Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: congratulations. He is a person of such attainments, that the gentry, in a manner, contend for his society; which he gives us sparingly, and so as never to interfere with his sacred duties. Indeed, such visits are often turned to the exercise of duties the most important. The fortunes, the wants, and afflictions, of his humble flock, are made the subject of fre(juent communication: ?he acts as a medium of kindness and beneficence between his richer and poorer neighbours: ?and thus contributes to unite all classes in the bonds of Christian love. LV. PRIVATE EDUCATION AND INDULGENCE. Docttina sed vim promovet iu.-it;im. Rectique cultus pectora roborant.
TO THE KEEPER OF THE CABINET.
Sin, ?As I perceive, by the account you have given of your family, that you are charged with the education of a young kinsman; and as you hint that your discipline is not over strict; I am tempted to send you some particulars of my own history, as a lesson to yourself, and those of your readers whom it may concern, on the fruits of early indulgence.
I was an only child; and being left to the care of a fond mother, was brought up with all due attention to my wishes. My mother used to remark, amongher female friends, the extreme sensibility of my temper; and, though she would say this in a tone of regret, it was plain that she felt a secret pride in the observation. This was soon found out by her friends, who, while they condoled with her, did not fail to add that such was the temperament of genius. In this she-would acquiesce with a sigh; and then, stroking down my hair, would make me repeat the soliloquy of Cato, or of young Norval, to the admiring visitors.
The sensibility of my temper, as I recollect, was chiefly shewn in an extreme fickleness, and impatience of contradicti…
