as to expeét, from this great perfonage, only a temporal deliverance of their own nation from the fubjecétion, to which they were reduced un- der the Romans---it is equally amazing, that fore chriftians fhould, even now, con- fine the bleffed effects of his appearance upon earth, to this or that particular fee 3a On the Study of the Holy Scriptures: or profeffion, when he is fo clearly andem- ° phatically deferibed as the Saviour of the whole world.---The ftory of Abraham’s proceeding to facrifice his only fon at the command of God, is affecting in the high- eft degree, and fets forth a pattern of un- limited refignation, that every one ought to imitate, in thofe trials of obedience under temptation, or of acquiefcence under afflict- ing difpenfations, which fall to their lot: of this we may be affured, that our trials will be always proportioned to the powers afforded us.---If we have not Abraham’s ftrength of mind, neither fhall we be called upon to lift the bloody knife againft the bofom of an only child ; but, if the Al- mighty arm fhould be lifted up againft him, we muft be ready to refign him, and all we hold dear, to the divine will.---This ac- tion of Abraham has been cenfured by fome, who do not attend to the diftinGtion between obedience to a fpecial command, and the deteftably cruel facrifice of the Heathens, who fometimes voluntarily, and _ without any divine injunction, offered up their own children, under the notion of ap- 2 ————————————————————— ne ra 4 Hh, i } ie a i‘ | x i ik, ea ag fe | a { i | fF, ' eS | uf { | i p33 aie i bse % fi 4 Ltt F ; se “ a =e rata re ee ase ae SE Dee gree pa e GT - SETS" Leet sao Sense On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. 3 peafing the anger of their gods.--- An abfo- lute command from Gop himfelf---as in the cafe of Abraham---entirely alters the moral nature of the aétion’; fince he, and he only, has a perfect right over the lives of his crea- tures, and may appoint whom he will, either angel or man, to’be his inftrument of def- truction. That it was really the voice of God which pronounced the command, and not a delufion, might be made certain to Abraham’s mind, by means we co not com- prehend, but which we know to be within the power of dim, who made our fouls as well as bodies, and who can controul and direct every faculty of the human mind :—and we may be affured, that if he was pleafed to reveal himfelf fo miraculoufly, he would “not leave a poffibility of doubting whether it was areal or-an imaginary revelation: :— thus the facrifice of Abraham appears to be clear of all fuperftition, and remains the nobleft inftance of religious faith and fub- miffion that was ever given by a mere man swe cannot wonder that the blef- fings beftowed on him for it, fhould have been extended to his pofterity. This book 34. On ibe Study of the Holy Scriptures. proceeds with the hiftory of H{aac, which becomes very interefting to us, from the touching {cenes which I have mentioned— and ftill more fo, if we confider him as the type of our Saviour :—it recounts his mar- riage with Rebecca—the birth and hiftory of his twofons, Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes, and Efau, the father of the Edomites or Idumeans—the exquifitely affecting ftory of Jofeph and his brethren--- and his tranfplanting the Ifraelites intoEgypt who there multiplied to a great nation. In Exopvus, you read of a feries of won- ders, wrought by the Almighty to refcue the oppreffed Hraelites from the cruel ty- ranny of the Egyptians---who, having firft received them as guefts, »by degrees redu- ced them to a ftate of flavery.. By the moft peculiar mercies and exertions in their fa-: vour, God prepared his chofen people to receive, with reverent and obedient hearts, the folemn reftitution of thofe primitive — laws, which probably he had revealed to Adam, and his immediate defcendants, or which, at leaft, he had made known by the dictates of confcience, but which time, and Shp EOL IS Eee are | i | | ft | — On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. 35 the degeneracy of mankind, had much ob- fcured. This important revelation was made to. them in the wildernefs of Sinai: there, affembled before the burning moun- tain, furrounded “ with blacknefs, and * darknefs, and tempeft,” they heard the awful voice of God pronounce the eter- nal law, impreffing it on their hearts with circumftances of terror---but without thofe €ncouragements and thofe excellent promi- ‘fes, which were afterwards offered to man- ‘kind by Jefus Chrift. Thus were the great laws of morality reftored to the Jews, and through them tranfmitted to other nations; and by that means a great reftraint oppofed to the torrent of vice and impiety, which began to prevail over the world, ~~* To thofe moral precepts, which are of perpetual and univerfal obligation, were duperadded, by the miniftration of Mofes, many peculiar inftitutions, wifely’ adapted to different ends---either to fix the memory of thofe paft deliverances, which were figu- rative of a future and far greater falvation--- to place inviolable barriers between the Jews and the idolatrous nations, by whom 36 On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. they were furrounded—or, to be the civil law, by which the community was to be governed, To conduct this feries of events, and to eftablith thefe laws with his people, God raifed up that great prophet Motes, whofe faith and piety enabled him to undertake and execute the moft arduous enterprizes, and to purfue, with unabated zeal, the wel- fare of-his countrymen :—even in the hour of death, this generous ardour ftill prevail- ed—his laft moments were employed i in fer- vent prayers for their profperuy, and, i rapturous gratitude, for the glimple vouch- fafed him of a Saviour, far greater than him- felf, whom God would one day raife up to his people. Thus did Mofes, by the excellency of his faith, obtain a glorious pre-eminence among the faints and prophets in heaven ; while, on earth, he will be ever revered, as the frft of thofe benefactors to mankind, whofe labours for the public good have en- deared their memory to all ages. The. next book is Leviricus, which contains little befides the laws for the pecu- On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. 47 liar ritual obfervance of the Jews, and there- fore affords no great inftruétion to us now--- You may pafs it over entirely ;—and, for the fame reafon, you may omit the firft eight chapters of Numsers.---The reft of Numbers is chiefly a continuation of the hif- tory with fome ritual laws. In Devreronomy, Mofes, makes a re- capitulation of the foregoing hiftory, with zealous exhortations to the people, faithful- ly to worfhip and obey that God, who had worked fuch amazing wonders for them: he promifes them the nobleft temporal blef- fings, if they prove obedient, with the moft awful and ftriking denunciations againtt them, if they rebel, or forfake the true God. I have before obferved, that the fanctions of the Mofaic law were temporal rewards and punifhments, thofe of the New Teftament are eternal—Thefe latt, as they are fo infinitely more forcible than the firtt, were referved for the laft, beft gift to man- kind—and were revealed by the Meffiah, in the fulleft and cleareft manner. Mofes, in this book, directs the method in which they were to deal with the feven nations, D 38 On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. whom they were appointed to punith for their profligacy and idolatry ; and whofe land they were to poffefs, when they had driven out the old inhabitants. He gives them excellent laws, civil as well as religi- ous—-which were ever after the ftanding municiple laws of that people. This book concludes with Mofes’s fong and death. ~The book of Josuva contains the con- quefts of the Ifraelites over the feven nations, and their eftablifhment in the promifed land. Their treatment of thefe conquered nations . muft appear to you very cruel and unjuft if you confider it as their own act,unauthorifed by a pofitive command: but they had the mott abfolute injunétions, not to fpare thefe corrupt people—‘‘ to make no covenant <* with them, nor fhew mercy to them, but <¢ utterly to deftroy them.” And the reafon is given—“ leaft they fhould turn away the < Ifraelites from following the Lord, that “they might ferve other Gods*.” ‘The children of Ifrael are to be confidered as in- ftruments in the hand of the Lord, to punifh thofe, whofe idolatry and wickednefs had * Deut, chap. ti. Scalise AER aaa SS aa On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. 39 defervedly brought deftru€ion on them: this example, therefore, cannot be pleaded in behalf of cruelty, or bring any imputati- on onthe character of the Jews. With re- gard to other cities, which did not belong to thefe feven nations, they. were directed to deal. with them according to the common law of arms at thattime. If the city fub- mitted, it became tributary, and the people were fpared. If it refifted, the men were to be flain, but the women and children faved+. Yet though the crime of cruelty cannot be: juftly laid to their charge on* this occafion, ‘ you will obferve, in the courfe of their hifto- ry, many things recorded of them, very- dif- ferent from what you would expect from the chofen people of God, if you fuppofed them felected on account of their own merit : their nationalcharaéter was by no means amiable—and, we are repeatedly told, that they were not chofen for their fuperior righte- oufnefs---‘* for they were a ftiff-necked peo- © ple, and provoked the Lord with their re- “ bellions from the day they left Egypt.” "You have been rebellious againft the’ t+ Deut. chap. xx, 40. On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. “Lord, fays Mofes, from the day that I “ knew you*.” And he vehemently exhorts them, not to flatter themfelves that their fuc- cefs was in any degree, owing to their own merits ;---but they were appointed to be the fcourge of other nations, whofe crimes ren- dered them fit objects of divine chaitifement. For the fake of righteous Abraham, their founder, and perhaps for many other wife reafons, undifcovered to us, they were felect- ed from a world cver-run with Idolatry, to preferve upon earth the pure worfhip of the one only God---and to be honoured with the birth of the Meffiah amongft them---For this end they were precluded, by divine com- mand, from mixing with any other people, and defended by a great number of peculiar rites and obfervances, from falling into the corrupt woehie practifed by their neigh- bours. The book of Jupces---in which you will find the affecting ftories of Sampfon and. of Jephtha—carries on the hiftory from the death of Jofhua, about two hundred and fif ty years ; but the faéts are not told in the * Deut. chap. ix. ver. 24. Onthe Study of the HolyScriptures. 42. times in which they happened, which makes fome confufion ; and it will be neceffary to confult the marginal dates and notes, as well as the index, in order to get any clear idea of the fucceffion of events, during that period. ; The hiftory then proceeds regularly through the two. books of Samuez, and thofe of Kines: nothing can be more inter- efting and entertaining than the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon—«but after the death of Solomon-—when ten tribes revolted from his fon Rehoboam, and became a fepas rate kingdom—you will find fome di pully in underftanding diftinétly the hiftories of the two kingdoms of Urael and Judah, which are blended together, and, by the likenefs of the names, and other particulars, will be apt to confound your mind, without great attens tion to the different threads thus carried on together: The index here will be of great ule to you. The fecond book of Kings con- cludes with the Babylonith captivity, 588 years before Chrift—till which time, the kingdom of Fudah had defcended uninterpps tedly in the line of David. ’ D3 “2 LORIE CINE / Min ns No en gn Ne 42 On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. - The firft book of Curonicxes begins with a genealogy from Adam, adele all the tribes of Hfrael and: Judah ; and the remain- der is the fame hiftory, which is contained in the books of Kings, with little or no varia~ tion, till the feparation of the ten tribes = From that period, it proceeds with the hilto- ry of the kingdom of Judah: alone, and gives therefore a more regular and clear ac- count of the affairs of Judah than the book of Kings. You may pafs over the firft book of Chronicles, and the nine firft chapters of the fecond book : but, by allmeans, read the remaining chapters, as they will give you more clear and diftiné& ideas of the hiftory of Judah than that you read in the fecond book of Kings. Fhe fecond of Chronicles ends, like the fecond of Kings, with the Ba- bylonifh captivity. You muft purfue | the hiftory im the book of Ezra, which gives an account of the re- turn of fome of the Jews, on the edict of Cyrus, and ot the rebuilding the Lord's temple. Neuvemtan carries on the hiftory, for a- pout twelve years, when he himfelf was gos On the Study of the Hely Scriptures, - 43 vernor of Jerufalem, with authority to re- build the walls, &c. The ftory of Ester. is prior in time, to that of Ezra and Nehemiah ; as you will fee by the marginal dates ;——however, as it happened during the feventy years captivity, and isa kind of epifode, it may be read in its own place. This is the laft of the canonical books that is properly hiftorical; and I would therefore advife, that you pafs over what follows, till you have continued the hiftory through the apocryphal books. The ftory of Jos is probably very an- ¢ient, tho’ it is a point on which learned men have differed: It is dated, however, ¥520 years before Chrift :—I believe it is uncertain by whom it was written : many parts of it are obfcure, but it is well worth ftudying, for the extreme beauty of the poe- try, and for the noble and fublime devotion it contains, The fubjeCtof the-difpute be- tween Job and his pretended Friends, feems to be, whether the providence of God dif- tributes the rewards and punifhments of this life, in exact proportion to the meric or dee 44 On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. merit of each individualHis antagonifts fuppofe that he does ; and therefore infer; from Job’s uncommon calamities, that not- withftanding his apparent righteoufnefs, he was in reality a grievous finner: They ag- eravate his fuppofed guilt, by the imputa tion of hypocrify, and call upon him to con- fefs it, and to acknowledge the jultice of his punifhment—Job afferts his innocence and virtue in the moft pathetic manner, yet does not prefume to accufe the fupreme Be- ing of injuftice. Elihu attempts to arbi- trate the matter, by alledging the impoffibili- ty thac fo frail and ignorant a creature as | man, fhould comprehend the ways of the Almighty, and, therefore, condemns the un- juft and cruel inference the three friends had drawn from the fufferings of Job. He alfo blames Job for the prefumption of acquit- ting himlelf of all iniquity, fince the beft of men are not pure in the ight of God—but all have fomething to repent of—and he ad- vifes him to make u.e-of his affiichions. At laft, by a bold figure of poetry, the fupreme Being himfelf is introduced, {peaking from the whirlwind, and filencing. them all, . by On the Study of the Holy Scriptures, 4s the moft fublime difplay of his own power, _ magnificence, and wifdom, and of the com- parative littlenefs and ignorance of man. This indeed is the only conclufion of the argument that could be drawn, at atime when life and immortality were not yet brought to light. A future retribution is the only fatisfactory folution of the difficul- ty arifing from the fufferings of good people in this life. Next follow the Psaums, with which you cannot be too converfant. If you have any tafte, either of poetry or devotion, they will be your delight, and afford you a continual feaft. The Bible tranflation is far better than that ufed in the Common-prayer Book ;—and will often give the fenfe when the other is obfcure. In this, as well as in all other parts of the Scripture, you mutt be careful, always to confult the margin, which gives you the corre¢tions made fince the laft tranflation, ‘and is often preferable to the words of the text. I would with you to fe- | lect fome of the Pfalms that pleafe you beft, | and get them by heart ; or, at leaft; make yourlelf miftrefs of the fEntiments contained 46. On the Study of the Holy Scripiures. in-them.. Dr. Delany’s Life of David will fhew you the occafions on which feveral of them were compofed, which add much to their beauty and propriety—and by com- paring them with the events of David’s-life, you will greatly enhance your pleafure with them. Never did the fpirit of true piety breathe more ftrongly. than. in thefe divine fongs ; which added to arich vein of poetry _ makes them more captivating to my heart and imagination, than any thing I ever read. You will confider how great difadvantages any poem muit fuftain from being rendered literally into profe, and then imagine how beautiful thefe muft be in the original.