Sermons, Journals, Tracts, &c. and others of the fame defcription.

We had indeed a few of a better fort, as Gay's Fables; Pomfret's Poems; Milton's Paradife Loft; befides Hobbe's Homer, and Walker's Epictetus, mentioned in my laft letter.

But what we wanted in judgment in choofing our library, we made up in application; fo anxious were. we to read a great deal, that we allowed ourselves but about three hours fleep in twenty-four, and for fome · months together we never were all in bed at the fame time. (Sunday nights excepted.) But left we should overfleep the time allowed, one of us fat up to work until the time appointed for the others to rife, and when all were up, my friend John and your humble. fervant took it by turns to read aloud to the reft, while they were at their work.

"Such there are, deny'd by stars unkind,

"The feafons to exert the noble mind,

"Should watch occafions, and attend the hours,

And catch the moments, to indulge their pow'rs.

Coox2.

But

But this mad fcheme of ours had nearly been attended with very ferious confequences. One night, it being my turn to watch, I removed to the fire-fide, to read fome particular paffage, and the candlestick which we worked by not being convenient to move about, and there being no other at that time in the room, I fet up the candle against the handle of a pewter pot, and was fo extremely heavy (owing to much watchfulness) that I fell fast asleep, and had like never to have awaked again; for the candle burned down to the handle of the pot, melted it off, and then fell on the chair on which it flood; fo that Mr. Jones found me in the morning, faft afleep, and part of the chair confumed; which alarmed us ali very much, and made us more cautious.

But ftill we continued our plan of living, fo that we made a rapid progrefs in what we called fpiritual and divine knowledge; and were foon mafters of the various arguments made ufe of by most polemical divines, &c.

And

And the better to guard my pupils from what I called falfe doctrines, I used often to engage them in various controverfies, in which I fometimes took one fide of the question, fometimes the other, in order to make them well versed in controverfy, and acquainted with the strength of their adverfaries. So that I was, by turns, a Calvinift, an Arminian, an Arian, a Socinian, a Deift, and even an Atheist. And after they had faid all they could to confute me, I would point out where they had failed, and added fuch arguments as I was mafter of, and in general we were all fatisfied. But when we happened to have any doubts, we had recourfe to the Bible and commentators of our own fide of the queftion, and I affure you my dear friend, this was a very fine hobby-horse, which, like Aaron's ferpent, fwallowed up all the other hobby-horfes.

"Light minds are pleafed with trifles." OVID.

I am,

Dear Friend,

Yours.

LETTER

LETTER XV.

"

Laugh where you muft; be candid where you can."

Porz.

"Know then, that always when you come,

"You'll find me fitting on my bum :

"Or lying on a couch, furrounded

"With tables, pens, and books, confounded;

IN

HUME.

N the courfe of my reading,

I learnt that there had been various fects of philofophers amongst the Greeks, Romans, &c. and I well remembered the names of the moft eminent of them. At an old book-shop I purchased Plato on the Immortality of the Soul, Plutarch's Morals, Seneca's Morals, Epicurus's Morals, the Morals of Confucius the Chinese Philofopher, and a few others. I now can scarce help thinking that I received more real benefit from reading and studying them and Epictetus, than from all other books

that

that I had read before, or have ever read

fince that time.

"I read the labours of the pen,

"And thought them more than common men."

I was but about twenty-two years of age, when I first began to read thofe fine moral productions; and I affure you, my friend, that they made a very deep and lafting impreffion on my mind. By reading them, I was taught to bear the unavoidable evils attending humanity, and to fupply all my wants by contracting or restraining my defires.

"To mend my virtues, and exalt my thought,

"What the bright fons of Greece and Rome have wrote, "O'er day and night I turn; in them we find

"A rich repast for the luxurious mind."

COOKE.

It is now twenty-three years fince I first perused them; during which time I do not

- recollect that I have ever felt one anxious

painful wish to get money, eftates, or any way to better my condition:

"Indeed, my friend, were I to find

"That wealth could e'er my real wishes gain;

"Had