laughed at, to be fneered by the multitude, to hear them fay, "he is returned to us a philofopher all at once," and, "whence this fupercilious look?" Now, for your part, do not have a fupercilious look indeed; but till keep fteadily to thofe things which appear beft to you, as one appointed by God to this ftation. For remember, if you adhere to the fame point, thofe very perfons who at first ridiculed, will afterwards admire you; but if you are conquered by them, you will incur a double ridicule. "When a neighbour's boy has had a flight accident, broken a cup, for inftance, we are prefently ready to fay, "Thefe are things that will happen." Be affured then, that when your own cup likewife is broken, you ought to be affected just as when another's cup is broken. Transfer this in like manner to other things. Is the child or wife of another dead-? There is no one who would not fay, "This is an accident to which human nature is liable." But if any one's own child happens to die, it is prefently, "Alas, how wretched am I?” But it fhould be remembered, how we are affected in hearing the fame thing concerning others. "If a perfon had delivered up your body to any one whom he had met in the way, you would certainly be angry. And do you feel no thame in delivering up your own mind to be difconcerted and confounded by any one who happens to give you ill language? "Duties are univerfally meafured by relations. Is any one a father? In this are implied, as due, taking care of him, fubmitting to him in all things, patiently receiving his reproaches, his correction. But he is a bad father. Is your natural tie then to a good father? No: but to a father. Is a brother unjuft? Well: preferve your own fituation towards him; confider not what he does, but what you are to do. In this manner you will find, from the idea of a neighbour, a citizen, a general, the correfponding duties, if you accuftom yourfelves to contemplate the feveral relations. "It is incumbent on every one to offer libations and facrifices conformably to the customs of his country, with purity, and not in a flovenly manner, nor negligently, nor beyond his ability. "Immediately "Immediately prescribe some character and form of behaviour to yourself, which you may preferve, both alone and in company. "We must not difcourfe on any of the common fubjects, of gladiators, or horfe-races, or athletic champions, or feafts, the vulgar topics of converfation; but principally not of men, fo as either to blame, or praife, or make comparisons. If you are able, by your own converfation, bring over that of your company to proper fubjects; but, if you happen to be taken among perfons of ideas totally different from yours, be filent. "Let not your laughter be much, nor on many occafions, nor profufe. Avoid fwearing, if poffible, altogether; if not, as far as you are able. "Avoid public and vulgar entertainments: but, if ever an occafion calls you to them, keep your attention upon the ftretch, that you may not imperceptibly flide into vulgar manners. For be affured, that if a perfon be ever fo found himfelf, yet if his companion be infected, he who converfes with him will be infected likewife. "Before marriage preferve yourfelf pure; but do not, therefore, be troublesome, and full of reproofs, to those who are licentious, nor frequently boaft that you yourfelf are not. "If any perfon tells you, that fuch a perfon fpeaks ill of you, do not make excufes about what is faid of you, but answer; "He does not know my other faults, elfe he would not have mentioned only these " "In parties of converfation, avoid a frequent and exceffive mention of your own actions and dangers; for, however agreeable it may be to yourself to mention the rifques you have run, it is not equally agreeable to others to hear your adventures. Avoid likewise an endeavour to excite laughter; for this is a flippery point, which may throw you into vulgar manners; and befides, may be apt to leffen you in the esteem of your acquaintance. Approaches to indecent difcourfe are likewise dangerous. Whenever, therefore, any thing of this fort, happens, if there be a proper opportunity, rebuke him who makes advances that way; or, at least, by filence and blushing, blushing, and a forbidding look, fhew yourself difpleased by fuch talk. "If you are ftruck by the appearance of any promised pleasure, guard yourself against being hurried away by it; but let the affair wait your leifure, and procure yourself fome delay. Then bring to your mind both points of time; that in which you fhall enjoy the pleafure, and that in which you will repent and reproach yourself, after you have enjoyed it: and fet before you, in oppofition to thefe, how you will rejoice and applaud yourself if you abstain. And even, though it fhould appear to you a seasonable gratification, take heed, that its enticing, and agreeable and attractive force, may not fubdue you; but fet in oppofition to this, how much better it is, to be conscious of having gained fo great a victory. "When you do any thing from a clear judgment that it ought to be done, never fhun the being feen to do it, even though the world fhould make a wrong fuppofition about