— I fay you be enabled, by reading them fre- quently, to transfufe into your own breaft that holy flame which iafpired the writer ! To delight in the Lord, and. in his laws, like the Pfalmift—to rejoice in him always, and to think, ‘* one day in_his courts, better ‘than a thoufand !”—-But may. you efcape the heart-piercing forrow of fuch repentance as. that of David—by. avoiding fin, which humbled this unhappy king to the duft---- and which coft him fuch bitter anguith, as it On the Siudy of ihe Holy Scriptures. 47 is impoffible to read of without being moved ---Not all the pleafures of the moft profper- ous finner, could counterbalance the hun- dredth part of thofe fenfations defcribed in his penitential Pfalms----and which muft be the portion of every man, who_ has fallen from a religious ftate into fuch crimes, when once he recoversa fenfe of religion and vir- _ tue, and is brought to a real hatred of fin : however available {uch repentance may be to the fafety and happinefs of the foul after death, it is a ftate of fuch exquifite. Suffering here that one cannot be enough furprifed at the folly of thofe, who indulge in fin, with the hope of living to make their peace with God, by repentance. Happy are they who preferve their innocence unfullied by any great or wilful crimes, and who have only the common failings of humanity to repent of—thefe are fufficiently mortifying to a_ heart {mitten with the love of virtue, and with the defire of perfection-—-There are many very ftriling prophecies of the Mef- fiah, in~ thefe divine fongs ; particularly in Pfalm xxii—fuch may be found {cattered ‘up and dawn almoit throughout the Old Tefta- 48 On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. ment. To bear teftimony to him, is the great and ultimate end, for which the fpirit of prophecy was beftowed on the facred wri- ters :—but this will appear more plainly to you, when you enter on the ftudy of pro- phecy, which you are now much too young to undertake. The Proverss, and Eccrestasres, are “rich ftores of wifdom :- from which, I with you to adopt fuch maxims as may be of infinite ufe, both to your temporal and eternal intereft. But detached fentiments are akind of reading not proper to be con- tinued long at a time—a few of them, well - chofen and digefted, will do you more fer- vice, than to read half a dozen chapters to- gether; in this refpect, they are directly oppofite to the hiftorical books, which if you read in continuation, can hardly be under- ftood, or retained to any purpofe. The Sone or Sotomon is a fine poen— but its myftical reference to religion lies too deep for a common underftanding : if you read it therefore, it will be rather as matter ef curiofity, than of edification. On ihe Study of the Holy Scriptures, 49 - Next follow. the Propuecizs, which, though highly deferving the greateft atten- tion and ftudy, I think you had better omit for fome years—and then read them with a good expofition ; as they are much too dife ficult for you to underftand, without afiift- ance. Dr. Newton on the Prophecies will afift you much, whenever you undertake this ftudy——which, you fhould by all means do,when your underftanding is ripe enough ; becaufe one of the main proofs of our reli gion refts on the teftimony of the Prophe- cies; and they are very frequently quot- ed and referred to in the New Teftament : befides the fublimity of the language and fentiments—through all the difadvantages of antiquity and tranflation—muft, in many pailages, ftrike every perfon of tafte, and the excellent moral and religious precepts found in them, muft be ufeful to all. Though I have fpoken of thefe books, * in order.as they ftand, | repeat that they: are not to be read in that ordér—but that the thread of the hiftory is to be purfued, from NewEmran to the firft book of Macca BEES, in the Apocrypha ; taking care te Ee 50 On the Study of the Holy Scriptures obferve the Chronology regularly, by refer- ring to the Index, which fupplies the defi- ciencies of this hiftory, fromy Fofepbus’s Antiquities of the Fews. The firft carries. on the ftory till within 195 years. of our Lord’s circumcifion. The fecond book is the fame narrative, written by a different hand, and does not bring the hiftory fo far forward as: the firft; fo that it may be en- tirely omitted, unlefs you have the curiofity to read fome particulars of the heroic con- ftancy of the Jews, under the tortures inflie- ted by their heathen conquerors, with a few other things not mentioned in the firft book. You muft then connect the hiftery by the help of the index, which will give you brief heads of the changes, that happened in the ftate of the Jews, from this time, till the birth of the Meffiah. The other books of the Apocrypha, (though not admitted to be of facred au- thority) have many things well worthy of your attention, particularly the admirable book called Ecciesiasticus, and the Book or Wispom. But thefe muft be omitted Se ee eee en Se a On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. 61 in the courfe of reading which I advife, till after you have gone through the Gofpels and Acts, that you may not lofe the hiftori- calthread. I muft referve however what I have to fay to you, concerning the New Feftament, to another letter, Adieu, my Dear ! OF Doe HMO.LY SCR YP £PUr ES te Be wn Bae My pearest NiEce, V E come now to that part of Serip- ¥ ture, which ts the moft importane of all; and which you muft make your con- flant ftudy, not only till you are thorough- ly acquainted with it, but all your life long ; becauic, how often foever renewing and in- creafing in our hearts, that love, and rever- ence, and gratitude towards him, which is fo juftly due for all he did, and fuffered for us! Every word that fell from his lips, is more precious than all the treafures of the earth; for his *“‘ arethe words of eternal “¢life!? They muft therefore be laid up ‘in your heart, and be conftantly referred to, On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. 5 3 on all occafions, as the rule and dire¢tion ef all your actions; particularly thofe very - comprehenfive moral precepts he has gra- cioufly left with us, which can never fail to direct us aright, if fairly and honeftly ap- plied: fuch as, ‘‘ what/oever you woald that “* men foould do unto you, even fo do unto them.’ There is no occafion, great or fmall, on which you may not fafely apply this rule, for the direction of your condu@; and, whilft your heart honeftly adheres toit, you can never be guilty of any fort of injuftice,’ or unkindnefs. The two great command- ments, which contain the fummary of our duty to God and man, are no lefs eafily re- tained and made a ftandard by which to judge our own hearts,——=“* To love the Lord “our God, with all our hearts, with all our “* minds, and with all our firength 3 and cur “ neighbour (or fellow creature) as cur- *¢ felves.” Love worketh no ill to his: *‘ neighbour,” therefore if you have true benevolence, you wilk never do any thing, injurious to individuals, or to fociety. Now. all crimes whatever, are (in their remoter confequences, at leaft, if not immediately, 54 On the Study of ihe Holy Scriptures. and apparently) injurious to the fociety in which we live. It is impoffible Zo love God, without defiring to pleafe him, and, as far as we are able, to refemble him; therefore the love of God muft lead to virtue in the higheft degree ; and we may be fure, we do not truly love him, if we content ourfelves with avoiding flagrant fins, and do not ftrive, in good earneft, to reach the greateft degree of perfection we are capable of. Thus, do thefe few words direé&t us to the higheft ‘Chriflian virtue. Indeedsthe whole tenor of the gofpel is to offer us every help, direc- tion, and motive, that can enable us to at- tain that degree of perfection, on which de- pends our eternal good. What an example is fet before us im our | blefied Mafter } How is his whole life, from his earheft youth, dedicated to the purfuit of true wifdom, and to the practice of the moft exalted virtue ? When you fee him, at twelve years of age, in the Femple, amongft the doctors, hearing them, and afking them queftion:, on the fubject of religion—and aitenifhing them with his underftanding and anfwers—you will fay perhaps,—‘ Well On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. 58 ‘might the Son of God, even at’ thofe “‘ years, be far wifer than the aged ; ‘but can a moftal child emulate fuch hea- * venly wifdom? Can fuch a pattern be “ propofed to my imitation ?” Yes, my dear,” remember that he hath bequeathed to you his heavenly wifdom, as fat as concerns your good. He has left you fuch declara- tions of his will, and of the confequences of your actions, as you are, even now, fully able to underftand, if you will but attend to them. If then you will imitate his zeal for knowledge, if you will delight in gain- ing information and improvement ; you may even now become ‘* wife unto falvati- * oy? Unmoved by the praife he acquir- ed amoneft thefe learned men, you fee him meekly return to the fubjection of a child under thofe who appeared to be his parents, though he was in reality their Lord: you fee him return to five with them, to work for them, and to be the joy and folace of their lives; till the time came, when he was to enter on that {cene of public aétion, for which his heavenly Father had fent him, from his own right hand,to take upon him 56 Onshe Study of the Holy Scriptures. the form of a-poor carpenter’s fon. What a leffon of humility is this, and of obedience to parents! When, having received the glo- rious teftimony from heaven, of his being the beloved Son of the moft High, he en- ters on his public miniftry,—what an ex+ ample does he give us, of the moft extens five and conftant benevolence ! how are all his hours fpent in doing good to the fouls and bodies of men! not the meaneft finner is below his notice: to reclaim and fave them, he condefcends to converfe familiarly with the moft corrupt, as well as the moft abject, All his miracles are wrought to benefit mankind ; not one to punifh and af- flict them. Inftead of ufing the almighty power, which accompanied him, to the pur- pofe of exalting himfelf, and treading down his enemies, he makes no other ufe of it, than to heal and to fave. When you come to read his fufferings . and death, the ignominy and reproach,. the forrow of mind, and torment of body which he fubmitted to! when you confider that it was all for our fakes-—“ that by his ftripes. ** we are healed,”-—and by his death we are On the Study of the H oly Scriptures. 57 raifed from deftru@ion to everlafting life— what can I fay, that can add any thing to the fenfations you muft then feel ? No pow- er of language can make the fcene more’ touching, than it appears in the plain and fimple narrations of the evangelifts? The heart that is unmoved by it, can be fearce- ‘ly human : but, my dear, the emotions of tendernefs and compunétion, which almoft every one feels in reading this account, will be of no avail, unlefs applied to the true end; unlefs it infpire you with a fincere - and warm affection towards your blefled Lord—with a firm refolution to obey his commands ; to be his faithful difeiple : and ever renounce and abhor ‘thofe fins, which brovght mankind under divine condemna- tion, and from which we have been redeem- ed, at fo dear arate. Remember that the title of Chriftian, or follower of Chriff, im- ‘plies a more than ordinary degree of holi- refs and goodnefs. As our motives to vir- tue are ‘fronger than thofe which are afford- ed to the reft of mankind, our guilt will be proportionably greater, if we depart from It. 58 On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. Our Saviour appears to have had three great purpofes, in defcending from his glo- ry, and dwelling amoneft them. The firft to teach them true virtue, both by his ex- ample and precepts. The fecond, to give them the moft forcible motives to the prac- tice of it, by ** bringing life and immortality “to light :” by fhewing them the certainty of a refurrection and judgment,and the ab- folute neceffity of obedience to God’s laws. The third, to facrifice himfelf for us, to obtain by his death the remiffion of our fins,—upon our repentance and reformati- on—and the power of beftowing on his fin~ cere followers the ineftimable gift of im~ mortal happinefs. What a tremendous fcene does the gofpel place before our eyes of the Jaf day? When you, and every one of us, fhall awake from the grave, and behold the Son of God, on his glorious tribunal, attended by millions of celeftial beings, of whofe fuperior excel- lence we can form no adequate idea : When, in the prefence of mankind, of thofe holy angels, and of the great Judge himfelf, you muft give an account of your paft life, and ‘On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. 59 . hear your final doom, from which their can be-no appeal, and which muft determine’ your fate to all eternity. Then think---if fora moment you can bear the thought--- what will be the defolation, fhame, and an- guith of thofe wretched fouls, who thal] hear thofe dreadful words ; « Depart from “ me, ye curfed, into everlafting fire, prepared “* for the Devil and bis angels.” Oh! my be- loved child ! I cannot fupport even the idea of your becoming one of thofe undone, loft ereatures !—I truft in Gop’s mercy, that you will make a better ufe of that know- Jedge of his will, which he has vouchfafed _ you, and of thofe amiable difpefitions he has given you. Let us. therefore turn from this horrid, this infupportable view, and ftrive to imagine, as far as is poffible, what will be the fenfations of your foul, if you fhall hear our heavenly Judge addrefs_ you in thefe tranfporting words— Come, thou * bleffed of my Father, inberit the kingdone | prepared for you, from the foundation of the | world.” Think what it muft be, to be- | come an object of efteem and applaufe | not only of all mankind affembled together ee ee SHE OS TET 60 On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. —pbut of all the hoft of heaven,of our bleffed Lord himfelf—nay—of his and our al- mighty Father ;—to find your frail flefh changed in a moment into a glorious ce- leftial body, adorned with perfect beauty, health, and agility—to find your foul cleanfed from all its faults and infirmities; exalted tothe pureft and nobleft affections —overfiowing with divine love and raptu-’ rous gratitude! to have your underftand- ing enlightened and refined—your heart enlarged and purified—and every power, and difpofition of mind and body adapted to the higheft relifh of virtue and happinefs ! Thus accomplithed, to be admitted inte the fociety of amiable and happy beings, all united in the moft perfect peace and friend- fhip, all breathing nothing but love to Gop, and to each other ; with them to dwell in {cenes more delightful than the richeft ima- gination can paint—free from every pain and care, and from all poffibility of change or fatiety : but above all, to enjoy the more immediate prefence of Gop himfelf—to be able to comprehend and admire his adorable perfections in a high degree—though ftill On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. 6r far thort of their infinity—to be confcious of his love and favour, and to rejoice in the light of his countenance! but here all ima- gination fails : We can form no idea of that blits, which may be communicated to us, by fuch a near approach to the fource of all beauty and all good: We muft content our- felves with believing, that ic is what “ mortal “ eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither ‘hath it entered into the heart of man to “conceive.” The crown. df all our joys will be to know that we are fecure of pof- fefing them for ever—without end ! What a, tran{porting idea ! i My dearetft child ! can you reflect on all thefe things and not feel the moft earneft longings after immortality-Do not ali other views feem mean and trifing, when compar- ed with this ? And*does noc your inmott heart refolve that this thall be the chief and conttant object of its withes and purfuit, through the whole courte. of your life 2? Té you are not infenfible to that defire of hap- pinefs, which feems woven into our nature, you cannot furely be-unmoved. by the pros {pect of fuch a tranfeendant degree of it ; and F RSS I na 62 On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. that, continued to all eternity-——perhaps con- tinually increafing. You cannot but dread the forfeiture of fuch an inheritance, as the moft infupportable evil ! Remember then— remember the conditions on which alone it can be obtained. God will not give to vice, to carelefinefs, or floth, the prize he has pro- pofed to virtue. You have every help that can animate your endeavours : You have written laws to direé&t you—the example of Chrift and his difciples to encourage you— the moft awakening motives to engage you-— and, you have, befides, the comfortable pro- mife of conftant affiftance from the Holy Spirit, if you diligently and fincerely pray for it. Oh, my dear child! let not all this mercy be loft upon you—but give your ate tention tothis your only important concern, and accept, with profound gratitude, the in- eftimable advantages that are thus affeCtion- ately offerec you. Though the four gofpels are each of them a narration of the life, fayings, and death of Chrift ; yet, as they are not exactly alike, but fome circumftances and fayings, recorded in one, are omitted in another, you On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. 