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nd expects to play away the last years with the companions f his childhood, and recover youth in the fields where he nce was young.

10. From this inattention, so general and so mischievous, et it be every man's study to exempt himself. Let him hat desires to see others happy, make haste to give while is gift can be enjoyed; and remember, that every moment of delay takes away something from the value of his beneaction. And let him who proposes his own happiness, relect, that while he forms his purpose, the day rolls on, and *the night cometh, when no man can work."

Slander and Slanderers.*

"Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used eceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are n their ways; and the way of peace have they not known; there is no fear of jod before their eyes."-Rom. iii.

1. Few characters are more despicable than the slanderer, and few vices are more pernicious to society than that to which he is addicted. Always lurking for prey, always watching for some unguarded expression, some unstudied ct, he winds himself into the little domestic circle, where is presence destroys all ease, and poisons every social joy. Nor does his presence impose less restraint upon the more umerous circles. Every person considers him a spy, eeking some jest, which by exaggerating, and representing s sentimental, he may turn to the disadvantage of the innoent author.

2. Thus all cheerful ease and pleasant gayety are detroyed, each choosing to sacrifice every social enjoyment ather than be exposed to vile reproach: for however virtuus men may be, or however conscious of their integrity, hey cannot escape his eagle-eyed reproach, which fixes Bost on those of most merit, because they are most envied: "No might nor greatness in mortality

Can censure 'scape back wounding calumny
The whitest virtue strikes. What king so strong
Can tie the gall up in the slanderous tongue?"

Whilst the teacher is thus exhibiting to his pupils the odious character f a slanderer, let him be guarded himself, lest his pupils transfer those rearks to himself.

3. Against the crafty wiles of the swindler we may guard; against the nocturnal depredations of the thief we may fence; against the murderer we may arm; but against the slanderer we have no defence: he stalks at noonday, and poisons all about him with the venom of his breath; and, as if licensed to destroy reputation, he circulates slander with impunity, and without a blush.

4. Indeed, it is almost dangerous to have a reputation for his cankered breath to feed upon. His microscopic eye magnifies our weaknesses into enormous crimes. Nor are our errors alone the subject of his animadversion; our virtues are construed into vices, and blasted by the breath of calumny. Our frankness is transformed into impudence, our sensibility into weakness, our friendship into deceit, our benevolence into pride, and our religion into bypocrisy. Are we prosper. ous?-It is because we are knavish! Are we unfortunate?It is the award of our crimes! Thus every action is im puted to the worst motive, and every effect traced to a disgraceful cause.

"I see the jewel best enamelled,

Will lose its beauty: and tho' gold bides still
That others touch; yet often touching will

:

Wear gold and so no man that hath a name
But falsehood and corruption doth it shame.

5. If, indeed, there were but one kind of slanderers, if they were all actuated by the same motive, and had in view the same end, there might be at least a chance of escaping their attacks; we might find some covert of defence, some shield against their arrows: but we have no such security If we be wise, they envy; if virtuous, they hate; if in favour, they are jealous: the high, the low-the rich, the poor-the old, the young-are all subject to the slanderer's attacks. Nor can even the shades of obscurity protect us from his venom. With the fierceness of the bloodbound he hunts his innocent prey; with the savage ferocity of the tiger, he commences his unprovoked attack, and proudly boasts that he will not spare his victim.

6. One would think human life loaded with miseries enough which are unavoidable, without adding to the bitter cup the gall of calumny; yet, strange as it may seem, it really appears as if the restless petulant slanderer envied the little repose allotted to the virtuous, and was determined,

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by every vile means, to diminish their already small joys. If it were possible to banish from society this despicable monster, or to destroy his influence, and thereby avoid the broils, the bickerings, and the anxieties, which he creates, life would be a paradise compared with what it now is. What miseries he brings to society! ab, what misery brings he not?

7. To the shame of society be it spoken, that even in this refined age, so reputable are the venders of slander, and so numerous and eager their bidders, that many persons of acknowledged worth seclude themselves from society, lest they should become the objects of attack; for to be known is to be slandered.

8. But it will be said, "we need not regard the calumnies heaped upon us, so long as we are conscious of not meriting them." Happy, indeed, if it were so; happy if we could look with indifference upon the vile attempts of those who slander us; and like the moon, when bayed by the angry cur, continue to travel peaceably on our course: but it is not for us to be thus independent: a reputation is too hard to be acquired, and too easily blasted, to allow of such indifference. Nor is a solicitude for one's character at all improper: it is not the growth of extravagant self love, but of a refined and virtuous sensibility.

