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APPENDIX, No. 1.

ADVICE OF WILLIAM EARL OF BEDFORD TO HIS SONS.

[This paper was sent to me after the rest of the work was gone to the press. The title is in the hand-writing of John Duke of Bedford, who died in 1771, and the letter itself is in the hand-writing of his secretary, Mr. Beaumont. It is difficult, however, to reconcile the contents of the paper with the title. Mention is made of the mother of the persons to whom it is addressed, as one some time dead; but Anne, Countess of Bedford, the mother of Francis Lord Russell, and his brother William, did not die till 1684. Neither can I reconcile the details of the family given in this paper with an Earl of Bedford of any other period. The style seems to be that of the reign of Charles the First.]

Copy of a Letter wrote by William Earl of Bedford, to his Sons, Francis and William.

Dear Frank;

IGNORANCE and vice are the usual effects of an unlearned and undisciplined education. Of my passionate desire to free you and your brother from both these, I suppose I have given you and the world sufficient testimony, sure I am, I have satisfied myself; you may guess how violent my longings are to advance your piety and understanding, that is, to render you perfect

men, in that, death is only displeasing when I think of dying before I see this my desire accomplished, or at least so far as my hopes may be greater than my fears: and as death every day makes his approaches nearer and nearer, (God knows how soon he will make a long separation between us:) and in this other regard too, that whilst I live I shall always be with thee. Be this, then, received either as a legacy for the will of a dying, or the advice of a living father, if it be observed or obeyed in either capacity, I shall think myself neither dead nor absent; I put it into your hands with a prayer, that God will give it his blessing, and then you have mine.

It was the wisest saying of the wisest man, the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Holiness then is the introduction of all wisdom; so it shall be the first of my advice, fear God, and if holiness give knowledge, knowledge will give thee happiness, long life, riches, and honour. Length of days is in the right hand of wisdom, and in her left hand are riches and honour, (said the wise King :) how exalted a thing, then, is religion, which is the mother of so great blessings, and who will pity thy complaints for the want of any of these, if they be obtained by the pleasure of (that which will also crown thee

with heaven) an holy life; be pious, and thou art all these; fear God, and thou shalt not fear man, or devil, for it will set thee above the reach of fortune, or malice.

RELIGION.

For thy religion, distinguish not thyself by, be not factious for, nor serve under any sect whatsoever be thou a Christian, the most pure, certain, noblest worshipper of God of all others. But if thou art pressed to give up thy name to any one profession, enquire after and embrace that whose principles conduce most to piety, that which comes nearest the doctrine of Christ. And in the examination of questions in religion, though I am no divine, yet I dare venture to guide your conscience thus far. Be careful still to search into the consequences of a doctrine; rely upon the Scriptures, which are, without exposition, plain, and which, if they offer injury to the attributes of God, rendering them such as we should abhor ourselves to be, or if they open the gate to looseness and profaneness, by. no means give them entertainment. Lastly, labour diligently to find the truth when God shall enable you with abilities for that great work, for I would not have you owe your religion to your education only; and for your encouragement to the search of this truth, heedfully remember the

most excellent saying of our blessed Saviour.' John, vii. 1, 2. "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or man." God never denied himself to him that sought him by prayer and holiness of life. And when you have thus happily found this divine truth, embrace it sincerely, and follow it constantly, and be sure to give it honour by your conversation.

LOYALTY.

Next to the fear of God, the Apostle commands honour to the King, which if it be not the sum of the second table, as the other is of the first, it cannot be denied to be the principal and main pillar thereof. And let me tell thee, if thou dost honour thy father and thy mother, thou canst neither be rebel nor schismatic, disloyal to the sovereign power, or disobedient to the church.

DUTY TO PARENTS.

As for your duty to me, I doubt not but it will grow up with your understanding; and when you know how nice and curious my care hath been over your education, even to the least circumstance, my prying into your inclination, observing the bent of your soul, her very first putting forth, heightening the good, and checking the ill, placing guards upon your senses and

conversation, not only pointing out the way to virtue, by putting your feet into it, and teaching you to tread it; (I speak not of fashioning or adorning your body, for I would not have you to measure my love and care by gay clothes, `noble diet, and recreation, though you enjoyed these in some measure,) when you come to know and judge of this, I have reason to expect, and therefore may boldly challenge, that if you were to choose a father, you would seek me out. Should you now so behave yourself, that as if I were to choose a son, to adopt a gentleman into my family to inherit my name and fortunes, you only 1 should pitch upon; besides the joy of beholding it, I should have a requital even to my wish. Nor were it possible for you to die in my debt, for your education, if you observe this with like care to bring up your children also, (if it shall please God to give you that blessing;) and because I have an ambition to oblige posterity, I do here charge this duty upon you, that you also lay the like charge upon yours, and they on their children successively. For ingenuous manners first made us noble, marked out and advanced our family first to honour; with equal reason and more facility, will such manners preserve us noble, which is most certainly ef fected by education, otherwise the estate I leave you will be but as rich trappings upon an ass,

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