candour, treat them with all the humanity and gentlenets that is confiftent with unremitted authority; when they are fick, vifit them in perfon, provide remedies for them, fympathize with them, and fhew them that you do fo; take care of their interests; assist them with your counsel and influence to obtain what is their right. But, on the other hand, never make yourself their proper companion; do not seem to tafte their fociety; do not hear their jokes, or ask their news, or tell them yours. Believe me, this will never make you either beloved or esteemed by your fervants themselves; and it will greatly derogate from the dignity of true reli gion in the eyes of your children. Suffer me alfo to caution you against that most unjuft and illiberal practice, of exercifing your wit in humorous ftrokes. upon your fervants, before company, or while they wait at table. I do not know any thing fo evidently inean, that is at the fame time fo common. It is, I think, juft fuch a cowardly thing as to beat a man who is bound; because the fervant, however happy a repartee might occur to him, is not at li berty to answer, but at the risk of having his bones broken. In this, as in many other particulars, reafon, refinement, and liberal manners, teach exactly the fame thing-with religion; and I am happy in being able to add, that religion is generally the most powerful, as well as the most uniform principle of decent conduct. I fhall have done with this particular when I have observed, that those who are engaged in pubblic, or what I may call political life, have an excellent opportunity of making religion appear truly refpectable. What I mean is, by fhewing them felves firm and incorruptible in fupporting those measures that appear beft calculated for promoting the intereft of religion and the good of mankind. In all these cafes I admire that man who has prin ciples, whofe principles are known, and whom every body defpairs of being able to feduce, or bring over to the oppofite intereft. I do not com mend furious and intemperate zeal. Steadiness is a much better, and quite a different thing. I would contend with any man who fhould fpeak most calmly, but I would alfo contend with him who fhould act moft firmly. As for your placebo's, your prudent, courtly, compliant gentlemen, whose vote in Affembly will tell you where they dined the day before, I hold them very cheap indeed, as you very well know. I do not enter further into this argument, but conclude at this time by obferving, that public meafures are always embraced under pretence of principle, and therefore an uniform uncorrupted public character is one of the best evidences of real principle. The free-thinking gentry tell us upon this fubject, that "every man has his price." It lies out of my way to attempt refuting them at present, but it is to be hoped there are many whose price is far above their reach. If fome of my near relations, who took so much pains to attach me to the intereft of evangelical truth, had been governed by court influence in their political conduct, it had not been in my power to have efteemed their character, or perhaps to have adhered to their inftructions. But as things now ftand, I have done both from the beginning, and I hope God will enable me, by his grace, to continue to do fo to the end of life. LETTERS ON MARRIAGE. I LETTER I. OFFER, with fome hesitation, a few reflections upon the married ftate.' I exprefs myfelf thus, because the subject has been fo often and fo fully treated, and by writers of the first class, that it may be thought nothing now remains to be faid that can merit attention. My only apology is, that what I offer is the fruit of real obfervation and perfonal reflection. It is not a copy of any man's writings, but of my own thoughts; and therefore, if the fentiments fhould not be in themselves wholly new, they may poffibly appear in a light not altogether common. I fhall give you them in the way of aphorifms or observations; and fubjoin to each, a few thoughts by way of proof or illuftration. |