in the observations of men, viz. The false judgments of pride and envy. How ready is envy to mingle with the notices which we take of other persons? How often is mankind prone to put an ill sense upon the actions of their neighbours, to take a survey of them in an evil position, and in an unhappy light? And by this means we form a worse opinion of our neighbours than they deserve; while at the same time pride and self-flattery tempt us to make unjust observations on ourselves in our own faIn all the favourable judgments we pass concerning ourselves, we should allow a little abatement on this account.

vour.

V. In making your observations on persons take care of indulging that busy curiosity which is ever enquiring into private and domestic affairs, with an endless itch of learning the secret history of families. It is but seldom that such a prying curiosity attains any valuable ends; it often begets suspicions, jealousies and disturbances in households, and it is a frequent temptation to persons to defame their neighbours. Some persons cannot help telling what they know; a busy body is most liable to become a tattler upon every occasion.

VI. Let your observations even of persons and their conduct be chiefly designed in order to lead you to a better acquaintance with things, particularly with human nature; and to inform you what to imitate and what to avoid rather than to furnish out matter for the evil passions of the mind, or the impertinencies of discourse and reproaches of the tongue.

VII. Though it may be proper sometimes to make your observations, concerning persons as well as things, the subject of your discourse in learned or useful conversation; yet what remarks you make on particular persons, especially to their disadvantage should for the most part lie hid in your own breast, till some just and apparent occasion, some necessary call of providence leads you to speak to them.

If the character or conduct which you observe be greatly culpable, it should so much the less be published. You may treasure up such remarks of the follies, indeeencies, or vices of your neighbours, as may be a constant guard against your practice of the same, without exposing the reputation of your neighbour on that account. It is a good old rule, that our conversation should rather be laid out on things than on persons; and this rule should generally be observed, unless names be concealed, wheresoever the faults or follies of mankind are our present theme,

Our late Archbishop Tillotson has written a small but excellent discourse on evil speaking, wherein he admirably explains, limits and applies that general apostolie precept, Speak evil of no man, Tit. iii. 2.

VIII. Be not too hasty to erect general theories from a few particular observations, appearances or experiments. This is what the logicians call a false induetion. When general observations are drawn from so many particulars as to become certain and indubitable, these are jewels of knowledge, comprehending great treasure in a little room; but they are therefore to be

made with the greater care and caution, lest errors become large and diffusive, if we should mistake in these general notions.

A hasty determination of some universal principles without a due survey of all the particular cases which may be included in them, is the way to lay a trap for our own understandings in their pursuit of any subject, and we shall often be taken captives into mistake and falsehood. Niveo in his youth observed, that on three Christmas days together there fell a good quantity of snow, and now hath writ it down in his almanack as a part of his wise remarks on the weather, that it will always snow at Christmas. Euron a young lad took notice ten times that there was a sharp frost when the wind was in the North-East; therefore in the middle of last July he almost expected it should freeze, because the weathercocks shewed him a North-East wind: and he was still more disappointed when he found it a very sultry season. It is the same hasty judgment that hath thrown scandal on a whole nation for the sake of some culpable character's belonging to several particular natives of that country; whereas all the French men are not gay and airy; all the Italians are not jealous and revengeful; nor all the English overrun with the spleen.

CHAPTER IV.

Of books, and reading.

I. THE world is full of books, but there are multitudes which are so ill written they were never worth any man's reading; and there are thousands more which may be good in their kind, yet are worth nothing when the month or year or occasion is past for which they were written. Others may be valuable in themselves, for some special purpose or in some peculiar science, but are not fit to be perused by any but those who are engaged in that particular science or business. To what use is it for a divine or physician or a tradesman, to read over the huge volumes of reports of judged cases in the law? or for a lawyer to learn Hebrew and read the Rabbins? It is of vast advantage for improvement of knowledge and saving time, for a young man to have the most proper books for his reading recommended by a judicious friend.

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II. Books of importance of any kind, and especially complete treatises on any subject, should be first read in a more general and cursory manner, to learn a little what the treatise promises, and what you may expect from the writer's manner and skill. And for this end I would advise always that the preface be read, and a survey taken of the table of contents, if there be one, before this first survey of the book. By this means you will not only be better fitted to give the book the first reading,

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but you will be much assisted in your second perusal of it, which should be done with greater attention and deliberation, and you will learn with more ease and readiness what the author pretends to teach. In your reading mark what is new or unknown to you before, and review those chapters, pages or paragraphs. Unless a reader has an uncommon and most retentive memory, I may venture to affirm, that there is scarce any book or chapter worth reading once, that is not worthy of a second perusal. At least take a careful review of all the lines or paragraphs which are marked, and make a recollection of the sections which you thought truly valuable.

There is another reason also why I would choose to take a superficial and cursory survey of a book, before I sit down to read it, and dwell upon it with studious attention; and that is, that there may be several difficulties in it which we cannot easily understand and conquer at the first reading, for want of a fuller comprehension of the author's whole scheme. And therefore in such treatises we should not stay till we master every difficulty at the first perusal; for perhaps many of these would appear to be solved when we have proceeded farther in that book, or would vanish of themselves upon a second reading.

What we cannot reach and penetrate at first may be noted down as matter of after consideration and enquiry, if the pages that follow do not happen to strike a complete light on those which went before.

III. If three or four persons agree to read the same book, and each bring his own remarks upon it at some