and render you more ridiculous: wherefore, whatsoever you leave your heirs, (and now I speak to your posterity in you,) be sure to give them a learned and liberal education; there being, in my judgment, no other way to secure you from falling from honour, and the despite of fortune. This which I have said concerning your duty to me, is also applicable to the me mory of your excellent mother, for a personal observance you cannot pay her. I most strictly charge you, often to call to mind, that you and your brother have entered into a solemn engage ment unto me, under your hands, to imitate the honours and excellencies of that dear saint, the best of wives, the best of mothers and friends. Be religious in the performance of it, as you expect my blessing. Remember, Frank, she had more pangs in your bringing up, than bring ing forth, and she hath been an excellent nurse to your mind, regarding more the health and straitness of that, than of your body, though this were cared for with the greatest tenderness imaginable. The truth is, you owe her so much that you cannot clear your obligation by any other way; nothing can discharge you, and acquit you to her also, but by being such to yours, as she has been to you, and thus her me mory is honoured, and I profess myself satisfied.

AFFECTION TO BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

As for your carriage towards your brothers and sisters, I must needs say, that your natural kindness towards them now, gives me great hopes that you will be a loving brother hereafter. And be so, Frank, as you expect the blessing of God, and my favour. Besides, your interest will require this from you, because a numerous, wealthy, and ancient family, entire, and agreeing within itself with all its dependants and relatives, cannot easily be wronged in such a country as this. I know very well how little it can suffer, and how much it can do ; but then it must be, as I said, entire. The dying father's bundle of arrows in the fable, has an excellent moral, to show, how invincible love and union are. And that you may rightly understand me, this love of yours to them, must not only be in affectionate words, kind entertainment, and the like, but in a hearty real performance of all good offices that may tend to the advantage of their estates and reputation; study to do them good, and stay not for opportunities offered, snatch them rather and prevent their wishes. This is a noble way of obliging, and by this means you may make them your friends, a dearer name by far than that of brother or sister, and which, perhaps, may be repaid to yours, though yourself

may not need the return; for I must tell you,

kind offices have been remembered when the bestower has been rotten. And a grandchild hath been thanked, sometimes relieved, for the grandfather's kindness: insomuch as the courtesy to your brother may prove a charity to your child, think seriously of this, and remember it. But that I may be thoroughly understood in this advice, your love doth not end here, and I am not fully obeyed if you only love them in that manner as I have expressed: you must endeavour that they love one another also; to this end, be sure to put out the fire of discontent, if any appear, or but the smoke thereof, presently, so soon as it doth appear, and be careful to put it quite out, for smothered discontents break out afterwards with more violence. And herein, after my decease, you are to show the authority of a father, as well as the love of a brother to your family; for which purpose, you ought to enable yourself with those abilities of understanding and judgment, that you may be a person fit to be sought unto, and to be relied upon. This will give you authority, and upon a presumption, these both sides will be inclined to rest and settle, being confident that your equal affection will not suffer you to deceive them, nor your sound reason to be deceived yourself.

AFFECTION TO KINDRED..

This advice I must carry also into my next particular that concerns your kindred, which, for the former reasons, you must also labour to preserve in amity, at least the major and better part of them, and it will require a very good skill, but once happily effected, it must needs bring you great reputation. Let your outward deportment be full of respect to all your kindred, but reserve to yourself a secret mark and character of each. And take heed of suf fering them to come within you, yet thrust them not off: gentleness, but managed with discretion, will be sometimes necessary; yet distance and gravity must presently step in to secure it from presumption, and protect it from abuse. should say more concerning this, but I refer you to my more secret instructions, where you shall have, God enabling me, a particular of those friends and servants to your family, whose counsels you may follow, and whose service you may

trust.

I

Frank, you are now setting your foot into the world, but before you place it, look about you, and consider that you can hardly set it but upon a snare, or a thorn, which calls upon you both for care, and courage: with these, take my experience for your guide; and, if you follow not

my directions exactly, which frees you from all danger, yet tread as near as you; can you shall 'suffer the less; slip you may, fall you cannot.

MANNERS.

I have observed that the greatest mischief to our manners, proceeds from a mistake of the nature of things; learn, therefore, first to make a right judgment of things; esteem not a feather, and slight a jewel; know that nothing is beautiful, great, or your own, but only virtue and piety; riches are not, great revenues, noble houses, money, or plate; but not to want that which is necessary to support a moderate and ingenuous condition. That glory, is to hear well for doing good; honour, a reverence for being virtuous; power and command, an ability to oblige noble persons; nobility, heroic actions, or to be like noble ancestors; generosity, a natural inclination to virtue; health, such a constitution of the body as renders the mind vigorous; beauty, a fair soul lodged in no unhandsome body; strength, not to be weary in virtuous actions; pleasure, those pure, firm, lasting delights, which arise from those things alone which belong to the understanding and soul. All which definitions of things are clean contrary to the vulgar conceptions, and, consequently, not to be expected in their practice.