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make a breach upon your daily exercise of piety -nothing but evident necessity can dispense.

8th. Be not ashamed to ask if you doubt; but be ashamed to be reproved for the same fault twice.

9th. Be constant in your course of study; and although you proceed slowly, yet go on in your path: assiduity will make amends at last. He that can but creep, if he keeps his way, will sooner come to his journey's end, than he that rides post out of it.

10th. Endeavour at the highest perfection, not only at your studies, but in whatsoever you at tempt: strive to excel in every thing, and you may perform many things worthy of praise, nothing meanly. He that aims further than he can shoot, and draws with his utmost strength, will hardly shoot short, at least deserves not to be blamed for short shooting.

11th. Avoid night studies, if you will preserve your wit and health.

12th. Whether thou dost read or hear any thing-indeed whatsoever you do intend what thou art about, and let not thy mind wander, but compel it to be fixed and present. If any other thought comes across thee in thy study, keep it off, and refer it to some other time: this wandering of your spirit you know I have often

reproved, therefore, whatsoever you do, do it, and nothing else.

13th. Suffer not thy memory to rest; she loves exercise, and grows with it every day: commend something notable to her custody; the more she receives, the better she keeps; and when you have trusted any thing to her care, let it rest with her a while, then call for it again, especially if it be a fault corrected. You must not err twice; and by this frequent calling her to account, she will be always ready to give you satisfaction; and the sooner, if what she was entrusted with was laid up orderly, and put, as it were, in the several boxes of a cabinet.

14th. If thou wouldst seem learned, the best way is to endeavour to be learned; for if thou dost not strive to be that which thou desirest to be, thou desirest to no purpose, which gives me occasion to recommend this following advice to your especial regard.

15th. It is an extreme vanity to hope to be a scholar, and yet to be unwilling to take pains; for what excellent thing is there that is easily composed? Its very difficulty doth imply, and, as it were, doth invite us to something worthy and rare. Consider, it is a rose that thorns do compass; and the forbidden object sharpens the desire in all other things. Thus a difficult mis

tress makes a lover more passionate; and that same man hates an offered and a prostitute love. I dare say, if learning were easy and cheap, thou wouldst as much slight her; and, indeed, who would have any thing common with a carter or a cobler? Something there is, doubtless, in it, that none but noble and unwearied spirits can attain her; and these are raised higher, and heightened by its difficulty, and would not gain her otherwise. Something there is in it, that no money or jewels can buy her. No, Frank, nothing can purchase learning but thy own sweat : obtain her, if thou canst, any other way. Not all my estate can buy thee the faculty of making but one quick epigram - the trifling part of her; wherefore I entreat thee, Frank, to raise thy spirit, and stretch thy resolution. And so often as thou goest to thy book, place before thy eyes what crowns, sceptres, mitres, and other ensigns of honour, learning hath conferred upon those that have courted her with labour and dili

gence; besides the rare pleasure of satisfaction, which, of itself, is an honourable reward. And let me tell thee, Frank, a learned holy man, (and such a one would I fain have thee to be) looks like an angel in flesh-a mortal cherubim. And because letters are great discoverers of the man, therefore, when you write, let your style be genteel, clean, round, even, and plain, un

less the subject or matter require a more manly and vigorous expression. I cannot allow you a curiosity, unless it be like a lady's dress, negli gently neat. Go not to counsel for every word, yet neglect not to choose. Be more careful to think before you write than before you speak ; because letters pass not away as words do; they remain upon record, are still under the examination of the eye, and tortured they are, sometimes, to confess that of which they were never guilty. That is rare, indeed, that can endure reading, Understand the person well to whom you write. If he be your inferior, or equal, you may give your pen the more liberty, and play with it sometimes; but if to your superior, then regard is to be had to your interest with him, his leisure, and capacity; all which will be so many caveats and instructions to the humility, neatness, and brevity of your style. You shall do well if, like a skilful painter, you draw your sense, and the proportions of your business, in a plain draft first, and then give it colour, heightening, and beauty afterwards; and, if it be duly considered, it is no such (great) commendation to be praised for penning a letter without making a blot, not in my judgment; therefore, after you have pondered and penned, then examine and correct. A negligent manner of writing, methinks, is a kind of an affront and a challenge,

not a letter, to a person of distinction. Avoid all roughness, swelling, poverty, and looseness in your style; let it be rather riotous than niggardly. The flowing pen may be helped, but the dry never. Especially shun obscurity, be. cause it must go a-begging for an interpreter: and why should you write to intreat him to understand if he can. you Be this your general rule, both in your writing and speaking,-labour for sense, rather than words; and for your book, take this also, study men and things.

man.

16th. Perhaps you will expect, after all these instructions, I should commend unto you some copy or example to imitate. As for the Greek and Latin tongues, I leave it to your tutor's choice. In the English, I know no style I should sooner prefer to your imitation, than that of Sir Francis Bacon, that excellent unhappy And to give you direction for all imitation in general, as well as of his style in particular, be careful so to imitate, as by drawing forth the very spirits of the writer, you may, if possible, become himself. Imitate him, but do not mock him for the face of a bull, or a horse, is more comely, than of an ape or a monkey, though the ape most resembles man, the most beautiful of all creatures; and, in that regard, your own genuine and natural style may show more comely than an imitation of Sir Francis

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