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7 ſhould chooſe to aſſociate although after all, it is a never failing good ſign to me of prudence and virtue in a young man when his ſeniors chuſe his company and he delights in theirs

Let your endeavours therefore be, at all adventures, to comfort yourſelf with men of ſobriety, good ſenſe, and virtue: for the proverb is an unerring one that ſays man is known by he company he keeps If ſuch men you can ſingle out, while you it prove by the converſation, you will benefit by their advice And be ſure remember one thing that tho' you muſt be frank and unreſerved in delivering your ſentiments, when occaſions offers; yet, that you be much readier to near than to ſpeak for to this purpoſe it has been ſignificantly obſerved that nature has given a man two ears and but one tongue Lay in therefore, by obſervation and modeſt ſilence, ſuch a ſtore of ideas that you may at their time of life make no worſe figure than they demand endeavour to benefit yourſelf rather by other people's ills than your own How muſt thoſe young men expoſe themſelves to the contempt and ridicule of their ſeniors, who having ſeen little or nothing of the world, are continually ſhutting out, by open mouths and cloſed ears ad poſſibility of inſtruction, and making vain he principal end of converſation; which is improvement? A ſilent young man makes, generally, wife old one and never tails of being reſpected by the be and not prudent men; when, therefore you come among ſtrangers, hear every one ſpeak before you deliver your own ſentiments by this means you will judge of the merit and capacities of your company, and avoid expoſing yourſelf, as I have known many do, by ſhooting out haſty an inconſiderable bolt which they would have been glad to recal; when, perhaps, a ſilent genius