with those who either fhall not, on a near infpection, find in him some failings, or, whilst they are so kind as to applaud him for all his virtues, will be fo frank as to inform him at the fame time, of all his faults. What do I say? Where, alas! is the fingular man, that would thoroughly relifh fuch frankness? But if this be the cafe among the best and wifest friends, what is to be expected How are we to underftand from others? their fmiles? how eftimate their compliments? It is indeed a humiliating idea, that, in the general currency of feeming benevolence and respect, there should probably be so little genuine coin. Surely they who are greedy of popularity might learn fome moderation, if they would reflect, that they are often paid with counterfeit applauses; as those may be fatisfied, whofe endeavours to deferve well of mankind are rewarded with fterling praife, though, like our pureft gold, it is not without alloy. O N THE SAME. ID the turn of education, in these DID times, refemble that which obtained in the best ages of antiquity, there might be less need to caution you, my young friends, against an immoderate Defire of Praife: for the chief object then was to make the Love of Fame coincide with the Love of Virtue, to kindle in Youth an emulation of those qualities, exertions, and atchievements, which marked the greatest men, were honoured by the wifeft, and might procure them in their turn the fuffrage of their country, of mankind, and of future generations: but in our days-I am forry to fpeak it-the cafe is different. I faid once before-I fay it again-that Youth are now, in effect, most commonly taught to feek reputation and confequence from any thing, or every thing, but worth and capacity. The ardour of ambition, natural at their period, being thus diverted from the line of excellence, in which alone they could find a noble and fatisfactory renown, ftimulates them with unceafing violence to the search of imaginary celebrity from little, often from temptible, and not feldom from polluted fources. con But that the paffion for applaufe, when it falls under better direction, may ftill be too vehement, we have already feen in part; and as this extreme is frequently a spring of much diforder and distress in the advance of life, we wish to guard you yet more strongly on this fide. We will fuppofe you, Sir, to have actually attained the popularity you fo ea |