EMPLOYMENT of time, is a subject, that from its importance, deserves
your best attention. Most young gentlemen have a great deal of time
before them, and one hour well employed, in the early part of life, is
more valuable and will be of greater use to you, than perhaps four and
twenty, some years to come.
WHATEVER time you can steal from company, and from the study of the
world; (I say company, for a knowledge of life is best learned in
various companies) employ it in serious reading. Take up some valuable
book, and continue the reading of that book, till you have got through
it; never burden your mind with more than one thing at a time: And in
reading this book don’t run over it superficially, but read every
passage twice over, at least do not pass on to a second till you
thoroughly understand the first, nor quit the book till you are master
of the subject; for unless you do this, you may read it through, and not
remember the contents of it for a week. The books I would particularly
recommend, among others, are, _Cardinal Retz’s Maxims_, _Rochfaucault’s
Moral Reflections_, _Bruyere’s Characters_, _Fontenell’s Plurality of
Worlds_, _Sir Josiah Child on Trade_, _Bolingbroke’s Works_; for style,
his _Remarks on the History of England_, under the name of Sir John
Oldcastle; _Puffendorf’s Jus Gentium_, _and Grotius’ de Jure Belli et
Pacis_: The last two are well translated by Barboyrac. For occasional
half-hours or less, read the best works of invention, wit and humour;
but never waste your minutes on trifling authors, either ancient or
modern.
ANY business you may have to transact, should be done the first
opportunity, and finished, if possible without interruption; for by
deferring it, we may probably finish it too late, or execute it
indifferently. Now, business of any kind should never be done by halves,
but every part of it should be well attended to: For he that does
business ill, had better not do it at all. And, in any point, which
discretion bids you pursue, and which has a manifest utility to
recommend it, let no difficulties deter you; rather let them animate
your industry. If one method fails, try a second and a third. Be active,
persevere and you will certainly conquer.
NEVER indulge a lazy disposition; there are few things but are attended
with some difficulties, and if you are frightened at those difficulties,
you will not compleat any thing. Indolent minds prefer ignorance to
trouble; they look upon most things as impossible, because perhaps they
are difficult. Even an hour’s attention is too laborious for them, and
they would rather content themselves with the first view of things, than
take the trouble to look any farther into them. Thus, when they come to
talk upon subjects to those who have studied them, they betray an
unpardonable ignorance, and lay themselves open to answers that confuse
them. Be careful then, that you do not get the appellation of indolent;
and, if possible, avoid the character of frivolous. For,
THE frivolous mind is always busied upon nothing. It mistakes trifling
objects for important ones, and spends that time upon little matters,
that should only be bestowed upon great ones. Knick-knacks, butterflies,
shells, and such like, engross the attention of the frivolous man, and
fill up all his time. He studies the dress and not the characters of
men, and his subjects of conversation are no other than the weather, his
own domestic affairs, his servants, his method of managing his family,
the little anecdotes of the neighbourhood, and the fiddle-faddle stories
of the day; void of information, void of improvement. These he relates
with emphasis, as interesting matters; in short, he is a male gossip, I
appeal to your own feelings now, whether such things do not lessen a
man, in the opinion of his acquaintance, and instead of attracting
esteem, create disgust.