63 muft make yourfelf perfectly miftrefs of them all. : The Acts of the holy apofiles, endowed with the Holy Ghoft, and authorized by their divine Mafter, come next in order to be read. Nothing can be more interefling and edifying, than the hiftory of their adii- ons—of the piety, zeal, and courage, with which they preached the glad tidings of fal- vation---and of the various exertions of the wonderful powers conferred on them by the Holy Spirit, for the confirmation of their miffion, = The character of St. Paul, and his mira- ¢ulous converfion, demand your particular attention: moft of the apeftles were men of low birth and education; but, St. Paul was a Romancitizen ; that is, he pole fled the privileges annexed to the freedom of the city of Rome, which was confidered as. an high diftinétion in thofe countries, that had been conquered by the Romans. He was educated amongft the moft learned fect of the Jews, and by one of the principal doe- tors. He was aman of extraordinary elo- quence, as appears not only in his writings, Fa 64 ° On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. but in feveral fpeeches in his own defence, pronounced before governors and courts of juftice, when called to account for the doc- trines he taught. He feems to have been of an uncommonly warm temper, and zealous in whatever religion he profeffed : this zeal, before his converfion, fhewed itfelf in the moft urjuftifiable ations, by. furioufly per- fecuting the innocent chriftians ; but, tho’ his a€tions were bad, we may be fure his in- tentions were good, otherwife we fhould not have feen a miracle employed to convince ‘him of his miftake, and to bring him into the right way. This example may affure us of the mercy of God towards miftaken con- {ciences, and gught to infpire us with the moft enlarged charity and good will towards thofe, whofe erroneous principles miflead their condu@t : Inftead of reientment and hatred againft their perfons, we ought only to. feel an aétive with of affifting them to find the truth, fince we know not whether,. if convinced, they might not, prove, like St. Paul, chofen veffels to, promote the honour of God, and of truereligion, Itis not my intention now to enter with you into.any.of On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. 65 the arguments for the truth of Chriftianity, otherwife it would be impoffible wholly to pafs over that which arifes from this remark- able converfion, and which has been fo ad- mirably . illuftrated by a noble writer *, whofe tract on this fubject is in every body’s hands. : Next follow the Epristzes, which make 4 very important part of the New Teftament 5 and you cannot be too much employed in reading them. ‘They contain the moft ex- cellent precepts and admonitions, and are of particular ufe in explaining more at large feveral dogtrines of Chriftianity, which we could not fo fully comprehend without them. There are indeed in the Epiftles of St. Paul many paflages hard to be underftood : Such in particular, are the firft eleven chapters to the Romans : the greater part of his epiftles to the Conhitians. and Galatians ; and feve- ral chapters of that tothe Hebrews. Inftead? ef perplexing yourfelf with thefe more ob= fcure paflages of fcripture, I would witle you to employ fa attention: chiefly of 3 * Eord Littletony ae Sonchaunieb tee ae thcaslaree derdeeemimaamamanaies 66 On the Study of thé Holy Scriptures. thofe that are plain ; and to judge of the doctrines taught in the other parts by com- paring them with what you find in thefe. It is through the neglect of this rule, that many have been led to draw the moft abfurd doctrines from the holy fcriptures. Let me particularly recommend to your careful pe- rufal the rath, 13th, 14th, and 15th chap- ‘ters of the Epiftle to the Romans. In the 14th chapter, St. Paul has in view the differ- ence between the Jewith and Gentile (orHea- then) converts at that time; the former were difpofed to look with horror on the latter, for their impiety in not paying the fame re- gard to the diftinctions of days and meats, that they did; and the latter on the contra- ry, were inclined to look with contempt on the former, for their weaknefs and fuperiti- tion. Excellent is the advice which the apoftle gives to both parties : he exhorts the “‘Jewith converts not to judge, and the Gen- tiles not to defpife—remembering that the ‘kingdom of heaven is not meat and drink, ‘but righteoufnefs, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft: Endeavour to conform your- felf to this advice ; to acquire a temper of Outhe Study of the Holy Scriptures. 67 vhiverfal ‘candour and benevolence + and learn neither to defpife nor condemn any per- fons on account of their particular modes of faith-and worfhip : remembering always that poodnefs is confined to no-party—«that there are wife and worthy men ‘among: all fects of Chriftians—and that, to hisown mafter every 6ne muft ftand or fall.” : J will enter no farther into the feveral ‘points difeuffed by St. Paul in his various epiftles—-moft of them too intricate for your underftanding at prefent, and many of them ‘beyond my abilities to ftate clearly. I will only again recommend to you, to read thofe paflages frequently, «which, with fo much fervour and energy, excite you to the prac- tice of the moft exalted ‘piety and benevo- Yence. If the effufions of a heart, warmed with the tendereft ‘affeCtion for the whole human race—If precept, warning,encourage- ment and example, urged by an eloquence, which fueh affeétion only could infpire, are ‘capable ‘of influencing your mind—you “cannot fail to find, in fuch parts of his epittles as -are -adapted-to your underftand- oe, the ftrongeft perfuafions to every vir- 68 - Oa the Study of the Holy Scriptures. tue that can adora and improve your na- ture. Fhe Epiftle of St. James is entirely prac- tical, and exceedingly fine ; you cannot ftudy it too much, It feems particularly | defigned to. guard Chriftians againft mifuns derftanding fome things in St. Paul’s writ- ings, which have been fatally perverted to the encouragement of a dependance on faith alone, without good works. But, the more rational commentators will. tell you, that by the works of the law, which the apoftle af- ferts to be incapable of juftifying us, he means, not the works of moral righteoufnefs, but the ceremonial works of the Mofaic law; on which the Jews laid the greaceft ftrefs, as neceffary to falvation—But St. James tells us, that “ if any man among us. feem to be religious,and bridleth not his tongue, “ but deceiveth his own heart, that man’s religion is vain.” And that,. “ pure re- * jigion and undefiled before God and the “ Father, is this, to vifit the fatherlefs and ** widow in their affliction, and to keep ‘* himfelf unfpotted from the world.” Faith a Onthe Study of the Holy Scriptures. 6g in Chrift, if . it produces not thefe ‘effects, he declares is dead, or of no power. : The Epiftles of St. Peter are alfo full of ‘the beft inftruétions and admonitions, con- cerning the relative duties of life ; amonett which are fet forth the duties of women in general, and. of wives in particular. Some part of his fecond Epiitle is _prophetical ; warning the church of falfe teachers, and falfe doétrines, which fhould ‘undermine morality, and difgrace ‘the caufe of Chrifti- anity. The firft.of “St. John is writtenin.a Laie _ly figurative ftile; which makes it infonie parts hard to.be underftood : but, the fpirit of divine love which it{o fervently exprefies, renders it highly edifying and delightful. That love of God and of man, which this beloved .apoftle fo. pathetically recommends, isin truth the effence.of en as our Sa- viour himfelf informs us. The book of RevetaTions, contains ‘a prophetical account of moft of the great events relating to the Chriitian church, which were to happen from the time of the writer St.John,to the end of the world. Many learn- © 70 On the Study of the Holy Scriptures. ed men have taken a-great deal of pains to explain it; and they have done this in many inftances very fuccefsfully ; but I think it is yet too foon for you to ftudy this part of {cripture : fome years hence perhaps there may be no objection to your attempting it, and taking into your hands the beit expofiti- ons to affitt you in reading fuch of the mott difficult parts of the New Teftament, as you cannot now be fuppofed tounderftand. May heaven direct you in ftudying this facred vo- lume, and render jt the means of making you wife unto falvation! May you love and reverence, as it deferves, this bleffed and in- valuable book, which contains the beft rule of life, the cleareft declaration of the will and laws of the Deity, the reviving affurance of favour to true penitents, and the unfpeak- ably joyful tidings of eternal life and happi- -hefs to all the truly virtuous, through Jefus Chrift, the Saviour and Deliverer of the world, Adieu. ON THE Bo We GW Li An Bed On “ O. Bed; Bi ta HEART anp AFFECTIONS. Lo Be sPie Pee Reo OU will have read the New Teftament Y to very little purpofe, my deareft. Niece, if you do not perceive the great end and intention of all its precepts to be the im- provement and regulation of the heart : not the outward actions alone, but the in- ward affections, which give birth to them, are the fubjedts of thofe precepts : as ap- pears in.our Saviour’s explanation of the commandments delivered to Mofes; ina thoufand other paffages of the gofpels, | which it is needlefs to recite. There are no virtues more infifted on, as neceffary to our future happinefs, than humility, and finceri=® I ty, or uprightnefs of heart ; yet, nene more 92 On the Regulation of the dificult and rare. Pride and vanity---the vices oppofite to humility---are the fources of almoft all the worft faults, both of men andwomen. The latter are particularly ac- cufed---and not without reafon---of vanity, the vice of little minds, chiefly. converfant with trifling fubjects.-----P ride and vanity have been fuppofed to differ fo effentially, _as hardly ever to be found in the fame per- fon. ‘* Too proud to be vain,” is noun- common expreflion---by which, I fuppofe, is meant, too proud to be over anxious for the admiration of others; but this feeins to be founded on miftake. Pride 1s, I think, an high opinion of one’s felf, and an affected contempt of others: I fay affected, for that it is not a real. contempt is evident from this, that the loweft object of it is important e- notizh to torture the proud man’s heart, on- ly by refufing him the homage and admira- tion he requires. Thus Haman could relith none of the advantages on which he valued himfelf; whiltt that Mordecai, whom he pre- tended to defpife, fat {till in the’ king’s gate, and would not bow to him:-as he pafied.— But as the proud man’s contempt of others Heart and Affections:. OF is only affumed. with a-view.to awe them into reverence by his ‘pretended fuperiority, fo. it doés not’ preclude an extreme inward . anxiety about their opinions, and a flavifh dependence ‘on: them for “all his gratifica- tions. :. Pridé—though a diftine paflion—is feldom unaccompanied by vanity, which is an extravagant defire of admiration. In - deed, I never faw an infolent perfon, in whom a difcerning eye might not difcover a very large thare of vanity, and of envy, its ufual companion, © One may neverthe- lefs fee many vain perfons who are not proud :° though they defire to be admired, they do not always admire themfelves ; but . . . : a ae as timid minds are apt to defpair of thofe things they earneftly with for, fo you will often fee the woman who is moft anxious to be thought handfome, moft inclined to be diffatisied with her looks, and to. think all the affiftlance of art too little to attain the end cefired. To this caufe; I believe, we may generally attribute affectation ; which feems to imply ja mean* opinion of one’s own real form, or character, while we ‘@ againit. nature to alter orfélyes Dy 5 ; wh, On the Regulation of the ridiculous contorfions of body, or by feign- ed fentiments. and unnatural manners. ‘There is no art fo low, which this mean paffion will not defcend to for its gratificati- on, no creature fo infignificant whofe incenfe it will not ‘gladly receive. Far from de- fpifing others, the vain. man will court them with the moft affiduous adulation ; in hopes, by feeding their vanity, to induce them: to fupply the craving wants of his own. He will put on the guife of benevolence, ten- dernefs, and friendfhip, where he feels not the leaft degree of kindnefs, in order to pre- vail on good nature and gratitude, to. like and commend him: but if, in any particular cafe, he fancies, that airs of infolence and contempt may fucceed better, he makes no {cruple to aflume them; though fo auk- wardly, that he ftill appears to depend on the breath of the perfon he would be thought to defpife. Weak and timid na- tures feldom venture to try this laft me- thod ;4and, when they do, it is without the affurance. neceflary jto carry it on with fuc- cefs # but, a bo!d and confident mind will wftenér enceavour to .command»and | exiort . Heart and Affettions. ee admiration than to court it. As women are far more fearful.than men, perhaps this may be one reafon why they are more vain and proud: whilft the other fex are oftener proud than vain. It is, I fuppofe, from fome opinion of a certain greatnefs of mind accompanying the one vice rather thang the other, that many will readily confefs- their pride, nay and even be proud of their pride, whilft every creature is afhamed of being convicted of vanity. You fee, however, that the end of both is the fame, though purfued. by different means ; or, if it differ, it is in the importance of the fubjeé. Whilft men are proud of power, of wealth, of dignity, learning, or abilities, young wo- men are ufualy ambitious of nothing more than to be admired for their perfons, their drefs, or their moft trivial accomplifhments. The homage of men is their grand obje@ ; but, they only defire them to be in love with their perfons, carelefs how defpicable their minds appear, even to thefe their pre- tended adorers, I have known a woman fo vain as to boaft of the moft difgraceful’ad- drefies’ ; being contented to be thought ae On the Regulation of the meanly of, in points the moft interefting to her honour, for the fake of having it known, that her perfon was attractive enough to make a man tranfgrefs the bounds of re- fpe&t due to her character, which was not a vicious one, if you except this intempe- rate vanity: But, this paffion too often leads to the moft ruinous actions, always corrupts the heart; and when indulged, renders it, ‘perhaps, as difpleafing in the fight of. the Almighty, as thofe faults which find” leaft mercy from the world); yet alas ! it is a paffion fo prevailing, I had almoft faid uni- verfal, in our fex, that it requires all the ef- forts of reafon, and all the affiftance of grace, totally to fubdue it. Religion is m- deed the only effectual remedy for this evil. Uf our hearts are not dedicated to God, they will in fome way or other be dedicated to the world, both in youth and age. ff our actions are not conftantly referred to him, if - his approbation and favour be not our prin- ciple obje€t, we fhall certainly take up. with the applaufe of men, and make that: the ruling motive of our condué&. How melan- choly is it to fee this phantom fo. eagerly Heart and Affections: 44 followed through life ! whilft all that is truly valuable to us is looked upon ‘with in- difference ; or, at beft, made fubordinate to this darling purfuit ! Equally vain and abfurd is every fcheme ot life that is not fubfervient to, and does not terminate in that great end of our: be- ing—the attainment of real excellence, and- of the favour of God. Whenever this: be- comes “fincerely your obje&, then will pride and vanity, envy, ambition, _ covetoufnefs, and every evil paffion, lofe their power over us, and we fhall, in the language of fcrip- ture, ‘* Walk humbly with our God.” . We fhall then ceafe to repine under our natural or accidental difadvantages, and feel diffa- tisfied only with our moral defe@s ;. we fhall love and refpe@ all .our fellow craa- tures, as the children of the fame dear pa- rent, and particularly thofe,. who feek to do his will : ** All our delight will be in the “* faints that are in the earth, and in fuch ** as exeel in virtue.” We fhall with to cul- tivate good-will, and to promote innocent enjoyment wherever we are ;. we fhall ftrive to pleafe,, not. from. vanity, but from benevyo- set 78 On. the Regulation of the lence, Inftead of contemplating our. fanci- ed perfections, or even real fuperiority with felf-complacence, religion will teach us to ** look into ourfelves;;.and. fear’; the beft of as; God knows,’ have. enough) to fear, if we, honeftly. fearch into all the dark .recefles of the heart, and bring out every, thought and gntention fairly to. the light to be tried. by the ‘precepts of our pure and holy religion. It is with the rules of the gofpel*we mutt compare ourfelves, and not with the world around us: for we know that the ‘ many 3 “© are wicked ;”’ and that we muft not be 4* conformed to the world.” How neceffary it is, frequently thus to enter into ourfelves, and fearch out our fpi- rit, will appear, if we confider, how much , : the human heart ‘is prone to infincerity, and how often, from being firft led by vanity in- to attempts to impofe upon others, we come at laft'to impofe on ourfelves. There is nothing more common than to fee people fall into the moft ridiculous mif- takes with regard to their own characters ; but IT can by no means allow. fuch miftakes to Be unavoidable, and thereforé- innocent. Heart and. Affettions.:. 