again be excited by the return of its object, and each would be impatient to exchange acknowledgments, and recover the felicity which was fo near being loft.

But if after we have admitted an acquaintance to our bofom as a friend, it should appear that we had mistaken his character; if he fhould betray our confidence, and ufe the knowledge of our affairs, which perhaps he obtained by offers of fervice, to effect our ruin; if he defames us to the world, and adds perjury to falsehood; if he violates the chastity of a wife, or feduces a daughter to prostitution; we may ftill confider him in fuch circumftances as will incline us to fulfil the precept, and to regard him without the rancour of hatred or the fury of revenge.

Every character, however it may deferve punishment, excites hatred only in proportion as it appears to be malicious; and pure malice has never been imputed to human beings. The wretch, who has thus deceived and injured us, fhould be confidered as having ultimately intended, not evil to us, but good to himself. It fhould alfo be remembered, that he has mistaken the means; that he has forfeited the friendship of HIM whose favour is better than life, by the fame conduct which forfeited ours; and that to whatever view he sacrificed our temporal interest, to that alfo he facrificed his own hope of immortality; that he is now feeking felicity which he can never find, and incurring punithment that will laft for ever. And how much better than this wretch is he, in whom the contemplation of his condition can excite no pity! Surely, if fuch an enemy hungers, we may, without fuppreffing any paffion, give him food; for who that fees a criminal dragged to execution, for whatever crime, would refuse him a cup of cold water?

On the contrary, he, whom GOD has forgiven, muft neceffarily become amiable to man: to confider his character without prejudice or partiality, after it has been changed by repentance, is to love him; and impartially to confider it, is not only our duty but our intereft.

Thus may we love our enemies, and add a dignity to our nature of which pagan virtue had no conception.

But

But if to love our enemies is the glory of a CHRISTIAN, to treat others with coldness, neglect and malignity, is rather the reproach of a fiend than a man. Unprovoked enmity, the frown of unkindness, and the menaces of oppreffion, fhould be far from thofe who profefs themselves to be followers of HIM who in his life went about doing good; who inftantly healed a wound that was given in his defence; and who, when he was fainting in his laft agony, and treated with mockery and derifion, conceived at once a prayer and an apology for his murderers; FATHER FORGIVE THEM, THEY

KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.

Rules for Conversation.

THE

[Guard. No. 24.]

HE faculty of interchanging our thoughts with one another, or what we exprefs by the word Converfation, has always been reprefented by moral writers as one of the nobleft privileges of reafon, and which more particularly fets mankind above the brute part of the creation.

Though nothing fo much gains upon the affections as this extempore eloquence, which we have conftantlyoccafion for, and are obliged to practise every day, we very rarely meet with any who excel in it.

The converfation of most men is difagreeable, not fo much for want of wit and learning, as of good-breeding and difcretion.

If you refolve to pleafe, never fpeak to gratify any particular vanity or paffion of your own, but always with a defign either to divert or inform the company. A man who only aims at one of thefe, is always easy in his difcourfe. He is never out of humour at being interrupted, because he confiders that thofe who hear him are the beft judges whether what he was saying could either divert or inform them.

A modest person seldom fails to gain the good-will of thofe he converses with, because nobody envies a man who does not appear to be pleased with himself.

We fhould talk extremely little of ourselves. Indeed what can we say? It would be as imprudent to discover our faults, as ridiculous to count over our fancied virtues. Our private and domeftic affairs are no lefs improper to be introduced in converfation. What does it concern the company how many horfes you keep in your tables? Or whether your fervant is most knave or fool ? A man may equally affront the company he is in, by engroffing all the talk, or obferving a contemptuous

filence.

Before you tell a story it may be generally not amifs to draw a fhort character, and give the company a true idea of the principal perfons concerned in it. The beauty of moft things confiling not fo much in their being faid or done, as in their being faid or done by -fuch particular perfon, or on fuch a particular occafion.

Notwithstanding all the advantages of youth, few young people please in converfation; the reafon is, that want of experience makes them pofitive, and what they fay is rather with a defign to please them felves than any one elfe.