it; for, if you do not act right, fhun the action itself; but, if you do, why are you afraid of those who cenfure you wrongly? "If you have affumed any character above your ftrength, you have both made an ill figure in that, and quitted one which you might have supported. "Women, from fourteen years old, are flattered with the title of miftreffes by the men. Therefore, perceiving that they are regarded only as qualified to give the men pleasure, they begin to adorn themselves; and in that to place all their hopes. It is worth while, therefore, to fix our attention on making them fenfible, that they are esteemed for nothing else, but the appearance of a decent, and modeft, and difcreet behaviour. "It is a mark of want of genius, to spend much time in things relating to the body; as to be long in our exercises, in eating and drinking. Thefe fhould be done incidentally and flightly; and our whole attention be engaged in the care of the understanding. "Never call yourself a philofopher, nor talk a great deal among the unlearned about theorems; but act conformably to them. Thus, at entertainments, do not talk how perfons ought to eat; but eat as you ought. VOL. II. F There There is great danger in immediately throwing out what you have not digefted. And if any one tells you, that you know nothing, and you are not nettled at it, then you may be fure that you have begun your business. "Sheep do not produce the grafs, to show how much they have eaten; but, inwardly digesting their food, they outwardly produce wool and milk. Thus, therefore, do you likewife, not fhew theorems to the unlearned, but the actions produced by them, after they have been digefted. "The condition and characteristic of a vulgar perfon are, that he never expects either benefit or hurt from himself; but from externals. The condition and characteristic of a philofopher are, that he expects all hurt and benefit from himself. "Whatever rules you have deliberately propofed to yourself for the conduct of life, abide by them as fo many laws, and as if you would be guilty of impiety in tranfgreffing any of them; and do not regard what any one fays of you, for this, after all, is no concern of yours. How long will you defer to think yourself worthy of the nobleft improvements, and in no inftance to tranfgrefs the diftinctions of reafon? You are no longer a boy, but a grown man. If, therefore, you will be negligent and flothful, and always add procrastination to procraftination, purpose to purpofe, and fix day after day, in which you will attend to yourself, you will infenfibly continue without proficiency; and living and dying, prefevere in being one of the vulgar. This inftant then, think yourself worthy of living as a man grown up, and a proficient. Let whatever appears to be the belt, be to you an inviolable law. And if any inftance of pain or pleasure, or glory or difgrace, he fet before you, remember that now is the combat, now the olympiad comes on, nor can it be put off; and that, by once being woifted and giving way, proficiency is loft; or, by the contrary, preferved. Thus Socrates became perfect, improving himfelf by every thing, attending to nothing but reafon. And, though you are not yet a Socrates, you ought, howover, to live as one defirous of becoming a Socrates. Upon all occafions we ought to have this faying '' of of Socrates at hand, "O Crito, if it thus pleases the gods, thus let it be! Anytus and Melitus may kill me indeed, but hurt me they cannot." The conferences of Epictetus, from which, indeed, the manual is in great measure collected, quaint as they appear, abound with pithy remarks; fuch as fuggest much more to the mind of a reflecting reader than meets the ear. The gold, however, as it happens in the richest mines, is furrounded with much drois. The uncouth manner in which the conferences appear in a tranflation, however excellent, has deterred many from perufing them, who would have found their perfeverance amply rewarded. I cannot, therefore, help wishing, for the fake of liberal and ftudious young men, that all the valuable matter were extracted, and prefented to their view, with accuracy; but, at the fame time, with all the ornaments of an elegant and flowing diction. I fhould, indeed, think it an excellent mode of improving the minds and morals of those who are in the courfe of their education, if fome one paffage, like those cited above, were felected as a text or fubject on which the preceptor might expatiate. For, next to the fcriptures themselves, the writings of the ftoics contribute moft to raise and refcue human nature from the humiliation and wretchednefs into which it is prone to fall, by natural degeneracy, inherent weakness, and acquired corruption. They operate on the mind like thofe medicines on the body which are called bracers, or corroboratives; and furely that philofophy ought to be encouraged by every moralift and flatefman, which adds nerves to virtue, and gives ftability to empire. No. CVI. ON SWEETNESS AND DELICACY A S there is in fome flowers an exquifite fcent, and in fome fruits a delicious flavour, to express which no language has a name, fo there is in ftyle a sweetness F 2 and |