other than what a wise man would impose on himself?-No, they do not imply that he must renounce pleasure, but that he should enjoy it with safety;-that he should secure its possession, and prolong its duration.

By the disastrous excesses of irregular pleasures in youth, many amiable dispositions are corrupted or destroyed;—many rising capacities and powers are suppressed;-many flattering hopes of parents and friends are extinguished, and many miseries are entailed on the unhappy youth; and, if, unfortunately, he be of superior birth, on those who, no less unfortunately, depend on him for their happiness. Who can avoid dropping a tear on human nature, when he beholds that rising Sun,' which commenced its career so bright, overcast with such premature darkness; that good-humour which was destined to captivate all hearts; that vivacity, which communicated itself to all around; those talents, which were fitted to adorn the highest station; all—all sacrificed at the shrine of low sensuality? when he sees one who was formed for running a glorious career of life in the midst of public esteem,

cut off by his vices in the beginning of his course, or sunk, during the remainder of it, into insignificancy and contempt 2-None of any feeling. We cannot, and we shall endeavour not to correct, but to admonish and reclaim.

And what is the cause of all this miserable infatuation? Bad company, and worse examples. "Evil communication corrupts good manners." All ranks must be contaminated by it, but especially the minds of youth, yet unformed, unprincipled, unfurnished, and ready to receive any impressions like molten wax.

Bad company are those, whose manners and example tend to destroy in us the principles of common honesty, integrity, and self-restraint. Such are gamesters of every denomination and rank; the high and low, infamous characters of society; such are those persons denominated men of pleasure. In whatever way they may follow their tastes and appetites, they have an equal tendency to corrupt the purity of mankind.

By keeping bad company, is not meant a casual intercourse with them, or we must go out

of the world; they are in every mixed company; but it means having an inclination and relish for their society and conversation; pursuing that inclination; seeking them when they may be avoided; making one in their parties, as if they were the companions of our choice.

The danger of keeping bad company, arises principally from our aptness to catch and imitate their manners, dispositions, and sentiments -from the force of custom-from the fuel added to the fire of our own bad inclinations— and from the pains taken by the bad to make others like themselves.

In our earliest youth, the contagion of bad company is observable. In the boy, scarcely capable of having any principles instilled into him, we easily discover from his first actions, and rude attempts at conversation, the kind of persons with whom he has been brought up: we see the early spring of salutary admonitions, or the first shoots of bad examples.

As he enters further into life, his behaviour, manners, and conversation, all take their bias from, and proclaim the company which he has

-Birds of a feather flock together.

It is in vain to say, these are only the follies of youth, which will wear away with mature age. They become habit, and habit renders vice familiar, and consequently indifferent, or even pleasing to him:

"Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,
As, to be hated, needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace."

From precept we will now come to example.

CHAPTER VI.

GIVES AN ACCOUNT

CHARACTER, AND

OF THE SQUIRE'S TALENTS, PRINCIPAL ACQUAINTANCE.

THE READER ASKS THE AUTHOR A QUESTION, TO WHICH HE GIVES AN IMPERTINENT, THOUGH A PERTINENT ANSWER.

Ir was universally allowed that the young Squire did not want for talents, so much as an inclination to put them to a proper use. He was indebted to Nature for a fine person, and to Art for a graceful exterior and polished manners. His accomplishments were by no means scanty; but his flatterers (of whom he had numbers) made him imagine them to be much greater than they really were. They worshipped him as the Persian Magi adored Mithra, the Rising Sun, and for the same reason; because they expected him to bestow on them light, heat, and all other terrestrial good things; [See the FRONTISPIECE.] His leading propensity (he