WHEN Eugenio firft began to go abroad in the World, his Companions were recommended to him by the Prudence of his Parents; or if he chose them himself it was ftill within the reach of his Tutor's Obfervation, or the Notice of his Father's Eye: Nor was he fuffered to run loofe into promifcuous Company till it appeared that his Mind was furnished with fteady Principles of Virtue, till he had Knowledge enough to defend thofe Principles, and to repel the Affaults that might be made upon his Faith. And for this Reason, till he was twenty Years old, he gave Account to his Superiors how he spent the Day whenfoever he was abfent from them, though they did not at that Age require that he should ask formal Leave for a few Hours Excurfion.

YET it was hardly thought fit to trust him to his own Conduct for whole Days together, left he should meet with Temptations too hard for his Virtue, till he had gained Refolution enough to say NO boldly, and to maintain an obftinate Refufal of pernicious Pleasures. He was told before-hand how the Prophane and the Lewd would use all the Arts of Addrefs, and how fubtilly they would practife upon his good Humour with powerful and tempting Importunities. This fet him ever upon his Guard, and though he carried his Sweetness of Temper always about with him, yet he learned to

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conceal

影

conceal it wherefoever it was neither proper or fafe to appear. By a little Converse in the World, he found that it was neceflary to be pofitive, bold and unmoveable in rejecting every Proposal which might endanger his Character or his Morals: Efpecially as he foon became fenfible that a soft and cold Denial gave Courage to new Attacks, and left him liable to be teized with fresh Sollicitations. He laid down this therefore for a conftant Rule, that where his Reafon had determined any Practise to be either plainly finful, or utterly inexpedient, he would give fo firm a Denial, upon the Principles of Virtue and Religion, as fhould for ever difcourage any further Sollicitations. This gave him the Character of a Man of refolute Virtue, even among the Rakes of the Time, nor was he ever esteemed the lefs on this Account. At first indeed he thought it a happy Victory which he had gotten over himself, when he could defy the Shame of the World, and refolve to be a Chriftian in the Face of Vice and Infidelity: He found the shortest Way to conquer this foolish Shame, was to renounce it at once: Then it was eafy to practife Singularity amidst a prophane Multitude. And when he began to get Courage enough to profefs refolute Piety without a Blufh, in the midst of fuch Company as this, Agathus and Erafte then permitted their Son to travel abroad and to

see

fee more of the World, under the Protection of their daily Prayers. His firft Tour was through the neighbouring Counties of England, he afterward enlarged the Circuit of his Travels, till he had vifited foreign Nations, and learned the Value of his own..

IN fhort, the Restraints of his younger Years were tempered with fo much Liberty, and managed with fuch Prudence aud Tenderness, and these Bonds of Difcipline were fo gradually loofened as faft as he grew wife enough to govern himself, that Eugenio always carried about with him an inward Conviction of the great Love and Wisdom of his Parents and his Tutor. The Humours of the Child now and then felt fome Reluctance. against the pious Difcipline of his Elders; but now he is arrived at Man, there is no

thing that he looks back upon with greater: Satisfaction than the Steps of their Conduct, and the Inftances of his own Submiffion. He often recounts thefe Things with Pleafure, as fome of the chief Favours of Heaven, whereby he was guarded through all the Dangers and Follies of Youth and Childhood, and effectually kept, through divine Grace operating by thefe happy Means, from a thousand Sorrows, and perhaps from everlafting Ruin.

THOUGH he has been released some Years from the Strictnefs of Paternal Government, yet he still makes his Parents his chofen

Friends:

Friends: And though they ceafe to practife Authority upon him and abfolute Command, yet he pays the utmoft Deference to their Counfels, and to the first Notice of their Inclinations. You fhall never find him refifting and debating against their Defires and Propenfities in little common Things of Life, which are indifferent in themselves he thinks it carries in it too much Contempt of those whom God and Nature requires him to honour. In thofe Inftances of Practice which they utterly forbid in their Family, he bears fo tender a Regard to their Peace, that he will scarce ever allow himfelf in them, even when he cannot fee fufficient Reason to pronounce them unlawful. Nor does he pay this Regard to his Parents alone, but denies himfelf in fome Gratifications which he esteems innocent, out of regard to what he accounts the mistaken Judgment of fome pious Perfons with whom he converfes and worships. They are weak, perhaps, in their Aufterities, but St. Paul has taught him, that the Strong ought to bear with the Infirmities of the Weak, and not to pleafe themfelves to the Offence of the Church of God. This he obferved to be the constant Practice of Agathus and Erafte, and he maintains a great Regard to the Examples of fo much Piety and Goodnefs, even though his Reafon does not lead him always to embrace their Opinions. Whenfoever he en

ters

ters into any important Action of Life, he takes a filial Pleasure to feek Advice from his worthy Parents, and it is uneafy to him to attempt any thing of Moment without it. He does not indeed univerfally practife all their Sentiments, but he gains their Confent to follow his own Reafon and Choice.

SOME of the wild young Gentlemen of the Age may happen to laugh at him for being fo much a Boy ftill, and for fhewing fuch Subjection to the old Folks, (as they call them :) With a fcornful Smile they bid him "Break off his Leading-Strings, and "caft away his Yokes of Bondage."

But

for the most Part he obferves, that the fame Perfons fhake off all Yokes at once, and at once break the Bonds of Nature, Duty and Religion They pay but little Regard to their Superior in Heaven, any more, than to thofe on Earth, and have forgot God and their Parents together. "Nor will I ever "be moved (fays he) with the Reproaches

of those who make a Jeft of Things fa"cred as well as civil, and treat their Mo"ther and their Maker with the fame "Contempt."

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