Yo at 'OU have often been a witness, my dear fon, of the pleasure experienced by me, in the recollection of the academical years, which I paffed in the pursuit of general science, before I engaged in my profeffional studies at the university of And you have no lefs frequently heard me exprefs the highest veneration for the profound learning, and exalted character of Philocles, under whofe tuition, the charms of knowledge firft attracted my regard. I have lately revifited those scenes fo delightful to my youth: But leaving to your conception the emotions which I felt, I fhall relate to you a focratic converfation, that occurred there in my prefence, between B DECEIT. between Philocles and your kinfman Sophron. This amiable youth, who is likely to reflect a luftre on the facred office, to which, I truft, he will ere long be called, had been reciting to his profeffor an academical compofition on the importance of TRUTH, and on the folly, infamy, and baseness of LYING and And when he laid down the book, Philocles expreffed an earnest wish, that fuch fentiments might ever influence the heart, and direct the conduct of his pupil. But general rules, continued he, are infufficient for our government in the diversified and complicated occurrences of life: And if we be ambitious of acting with wisdom, honour, and virtue, it is neceffary that we should make ourselves acquainted with the various branches and fubordinations of each moral duty. Let us, therefore, take a particular view of TRUTH, and of her infeparable companion FAITHFULNESS. You are no novice in these subjects; and Euphronius, I am perfuaded, will be pleased to hear you exercifed in the difcuffion of them. I prefume you will concur with me in opinion, that MORAL TRUTH is the conformity of our expreffions to our thoughts; and FAITHFULNESS, that of our actions to our expreffions: And that LYING or FALSHOOD is generally a mean, selfish, or malevolent, and always an unjustifiable endeavour to deceive another, by fignifying or afferting that to be truth or fact, which is known or believed to be otherwife; and by making promifes, without any intention to perform them. But if we believe our affertions or figns to be true, and they should afterwards prove to be falfe, tell me, Sophron, are we then guilty of Lying? No, replied Sophron; we fhall have committed only an error or mistake: For under fuch circumftances, we must have been deceived ourselves; and could have had no defign of impofing upon others. But is every breach of promife a Lie, continued Philocles? I should think not, answered Sophron, if the promise were made with fincerity, and the violation of it be unavoidable. Your diftinction is juft, faid Philocles; and there are also certain conditions, obvious to the general fense of mankind, underftood or implied in almoft every promife, on which the performance must depend. Whang-to, emperor of China, who governed his people like a father, and regarded his own elevation and power as trufts delegated for their good, had a daughter who was his only child, and the darling of his old age. He promised her in marriage to Oufan-quey, the fon of his favourite mandarine, and that he would bequeath to him all his dominions as her dowry. Oufan-quey was at that time a youth of the most promifing abilities and difpofitions; but the profpect of royalty, and the adulation of a court, foon corrupted his heart. He became haughty, infolent, and cruel; and the people anticipated, with horror, the tyranny which they muft endure under his government. By the inftitutions of the Chinese, the great officers of ftate may remonftrate to the emperor, when his decrees are injurious to the public intereft; and this privilege has often tended to abate the rigour of defpotism. Whang-to heard, with grief and aftonifhment, the complaints of his mandarines againft Oufan-quey. He fummoned him into his prefence, and being fatisfied with the proofs of his demerit, he addressed the officers of state in the following terms: "I engaged "my daughter in marriage, and promifed the inhe"ritance of my dominions to Oufan-quey, a youth "who was wife, humane, and juft. In departing "from virtue, he has cancelled these obligations, "and forfeited his title to both." Then turning to Oufan-quey, he faid, "I command you to retire " from my court, and to pass the remainder of your "days in the most diftant province of my empire." But is it not deemed peculiarly honourable, Sophron, to perform a promise, when paffion or felf-intereft ftrongly incite us to the violation of it? Nothing raifes our admiration higher, faid Sophron; and I beg leave to relate to you a story, |