to 'grovel all their lives-long in poverty and obfcurity. But, generally speaking, it is otherwife. So that a parent, who has reafon to look upon his fon, as one who promifes to make a figure by his parts, ought to be humble and cautious; for when fuch fly out, they go dreadful lengths in vice or folly; as, on the other hand, if a parent's profpects, with regard to his fon's natural abilities, be lefs pleafing, he is not therefore to despair of making him fit for fome ufeful and valuable station in life.

It is a very great miftake fome parents run into, that the greatest kindnefs they can do their children is to give them, or leave them a great fortune. With this view fome labour and toil all their lives, pinching themfelves and their families, and grudging their children an education fuitable to their fortunes, only to heap up an enormous capital, which is likely to be diffipated in much lefs time than it coft to amals it.

If a young gentleman is to inherit a large eftate, without a fuitable education, his great fortune will only make him the more extentively known and despised. And, if his profpects in life be meaner, he will have the more occasion for an univerfal education, to give him a chance for raifing himself in the world. Experience fhews, that it is not in fact thofe who have fet out in life with large capitals, that live happieft, and hold out longeft in credit. One half of fuch traders, on the frength of their large fortunes and extenfive credit, run into the fatal error of over-trading, and the other into expenfive living. Whereas a young man, who has been prudently educated, and provided by his parents with a fortune fufficient for fetting him on foot in bufinefs, knowing that he has no fuperfluous wealth to trust to, and confequently, that it must be by frugality, induftry, and prudence, that he must think to raise himfelf, will be likely to apply with fteadinefs and diligence to his bufincts; of which he will in the end reap the fruits. And if it fhould happen, in fpite of his utmolt care and prudence, that he fhould come to misfortuncs, which, I believe, no parent will pretend to infure his fon againft, a well-accomplified man is not likely

ever to be long deftitute of a fubfiftence. Upon the whole, it is the greateft weakness a man of fubitance can fall into, to cramp his fon's education for the fake of adding a few hundred pounds to his fortune. For: it is not a few hundred pounds that will fupport him, when the bulk of his fortune isg one: but an ufeful education will enable him to get a fubfiflence, when the whole of his paternal fortune is gone.

W

SECT. XI.

Of fettling Children of both Sexes in Life.

HEN a parent has in this manner equipped out his fon with a proper education, and fettled him in a way of living, if he has a fair opportunity, it will be his wifdom to fee him, in his own life-time, likewife fettled in marriage. It is on all accounts the fafeit and best flate. And a man is always lefs likely to break loofe from virtue, after he has entered into a fettled way of life, than before.

What I have faid of a fon, may be urged with ftill more reafon with refpect to a daughter. It may often. be much more prudent to give away a daughter in marriage on an indifferent offer, I mean as to circumftances of wealth, than to let flip an opportunity of fecing her placed out of harm's way. But no confideration will make up for the unhappiness fhe will be doomed to, if fhe falls into the hands of a morofe, a furious, a drunken, a debauched, a spendthrift, or a jealous hufband. If a man may be faid to have fhaken hands with happiness, who has thrown himfelf into the arms of a bad woman, much lefs reafon has a weak helplefs woman to expect ever to fee a happy day, after he comes into the power of a man void of virtue or humanity. Let thofe parents, therefore, who conftrain their children, for the fake of fordid views, to plunge themselves into irretrievable mifery, confider what they have to anfwer for, in doing an injury, which they never can repair, to those whofe real happinels they were, by all the ties of pature and reason, bound to promote,

It is to be hoped what is here faid of the danger of constraining the inclinations of children in marriage, will by no means be conftrued as if intended to encourage young people to obftinacy and contempt of the advice of parents in making a choice for life.

A

SECT. XII.

Of retiring from Business.

S on the one hand it is odious for a man of an overgrown fortune to go on in business to a great age, ftill ftriving to increase a heap already larger than is neceffary, to the prejudice of younger people, who ought to have a clear ftage and opportunity of making their way in life; fo it is vain for a perfon, who has fpent his days in an active sphere, to think of enjoying retirement, before the time of retirement be come. He who refolves at once to change his way of life from action to retirement, or from one ftate to another directly contrary, without being prepared for it by proper age and habit, for fome continuance of time, will find, that he will no fooner have quitted his former way of life, than he will defire to be in it again.

