and unfortunate pensionary De Witt; who, by strictly following it, found time not only to do the whole business of the republic, but to pass his evenings at assemblies and suppers, as if he had nothing else to do or think of.

VANITY.

BE extremely on your guard against vanity, the common failing of inexperienced youth, but particularly against that kind of vanity which dubs a man a coxcomb-a character which, once acquired, is more indelible than that of the priesthood. It is not to be imagined by how many different ways vanity defeats its own purposes. One man decides peremptorily upon every subject, betrays his ignorance upon many, and shews a disgusting presumption upon the rest; another desires to appear successful among the women he hints at the encouragement he has received from those of the most distinguished rank and beauty, and intimates a particular connexion with some one: if it is true, it is ungenerous; if false, it is infamous: but, in either case, he destroys the reputation he wants to get. Some flatter their vanity by little extraneous objects, which have not the least relation to themselves; such as being descended from, related to, or acquainted with, people of distinguished merit and eminent characters. They talk perpetually of their grandfather Such-a-one, their uncle Such-a-one, and their intimate friend Mr. Such-a-one, whom, possibly, they are hardly acquainted with. But admitting it all to be as they would have it, what then? Have they the more merit for those accidents? Certainly not. On the contrary, their taking up adventitious, proves their want of intrinsic, merit; a rich man never borrows. Take this rule for granted, as a never-failing one, That you must never seem to affect the character in which you have a mind to shine. Modesty is the only sure bait, when you angle for praise. The affectation of courage will make even a brave man pass only for a bully; as

the affectation of wit will make a man of parts pass for a coxcomb. By this modesty I do not mean timidity and awkward bashfulness. On the contrary, be inwardly firm and steady; know your own value, whatever it may be, and act upon that principle; but take great care to let nobody discover that you do know your own value. Whatever real merit you have, other people will discover; and the people always magnify their own discoveries, as they lessen those of others.

VIRTUE.

VIRTUE is a subject whicn deserves your and every man's attention. It consists in doing good and in speaking truth; the effects of it, therefore, are advantageous to all mankind, and to one's self in particular. Virtue makes us pity and relieve the misfortunes of mankind; it makes us promote justice and good order in society; and, in general, contributes to whatever tends to the real good of mankind. To ourselves it gives inward comfort and satisfaction, which nothing else can do, and which nothing else can rob us of. All other advantages depend upon others as much as upon ourselves. Riches, power, and greatness, may be taken away from us by the violence and injustice of others, or by inevitable accidents; but virtue depends only upon ourselves, and nobody can take it away from us. Sickness may deprive us of all the pleasures of the body; but it cannot deprive us of our virtue, nor of the satisfaction which we feel from it. A virtuous man, under all the misfortunes of life, still finds an inward comfort and satisfaction, which makes him happier than any wicked man can be with all the other advantages of life. If a man has acquired great power and riches by falsehood, injustice, and oppression, he cannot enjoy them, because his conscience will torment him, and constantly reproach him with the means by which he got them. The stings of his conscience will not even let him sleep

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CHESTERFIELD'S PRINCIPLES, &c. quietly, but he will dream of his crimes; and, in the day-time, when alone, and when he has time to think, he will be uneasy and melancholy. He is afraid of every thing; for, as he knows mankind must hate him, he has reason to think they will hurt him if they can. Whereas, if a virtuous man be ever so poor and unfortunate in the world, still his virtue is its own reward, and will comfort him under all his afflictions. The quiet and satisfaction of his conscience make him cheerful by day and sleep sound at night: he can be alone with pleasure, and is not afraid of his own thoughts. Virtue forces her way, and shines through the obscurity of a retired life; and sooner or later, it always is rewarded.

To conclude:-Lord Shaftesbury says, that he would be virtuous for his own sake, though nobody were to know it; as he would be clean for his own sake, though nobody were to see him.

END OF THE PRINCIPLES OF POLITENESS.