as I have already obferved, may mislead to errors. Every appetite may degenerate into inordinate paffion. Watch carefully over your children, you who have the forming of their hearts, and would conduct them to virtue. Never connive at any failing, and endeavour at its correction as foon as it is difcovered. Strive particularly to repress the first evil emotions and defires that fpring from their temperament; and let not the faulty or the bad, to which they are conftitutionally most prone, ever grow into a habit; and if unhappily this be already the cafe, then let your conftant and utmoft endeavour be exerted to conquer it, by reprefenting to them, in the livelieft manner, the impropriety and the mischievous effects of it, by depriving them of all opportunities that may ftrengthen them in it, and by inducing them to the frequent repetition of those actions which are in direct oppofition to it.

Accustom them secondly to act from principle and defign, and not by blind impulse or mere selfwill. Make it comprchenfible to them, that this is the grand prerogative of the human fpecies over the irrational animals; and that the man who does not make use of this prerogative debafes and degrades himself into an inferior clafs of creatures. Often afk them, not in an authoritative, but in a familiar and friendly way, why they do this, and neglect that; why they eminently esteem and value certain perfons or things, and defpife and avoid others; why, among feveral advantages and amusements

that

that they may have, they chufe exactly fuch and no other; what views they have in fuch or fuch occupations and exertions, and the like. Endeavour thus to gain their confidence, that they may disclose to you the thoughts of their heart without referve; and if, at times, they answer your questions merely by faying, "I do not know," or, "I cannot tell why myself," yet let not th's incite you to difpleasure; but help them to find out the reafon of their proceedings, of which they themselves are frequently not clearly confcious; converfe frankly with them upon the matter in Land, and on the views one may have in fuch an act; confult in an amicable manner with them, what were the best to be done in fuch or fuch events; how a man may moft eafily and moft furely attain to certain ends; and when it does not relate to too important matters, let them chufe themfelves, and let them follow their choice without any interference on your part; but remind them afterwards of the mistakes they have made, and of the evil confequences that have arifen from them. If, farther, you give them particular orders which you will have obeyed; at the fame time tell them, if not in all cafes, yet you may in most, the true designs and views you have in iffuing fuch orders. Tell them, why you enjoin this and forbid the other; and endeavour to make them comprehend that your reasons and defigns are right and proper. they, in fhort, require of you an account of

Do

your

Own

own behaviour; do they afk you, why on fuch occafions you act in fuch a manner; why you fometimes do what at other times you abftain from? These questions are not uniformly to be rejected, as the effect of a culpable impertinence; nor are you to think, that by answering them you give up any thing of the respect that is due to you; rather fhew them, that you conftantly endeavour to follow the rules of truth and order, of moderation and juftice; and if you would have them to act from fagacity and reason, take great care that they have no cause to suspect that you yourself act without reason, and are merely fwayed by caprice.

But thirdly be not fatisfied with teaching them to act from reason, as rational creatures; but teach them to act upon the beft and nobleft principles, and in pure and beneficent views. Beware of fetting only their ambition in motion, and of inciting them to application and duty from no other motive than the idea of the judgment that others pafs on them, and the good or bad opinion of them they fhall cause them to entertain. If once you allow this appetite to become the predominant paffion, they are loft to real virtue and to real happinefs. For the greater part, the moft exalted of the virtues must be practifed in fecret and without any witnefs; and he that is only happy in the favourable judgment of mankind, can promise himfelf but few days perfectly cheerful and pleasant. No, he alone is virtuous, who, independent on the

judgment

judgment and opinion of mankind, is actuated by an efficacious propenfity to whatever is right and good; and he alone can be happy, who can be content with the rectitude of his heart, and the approbation of his confcience. To this virtue and to this happiness, strive to conduct your children or your scholars, you who are employed in the formation of their hearts. Confer with them at times, whether juft, equitable, beneficent, magnanimous actions are only rendered by the judgment of the fpectators juft, equitable, beneficent and magnanimous actions; whether they are not fo at all times and in all fituations; whether they are not fo even when no one is by to judge and to praise them; whether they themselves have ever repented having done fome good action in fecret, whether they have not even then felt a particular fatisfaction in it; whether there be not an extreme and unalterable difference between truth and lies, between order and diforder; whether virtue be not productive of harmony and tranquillity as well in the hearts of men as in focial life; and whether vice on the contrary is not attended by confufion and difcord in both. Afk them, whether they enjoy the fame agreeable fenfations, the fame fatisfaction, when they are praised on account of thofe qualities and actions which their own confcience difclaims, as when they are commended and applauded for the good they have actually done; and thence teach them to draw this conclufion, that our sentiments and actions must

VOL. I.

D

in

in themselves be either good or bad, proper or improper, let them be judged of as they may by the rest of mankind.

Teach them farther, fourthly, in order to render the fubject still more comprehenfible to them, to attend to the confequences of their actions or of their behaviour. Teach them duly to prize that inward peace, the fatisfaction, the cheerfulness of mind, the health and strength of body, their improvement in knowledge or skill, the esteem and honour, and the other advantages which they have reaped from their honeft and proper conduct. Congratulate them on these advantages, and rejoice with them on the occafion. Sympathife, on the other hand, with thofe who are likely to be deprived of these precious benefits by their own fault, and are only unhappy because they have neglected their duty or acted contrary [to it. Let them likewife, however, feel the bad and pernicious effects of their improper behaviour, as far as is needful for their caution and amendment; and take no pains to free them from fuch feelings till they have confeffed and bewailed their rafhness and folly. Shew them, one while by their own and at another by extraneous example, what disorder, what pains and fickneffes, what dreadful calamities, intemperance in fenfual pleasure, the violence of anger and other paffions, the want of diligence and industry, prodigality and avarice, and all fins and vices in general, infallibly draw after them; how by little and little they

debafe