19 ‘They arife from voluntary infincerity, and are continued for want of that ftridt. ho- nefty towards .ourfelvyes. and. others, which: the {cripture calls ‘* /inglene/s of heart ;” and which, in modern language, is termed Jfim- plicity—the moft enchanting of all qualities, _efteemed and beloyed in proportion. .to its rarenefs. . He, who ‘* requires truth in the inward ‘* parts,” will not excufe our felf-decep- tion ; for he has commanded. us.to exa- mine ourfelves diligently, and has given, us fuch rules as can never miflead us, if we de- fire the truth, and are willing to fee our faults, in order to corre& them. But this is the point in°which we are defeétive ; we are defirous to gain oureown approbation, as ‘well as that of others, at a cheaper rate than ‘that of being really what we. ought to be— and we take pains to perfuade ourfelves that we are that which we indolently ad- mire and approve. , There is nothing in which this felf-decep- tion is more notorious, than in what regards fentiment.and feeling. Let a vain young woman be told that tendernefs and foftnefs are the peculiar charms of the fex—that even 80 On the Regulation of the their weaknefs is ‘lovely, and their fears be- coming—and you~ will.’ prefently {obferve her grow fo tender as to be ready to weep fora fly; fo fearful, that fhe ftarts at a fea- ther; and, fo weak-hearted, that the fmalleft accident quite overpowers her. Her fond- nefs and affection become fulfome and ridi- culous ; her compaffion grows contempti- ble weaknefs, and her apprehenfivenefs, the moft abje& cowardice: for, when once fhe quits the dire@tion of nature, fhe knows not where to ftop, and continually expofes her-— felf by the moft abfurd extremes. , Nothing fo effectually defeats - its own ends, as this kind of affectation : for though warm affections and tender feelings are be- yond meafure amiable and charming, when perfeQly natural, and Kept under the due controul of reafon and principle—yet no- thing is fo truly difgufting as the affeGation of them, “or even the unbridled indulgence of fuch as are real. Remember, my dear, that our feelings were not given us for our ornament, but to Spur us on to right aétions—Compafiion, for inftance, was not imprefied upon the hu- i Heart and Affeions.. 81 man heart, only to adorn the fair face with tears, and to give. an agreeable languor to _ the eyes—it was defigned to-excite our ut- moft endeavours to relieve the fufferer. Yet, how often have: I heard that’ felfith weak- nefs, which flies from the fight of diftrefs, dignified with the’ namie of tendernefs | ‘* My friend is, I hear, in.the deepeft.afflicti- «on and mifery 5. Lhave:not feen her—for ‘indeed -I cannot? bear fuch f{cenes—they ‘< affect me too much! thofe who have lefs ‘¢ fenfibility are fitter for this world ; but, ‘« for my part, 1 own,:1 am not able. to fup- ‘port fuch things.: 1 fhall: not attempt ‘to ‘« vifit her, till I hear fhe has recovered her «‘ fpirits.” This ‘have I hear faid) with: an air of complaifance ; ,and. the poor > felfith ' creature has perfuaded herfelf that fhe had finer feelings than thofe generous friends, who were fitting, patiently in ‘the houfe of mourning—watching, in filence, the proper moment to pour in the balm of comfort 5 who fupprefled their own fenfations, and_ only attended to thofe of the affliéted per- fon—and whofe tears flowed in fecret, whilft their eyes and voice were taught to enliven 82 On the Regulation of the the inking heart » with the appearance. of chearfulnefs. That fort of,, tendernefs , which... makes. us ufelefs, may indeed be pitied and excufed, if owing to natural imbecility—but if it pre- tends’ to.lovelinefs and excellence, it be- comes truly contemptible. The. fame, degree of ative courage is not to be expeéted. in woman as in man—and not belonging to her nature, is not agreeable to her : But paflive courage——patience, and fortitude under fufferings—prefence of mind, and.calm refignation in danger—are furely defirable in» every rational creature ; efpeci- ally in one profeffing to believe in: an over- ruling Providence, in which we may at all times quietly confide, and which we may fafely truft with every event that does not depend upon our own will.—Whenever you find yourfelf deficient in \thefe virtues, lét it be a fubje&t of fhame and humiliation—not ' of vanity and felf-complacence :. do not fan- cy yourfelf the more amiable for-that which really makes’ you defpicable—but content . yourfelf with the faults and weak cneffes, that helong to you, without putting on more by Heart and Affections. 83 way of ornament. With regard to tender- nefs,* remember that compaffion is beft fhewn by an ardour to relieve—and affecti- on, by afliduity to promote the good and happinefs of the perfons you love: that tears are unamiable, inftead of being ornamental, when~ voluntary indulged ; and can never be attractive but when. they flow irrefiftably, and avoid obfervation as much as poflible ; The fame may be faid of every other mark of paffion. It attra&s our fympathy, if in- voluntary and not defigned for our notice. It offends, if we fee that it is purpofely in- dulged and obtruded on our obfervation. Another point, on which the heart is apt to deceive itfelf, is generofity :—we cannot bear to fufpe& ourfelves of bafe and un- generous feelings, therefore we let them work without attending to them, or we en- deavour to find out’ fome better motive for thefe a@ions, which really flow from envy and malignity. Before you flatter yourfelf that you are a gehérous, benevolent perfon, take care to examine whether you are really every advantage and excellence, / Oo iriends “and companions poffels, 84. On ‘the Regulation of the though they are fuch ‘as you are yourfelf de- fective in. . Lf, your fifter. or friend. makes.a | greater proficiency»than » yourfelf «in any ac- complifhment, which you are in purfuit of, do you never with to ftop her progrefs, in- ftead of trying to haften your own? The’ boundaries between virtuous” emu- lation and vicious envy, are very nice _and may be eafily miftaken. The fir will a- waken your attention to your own defes, and excite your endeavours to improve ; the laft will make you repine at the im- provements of others, and wifh to rob them of the praife they have deferved.—Do you fincerely rejoice when your fifter is enjoy- ing the pleafure or, commendation, though you are at the fame time in difagreeable or mortifying circumftances ?. Do you delight to fee her approved and beloved, even by thofe who do not pay you equal attention ? Are. you affli@ed and humbled, when the is) found to be in fault," though you yourfelf are’ remarkably Clear from the fame offence ? “sit your ‘heart’ affires you of the affirma- tive to thefe queftions; then you may think \ / yourfclf a kind fifter; neceffary to'us, that the wretch, :who has - forfeited them, muft feel himfelf defolate + ' and undone, deprived ofall the beft enjoy- ments and comforts the world can afford, and given up to his inward miferys unpitied and {corhed: “But this néver cari be’ the fate ‘ of agood-natured perfon: whatever faults hemay have, they will be treated with le- 4 Lge On the Government of the Temper. 13% nity—he will find an advocate inevery hu-’ man heart—his errors will be lamented, rather than abhorred, and his virtues will: be viewed in the faireft point of light -——— His good humour, without the help of great talents or acquirements, will make his com-, pany preferable to that of the moft brilliant. genius, in whom this quality is wanting :—. in fhort, it is almoit impoffible that you can be fincerely beloved by any body, without this engaging property, whatever other ex- cellencies you may poffefs ; but, with it you will {carcely fail of finding fome friends. and favourers, even though you fhould be deftitute of almoft every other advantage. Perhaps you will{ay,‘ all this is very true, ‘: but our tempers are not in our own pow- “ er—-we are made with different difpoli “ tions, and, if mine be not amiable, it is “ rather my unhappinefs than my fault.” This, my dear, is commonly faid by thofe who will not take the trouble to corre& themfelves. Yet, be affured it isa delufion, . and will not avail in our juftification before Him, “ who’ knoweth whereof we are “ made,” and of what we are capable, Ir. a ee ‘8392 On the. Government of the Tempe. js true, we are not all equally happy in our: difpofitions—but human» virtue confifts. in: cherifhing and cultivating every good incli~ nation, and fubduing every propenfity to evil. If you had been born with a bad temper, it might have: been made: a good one, at leaft with regard to its outward ef+ fects, by education, reafon, and principle ; and though you are. fo happy as:to have a good one while young, do not fuppofe it: will always: continue fo, if you neglect to: maintain a. proper command.over® it. Power, ficknefs, difappointment:, or.world- ly cares may corrupt and embitter the finett: difpofition, if they are not counteracted by. reafon and religion. « It is obferved; that every temrper is inclin- ed, in fome degree, either to paifion, pee~ vifhnefs, or obftinacy. Many are fo unfor- “tunate as to be inclined to each of the three: inturn: It is neceffary therefore to watch the bent of our nature, and to apply the: proper remedies for the infirmity to which: we are moft liable. With regard to the firft, it is. fo injurious to fociety, and fo odious in itfelf, efpecially in thefemale cha- On the Government of the Temper. 199 racter, that one fhould think fhame alone. would be fufficient to preferve a young wo- man from giving way to it; foritis as un- becoming her character to be betrayed into ill behaviour by paffon as by intoxication, and fhe ought to be afhamed of one, as much as of the other. Gentlenefs, meek- nc{s, and patience, are her particular diftinc- tions, and an enraged woman is one of the moft difgufting fights in nature. It. is plain, from experience, that the motft paffionate people can command thent® felves, when they have a motive fuficiently ftrong—fuch as the prefence of thofe they fear, or to whom they particularly defire to recommend themfelves :—it is therefore no excult to perfons, whom you have injured by unkiad reproaches,and unjutt afperfions, to tell them you was ina paffion :—the al- lowing yourfelf to fpeak to them in paffion, is a proof of an infolent difrefpedt, which the meaneft of your fellow creatures would have a right torefenr. “When once you find yourlelf heated fo far as to'defire to fay what you know would be provoking, and wound- ing to another, you fhould immediately re- M 134 On the Government of the Temper. folve rather to be filent, or to quit the room than to give utterance to any thing dictated by fo bad an inelination. Be affured, you are then unfit to reafon or to reprove, or to hear reafon from others. It is therefore your part to retire from fuch an occafion of fin 5 and wait till you are cool, before you pre» fame to judge of what has paffed. By ac- cuftoming yourfelf thus to conquer and difappoint your anger, you will by degrees find it grow weak and manageable, fo as to Jeave your reafon at liberty :——You will be able to reftrain your tongue from evil, and your looks and geftures from all expreffions of violence and ill-will. Pride, which pro- duces fo many evils in the human mind, ts the great fource of paffion. Whoever cul- tivates in himfelf a proper humility, a due fenfe of his own faults, and infufficiencies, and a due refpeét for others, will find but {mall temptation to violent or unreafonable anger. | : In the eafe of real injuries, which jaftify and call for refentment, there is a noble and generous kind of anger, a proper and necef- fary part of our nature, which has nothing On the Government of the Temper. 135 in it finful or degrading. I would not with -you infenfible to this; for the perfon who feels not an injury, mult be incapable of be- Ing properly affected by benefits. With thofe, who treat you ill without provoca- tion, you ought to maintain your own dig- nity. But, in order to do this, whilft you fhew a fenfe of their improper behaviour, you muft preferve calmnefs, and even good breeding—and thereby convince them of the Importance as well as injuftice of their ma- dice. You muft alfo weigh every circum- {tance with candour and charity, and con- fider whether your fhewing the refentment deferved may not. produce ill confequences to innocent perfons—as is almoft always the cafe in family quarrels—and whether it may not occafion the breach of fome duty, or ne- ceffary connection, to which you ought to facrifice even your juft refentments. Above all things, take care that a particular offence to you does not make you unjuft to the ge- neral character of the offending perfon. Ge- nerous anger does not preclude efteein for whatever is really eftimable, nor does it de- ftroy good-will to the perfon of its object : M 2 136 On the Government of the Temper. it even infpires the defire of overcoming him by benefits—and wifhes to inflict no other punifhment than the regret of having injur- ed one, who defe rved his kindnefs : it is al- ways placable, and ready to be reconciled, as foon as the offender is convinced of his error nor can any fubfequent injury pro- voke it to recur to paft difobligations, which had been once forgiven. But it is perhaps unneceffary to give rules in this cafe: The confcioufnefs of injured innocence naturally produces dignity, and ufually prevents ex- ‘eefs of anger. Our paffion is moft unruly, when we are confcious of blame, and when we apprehend that we have laid ourfelves open to contempt. Where we know we have been wrong, the leaft injuftice in the degree of blame imputed to us, excites our bittereft refentment; where we know our- felves faultlefs, the fharpeft accufation ex- cites pity or contempt, rather than rage.— Whenever therefore you feel yourfelf very anary, fufpect yourfelf to be in the wrong, and refolve to ftand the decifion of your own confcience before you caft upo n another the On the Government of the Temper. 