EpistleToAYoungFriend

epistletoayoungfriend

may__,1786.

ilanghaethought,myyouthfu'friend,

asomethingtohavesentyou,

tho'itshouldservenaeitherend

thanjustakindmemento:

buthowthesubject-thememaygang,

lettimeandchancedetermine;

perhapsitmayturnoutasang:

perhapsturnoutasermon.

ye'lltrytheworldsoon,mylad;

and,andrewdear,believeme,

ye'llfindmankindanuncosquad,

andmuckletheymaygrieveye:

forcareandtroublesetyourthought,

ev'nwhenyourend'sattained;

anda'yourviewsmaycometonought,

whereev'rynerveisstrained.

i'llnosay,menarevillainsa';

thereal,harden'dwicked,

whahaenaecheckbuthumanlaw,

aretoafewrestricked;

but,och!mankindareuncoweak,

an'littletobetrusted;

ifselfthewaveringbalanceshake,

it'srarelyrightadjusted!

yettheywhafa'infortune'sstrife,

theirfateweshouldnacensure;

forstill,th'importantendoflife

theyequallymayanswer;

amanmayhaeanhonestheart,

tho'poortithhourlystarehim;

amanmaytakaneibor'spart,

yethaenaecashtosparehim.

ayefree,aff-han',yourstorytell,

whenwi'abosomcrony;

butstillkeepsomethingtoyoursel',

yescarcelytelltoony:

concealyoursel'asweel'syecan

fraecriticaldissection;

butkeekthro'ev'ryotherman,

wi'sharpen'd,slyinspection.

thesacredloweo'weel-plac'dlove,

luxuriantlyindulgeit;

butnevertemptth'illicitrove,

tho'naethingshoulddivulgeit:

iwaivethequantumo'thesin,

thehazardofconcealing;

but,och!ithardensa'within,

andpetrifiesthefeeling!