who have no Learning at all. The Books read at Schools and Colleges, are full of Incitements to Virtue, and Difcouragements from Vice, drawn from the wifest Reasons, the strongest Motives, and the most influencing Examples. Thus, young Minds are filled early with an Inclination to Good, and an Abhorrence of Evil; both which increase in them, according to the Advances they make in Literature: And; although they may be, and too often are drawn by the Temptations of Youth, and the Opportunities of a large Fortune, into fome Irregularities, when they come forward into the great World; it is ever with Reluctance and Compunction of Mind, because their Biafs to Virtue ftill continues. They may ftray fometimes by Infirmity or Compliance, but they will foon return to the right Road, and keep it always in View. I fpeak only of thofe Exceffes, which are too much the Attendants of Youth and warmer Blood: But, as to the Points of Honour, Truth, Juftice, and other noble Gifts of the Mind, wherein the Temperature of the Body hath no Concern, they are feldom or never known to be misled.

I have engaged myself very unwarily in too copious a Subject for fo fhort a Paper. The prefent Scope I would aim at, is to prove, that fome Proportion of human Knowledge appeareth requifite to thofe, who, by their Birth or Fortune, are called to the making of Laws, and in a fubordinate Way to the Execution of them; and that fuch Knowledge is not to be obtained without a Miracle; under the frequent, corrupt, and fottish Methods, of educating those, who are born to Wealth or Titles. For, I would have it remembered, that I do by no means confine these Remarks to young Perfons of noble Birth; the fame Errors running through all Families, where there is Wealth enough to afford, that their Sons (at leaft the Eldeft) may be good for nothing. Why fhould my Son be a Scholar, when it is not intended that he fhould live by his Learning? By this Rule, if what is commonly faid to be true, that Money anfwereth all Things, why fhould

should my Son be honeft, temperate, juft or charitable, fince he hath no Intention to depend upon any of thefe Qualities for a Maintenance?

WHEN all is done, perhaps, upon the whole, the Matter is not so bad as I would make it: And Gop, who worketh Good out of Evil, acting only by the ordinary Course and Rule of Nature, permits this continual Circulation of human Things for his own unfearchable Ends. The Father groweth rich by Ava rice, Injustice, Oppreffion; he is a Tyrant in the Neighbourhood over Slaves and Beggars, whom he calleth his Tenants. Why fhould he defire to have Qualities infufed into his Son, which himself never poffeffed, or knew, or found the Want of in the Acquifition of his Wealth? The Son, bred in Sloth and Idleness, becometh a Spendthrift, a Cully, a Profli gate; and goeth out of the World a Beggar as his Father came in: Thus the former is punished for his own Sins, as well as for those of the latter. The Dunghil having raifed a huge Mushroom of fhort Duration, is now fpread to enrich other Mens Lands, It is, indeed, of worfe Confequence, where noble Families are gone to Decay; because their Titles and Privileges outlive their Eftates: And Politicians tell us, that nothing is more dangerous to the Publick, than a numerous Nobility without Merit or Fortune, But even here God hath likewife prefcribed fome Remedy in the Order of Nature; fo many great Fa milies coming to an End by their Sloth, Luxury, and abandoned Lufts, which enervated their Breed through every Succeffion, producing gradually a more effeminate Race, wholly unfit for Propagation.

THOUGHTS

THOUGHTS

ON

Various Subjects.

W

E have juft Religion enough to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another. REFLECT on Things paft, as Wars, Negotiations, Factions, and the like; we enter fo little into those Interests that we wonder how Men could poffibly be fo bufy, and concerned for Things fo tranfitory: Look on the prefent Times, we find the fame Hu-mour, yet wonder not at all.

A wife Man endeavoureth, by confidering all Circumftances, to make Conjectures, and form Conclufions: But the smallest Accident intervening, (and in the Course of Affairs it is impoffible to forefee all) doth often produce fuch Turns and Changes, that at laft he is just as much in doubt of Events, as the most ignorant and unexperienced Perfon.

POSITIVENESS is a good Quality for Preachers and Orators; because whoever would obtrude his Thoughts and Reasons upon a Multitude, will convince others, the more, as he appeareth convinced himself. B b

VOL. I.

How

How is it poffible to expect that Mankind will take Advice, when they will not fo much as take Warning?

I forget whether Advice be among the loft Things which Ariofo fayeth, are to be found in the Moon; That and Time ought to have been there.

No Preacher is liftened to, but Time; which giveth us the fame Train and Turn of Thought, that elder People have tried in vain to put into our Heads before.

WHEN We defire or folicit any thing; our Minds run wholly on the good Side, or Circumftances of it; when it is obtained, our Minds run only on the bad

ones.

This

IN a Glass House, the Workmen often fling in a fmall Quantity of fresh Coals, which feemeth to difturb the Fire, but very much enliveneth it. may allude to a gentle ftirring of the Paffions, that the Mind may not languish.

RELIGION feemeth to have grown an Infant with Age, and requireth Miracles to nurfe it, as it had in its Infancy.

ALL Fits of Pleafure are balanced by an equal Degree of Pain, or Languor; it is like fpending this Year, Part of the next Year's Revenue.

THE latter Part of a wife Man's Life is taken up in curing the Follies, Prejudices, and falfe Opinions he had contracted in the former.

If a Writer would know how to behave himselfwith relation to Pofterity; let him confider in old Books, what he finds, that he is glad to know; and what Omiffions he most lamenteth.

WHATEVER the Poets pretend, it is plain they gave Immortality to none but themselves: It is Homer and Virgil we reverence and admire, not Achilles or Eneas. With Hiftorians it is quite the contrary; our Thoughts are taken up with the Actions, Perfons, and Events we read; and we little regard the Authors.

WHEN a true Genius appeareth in the World, you

may