It is on this, as well as other accounts of great advantage, that a man have acquired fome turn to reading, and the more fober entertainments of life, in his earlier days. There is not a much more deplorable fort of existence, than that which is dragged on by an old man, whofe mind is unfurnished with the materials proper for yielding him fome entertainment fuitable to the more fedate time of life; I mean, ufeful knowledge. For the remembrance of fifty years spent in fcraping of money, or in purfuing pleafure, or in indulging vicious inclinations, muft yield but poor entertainment at a time of life, when a man can at best say, he has been,

IT

SECT. XIII.

Of difpofing of Effects by Will.

T is a ftrange weakness in fome people to be averfe to making their wills, and difpofing of their effects,

while they are in good health, and have ease of mind,. and a found judgment to do it in a proper manner; as if a man must certainly die foon after he has made his will. It is highly proper, that people, who have any thing confiderable to leave, fhould fettle their affairs in fuch a diftinct manner, that their intentions may appear plain and indifputable, and their heirs may not have an endlefs and vexatious law-fuit, instead of a fortune.

For this purpose I would advife, that a gentleman, at his leifure, draw up a sketch of his will, leaving the names of the legatees, and the fums blank, if he chooses to conceal either the ftate of his affairs, or the perfons he intends to benefit at his death. This draught he may have examined by thote who are judges of fuch matters; fo that he may be quite eafy as to the condition he leaves his wife and children, or other relations in.

The calamity in which a widow and orphans are involved, who, through fome quirk of law, or the omiffion of fome neceffary formality, find themfelves difappointed of their whole dependence, and have the mortification to fee an heir at law (to the fhame of law) feize on what the deceased intended for their fupport; the circumftances, I fay, of a family thus plunged into want and mifery, from the faireft expectations, are to the laft degree deplorable.

A man ought to confider that it is a tender point for an affectionate wife to touch upon, and ought to spare her the trouble of foliciting him upon this head. For it must be no easy state of mind a woman must be in, who confiders, that fhe and her children depend, for their daily bread, upon the flender thread of the life of an husband, who at the fame time has it in his power to fecure her effectually by taking only a very little trouble.

It is an unjust and abfurd practice of many, in difpofing of their effects by will, to fhew fuch exceffive partiality to fome of their children beyond others. To leave to an eldest fon the whole eftate, and to each of the other children perhaps one year's rent. The confequence, indeed, of this is often, that the heir, find

ing himself in poffeffion of an eftate, concludes he shall never be able to run it out; and may be got, through extravagance, juft within fight of want, by the time his induftrious brothers, who, having no fuch funds to truft to, were obliged to exert themselves, have got eftates, or are in a fair way toward them. This, 1 fay, is a common confequence of the unequal diftribution of eftates. But, whatever the confequence be, it feems pretty evident, that to treat fo very differently thofe who are alike one's offspring, cannot be strictly just.

It proves often a fatal error in the difpofal of effects for the benefit of one's family, to leave them in the hands of any private perfon whatever, especially of one who has concerns in trade. The fate of fuch a one's affairs muft, by the very course of trade, be fo liable to change, that no money can be abfolutely fafe which he can lay his hands upon. We fee every day inftances of the failure of traders, who have generally paffed for men of first-rate fortunes, and often fee young families ruined by their ruin. If it be plain, that the public funds are at least a more probable fecurity than any private, one would think it natural to fix upon the beft, fince even the best is not too fecure.

WH

SECT. XIV.

Of old Age.

HEN people draw toward old age, the infirmities of nature, joined with the various ills of life, become more and more grievous; and ftrength of mind continually decaying, the burden becomes at laft hardly fupportable. To wave, for the prefent, all moral or religious confiderations, I will only obferve, that, if one would, in any period of life, or under any distress whatever, defire to have his grievances as tolerable as poffible, there is no furer means for that end, than to endeavour to preserve an equal, compofed, and refigned temper of mind. To ftruggle, and fret, and rage at every misfortune or hardship, is tearing open the wound, and making it fefter. Compofing the mind to contentment and patience is the most likely means to heal it up. It is therefore