We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 June 2022
The following Letters are publish’d at the Solicitation of particular Friends, who are of Opinion, that they will answer several good Ends, as they may not only direct the Forms requisite to be observed on the most important Occasions; but, what is more to the Purpose, by the Rules and Instructions contained in them, contribute to mend the Heart, and improve the Understanding.
NATURE, PROPRIETY OF CHARACTER, PLAIN SENSE, and GENERAL USE, have been the chief Objects of the Author's Attention in the penning of these Letters; and as he every-where aimed to write to the Judgment, rather than to the Imagination, he would chuse, that they should generally be found more useful than diverting: Tho’, where the Subjects require Strokes of Humour, and innocent Raillery: it will be seen, perhaps, that the Method he has taken, was the Effect of Choice, and not merely of Necessity.
The Writer is no Friend to long Prefaces; but it may be necessary, however, to say, what he has aimed at in this Performance; and to leave his Merit in the Execution of it, to proper Judges.
He has endeavour’d then, in general, throughout the great Variety of his Subjects, to inculcate the Principles of Virtue and Benevolence; to describe properly, and recommend strongly, the SOCIAL and RELATIVE DUTIES; and to place them in such practical Lights, that the Letters may serve for Rules to THINK and ACT by, as well as Forms to WRITE after.
Particularly, he has endeavoured to point out the Duty of a Servant, not a Slave; the Duty of a Master, not a Tyrant; that of the Parent, not as a Person morose and sour, and hard to be pleased; but mild, indulgent, kind, and such an one as would rather govern by Persuasion than Force.
He has endeavour’d to direct the young Man in the Choice of his Friends and Companions; to excite him to Diligence; to discourage Extravagance, Sottishness, and Vice of all Kinds.
He has aimed to set forth, in a Variety of Cases, to both Sexes, the Inconveniencies attending unsuitable Marriages; to expose the Folly of a litigious Spirit; to console the Unhappy; to comfort the Mourner: And many of these by Arguments, tho’ easy and familiar, yet new and uncommon.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.