149 punifhment which is perhaps due to your- felf. This felf-examination will at leaft give you time to cool, and, if you are juft, will difpofe you to balance your own wrong with that of your antagonilt, and to fettle the ac- count with him on equal terms. Peevifhnefs, though not fo violént and fatal in its immediate effeéts, is till more unamiable than paffion, and, if poffible, more deftruétive of happinefs, in as much as it operates more continually. Though the fretful man injures us lefs, he difgufts us more than the paffionate one—becaufé ‘he betrays a low and little mind, intent’ on trifles, and engroffed by a paltry felf-love, which knows not how to bear the very ap- prehenfion of any inconvenience. It is felf. love then, which we muft combat, when we firid ourfelves affaulted by this infirmity ; and by voluntarily enduring inconveniences, we hall habituate ourfelves to bear them with eafe, and good-humour, when occafi= ofied by others. Perhaps this is the beft kind of religious mortification, as the chief cid of denying ourfelves any innocent in= M 3 138 On the Government of the Temper. dulgences muft be to acquire a habit of com- mand over our-paffions and inclinations, par- ticularly fuch as are likely to lead us into evil, Another.method of conquering ‘this enemy, is to abftraét our minds from that attention to trifling circumftances, which wtually creates this uneafinefs. Thofe who are engaged in high and important purfuits, are very little affected by fmall inconveni- ences. ‘The man whofe head is full of ftu- dious thought, or whofe heart is full of care, will eat his dinner without knowing whether. it is well or illdreffed, or whether it was ferved punctually at the hour or not: and though abfence from the common things of life is far from defirable—efpecially in a wo- man—yet too minute and anxious an atten® tion to them feldom fails to’produce a teafing, mean, and fretfuldifpofition. I would there- fore wifh your mind to have always fome objects in purfuit worthy of it, that it may not be engroffed by fuch as are in themfelves : {carce worth a moment’s anxiety. It is chiefly in the decline of life, when amufe- ments fail, and when the more importunate On the Government of the Temper, 149 paffions fubfide, that this infirmity isob-: ferved to grow upon us—and perhaps it will feldom fail to do fo, unlefs carefully watch- ed and counteracted by reafon.. We mutt then endeavour to fubftitute fome purfuits in the place of thofe, which can only engage us in the beginning of our courfe. The purfuit of glory and happinefs in another life, by every means of improving and ex. alting our own minds, becomes more and more interefting to us, the nearer we draw to the end of allfublunary enjoyments. Read. ing, reflection, rational converfation, and, above all, converfing with God, by prayer and meditation, may preferve us from taking that anxious intereft in the little comforts and conveniences of our remaining days, which ufually gives birth to fo much fret. fulnefs in old people. But though the aged and infirm are moft liable to this evil—and they alone are to be pitied for it—yet we fometimes fee the young, the healthy, and. thofe who enjoy moft outward bleffings, in- excufably guilty of it. The fmalleft difaps pointment in pleafure, or difficulty in the 140 On the Government of the. Zemper. moft trifling employment, will put wilful young people out of temper, and their very amufements frequently become fources of vexation and peevifhnefs. How often have I feen a girl, preparing for a ball, or . fome other public appéarance—unable to fatisfy her own vanity—fret over every orna- -ment fhe putson, quarrel with her maid, with her cloaths, her hair; and growing till more unlovely as fhe grew more crofs, be ready td fight with her looking-glafs for not making her as handfome as fhe wifhed to be. She did not confider that the traces of this il humour on her countenance would be a greater difadvantage to her appearance than any defect in her drefs—or even than the plaineft features enlivened by joy and good humour. There isa degree of refig- nation neceffary even to the enjoyment of pleafure ; we muft be ready and willing to give up fome part of what we could with far. before we can enjoy that which us ins dulged to us. I have no doubt that fhe, who frets all the while fhe is dreffing for an affembly, will fuffer greater uneafinefs when fhe is there, The fame craving reftlefs vani- On the Government cf theTemper. 144 ty will there endure athovufand mortificati- ons, which, in the midft of feeming pleafure, will fecretly corrode her heart ; whil{t the meek and humble generally find more gra- tification than they expeéted, and retura home pleafed and enlivened from every fcene of amufement, though they could have ftaid. away from it with perfeét eafe and content- ment. Sullennefs, or obftinacy, is arehene a worfe fault of temper than. either of the former—and,» if indulged, may end in the moft fatal extremes of ftubborn melancholy, malice and revenge. The refentment-which inftead of being expreffed, is nurfed in fe- cret, and continually aggravated by the ima- gination, will, in time, become the ruling paffion ; and then, how horrible mutt be his cafe, whofe kind and pleafurable affections are all fwallowed up by the tormenting, as well as deteftable fentiments of hatred and revenge ! - ** Admonih thy friend, perad- *‘venture he hath not done it: or it he “‘ hath, that he do it no more. Adnraonifh “ thy friend, peradventure he hath not faid & ‘it: or if he hath, that he fpeak it not * Ecclef. xix. 13. 142 On the Government of the Temper. ‘again.’ Brood not over a refentment, which perhaps was at firft ill grounded, and which is undoubtedly heightened by an heat- ed imagination. But, when you have firft - fubdued your own temper, fo as to be able to fpeak calmly, reafonably, and kindly, then expoftulate with the perfon you fup- pofe to be in fault—hear what fhe has to fay ; and either reconcile yourfelt to her, or quiet your mind under the injury, by the principle of Chriftian charity. But if it fhould appear that you yourfelf have been moft to blame, or if you have been in an error, acknowledge it fairly and -handfome- ly ; if you feel any reluctance to do fo, be eertain that it arifes from pride, to conquer which is an abfolute duty. ‘* A foft anfwer *turneth away wrath,” and a generous con- feffion oftentimes more than attones for the fault which requires it. Truth and juftice demand that we fhould acknowledge cori- viction, as foon as we feel it—and not main- tain an erroneous opinion, or juftify wrong condudt, merely for the falfe fhame of con- feffing our palt ignorance. A falfe fhame it undoubtedly is, and as impolitic as unjuft, On the Government of ihe Temper, 143. fince yaur error is already feen by thofe who endeavour to fet you right; but your con- victien, and the candour and generofity of owning it freely, may {till be an honour te you, and a ftrong recommendation of you to the perfon with whom yeu difputed, With a-difpofition {trongly inclined to ful- lennefs, or obftinacy, this muft be a very painful exertion ; and to make a perfeét con- queft over yourfelf at once, may perhaps ap- pear impracticable, whilit the zeal of felf- juttification, and the abhorrence of blame, are {trong upon you. But if you are fo un- happy as to yield to your infirmity, at the time, do not let this difcourage you from senewing your efforts. Your mind will gain ftrength from the conteft, and your internal enemy will by degrees be forced to give’ ground. Be not afraid to revive the fubjea, ,as foon as you find yourfelf able to fubdue your temper; and then frankly lay open the confli& you fuftained at the time: by this you will make all the amends in your power for your fault, and will certainly change the difguft you had given into pity at leait, if not admiration. Nothing is more a44 On the Government of the Temper. endearing than fuch a confeflion : and you will find fuch a fatisfaction in your own con- fcioufnefs, and in the renewed tendernefs and efteem you will gain from the perfon con- cerned, that your tafk for the furure will be made more eafy, and your reluctance to be convinced, will on every ecgpes arow lefs and lefs. The love of truth, and-a real defire of improvement, ought to be the only metive _ of argumentation—and, where thefe are fin- cere, no difficulty can be made of embra-. cing the truth, as foon-as it is perceived. Bat, in fact, people oftener difpute from va- nity and pride, which make it a grievous mortification to acknowledge that we are the wifer for what we have heard from ano- ther. To receive advice, reproof, and in- ftruction, properly, is the fureft fign of a fin- eere and humble heart—and fhews a great- nefs of mind, which commands our reipect and reverence, while it appears fo willingly to yield to-us the fuperiority. Obferve, notwithitanding, that I, do not wifh you to hear of your faults without pain:—Such an indifference would afford On the Government of the Temper. 146 fmall hopes of amendment. Shame and re- morfe are the firft fteps to true repentance— yet. we fhould be willing to bear this pain, and thankful to the kind hand that inflies it for our good. Nor mutt we, by fullen filence under it, leave our kind phyfician ia doubt, whethemthe operation has taken ef- fect or not, or whether ‘it has not added another malady, inftead of curing the firtt. You muft confider, that thofe who tell you of your faults, if they do it from motives of kindnefs, and not’ of malice, exert their friendthip in a painful office, which mut have coft them as great an effort, as it can be to you to acknowledge the fervice pand, if you refufe this encouragement, you can- not ‘expect that any one, who is not abfo- lutely obliged to it by duty, will a fecond time undertake fuch an il! requited trouble, ‘What a lofs would this be to yourfelf 1— how difficult would be our progre{s to that degree of perfeion which is neceflary to our happinefs, was it not for the affiftance: we receive from each other !—this certainly Is‘one of the means of grace held out to us - by or merciful judee—-and, if we reject rt, N - 146 On the Government of the Temper. we are anfwerable for all the mifcarriages we may fall into for want of it. I know not, whether that ftrange caprice, that in equality of tafte and behaviour, fo commonly attributed to our fex, may be properly called a fault of temper—as it feems not to be connected with, or arifing from our animal frame, but to be rather the i it 1 i I ai Mitt |i ait aa ae ¥ 198 On Politenefs and will amit you to underftand, and to relifh this poem. It is needlefs to recommend to you the tranflations of Homer and Virgil, which every one reads that reads at all. You muft have heard. that Homer is efteemed the father of poetry—the original from whence al] the moderns—not excepting Milton himfelf—-borrowed-fome of their greateft beauties—and trom whom they ex- traéted thofe rules for compofition, which are found moft agreeable to naturg,and true ‘talte. Virgil, you know, is the next in rank amoneft the claffics: You will read his JEneid with extreme pleafure, if ever you are able to read Italian, in Annibal Caro’s tranflation—the idiom of the Latin and Italian languages being more alike, itis, I believe, much clofer, yet preferves more of the fpirit of the original than the n Enel tranflations. For the reft, Fame will point out to you the moft confiderable of our poets—and I would not exclude any of name, among thofe whofe morality is unexceptionable : but of poets, as of all other authors, I wifh Accomplifomenis. 199 _youto read only fuch as are properly re- commended to you-—fince there are many who debafe their divine art, by abufing it to the purpofes of vice ‘and impiety.- If you could read poetry with a judicious friend, who would lead your judgment ‘to a true difcernment of its beauties and defects, it would inexpreffibly heighten both your pleafure and improvement. But, before you enter upon this, fome acquaintance with the Heathen Mythology isneceflary. I think that you muft before now have met. with a book under the title of, The Pan- theon : And, if once you know as much of the gods and goddefies as the moft common books on the fubjeét will tell you, the reft may be learned by reading Homer: but then you muft particularly attend to him in this view. Ido not expect you to. pene- trate. thofe numerous myfteries — thofe amazing depths of morality, religion, and. metaphyfics—which fome pretend to have difcovered in his mythology ; but, to know the names and principal offices of the gods, and goddeffes, with fome idea of their mo- ral meaning, feems requifite to the under. 200 Ox Politene/s and ftanding almoft any ‘poetical compofition: As an inftance of the woral meaning’ | {peale of, I will mention an obfervation of Boffuet, That Homer’s poetry was particularly re commended to the Greeks by the fuperiori« ty which he afcribes to them over the A fia- ticsthis fuperiority is fhewn in the Iliad, not only in the conqueft of Afia by the Greeks, and in the a€tual deftruétion of its capital, but in the divifion and arrangement ‘of the Gods, who took part with the con- tending nations. Qn the fide of Afia was Venus—that ts, fenfual paffion—pleafure = and effeminacy. On the fide of Greece was Yuno—that is, matronal gravity and conjugal love ; together with Mercury—in- vention and eloquences-and upiter—ot political wifdom. On the fide of Afia was Mars, who reprefents brutal valour and blind fury. On that of Greece was Pallas —that is, military difcipline, and bravery, guarded by judginent. ust This, and many other inftances that might be produced, will thew you how much of the beauty of the poet’s art muft be loft to you, without fome notion of Accompilifhments. - 20f thefe allegorical perfonages. Boys, in their {chool-learning, have this kind of know- ledge impreffed on their minds by a variety of banleas ; but women, who do not go through the fame courfe of inftru@tion, are very apt to forget what little they read or hear on the fubject : I advife you therefore never to lofe an opportunity of enquiring the meaning of any thing you meet with in poetry, or in painting, sdascieis to the hif- tory of any of the heathen deities, and of obtaining from fome friend an explanation of its connection with true hiftory, orof its allegorical reference to morality or to ~ phy fics. ~ Natural philofophy, in the largeft fen‘ of expreffion, is too wide a Geld for you to undertake—but the ftudy of nature, as far as may fuit your powers and opportunities, you will find a moft fublime entertainment ; the objects of this ftudy are all the ftupen- dous works of the Almighty Hand that lie within the reach of our obfervation, Inthe works of man perfection is aimed-at, but it can only be found in thofe of the Creator. The contemplation of perfection mutt pro- 202 On Politenels and duce delight——and every natural objeé around you will offer this delight, if i¢ could attraét your attention :—if you fur- vey the earth, every leaf that trembles in the breeze—every blade of grafs beneath your feet isa wonder as abfolutely beyond the reach of human art to imitate as the conftruétion of the univerfe. Endlefs plea- fures, to thofe who have a tafte for them, might be derived from the endlefs variety to be found in the compofition of this globe and its inhabitants. The foffil—the ve- getable—and the animal world—gradually rifing in the fcale of excellence—the innu merable fpecies of each which preferve their {pecific differences from age to age, yet of which no two individuals are ever p perfedtty alike—-afford fuch a range for obfervation and enquiry as might engrofs the whole term of our fhort life, if followed minutely. Befides all the animal creation, obvious to our unaffifted fenfes ; the eye, aided by phi- lofophical inventions, fees myriads of crea- tures, which by the ignorant are not known to have exiftence :—it fees all nature teem with life—every fluid—each part of every } Accomplifhments. 203 vegetable and-animal fwarm with its peculiar inhabitants, invifible to the naked eye, but as perfect’ in all their. parts, and enjoying life as indifputably as the elephant or the whale, But, if from the earth, and from thefe minute wonders, the philofophic eye is raif- -ed towards the Heavens, what a ftupendous {cene,there, opens to it’s view !—thofe bril- liant lights, that {parkle to the eye of igno- rance as gems adorning the fky, or as lamps to guide the traveller, aflume an importance that amazes the underftanding !—they ap- pear to be worlds, formed like ours for a variety of inhabjtants—or /uas, enlighten- ing numberlefs other worlds too diftant for our difcovery !~I Shall ever remember the aftonifhment and rapture with which my mind received this idea, when I was about your age—-it was then perfectly new to me, and it was impoffible to defcribe the fenfa- tions which | felt from the glorious, bound- lefs profpect of infinite beneficence burfting | at ence ‘upon my imagination! Who:can contemplate fuch a fcene unmoved ?—if your curiofity is excited to enter upon this 204 On Politenefs and noble enquiry, a few books on the fubject and thofe of the eafie(t fort, with fome of the common experiments, may be fufficient _ for your purpofe—which 1s to enlarge your mind, and to excite in it the moft ardent gratitude and profound adoration towards that great and good Being, who exerts his boundlefs power in communicating various portions of happinels through all the im- menfe regions of creation. Moral philofophy—as it relates to human — actions, is of ftili higher importance than the ftudy_ of nature. The works of the anci- ents on this fubjec&t are univerfally faid to be entertaining as well as inftructive, by thofe. who tan read them in their original _ languages ; and fuch of them as are well tranflated will undoubtedly, fome years hence, afford you great pleafure and im- provement. You will alfo find many agree- able and ufeful books written originally in French, and in Englifh,on morals and man- ners: for the prefent, there are works, which, without affuming the folemn air of philofophy, will enlighten your mind on thefe fubjects, and introduce inftruction in AAccomplifoments, 205 an eafier drefs: of this fort are many of the moral effays, which have appeared in pe- riodical papers—-which, when excellent in their kind—-as are the Spectators, Guardians, Ramblers, and ddventurers—are particularly ufeful to young people, as they comprehend a great variety of fubjects—introduce many ideas and obfervations that are new to them— and lead to a habit of reflecting on the cha- racters, and events, that come before them in _ teal life, whichiI confider as the beft exercif of the underftanding, Books on tafte and criticifm, will hereafter be more proper for you than at prefent : ‘whatever can improve your difcernment, and render your taite elegant and juft, mutt be of great confequence to your enjoyments, as well as to the embellithment of your un- derftanding. : I would by no means exclude the kind of reading, which young people are natural- ly moft fond of—though I think the ereat- eft care fhould be taken in the choice of thofe fictitious ftories, which fo enchant the mind—moft of which tend to enflame the paffions of youth, whilft the chief purpofe 2 206 On Politesefs and of education fhould be tqamoderate and re- ftrainthem. Add to this, that both the writing and fentiments of moft novels and romances, are fuch as are only proper to viti- ate your ftile, and to miflead your heart and underftanding. The expectation of extraor- dinary adventures—which feldom ever hap- pen tothe fober and prudent part of man- kind---and the admiration of extravagant paflions and abfurd conduct, are fome of the ufual fruigs of this kind of ‘reading-=-w hich, when. a young. woman makes it "hes chief amufement, generally renders her ridiculous in converfation, and miferably wrong- headed in her purfuits and behaviour. There are however works of this clafs, in which excel- lent morality is joined with the moft lively pictures of the human mind, and with all that can entertain the imagination, and 1 inter- .. eft the-heart. But, I saat, repeatedly exhort you, never to read any thing of the fenti- mental kind, without taking the judgment of your beft friends in the choice---for, I am perfuaded, that the indifcriminate reading of fuch kind of books corrupts more female hearts than any other caufe whatfoever. bd Ae g Accomplifoments. 