Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1805 edition. Excerpt: ... men, and all men, delight to gratify, are questions that were not brought to the test, and therefore must remain undecided. At my present time of life, I cannot disapprove the determination, which it seems he then made, of not suffering me to be the travelling companion of George. Perhaps the father rightly enough conjectured that the son had a sufficient propensity for the gamingtable, without the aid of a tempter. With respect to the plan of educating me to be a country curate, or even as Mr. Saville said of obtaining some trifling church preferment, I unfortunately looked on it with contempt. I little understood in what.the happiness of life consists; that sweet content is the greatest of riches; and that the pleasures of idleness, or of fashion, are but delusive demons, that incessantly torment those by whom they are pursued. I knew not how beneficial, to the people among whom he may live, and how useful even in seclusion, having leisure and talents, a country curate may become. Oh that I had then understood the character and the worth of my dear friend, the vicar of our parish! In any case, I was introduced, or ra, ther recommended, as a dependent, wKo was to perform the duty of a clerk to his friend, Mr. Hazard. I had willingly given my consent; for I had a sincere desire rather to devote myself to honest industry than to be ranked as the companion of the vicious, and be obliged to practise arts, which, as my understanding opened, I began sincerely to despise. Let me however observe, it is to youth a dreadful trial to have the means of vice in their power; for their..passions are in the utmost danger, or rather in the greatest certainty, of rendering temptation irresistible. At present, I can sit and reason on such situations very..
