principally among the counsellors of administration, who will try to hide from you the knowledge of your affairs, in order to manage them at their pleasure; who will render the simplest matters difficult, to disgust you with business; and in them all, you will find a fixed design of keeping you in leading-strings, and this under the most brilliant appearances, and, in a manner, the most flattering for yourself.

"You will ask me then, what is to be done?--You must make yourself acquainted with all the affairs of finance; make choice of some secretary, who has worked in that department as a clerk or subaltern, and promise him a handsome recompence, for instructing you in every thing concerning yourself. The nerves of a country are its finances; make yourself once master of them, you will presently become acquainted with the rest.

"There is an abuse, which I have remarked in many of the courts of Germany; which is, that the ministers of the

Princes, possessed the title likewise of ministers of the Emperor, which constitutes their impunity. You feel yourself the inconvenience which must ensue, should you suffer such a practice.

"It is my duty likewise, to apprise you, that you will find two counsellors in the administration, against whom you will do well to be on your guard; the one is called B, and the other H. It is for you, sir, to examine into their conduct, and judge how far you may think them worthy of your confidence.

"Be firm in your resolutions; weigh well what may be said for and against you, before you take them; but, when you have once proceeded so far as to disclose your will, make no change in it whatever, upon any consideration in the world, otherwise, all will sport with your authority, and you will be considered as a man, on whom there is no reliance.

"At the end of a regency administration, you will inevitably have intrigues at

court. Punish severely those, who shall be the promoters of the first, and others will take special care not to imitate their example. Goodness misplaced, is weakness, as unseasonable severity is a heinous crime. You must avoid the two extremes, though excessive clemency be a defect, peculiar only to noble minds.

"Do not imagine that the country of Wirtemberg was made only for you, but consider yourself as sent into the world by Providence, to make that people happy. Always prefer their welfare to your amusements; and if, at your age, you are able to sacrifice your desires to the good of your subjects, you will not only constitute theirs, but be the admiration of the uni

verse.

"You are the chief of the civil religion of the country, which consists in honesty and all the moral virtues! It is your duty to see them practised; and, above all, humanity, the cardinal virtue of every thinking being. Leave spiritual religion to the

Creator. On this matter we are all blind, and led astray by different errors. What man among us, is rash enough to decide on the right path?

"Beware then of fanaticism in religion, which produces persecutions. If wretched mortals can be supposed to please the Supreme Being, it must be by the benefits they confer on mankind, and not by acts of violence, exercised on stubborn minds. But, should even the true religion, which is humanity, not engage you to this conduct, it is dictated by policy, for all your subjects are Protestants. Toleration will make you adored by them; persecution will render you an object of horror.

"The local situation of your country, which borders on France, and the states of the House of Austria, oblige you to hold a measured and equal conduct towards those powerful neighbours. Give no token of predilection for one or the other, that they may never be able to accuse you of partiality; for in their varied fortunes,

they would not fail to make you repent, alternately every point with which they might think themselves justified in approaching you.

"Never separate yourself from the empire and its chief. There is no safety for you against the power and ambition, of your neighbours, but in the maintenance of the system of the empire. Be uniformly the enemy of him who shall attempt to overthrow it, which would, in fact, be no other, than assisting at the same time, to your own downfal. Do not despise the Chief of the empire in his misfortunes*, but shew as much attachment to him as you can, without involving yourself in his distress.

Avail yourself of your youth, without abusing its advantages. Dedicate some years to pleasure, then think of marrying. The first fire of youth is not propitious to Hymen, and constancy thinks itself already

* This was written during the reign of Charles the Seventh,