2049 Before I clofe this torfefpondence; I fhall point out the courfe of hifttory I with you to purfue, and give you my thoughts on geo- graphy and chronology, fome knowledge of both being, in my opinion, neceflary to the reading of hiftory with any advantage. Lam, my deareft Niece, your ever afeChionate, Oo N ROE RR Pow y OND CH RON OL. 0-G,.Y. Lob or Po ROR? or My peartsr Niece, | sh told you, that you will not be able to read hiftory, with much pleafure or advantage, without fome little knowledge : of Geography and Chronology. They are both very eafily attained---I mean in the de- gree that wall be neceffary for you. You muft be fenfible that you can know but lit- tle of.a country, whofe fituation with refpect to the reft of the world you are entirely ig- norant of---and that, it is to little purpofe On Geography and Chronoleg. 209 that you are able to mention a fact, if you cannot nearly afcertain the time in which it happened, which alone, in many cafes, gives importance to the faét itfelf. In Geography---the eafielt of all fciences, and the beft adapted to the capacity of chil- dren---I fuppofe you to have made fome be- ginning: to know at leaft the figure of the earth---the fuppofed, lines---the degrees--- how to meafure diftances---and a few of the common terms : if you do not already know thefe, two or three leffons will be fuficient to attain them: the reft is the work of me- mory, and is eafily gained by reading with maps ; for Ido not with your knowledge to be exact and mafterly---but fuch only as is ne- ceflary for the purpofe of underftanding hif- ‘tory, and, without which; even a news-pa= per: would be unintelligible. Ir may be fufficient for this end, if, with refpect to az- cient Geography, you have a general idea of the fituation of all the grear ftates, without being able precifely to afcertain their limits. But, in the moderz, you ought to know the bounds and extent of every ftate in Europe, ahd its fituation with refpect to the reft, The 33 ae i ITN SE TEE I aber ie para 210 On Geography and Chronology. other parts of the world will require lefs ac- curate knowledge, except with regard to the European fettlements. It may be an ufeful and agreeable me- thod, when you learn the fituation of any im- portant country, to join with that know- ledge fome one or two leading facts or cir- cumftances concerning it, fo that its: parti- cular property may always put you in mind of the fituation, and the fituation, in like manner, recal the particular property. —— When, for inftance, you learn in what part of the globe to find Ethiopia, to be told at the fame time that, in that vaft unknown track of country, the Chriftian religion was once the religion of the ftate, would be of fervice—becaufe the geographical and hitto- rical knowledge qwould affift each other, Thus, to join with Egypt, the nurfe and parent of arts and of fuperftition—with Perfia, * (hocking defpotifm and perpetual revolutions— with ancient Greece, freedom and genius— with Scythia, bardine/s and conqueft, are hints which you may make ufe of as you pleafe. Perhaps annexing to any country the idea of fome familiar form which it moft refem- Ox Geography and Chronology. are bles, may at firft affift you to retain a genes ral notion of it—thus Italy has been called _a boot--and Europe compared to a woman Sitting. : : The difference of the ancient and modern names of ‘places is fomewhat perplexing—= the moft important fhould be known by both names at the fame time, and you muft endeavour to fix a few of thofe which are of moft confequence fo ftrongly in your mind, by thinking of them, that the ancient name fhall always call up the modern one to your memory, and the modern the ancient : Such as the Aigean fea, now Tbe Archepelago—— The Peloponnefus, now The Morea—Crete, Candia—Gaul, France----Babylon, Bagdat--- Byzantium----to which the Romans tranf- planted their feat of empire Conftantia nople, 8c. There have been fo many ingenious con- trivances to make geography eafy and a- mufing, that I cannot hope to add any thing of much fervice ; I would only prevail with you not to neglect acquiring, by whatever. method pleafes you beft, that fhare of know- ledge, in it, which you will find neceflary, Q12 On Geography and Chronology: and which is fo eafily attained---and I en- treat you that you would learn it in fuch a manner as to Ax it in your mind, fo that ic may not be loft and forgotten among other childifh acquifitions, but that it may remain ready for ufe through the reft of your life. Chronology indeed has more of difficulty-- but, if you do not bewilder yourfelf by at- tempting to learn too much, and too mi- nutely at firft, you need not defpair of gain- ing enough for the purpofe of reading hif- tory with pleafure and utility. Chronology may be naturally divided into three parts, the Ancient---the Middle---and the Modern. With refpect to all thefe, the beft direétion that can be given is to &x on fome periods er epochas, which, by being often mentioned and thought of; explained and referred to, will at laft be fo deeply engraven on the memory, that they will be ready to prefent themfelves whenever you call for them: thefe indeed fhould. be few, and ought to be well chofen for their impor- tance, fince they are to ferve as elevated ftations to the mind, from which it may On Geography and Chronelogy. 213% — look backwards and forwards upon a great variety of facts. Till your more learned friends thall fup- ply you with better, I will take the liberty’ to recommend the following, which I have: found of fervice to myfelf. In the ancient’ chronology; you will find there were, four thoufand years from the creation to the redemption’ of man----and: that Noah and his family were miraculoufty: preferved.in the ark 1650 years after Adam’s creation. As there is‘no hiftory, except:that in. sie Bible, of any thing before the flood, we may’ fet out from that great event, which happen- ed, as I have faid above, i inthe year of the world 1650. The 2350 years which paffed from the deluge to our Saviour’s birth, may be thus divided: There have been four fucceffive Empires called Universal, becaufe they’ ex- tended over a great part of the then known world---thefe are ufwally diftinguifhed by: the name of Tbe Four Great Monarchies :---= The three firft of them arz iacluded in an- at4 On Geography and Chronology. cient chronology; and begun and ended in the following manner : ift, THe AssyR1an EMPIRE, founded by Nimrod in.the year of the world 1800, end- ed under Sardanapalus in 2350, continued 1450 years. The Midian---though not accounted one of the four great monarchies, being con- guefts of the rebels on the Affynan empire, comes in here for about 200 years. ad, Tne Pexsran Empire, which began under Cyrus, in the year of the world 3450, ended in Darius in 3670, before Ghrift 330, lafted a little more than 20. years. gd, Tue GRECIAN Emprre, began un der Alexander the Great, in 3670, was foon after his death difmembered by his fuccef- fors, but the different parcels into which they divided it were poffeffed by their re- Spective families, till the famous Cleopatra, the laft of the race of Ptolemy, one of Alex- ander’s captains. who reigned in Egypt, was eonquered by Julius Cafar, about half a Century before our Lord’s birth, which is a term of about goo years. On Geography and Chronology. 218 Thus you fee that from the deluge to the _ eftablifhment of the firft great monarchy---- the Affyrian----is----1 50 years-----The Affy- rlan empire continued us eee The Midian | ease er The Perfian woe i Ore ee The Grecian .- - = + = > 300 From Julius Czfar, with whom began the fourth great monarchy viz, the RomantoChrift - - - - 50 In all 2350 years. The term from the deluge to Chrift, If you confult books of Chronology, you will find. errors of fome years in thefe dates, but exactnefs is not neceffary for a beginner ---and I have taken only round numbers for the greater eafe of the memory, _ I offer this fhort table as a little foecinain of what you may eafily do for yourfelf— but even this fketch, flight as it is, will give you a general notion of the ancient hiftory of the world, from the deluge to the birth of Chrift. SRT aL Se at oa Sores 2.46 Cu. Geography and Chronology. Within this period flourifhed the Grecian _and Roman republics, with the hiftory and _ehronology. of which you will be required to be tolerably well acquainted; and indeed you will.fand nothing-in the records of man- kind fo entertaining. Greece was divided into many petty ftates, whofe various revolu- tions and annals you can. never hope diftina- ly to remember---you are therefore to con- fider them as forming together one great kingdom---like the Germanic body, or Uni- ~ ted Provinces, compofed feparately of differ- ent governments, but fometimes acting with wnited force for their common intereft. The Lacedemonian government, formed by Ly- ~ curgus in the year of the world 3100---and the Athenian regulated by Solon, about the year 3440, ) will chiefly. engage your atten- tion. In purfuing the Grecian chronology, you need only perhaps make cone ftand or epo- cha---at the time of Socrates, that wifeft of - philofophers, whom yeu muff have heard of, who lived about 3570 years from the creati- on, and about 430 before Chrift---for with- in the term of 150 years before Socrates, and Ou Geography and Chronology. 2 17 2Q0 after him, will fallin moft of the great events and illuitrious characters of the Gre- cian hiftory. I muft inform you, that the Grecian me- thod of dating that time was by Olympiads— that is four compleat years-—{o called from the celebration, every fifth year, of the Olympic Games, which were contefts in all the manly exercifes, {uch as wreftling— boxing — running — chariot - racing, &c. They were infticuted in honour of Jupiter, and took their name from Olympia, a city of Elis, near which they were performed: they were attended by all ranks of people, from every ftate in Greece: the noblett youth were eager to obtain the prize of vic« . tory, which. was no other than an olive crown, but efteemed the moft diftinouifh- ingornamepr. Thefe,games continued all the time that Greece retained any: fpark of hoerty—~-and with them ‘begins the authen- tic hiftory of that country—all before being confidered as fabulous. You muf there- fore endeavour to remember.that they began in the year of the world 32283 after the flood 1570 years; after the deftruion of | T 218 On Geography and Chronology. Troy 400 ; before the building of Rome 223 beforeCyrus, about 200 ; and 770 be- fore Chrift. If you cannot retain all thefe dates, at leaft you muft not fail to re- member the coincidence of the Olympiads with the building of Rome, which is of great confequence, becaufe the Romans reckoned their time from the building of their city 5 indeed as thefe two zras are within 23 years of each other, you may, for the eale of memory, fuppofe them to begin together, in the year of the world 3228. In reading the hiftory of the Roman Re- public; which continued in that form of government to the time of Julius Cefar’s dictatorfhip, about the year of the world "3960, and about 48 years before Chrift— you will make as many epochas as you fhall find convenient: I will mention only two; the facking of Rome by the Gauls, which happened in the year of the world 9620 ; in the 365th year of the city ; inthe g7th Olympiad ; before Chrift 38; and about 30 years before the birth of Alexan- der. The fecond epocha may be the 608th year of the city—-when after three obftinate On Geography and Chronology. — 2 19 wars, Carthage was deftroyed, and Rome left without a rival. Perhaps the following bad verfes, which were given me when I was young, may help to fix in your mind the important zras of the Roman and Grecian dates: You muft not laugh at them, for chronologers do not pigue themfelves on their pony: but they make ufe cf numbers and rhymes merely as affiftants to memory, being fo ealily jearned by heart. ** Rome and Olympiads bear the fame “date: “© Three thoufand two hundred and twenty. “eight. “In * three hundred and fixty was Rome ** fack’d and torn, ‘© Thirty fummers before Alexander was pe ve You will allow that what I have faid in thefe few pages, is very eafily learned—yet little as it is, I will venture to fay that, were 2 * That is, in the 365 year of the city, Le ee ee a See: | i | 1 220 On Geography and Chronelogy. you as perfectly miftrefs of it as of your alphabet, you: might anfwer feveral quef- tions relating to ancient chronology more readily; thari many who pretend to know fomething of this ference. One is not fo much required to tell the precife year, in which a great man lived, as to know witly whom he was cotemporaty in other parts of the world. I would know then, from the Nicht fketch above given, about what year of thé Roman’republic Alexander the Great lived. You would quickly run over in your mind, Alexander lived in the 3670th year of the world—~3 30 before Chrift—con- fequently he muft have flounfhed about the 400th of Rome, which had lafted 750 years when Chrift was: born. In what con+ dition was Greece, at the time of the fack- ing of Rome: by the Gauls—had any par- ticular ftate, or the united body, chofen then to take advantage of the misfortunes of the’ Romans 7 Yow are tovconfider that the 365th! year of the city--the date of thae ~ event is 989: before Chrift—confequently this muft have happened about the time of Philip of Macedon, father of Alexander, On Geography and Chronology. 225 when the Grecians, under fuch a leader, might have extirpated the Roman nation from the earth, had they ever heard of them, or thought the conqueft of them an object worthy of their ambition. Numberlefs queftions might be anfwers ed in like manner, even on this very nar- row circumfcribed plan, if it was complete- — ly maftered. I might require, that other periods or epochas fhould be learned with the fame exactnefs—but thefe may ferve to explain my. meaning, ahd to fhew you how practicable and eafy it is. One things however, I muft obfervethough perhaps it is fufficiently obvious-which is=that you can make no ule of this piece of anci- ent Chronology; nor even hope to retain jt, till you have read the ancient Aijfory. When you have gone through Rollin’s Hif- toire Ancienne once; then will be the time to fix theancient Chronology deep in your mind, which will very much enhance the pleafure and ule of reading it a fecond time—for you mutt remember, that nobody reads a hiftory to much purpole, who dees not go over it more than onces y3 i : i | i a yf | | ] gan On Geography and Chronolbgy. When: you have got through your courfe of ancient hiftory, atid’ are come to the more modern, you mutt then have recourfé to the fecond of the three’ divifionss=viz, middle Chrorclgy—containing about 86¢ years, from the birth ef our Lord, and'from within go:years of the’ rife of the Roma Empire, to: Charlemagne, who died in 81g. This period, except in the earlieft part of it, is too. much involved in obfcurity to res guire a very minute knowledge of its hifs tory. It may be fufficient to fix two- of three of the moft fingular cireumftances; by their proper dates. Tl ~ firft epocha to be obferved is the year of our Lord 330—-when Conftantine, the firft Chriftian emperer, who reftored peace to the oppreffed' and perfecuted church, removed the feat of empire from Rome to Byzantium, called afterwards from him Conftantinople. After his time+-about the year 400—began thole - irruptions ef the Goths and Wandals, and other northern nations, who fettled all over the welkern parts of the Romanempire, and On Geography. and Chronology. age. laid the foundation: of the: feveral fkates, which now fubfift in Hurope. | The next epocha, is the year 622—for the eafe of the memory, fay 600—when, Mahomet, by his fuccefsful impofture, be= eame the founder of the Saracen empire, which his followers extended over a great. part of Afia and Africa, and over fome pro vinces of Europe. Ac the fame time, Se, Gregory, bithop of Rome, began to affume a {piritual power, which grew by degrees into that abfolute and enormous dominion,, fo long maintained. by the Popes over the greateft part of Chriftendom. St. Auguf- tine a miffionary, from St. Gregory—aboug this time, began the converfion of Greag Britain to Chriftianity. The third and concluding epocha in this divifion is. the year 805. when Charlemagne, king, of France-»after having fubdued the Saxons, reprefled the Saracens, and eftae blithed the temporal dominion of the Pope by. a grant of confiderable territories—was elected Emperor. of the. weft and protector ofthe church. The date of this event cor« _ xefponds. with this remarkable period of. a i es z eS ee ee eieuiiieaemaa ene Soe pS ttc Sa fara i 3 Besar A sree SN ON A ie RI 424 On Geography and Chronolegy. eur Englifh hiftorythe union of the Hep- tafchy or feven kingdoms under Egbert. As to the ¢hird part of chtonology--— namely the Medern,1 fhall fpare you and’ miyfelf all trouble about it at prefent, for, if you follow the courfe of reading which I fhall recommend, it will be fome years be- fore you teach modern hiftory—and when you do, you will eafily make periods for yourfelf, if you do but remember carefully to exathine the dates as you read, and to imprefs on yotir memory thofe of very re« markable reigns or events: I fear you are by this time tired of Chro- hology=but, ty fole intention in what I Rave faid, is to cofvince you, that it is 4 {ciernice not out of your réach, in the mo- Gerate degree that is requifite for you: the laft volime of the Ancient Univerfal Hif* tory isthe beft Englifh Chronological work I know of=if that does not come in yout way; there is an excellent French one, called Tablettes Chronologiques de PHiltoire Univerfelle. Du Frefnoy, 3 toms. Paris.