It is certain that age itfelf fhall make many things pass well enough, which would have been laughed at in the mouth of one much younger.

Nothing, however, is more infupportable to men of fenfe, than an empty formal man who fpeaks in proverbs, and decides all controverfies with a short sentence. This piece of ftupidity is the more unfufferable, as it puts on the air of wisdom.

A prudent man will avoid talking much of any par ticular fcience, for which he is remarkably famous. There is not methinks an handfömer thing said of Mr. Cowley in his whole life, than that none but his intimate friends ever difcovered he was a great poet by his difcourfe. Befides the decency of this rule, it is certainly founded in good policy. A man who talks of any thing he is already famous for, has little to get, but a great deal to lofe. I might add, that he who is fometimes filent on a fubject where every one is fatisfied he could speak well, will often be thought no lefs know

ing

ing in other matters, where perhaps he is wholly ignorant.

Women are frightened at the name of argument, and· are fooner convinced by an happy turn, or witty expreffron, than by demonftration.

Whenever you commend, add your reafons for doing fo; it is this which diftinguishes the approbation of a man of fenfe from the flattery of fycophants and admiration of fools.

Rallery is no longer agreeable than while the whole company is pleafed with it. I would leaft of all be underftood to except the perfon rallied.

Though good humour, fenfe, and difcretion can feldom fail to make a man agreeable, it may be no ill policy fometimes to prepare yourfelf in a particular manner for converfation, by looking a little farther than your neighbours into whatever is become a reign-ing fubject. If our armies are befieging a place of importance abroad, or our House of Commons debating a bill of confequence at home, you can hardly fail of being heard with pleasure, if you have nicely informed yourself of the ftrength, fituation, and hiftory of the first, or of the reafons for and against the latter. It will have the fame effect if when any fingle perfon begins to make a noise in the world, you can learn fome of the fmalleft accidents in his life or converfation, which, though they are too fine for the obfervation of the vulgar, give more fatisfaction to men of fenfe, (as they are the beft openings to a real character) than the recital of his moft glaring actions. I know but one ill confequence to be feared from this method, namely, that coming full charged into company, you should refolve to unload.. whether an handfome opportunity offers itself or no.

Though the afking of queftions may plead for itfelf the fpecious names of modefty, and a defire of informa tion, it affords little pleasure to the rest of the company who are not troubled with the fame doubts; befides which, he who afks a question would do well to confider that he lies wholly at the mercy of another before he receives an answer.

Nothing is more filly than the pleasure fome people take in what they call "fpeaking their minds." A man of this make will fay a rude thing for the mere pleasure of faying it, when an oppofite behaviour, full as innocent, might have preferved his friend, or made his fortune.

It is not impoffible for a man to form to himself as exquifite a pleafure in complying with the humour and fentiments of others, as of bringing others over to his own; fince 'tis the certain fign of a fuperior genius, that can take and become whatever drefs it pleafes.

I shall only add, that befides what I have here faid, there is fomething which can never be learnt but in the company of the polite. The virtues of men are catching as well as their vices, and your own obfervations added to these, will foon discover what it is that commands attention in one man, and makes you tired and difpleafed with the difcourfe of another.

The Study of Aftronomy recommended. [Guard. No. 169.] IN fair weather, when my heart is cheared, and I light and warmth, joined with a beautiful profpect of nature, I regard myself as one placed by the hand of God in the midst of an ample threatre, in which the fun, moon, and stars, the fruits aifo, and vegetables of the earth, perpetually changing their pofitions, or their afpects, exhibit an elegant entertainment to the understanding, as well as to the eye.

Thunder and lightening, rain and hail, the painted bow, and the glaring comets, are decorations of this mighty theatre. And the fable hemifphere ftudded with fpangles, the blue vault at noon, the glorious gildings and rich colours in the horizon, I look on as so many fucceffive fcenes.

When I confider things in this light, methinks it is a fort of impiety to have no attention to the course of nature, and the revolutions of the heavenly bodies. To

be