Think not that Pleasure lives with Pomp and State,
Or sooths the bosom of the rich and great;
Think not to meet her at the ball or play,
Where flirt the frolicksome, and haunt the gay;
Think not she flutters on the publick walk,
Or prompts the tongue that pours unmeaning talk ;
Or loves the breath of compliment to feel,
Or stamps on crowns her estimable seal.

True Female Pleasure, of more modest kind, Springs from the heart, and lives within the mind; From noisy mirth, and grandeur's route she flies, And in domestick duties wholly lies.

As fades the flower, that's rear'd with tender care,
When left expos'd to storms and chilling air;
So fades the fair, in reason's sober eye,

That braves the crowd, nor heeds the danger nigh;
Who giddy roves, with Folly's motley queen,
Nor loves the transports of a life serene.
Be thine the friendship of a chosen few,
To every virtue uniformly true;

Be thine the converse of some kindred mind,
Candid to all, but not to errours blind;
Prudent to check or warn unguarded youth,
And guide thy steps in innocence and truth,
Those who regard, will fulsome language waive;
And, in the friend sincere, forget the slave;
Will make, like me, your happiness its care,
Nor wink at specks, that render you less fair.

From books, too, draw much profit and delight, At early morning, and at latest night; But far, O far from thy chaste eyes remove The bloated page, that paints licentious love; That wakes the passions, but not mends the heart, And only leads to infamy and art!

page,

Let Addison's and Johnson's moral
And Hawkesworth's pleasing style, thy hours engage.
From Milton feel the warm poetick fire,
Whom all the nymphs of Helicon inspire.

With Thomson, round the varied Seasons rove ;
His chaste ideas every heart improve.
Let tuneful Pope instruct you how to sing,
To frame the lay, and raise the trembling wing.

Such be thy joys; and through this varied life,
Whether a maid, a mother, or a wife;
May fair content for ever fill thy breast,
And not an anxious care disturb thy rest;
May love, the purest passion of the skies,
Play round thy heart, and sparkle in thine eyes;
May all thy worth be virtue's sweet reward,
And goodness, only, claim thy just regard.

FINIS.

CONTENTS.

PART I.

LETTERS ON BUSINESS.

Page

25

LETTER to a young Trader, generally in a hurry of Bu-

siness, advising Method as well as Diligence

From a Father to a Son, on negligence in his affairs

The Son's grateful Answer.

Recommending a Man Servant

27

28

*. 29

The Answer

ibid

ibid

30

An urgent Demand of Payment

The Answer

From a young Person in trade to a wholesale Dealer,

who had suddenly made a demand on him

From a Tradesman to a Correspondent, requesting
the payment of a sum of Money

The Answer

From a young Person just out of his Apprenticeship,
to a Relation, requesting the loan of a sum of Mo-

ney

ibid

From a young Man who had an opportunity to set up

in business, but destitute of Money, to a Gentle-

man of reputed benevolence

-

The Gentleman's Answer

To an Acquaintance to borrow a sum of Money for

a little time

An Answer to the foregoing.

From a Tradesman in distressed circumstances, de-
siring a Letter of Licence

The Answer

From an insolvent Debtor to his principal Creditor,
requesting the acceptance of a Composition

The Answer

From a young man in the Country, to a Merchant in
Philadelphia, offering his Correspondence

The Merchant's Answer

31

ibid

32

From a young Man, whose Master had lately died

The Answer

33

34

35

ibid

ibid

36

ibid

37

ibid

ibid

38

ibid

From a Person who had met with a sudden affliction

in his Family, soliciting the loan of a sum of Mo-

ney

The Answer

From a Tradesman to a wholesale Dealer, to delay

payment of a sum of Money

The Answer

-

From a Servant of a wholesale Dealer to his Master
in Philadelphia, giving an account of his Customers
in the Country

From a Country Shopkeeper, to his Friend in New-

York, desiring him to send him some Goods

The Answer

From a Country Shopkeeper, to a Dealer in Philadel-
phia, complaining of the badness of his Goods

The Answer

From a Tenant to a Landlord, excusing delay of pay-

ment

The Answer

From a Country Farmer on the same occasion

The Answer

Letter from Dr. Franklin to his Friend A. B. contain-
ing useful Hints to young Tradesmen

39

ibid

PART II.

LETTERS ON LOVE, COURTSHIP, AND
MARRIAGE.

FROM a young Gentleman to a young Lady, with whom

he is in Love

40

ibid

The young Lady's Answer

The Gentleman's Reply

From the young Gentleman's Mother to the young

Lady

The young Lady's Answer

The young Lady's Answer to her Lover

From the same

From a young Merchant in Philadelphia, to a Widow

Lady in the Country

ibid

The young Gentleman's Answer

From the Lady after marriage, to her Cousin unmar-

ried

47

48

ibid

49

50

ibid

-51

52

53

54

The Lady's Letter to her Brother, concerning the

above

ters

On the same subject

On Courtship and Coquettish Behaviour, from the

The Brother's Answer

From the Lady to Mr. Moreton

Six Letters between a Gentleman and Lady, in Eng-
land

57 to 64

On Love and Friendship, from a Father to his Daugh-

-

same

On the foregoing subject

On Marriage, from the same

On the same subject, in continuation

From a Gentleman to a Lady, professing an aversion
to tedious formality in Courtship
The Lady's Answer, encouraging a farther Declara-

To a very young Lady on her Marriage.

To the same Lady. By the same

-

-

55

ibid

56

tion

From the Gentleman to the Lady more openly declar-
ing his Passion

The Lady in Reply, putting the matter to a sudden
issue

j

83

From an Aunt to her Niece, who had given her a ludi-
crous account of a sober Lover
A Letter from Lady Wortley Montague, against a
Maxim of Mons. Rochefoucalt's, "That Marriages
are convenient, but never delightful"

By Dr. Swift

65

68

71

73

76

78

81

ibid

82

ibid

84..

88

To the same Lady. By the same

From a Daughter to her Father, wherein she dutifully
expostulates against a match he had proposed to her,
with a gentleman much older than herself
From a young Person in business to a Gentleman, de-
siring leave to wait on his Daughter

98

ibid
99

From a young Lady to her Father, acquainting him
with a Proposal of Marriage made her
The Father's Answer to the Daughter
From a young Lady's Friend to a disagreeable Suitor 100
From a Lady to a Gentleman who had obtained all her
Friends' consent, urging him to decline his suit to

her

ibid

The Gentleman's Answer to the Lady's uncommon
request

101

90

93

97