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Show CharaC\er, ConduC\, or Bufinefs, further than your own Affairs may be conncCled with thofe of another. You will be fure never to gai11 any thing by fuch Interpofitions, and may often draw yourfelf by one ra01 Word into Troubles you may find it very hard to get out of. Therefore, if you be wife, you will follow this Rule, " Never to fay any thing to any Perfon's Dif" advantange, except to prevent his impofing " upon fomebody, whom you know he endea-vours to over-reach. And, when you know " no Good you can fay of a Perfon, whofe" Name you hear mentioned, to be quite fi" lent." And as you will find great Adr antage irr keeping clear of Reflections upon other People's CharaCters, fo let me advife you never to trouble yourfelf about what the bufy, meddling Part of your Neighbours or Acquaintance are pleafed t<> fay of your own Character and ConduCl ; unlcfs you find they reRcCl upon you jullly; and then be fure to amend what they blame. Otherwife It IS of no Confequence to you whlt is faid· of you by other mortal Creatures, like yourfelf, wha. mull be judged at lall, as well as you. Befides, you will find it impoffible to plcafe aH S1des: For what wtll be aareeable to one Party will difpleafe the other. " As the human Mind is a relllefs, aClive Principle, al_ways grafping. at f~me Happinefs in profpeCt, e1ther real or 1magmar-y, and as it is not to be fatisfied, without an end!efs variety of Entertainments, let me recommend to you, for an Employment to fill up your vacant Hours and to prevent Life from hanging heavy on' your Hands, the Purfuit of ufeful and ornamental Knowledge. Knowledge. 'Tis Knowledge that makes the Difference between one Man and another; and raifes fame to the Rank of Angels (fo to fpeak) when compared with others. It is the very Food of the Mind, and (except Virtue and Piety) is the molt truly valuable Acquifition. It has feveral peculiar Advantages above all other Entertainments or Amufements Men ufually purfue, fuch as, That you will be fure never to exhauft it, or to be at a fiand ; hut may go on for any Number of Years, and every Hour find new Entertainmcut. That the more you acquire, the more eager you will be to gain farther Improvements, and therefore will never be fatiated or palled; but will always enjoy that Pleafure with an equal Reli!h. That it will afford you a conllant Entertainment at all Seafans, when you.r Thoughts are free, without requiring any expenfrve Apparatu•, or the Hel? of any other Perfon : For a Man of Knowledge has only to look into his own Mind, if he wants fomething to amufe or entertain him; and there he will never fail to find a folid and manly SatisfaClion in the Contemplation of the Ideas he has fiored up in it. As to the partiCUlar Methods of improving yourfelf, if it happens that you have not time to go any great Length in Study, I would advife_ you to. apply your leifure Hours to the readmg of Hillary, efpecially that of your own Country, and of thofe Books which give plain Accounts of the Natures of .. fhings animate and inanimate ; of Geography, and fuch Authors upon Afironomy as treat that moll entertaining and moll fubl1me of all SubicB:s in a familiar Manner, without much of ~bllrufe and mathematical Reafonings. By |