— There is alfo a chart of univerfal hiftory,in- ¢luding Chronology*and a Biographical On Geography and Chronology. 225 chart—both by Prieftley--which you may find. of fervice to you. Indeed, my dear, a woman makes 4 poor figure who effects; as.I have heard fome ladies do, to difclaim all knowledge of _titnes arid dates; the ftrange confufion they make of events, which happened in differ- ent periods, and the ftare of ignorance when fuch are referred to as are commonly known, is fufficiently pitiable : but the higheft mark of folly is to be proud of foch jgnorance——a refource in whieh: fome of our fex find great confolation. | Adieu, my dear child—I am,. with the tendereft affections : Ever yours. © N T HE MANNER ann COURSE Org: READING HISTORY. fon Mee ARO IRE: oox: My pearest Neicz, K & 7 HEN I recommend to you to gairi fome‘infight inte the general hif- tory of the world, perhaps you will think I . impofe a formidable tafk—but, your ap- prehenfion will vanifh, when you confider that of near half the globe we have no hif- tories at all; that of other parts.of it, a few faéts only are known to us---that even of thofe nations, which make the greateft figure in hiftory, the early ages are .involy- ed in obicurity and fable : it is not indeed allowable to be totally ignorant even of thefe fables, becaufe they are the frequent fubjeéts of poetry and painting, and are of- ten referred to in more authentic hiftories. On. the Manner, &e. 227 The firft recorders of actions are gene. yally poets: in the hiftorical fongs of the bards are found the only accounts of the ‘firft ages of every ftate—but in thefe we muft naturally expect to find truth mixed with fiction, and often difguifed in allegory, In fuch early times, before feience has en. . lightened the minds of men, the people are ready to believe every thing—and the hif- torian, having no reftraints from. the fear of contradiction or criticifm, delivers the moft improbable and abfurd tales as an ac- count of the lives and actions of their fore- fathers : thus the farft heroes of every nation are gods, ‘or the fons of gods—and every great event is accompanied with fome fu- pernatural agency.—Homer, whom I have already mentioned as a poet, you will find the moft agreeable hiftorian of the early ages of Greece—and Virgil will fhew you ‘the fuppofed origin of the i eicon, and Romans. _ It will be neceffary for you to obferve fome regular plan in your hiftorical ftudies, which can never be purfued with advantage otherwife than in a continued feries. I do 228 On the Manner and not mean to confine you folely to that kind of reading—on the contrary, I with you frequently to relax with poetry or fome other amufement, whilft you are purfuing your courfe of hiftory ; 1 oply mean to warn you.againft mixing axcient hiftory with mo- dern, or general hiftories of one place, with particularreigns in another ; by which deful- tory manner of reading, many people diftract and confound their memories, and retain nothing to any purpofe from fuch a confu- fed mafs of materials. The moft ancient of all hiftories, you will read in your Buible---thence you will proceed to L’Hiftoire Ancienne of Rollin, who very ingenioufly points out the con- neCtion.of profane with facred hiftory, and enlivens his narrative with many agreeable and improving reflections------- and many very pleafing detached {tories and anec- dotes, which may ferve you as refting places an your journey. It would be an ufeful ex- _ercife of your memory and judgment, to recount thefe interefting paffages to a friend, either by letter or in’ converfation---not in the words ef the author, but in vour own Courfe of reading Hiftory. 229 natural ftile---by memory and not by book, and to add whatever remarks may occur to you. Ineed not fay that you will pleafe me much, whenever you are difpofed to make this ufe of me. The want of memory is a great difcou- ragement in hiftorical purfuits, and is what every body complains of. Many artificial helps have been invented, of which, thofe who have tried them can beft tell you the effects: but the moft natural and pleafant expedient is that of converfation with a2 friend, who is acquainted with the hiftory which you are reading. By ‘fuch converfa- tions, you will fad out how much is ufually retained of what is read, and you will learn to fele& thofe characters and fats which are beft worth preferving : for, it is by trying to remember every thing without diflingtion, that young people are fo apt to’ lofe every trace of what they read. By repeating to your friend what you can recolle@, you will hx itin your memory; and, if you fhould omit any flriking particular, which oughe to be retained, that friend will remind you of it, and will dire& your attention to it on U 2 230 On the Manner and a fecond perufal. It is a good rule, to caft your eye each day over what you read the day before, and to look ever the con- tents of every book when you have finifh- ed it. Rollin’s work takes in a large compafs— but, of all the ancient nations it treats of, perhaps there are only the Grecian and Ro- man, whofe ftories ought to be read with any anxious defire of retaining them per- featly : for the reft—fuch as the Affyrians, Eeyptians, &c. I believe, you will find on examination, that moft of thofe who are fuppofed tolerably well read in hiftory, re- member no more than a few of the moft re- markable faéts and characters. I tell you this to prevent your being difcouraged on finding fo little remain in your mind after reading thefe lefs interefting parts of ancient hiftory. | But, when you come to the Grecian and Roman hiftories, I expect to find you deeply interefted and highly entertained ; and, of confequence, eager to treafure up in your memory thofe heroic actions and exalted characters, by which a yeung mind is natu- > oa “ Courfe of reading Hiftory. 231 tally fo much animated and imprefied. As Greece and Romie were diftinguifhed as much for their genius as valour, and were the thea- ‘tres, not only of the greateft military acti« ons—the nobleft efforts of liberty and pa- triotifm—but of the higheft perfe€tion of arts and {ciences, their immortal fame is a fubject of wonder *and emulation, even to ‘thofe diftant ages ; and, it is thought a fhame- ful degree of ignorance, even in our fex, to be unacquainted with the nature and revo- Jutions of their governments, and with the characters and ftories of their moft illuftri- ‘ous heroes. Perhaps, when you are told that the government and the national cha- racter of your own countrymen have been ‘compared with thofe of the Romans, it may bean ufeful amufement, when you read the Roman Hiltory, to carry this obfervation in your mind, and to examine how far the pa- ‘allel holds good. TheFrench have bee thought torefemble the Athenians in their genius, though not in their love of Nberty. Thefe little hints fometimes ferves to awaken reflection and attention in young readers— U 2 { ga Tow ne somte "Se F Hi i q i i j j ; , a i a; i t / a ; 4 | i | H i) 4 aa 1 x ' | i | te Bh ty i | hi i ee | i i | ; By | i oe fl i i fe } iit t a li ) i re 4 13 4 z | ; { & 1] fi : a. me eb i | bay q = ii i | 3 f We r Ht me £ ae = oii & i! ‘ HL F) 44) { ia i rete & i) | 5 O53 ah eee tl ; bee as} - a + in w . @ q vt 7 tein ¥ ae t i et a , [ 5 $ ne a 5 Ra | f Bi 8 4 9 aa thie | rea ; tf 4 } i . i 4 : e i i ‘ 4 re a t i ; I Hy ae & bie im & i § } f le ' 292 On the Manner and T leave you to make. what ufe of them you pleafe. ) When you have got through Rollin, if you add Vertot's Revolutiones Romaines---a fhort, and very entertaining work ; you may be faid to have read as much as is ab/olutely neceffary of ancient hiftory. Plutarch’s Lives of famous Greeks and Romans---a book de- fervedly of the higheft reputation---can ne- ver be read to fo much advantage as imme- diately after the hiftories of Greece and Rome: I fhould even prefer reading each life in Plutarch, immediately after the hifto- ry of each particular Hero, as you meet with them in Rollin or in Vertor, If hereafter you fhould choofe to enlarge your plan, and fhould wih to know more of any particular people or period than you findin Rollin, the fources from which he drew may be open to you---for there are, I believe, French or Englifh tranflations of all the original hiftorians from whom he ex- tracted his matertals. Crevier’s continuation of Rollin, I believe, gives the beft account of the Roman empe- rors down to Cenftantine, What fhocking Courfe of reading LHiftory. 232 anftances will yousthere meet with, of the terrible effets of lawlefs power on the hu- man mind ! How will you be amazed to fee the moft promifing characters changed by flattery and felf-indulgence into monilers that difgrace humanity ! to read a ferics of fuch lives as thofe of Tiberius, Nero, or Domiti- an, would be intolerable, were we not con- foled by the view of thofe excellent empe- rors, who remained uncorrupted through all temptations.. *When the mind---difgufted, ‘ depreficd, and terrified, turns from the con- templation of thefe depths of vice, to which the human nature may be funk, a Titas, the delight of mankind 5 a Trajan; an Antoni- nus, reftore it to an exulting fenfe of the dig- nity, to which that nature. may be exalrec! by virtue. Nothing is more awful than this confideration + a human creature given up to vice is infinitely below the molt abjc& brute ; the famevcreature, trained by virtue to the utmoft perfection of his nature, * is «but a littl Jower than the angels, and *¢ is crowned with glory anc immortality.” Before you enter upon the modern hifs gory of any particular kingdom, it will be L Sie: . & ae in itt ii Fea Ee 234 On the Manner and proper to gain fome idea of that interval between ancient and modern times, which is juflly called the dark and barbarous ages— and which lafted from Conftantine, to Char- lemagne—perhaps one might fay to fome centuries after. On the irruption of the northern Barbarians, who broke the Roman empire, and difipated all the treafures of knowledge, as well/as of riches, which had been fo lone accumulating in that enor- mous ftate, the European world may be faid to have returned to a fecond infancy ; | and the Monkifh legends, which are the only records preferved of the times in which” they were written, are no lefs fabulous than the tales of the demi-gods. I muft profefs myfelf ignorant how to direct you to any diftinet or amufing knowledge of the hiftory of Europe during this period : fome collec it from Puffendorf’s Introduciion—fome from The Univerfal Hiftery—and now, perhaps, with more advantage and delight, from the firft volume of Rebertfon’s Charles the Fifth, im which he traces the progrefs of civiliza- tion, government, and arts, from the firft fettiements of the Barbariams ; and fhews Courfe of reading Hliftory. | 235 the foundation of the feveral ftates, into which Europe is now divided, and of the laws, cuftoms, and politics, which prevail in this quarter of the world. In thefe dark ages, you will find no finele character fo interefting as that of Mahomet —that bold impoftor, who extended his ufurped dominien equally over the minds and properties ef men, and propagated a new religion, whilft he founded a new em- pire over a large portion of the globe, His life has been written by various hands. When you come to the particular hif- tories of the European ftates, your own country, feems to demand the precedence--- and, there is no part more commodious te fet out from, fince you cannot learn the hif- tory of Great Britain, without becoming in fome degree acquainted with almoft every neighbouring nation, and without finding your curiofity excited to know more of thofe, with whom we are moft connected. By the amazing progrefs of navigation and commerce, within the laft two or three centuries, all parts of the. world are now connected : the moft diftant people are be- ape eeae ila i fe FE SESS SSRIS STEP OI nN ini iia 2 ANRC et aw = TT ne ee _ - CE ERE Ps 236 On the Manner atd come well acquainted, who, for thoufands of years never heard of one another’s exif- tence: we are flill every day exploring new regions—-and every day fee greater reafon to expect that immenfe countries may yet be difcovered, and America no longer re- tain the name.of the New World. You may pafs to every quarter of the earth, and find yourfelf ftul in the Britifh dominion ; this ifland, in which we live, is the leat portion of it-—-and if we were to. adopt the ftile of the ancient conquerors, we might call it the throne, from which we rule the world. To-this boaft we are better entitled than fome of thofe who formerly called themfelves Moajfters of the Glebe, as we pofiefs an empire of greater extent, and from the fuperior ad- vantages of our commerce, much greater power and riches ; but, we have now too many rivals in dominion to take upon us fuch haughty titles. You cannot be faid to know the hiftory of that empire, of which. you are .a fubject, without knowing fomething of the Eaft and Weft Indies, where fo great a part of it is firuated; and you will find the accounts of Courle of reading Hiftory. 237 the difcovery and conqueft of America very entertaining, though you will be fhocked at the injuftice and cruelty of its conquerors. But with which of the glorious conquerors of mankind muft not humanity be fhocked! Ambition, the moft remorfelefs of all paf- fions, purfues its object by all forts of means: juftice, mercy, truth, and every thing moft facred, in vain oppofe its pro- erefs ! alas, my dear, fhall I venture to tell | you, that the hiftory of the world is little elfe than a fhocking account of the wickednefs and folly of the ambitious ! The world has ever been, and, I fuppofe, ever muit be go- verned and infulted by thefe afpiring fpirits ---has always ina greater or lefs degree, groaned under their unjuft ufurpation. But let not the horror of fucha fcene put a ftop to your curiofity it 1s proper you fhould know mankind as they are.-——You mutt be acquainted with the heroes of theearth, and perhaps you may be too well reconciled to them : Mankind have in general a ftrong bias in their fa- _ your; we @e them furrounded with pomp and {plendour----every thing that relates to them 238 On the Manner and has an air of grandeur-----and whilft we ad- mire their natural powers, we are too apt to pardon the deteftable abufe of them, to the injury and ruin of the human race. We are dazzled with. falfe glory, and willingly give into the delufion ; for mighty ~con- ‘quetts, like great conflagrations, have fome- thing of the fublime that pleafes the imagi- Nation, though we ‘know, if we refle& at all, that the confequences ‘of them are -devatta- ‘tion and mifery, The Weftern and Eaftern world will pre- ent to you very different profpe&s. In A- ‘merica, the firft European conquerors found Mature in great fimplicity---fociety fill in its infancy and confequently the arts and fciences yet unknown: fo that the faculty, ‘with which they overpowered thefe poor in- ‘nocent people, was entirely owing to their fuperior knowledge in the arts of deftroying. “They found the inhabitants brave enthufiat- ‘tic ‘patriots, but without either the military ‘or political arts neceffary for their defence. ‘The two great kingdoms of Mexico and ‘Peru, had alone made fome progrefs in civili- zations they were both formed into regular Courfe of reading Hiftory. 