9. Hence we often see persons of the greatest worth betray the most anxiety concerning what is said of them in their absence. And well they may, when recollecting that it is on the breath of the public our character depends. By a strange perversion of reason and propriety, it is become but too common to ridicule a person until a thorough acquaintance compels us to acknowledge his worth. Instead of charitably believing him possessed of merit, until we know him otherwise, we cruelly oppress till we find it of no avail, and then reluctantly cry-let him live.

10. How unreasonable to ridicule the person of whom we know little or nothing! To this practice it is owing, perhaps, more than to any other, that so many worthy persons are kept in disrepute; for to what other cause can we attribute it? Or what is the cause of those broils and misunderstandings we so often witness in society? What is it that imposes so many barriers to social enjoyment? What that blasts the

fairest reputation, and sinks the envied possessor into dis grace and ruin?

""Tis slander,

Whose edge is sharper than the sword; whose tongue
Outvenoms all the worms of Nile; whose breath
Rides on the posting winds, and doth belie

All corners of the world. Kings, queens, and states,
Maids, matrons, nay, the secrets of the grave,
This viperous slander enters."

The Ungrateful Guest.

1. PHILIP, king of Macedon, is celebrated for an act of private justice, which does great honour to his memory." A certain soldier in the Macedonian army, had, in various instances, distinguished himself by extraordinary acts of valour; and had received many marks of Philip's approbation and favour. On a particular occasion, this soldier embarked on board a vessel, which was wrecked by a vio lent storm; and he was cast on the shore, helpless and naked, with scarcely any appearance of life. A Macedonian, whose lands were contiguous to the sea, came opportunely to be witness of his distress; and, with the most humane and charitable tenderness, flew to the relief of the unhappy stranger. He bore him to his house, laid him on his own bed, revived, cherished, and comforted him; and, for forty days, supplied him freely with all the necessaries and conveniences which his languishing condition could require. The soldier, thus happily rescued from death, was incessant in the warmest expressions of gratitude to his benefactor; assured him of his interest with the king; and of his deter mination to obtain for him, from the royal bounty, the noble returns which such extraordinary benevolence had merited. He was at length completely recovered; and was supplied by his kind host with money to pursue his journey.

2. After some time, the soldier presented himself before the king; he recounted his misfortunes; he magnified his services and this inhuman wretch, who had looked with an eye of envy on the possessions of the man by whom his life had been preserved, was so devoid of gratitude, and of every humane sentiment, as to request that the king would bestow upon him the house and lands. where he had been

so tenderly and kindly entertained. Unhappily, Philip, without examination, precipitately granted his infamous request. The soldier then returned to his preserver, and repaid his goodness, by driving him from his settlement, and taking immediate possession of all the fruits of his honest industry.

3. The poor man, stung with such an instance of unparalleled ingratitude and insensibility, boldly determined, instead of submitting to his wrongs, to seek relief; and in a letter addressed to Philip, represented his own and the soldier's conduct, in a lively and affecting manner. The king was instantly fired with indignation. He ordered that ample justice should be done without delay; that the possessions should be immediately restored to the man whose charitable offices had been thus horribly repaid; and, to show his abhorrence of the deed, he caused the soldier to be seized, and to have these words branded on his forehead: The Ungrateful Guest."

A True Friend.

1. CONCERNING the man you call your friend, tell me, will he weep with you in the hour of distress? Will he faithfully reprove you to your face, for actions for which others are ridiculing or censuring you behind your back? Will he dare to stand forth in your defence, when detraction is secretly aiming its deadly weapons at your reputation? Will he acknowledge you with the same cordiality, and behave to you with the same friendly attention, in the company of your su periors in rank and fortune, as when the claims of pride or vanity do not interfere with those of friendship?

2. If misfortunes and losses should oblige you to retire into the walks of humble life, in which you cannot appear with the same distinction, or entertain your friends with the same liberality as formerly, will he still think himself happy in your society? And instead of gradually withdrawing himself from an unprofitable connexion, take pleasure in professing himself your friend, and cheerfully assist you to support the burden of your afflictions?

3. When sickness shall call you to retire from the gay and busy scenes of the world, will he follow you into your gloomy retreat, and listen with attention to your tale of wo? Will he administer the balm of consolation to your fainting spirit?

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