at all; and fo thou art guilty of lying, extortion, and thievery.

But if thou confirmeft all by oaths and imprecations (as traders very often do), thou then addeft perjury to all the reft. And what a heap of villanies are here gathered together, enough to fink a poor foul to deftruction; and all this, only to screw a little more money out of his neighbour's pocket; and that sometimes so very little, that 'tis a miracle, that any man that thinks he has a foul, can set it at so miferable and contemptible a price.

When thou felleft, let not the price be heightened by the neceffity or unskilfulness of the buyer: for the firft is direct uncharitableness to the person, and injustice in the thing, because the man's neceffity could not naturally enter into the confideration of the value of the commodity; and the other is downright deceit, oppreffion, and extortion. Thou wouldest not willingly be ferved fo thyfelf.

'Tis a very great mistake in thee, if thou thinkeft of getting a good name, and lasting reputation in the world, by tricking and false ap

pearances.

O 2

If

If integrity do not make thee profperous and rich, yet it will at least keep thee from being miferable. A quiet and good confcience is a continual comfort, come what will.

There are, I believe, not many instances of men, who (if they understood and minded their business) have ever fuffered much by their uprightness and integrity in dealing; it being very hard to imagine, that a trader should be a loser by those virtues which advance credit and reputation.

If thou employeft plain men, and canst find fuch as are commonly honeft, they will work faithfully, and do thy business according to thy orders: but cunning fellows will, for their own credit, venture without command; and from thy business try to derive credit to themselves, without regard to thee.

"If thou trufteft a known knave, thou haft no other recompence, but to be accounted a fool for thy pains; and if thou truftest thyself into ruin and beggary, thou falleft, unpitied, a facrifice to thy own folly and credulity: for if thou sufferest thyself to be impofed upon by a known deceiver, thou goeft partner in the cheat, and deceiveft thyself; and then thou art despised, and laughed

at as a soft, easy fellow; and one that is as unfit to be relied on for thy weakness, as the other can be for his falseness.

In dealing with cunning men, thou shouldeft ever confider their ends, to interpret their speeches : and it is good to fay little to them; and that which they leaft look for.

Thou art to believe a man when he promises what may turn to his own advantage, as well as thine.

A man's word, that tells thee he is thy friend, ought not to be taken for his faying fo; nor ought he to take thine. Both one and the other ought to give proof (if they have opportunity) of what they say. And nothing can give greater affurance that two men are friends, than when experience makes them mutually acknowledge it, whenfoever opportunity ferves, or can be

found out.

If fome fort of exigence fhould fo bring it about, as to cause a man of usual honesty and fomething of conscience, to diffemble, thou may'st eafily perceive it; for he will feem difturbed, and loft in himself, and will hefitate in his difcourse, because he feels his heart and tongue

divided, which pulls him two different ways at

once.

Be ever prudent and wary, and take heed of being caught; and presume not upon thy own fufficiency too much. Men are every jot as easily impofed upon, as birds, beafts, and fifhes, while the eagerness of appetite fufpends the exercise of reason. A treat, a woman, a bottle of wine is the fame thing, that a worm, a gudgeon, a grain of corn, or a bit of flesh is to those animals. We fnap at the bait, without ever dreaming of the hook, and trap, and fnare.

Let confcience, and honour, and goodnature, govern all thy actions and dealings. Let particular interest and love of thyself carry thee no further than equity and charity will bear thee out.

In all things preferve integrity. The conscience of thy own uprightness will alleviate the toil of business, and soften the harfhness of ill fuccefs and disappointments, and give thee an humble confidence before God; when the ingratitude of man, or the iniquity of the times rob thee of other due reward.

I would have thee perfectly scorn and hate all tricks and cheats: and if at any time thou makest

ufe

ufe of artifice, let it be only as a counter-poifon ; never to do evil, but to avoid it; never to affault others, but to defend thyself.

Keep the ways of integrity and juftice; it is both more easy and more fafe, than to turn away into fhuffling and unfair dealing: yet commonly men's paffions, cuftoms, and evil inclinations, lead them into by-paths.

Deceive not; defraud not; but keep up to the ftricteft rules of justice and honesty: for all unjust acquifitions will one day prove like a barbed arrow, that must be plucked back again; and that not without horrble pain and anguish, or else will deftroy thee eternally.

By no means come into the way of the men of the world, that think themfelves cunning, and are eternally counterfeiting and dissembling : for the advantage thou wilt get by it will be, never to be believed when thou seriously speakest truth. I grant, this may once or twice perhaps pass upon men; but to profefs concealing of thy thoughts, will be to give warning to all, who have any thing to do with thee, that whatsoever thou fayeft is all but lying and deceit and by how much more thou art fubtile and cunning, by fo much

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