239 ftates, and had gained fome order and difci- pline: from thefe therefore the Spaniards met with fomething like an oppofition. At firft indeed the invaders appeared fupernatural beings, who came upon, them, flying over the ocean, on the wings of the wind, and who, mounted on fiery animals, unknown in that country, attacked. them with thunder and lightening in their hands ; for fuch the fire-arms of the Spaniards appeared to. this altonifhed people. But, from being worthip- ped as gods, they foon came to be feared: as evil {pirits ; and in time being difcovered to be men; different from the Americans; only in their outrageous injuftice, and in the cru- e] arts of deftroying; they were abhorred and boldly oppofed. The refiftance hewe- ver of a million of thefe poor naked people, defperately crouding on each other to deftruc- tion, ferved only, to make their ruin more compleat. The Europeans have deftroyed, with the moft fhocking barbarity, many millions of the original inhabitants of thefe countries, ‘and have ever fince been depopu- lating Eurepe and Africa to ciabati ied | places, Pte ERED WH : paneer 240 On the Manner and Though our own countrymen have no reafon to boaft of the juftice and humanity of their proceedings in America, yet, in com- parifon with chofe of the Spaniards, our pof- feflions there were innocently acquired. Some of them were gained by conqueft or ceffion, from Spain, and from other European pow- ers. Some by contraét with the natives, or “by fettlements on uninhabited lands. We are now poffeffed of a feries of colonies, ex- tending above two thoufand miles along the whole Eaflern coaft of North America, be- fides many iflands of immenfe value. Thefe countries, inftead of being thinly peopled by a fewherds of ignorant favages, are now adorned with many great cities, and innume- rable rich plantations, which have made am- ple returns to their mother country, for the dangers and expences which attended their firt eftablifhment. Bleft with more natural advantages than almoft any country in the world, they are making a fwift progrefs in wealth and grandeur, and feem likely, in fome future period, to be as much the feat of empire and of fcience as Europe is at pre- fent. Whether their attainments in virtue Courfe of reading Hifary. 240 and happinefs will keep pace with their ad- vancement in knowledge, wealth, and pow- er, is much to be queftioned—for you will obferve, in your hiftorical view of the feve- ral great empires of the world, that as each grew up towards the higheft pitch of great- nefs, the feeds of deftru€tion grew up with it: Luxury and vice, by debafing the minds, and enervating the bodies of the people, left them all, in their turns, an ea- fy prey to poorer and more valiant nati- ons, In the Eaft, the Europeans introduced themfelves in a milder way ; admitted firtt as traders—and, for the more commodious carrying on their commerce, indulged by the powers of the country, in eftabl ifhing a few finall factories—they by gentle de- grees extended and ftrensthened their fer- tlements there, till their fone? became con- fiderable enough to be thought an ufeful auxiliary to contending princes; and, as it has often happened to thofe who have cal- led in foreign powers to interfere in their domettic contentions, by availing themfelves of the difturbances of a dif biheak Werctl ni0 Xx sb SD COE A PRS 2 nent ed ti 242 "Cn the Manner and narchy, they at length raifed a power, al- moft independent of their employers. Soon, the feveral Eyropean nations, who had thus got footing in the Indies, jealous of each other’s growing greatnels, made the feuds of the native princes fubfervient to their mutual contefts—till within a few years, an the Englifh, by a happy concurrence of cire | et eumftances, obtained the maftery, andex- ui pelled their rivals from their confiderable aly | fettlements. | The rapidity of our conquelts here has equalled nearly thatof the firft invaders of America~but from different caufes. Here we found an old eftablifhed empire ad- vanced to its crifis—the magnificence and luxury of the great carried to the higheft A | excefs, and the people ina proportionable me | degree of oppreffion and debafement. Thus me i ripe for deftruétion, the rivalfhips of the viceroys, from the weaknefs of the govern- we ment, became independent fovereigns—and ae the daftardly fpirit of the meaner people, indifferent to the caufe for which they were compelled to fight—encouraged thefe am- bitious merchants to pufh their advantages Toma Sar ease eerones scien pets " dis ee ay a pale 2 : i oom ‘ Courfe of reading Hiftory. 243 farther than they could ar firft have fuppo- fed poffible: with aftonifhment. they faw their intrepid leaders of a few hundreds of brave free Britons, boldly oppofe and re- peatedly put to flight millions of thofe ef. feminate Indian flaves—and, in a fhort time, raife from them an empire much larger than their Mother Country. | From thefe remote quarters of the world, let us now return to Great-Britain, with the hiftory of which, you ought certainly to acquaint yourfelf, before you enter upon that of any other Europeankingdom. If you have courage and induftry enough to begin fo high as the invafion of Julius Czefar—before which nothing is known of the inhabitants of this ifland—you may iet out with Rapin, and proceed with him to William the Conqueror—From this era there are other hiftories of England more entertaining than his, though, I believe, none ¢fteemed more authentic. Party fo {trongly influences both hiftorians and their that it isa difficult and invidious reacers, tn safk to point out the def amongft the num- ei weal _ ber of Englifh hifories that offer themfelves x 2 Lc cated trent Sa a ae STS A ephewto ls teenae eed te ee ioesteee me 244 On the Manner and -—but as you will not read with a critical ‘view, norenter deeply into politics, I ghink you may be allowed to choofe that which is moft entertaining——and, -in this view, I believe the general voice will direct to Hume, thoueh he goes no farther than the ae 8° : Revolution. Among other Aificrians, do not forget my darling Shake/pear—a faithful as well as a molt agreeable one— whofe hil- . ‘torical plays, if read in a feries, will fix in your memory the reigns he has chofen, more durably than any other hiftory. You need not fear his leading you into any material smiftakes, for he keeps furprifingly clofe to the truth as well in the characters as in the events. One cannot but with he had given us a play on the reign of every Englifh king—as it would have been the pleafantett, and perhaps the moft ufeful way of becom- ing acquainted with it. For the other portion of Great-Britain, Robertfon’s hiftory of Scotland is a delight- ful work, and of a moderate fize. Next to your own country, France will - be the mot interefting object of your en- quiries—our ancient fettlements in that ——————— Courfe of reading Hiftory. 245 country, and the frequent contefts we have been engaged in with its inhabitants, con- neét their hiftory with our own. The ex- tent of their dominion and influence—their fuppofed fuperiority in elegance and po- litenefs—-their eminence in the Arts and Sciences-~and that intercourfe of thoughr, © if I may fo call it, which fubfifts between us, by the mutual communication of lite- rary productions—make thein peculiarly interefting to us 5 and we cannot but fnd our curiofity excited to know their ftory, and to be intimately acquainted with the charatter, genius, and fentiments of this nation. : _ { do not know of any general hilftory of France that will anfwer your purpofe, ex- cept that of Merezie, which, even in the abridgement is a pretty large work—there isa very modern one by Velly, and otbers, which perhaps may be more lively, but is ftill more voluminous, and not yetcompleat- ed. From Merezia, you may proceed with Voltaire to the end of Louis the Fourteenth. In confidering the reft of Europe, your curiofity may be confined within narrow x > mory, of the conftitutions and the moft re= On the Manner and limits. Modern hiftory is, from the na- ture of it, much more minute and laborious than the ancient—and to perufe that ef fo many various kingdoms and governments would be a tafk unequal to your leifure and abilities, at leaft for feveral years to come : at the fame time, it muft be owned, that the prefent fyftem of politics and com- merce has formed fuch a relation between the different powers of Europe, that they are in a manner members of one great body—and a total ignorance of any confi- derable ftate would throw an obfcurity even upon the affair ef your own country: an acquaintance, however, with the moft re- markable circumftances that diftinguith the principal governments, will fufficiently enlighten you, and will enable you to comi- prehend, whatever relates to them in the hiftories which you are moft familiar with. Inftead of referring you for this purpofe to dull and uninterefting abridgements,! choofe rather to point out to you a few {mall Tracts which exhibit ftriking and lively pictures, not eafily effaced from the me- Courfe of reading Hiftory. 249 markable tranfactions of feveral of thefe nations. Suchare | Sir William Temple’s Effay on the United Provinces. : His Effay on Heroic Virtue, which con- tains fome Account of the Saracen Em- Die Pe 4 | “Vertot’s Revolutions de Suede. eee —de Portugal. ° Voltaire’s Charles XII. de Suede. Pierre le Grands : ‘Puffendorf’s Account of the Popes, in his Introdu@tion to Modern Hiftory. Some part of the Hiflory of Germany and Spain, you will fee more in.detail in Robertfon’s’ Hiftory of Charles V. which I have already recommended to you in» another view. After all this, you may ftill be. at a lofs for the tranfactions of Europe. in the laft fifty yearsfor the purpofe of giving you, in a very fmall compafs, fome idea of the (tate of affairs during that period, I will venture to recommend one book more Campbell’s State of Europe. 648 Ow the Manner and Thus much may fuffice for that mode- rate {cheme, which I think is beft fuited to your fexandage. ‘There are feveral excel- lent hiftories, and memoirs of particular reigns and periods, which I have taken no notice of in this circum{fcribed plan—-but, with which, if you fhould happen to have a tafte for the ftudy, you will hereafter choofe to be acquainted: thefe will be read with moft advantage, after you have gained fome general view of hiftory—and they will then ferve to refrefh your memory, and fettle your ideas diftinctly, as well as enable you to compare different accounts of the perfons and facts which they treat of, and to form your opinions of them on juft grounds. As 1 cannot with certainty, forefee what degree of application or genius for fuch purfuits you will be nnftrefs of, I fhall leave the deficiencies of this collection te be fupplied by the fuggeftions ef your more informed friends, who, if you explain to them how far you wifh to extend your knowledge, will. direct you to the proper books. Courfe of reading Hifory. 249g But if, inftead of an eager defire for this kind of knowledge, you fhould happen ro feel that diftafte for it which is too com: ‘mon-in young ladies, who have been ine dulged in reading only works of mere a- mufement, you will perhaps rather think that I want mercy in offering you fo large a ‘plan, than that there needs an apology for the deficiencies of it: but, comfort: your- {elf with the aflurance,that a tafte for hiftory will grow and improve by’ reading——that as you get acquainted with oné period or nation, your curiofity cannot fail-to be awakened for what concerns thofe immedi- -ately conneéted with it—and thus you will infenfibly be led on, from one anes of paired! to another. - If you wafte’ in trivial simelicetedits the next three or four years of your life; which are the prime feafon of improvement, be- lieve me, you will hereafter bitterly regret their lo’s: when you come to feel yourfelf “inferior in knowledge to almoft every one you converfe with—ands above all, if you fhould ever be a mother, when you feel your own inability to dire& and aflift the purfuits soe B50 On the Manner and of your children :—-you will then find ig- morance a fevere mortification, and a real evil. Let this, my dear, animate your in- duftry—and let not a modeft opinion of your own capacity be a difcouragemiént to your endeavours after knowledge—a mo- derate underftanding, with diligent and well dire€ted application, will go much farther than a more lively genius, if attended with that impatience and inattention which often accompany quick parts—it is not for want ef capacity that fo many women are fuch trifling, infipid companions—fo ill qualified for the friendfhip and converfation of a fen- fible man—or for the tafk of governing and inftructing a family ;—it is much of- tener from the neglect of exercifing the ta- lents,. which they really have, and: for omit- ting to-cultivate a talte for intellectual im- provement: by this neglect they lofe the fincereft of pleafures a pleafure which would remain when almoft every other for- fakes them—which neither fortune nor age ean deprive them of—and which would be a comfort and. refource in almoft every pof fible Gituation of life. Courfe of reading Hijftory. 25% Tf1 can but infpire you, my dear child, _ with the defire of making the moft of your time and abilities, my end is anfwered——the means of knowledge will eafily be found by thofe who diligently feek them, and they will find their labours abundantly rewarded, And now, my dear, I think it is time to finifh this long correfpondence — which, though in fome parts it may have been te- dious to you, will not, I hope, be found en- tirely ufelefsin any. I have laid before you all that my matureft reflections could ena- ple me to fuggeft, for the direction of your conduét through life. My love for you, my deareft child, extends its views beyond this frail and tranfitory exiftence—it confi- ders you as'a candidate for immortality— as entering the lifts for the prize of your high calling—as contending for a crown of unfading glory. It fees, with anxious foli- citude, the dangers that furround you, and the everlafting fhame that mutt follow, if | you do not exert all your ftrength in the | conflict, Religion, therefore, has been the BGz On the Manner and bafis of my plan—the principle, to which every other purfuit is ultimately referred. Here then I have endeavoured to guide your refearches, and to affift you in forming juft notions on a fubject of fuch infinite impor- tance. I have fhewn you the neceffiry of regulating your heart and temper, accord- ing to the genuine fpirit of that religion, which I have fo earneftly recommended as the great rule of your life. To the fame principle, I would refer your attention to domeftic duties—and, even that refinement and elegance of manners, and all thofe graces and accomplifhments which will fet your virtues in the faireft light, and will engage the affection-and refpect of all who converfe with you.. Endeared to Society, by thefe amiable qualities, your influence in it will be more extenfive, and your capacity of be- ing ufeful proportionably enlarged. The ftudies. which I have recommended to you, muft be likewife fubfervient to the fame views ; the purfuic of knowledge, when it is guided and controuled by the principles I have eftablifhed, will conduce to many valuable ends : the habit of induf- Courfe of reading Hiftory. ‘239 “try, it: will give you--the nobler kinds of friendihips,, tor . which it will qualify you, and its tendency,,to. promere a candid and liberal way of thinking are obvious advan. tages. I] might add, that a mind well inform- ed in the various purfuits which intereft mans kind, and the influence of {uch purfuits on their happinefs, will embrace, with a clearer choice, and will more fteadily adhere to, thofe principles of Virtue, and Religion, which the judgment muft ever approve in . proportion as it becomes enlightened, May thefe delightful hopes be anfwered which have-animated my heart, while with diligent attention I have endeavoured to apply to your advantage, all that my own experience and beft obfervation could fur- nifh, With what joy fhould I fee my dear- eft girl thine forth a bright example of every thing that is amiable and praife wor- thy ! and how fweet would be the refledcti- on that 1 had, in any degree, contributed to make her fo! My heart expands with the affecting thought, and pours forth in this adieu,’ the moft ardent withes for your perfection !—if the tender folicitude ex prefi- x yest 4 € On the Manner, Se ! | kad = 2 oO te us = 3) > Sea 5 6 p> iS) ye St my wv 2 “93 > 3 his * labour of love a de, you will always deeply your conduct interefts che happinefs of can engage your eraticu remember how ti Your mok affectionate Aun Su Z “<