WASHINGTON'S MAXIMS.

25

"6. They that are in dignity or in office, have in all places precedency; but whilst they are young they ought to respect those that are their equals in birth, or other qualities, though they have no public charge.

“7. It is good manners to prefer them to whom we speak before ourselves; especially, if they be above us, with whom in no sort we ought to begin.

8. Let your discourse with men of business be short and comprehensive.

❝9. In writing, or speaking, give to every person his due title, according to his degree and the custom of the place.

10. Strive not with your superiors in argument, but always submit your judgment to others with modesty.

11. Undertake not to teach your equal in the art himself professes; it savours to arrogancy.

«12. When a man does all he can, though it succeeds not well, blame not him that did it.

"13. Being to advise, or reprehend any one, consider whether it ought to be done in public or in private, presently or at some other time, in what terms to do it; and in reproving, show no signs of choler, but do it with sweetness and mildness.

"14. Take all admonition thankfully, in what time or place soever given; but afterwards, not being culpable, take a time or place convenient to let him know it that gave them.

“15. Mock not, nor jest at any thing of importance; break no jests that are sharp-biting, and if you deliver any thing that is witty and pleasant, abstain from laughing thereat yourself.

"16. Wherein you reprove another be unblamable yourself, for example is more prevalent than precepts.

“17. Use no reproachful language against any one; neither curse nor revile.

18. Be not hasty to believe flying reports to the disparagement of any.

"19. In your apparel be modest, and endeavour to accommodate nature rather than to procure admiration; keep to the fashion of your equals, such as are civil and orderly with respect to times and places.

20. Play not the peacock, looking everywhere about you to see if you be well decked, if your shoes fit well, if your stockings sit neatly, and clothes handsomely.

«21. Associate yourself with men of good quality, if you

esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in

bad company.

"22. Let your conversation be without malice or envy, for it is a sign of a tractable and commendable nature; and in all causes of passion, admit reason to govern.

23. Utter not base and frivolous things among grave and learned men; nor very difficult questions or subjects among the ignorant: nor things hard to be believed.

"24. Be not immodest in urging your friend to discover a

secret.

25. Break not a jest where none takes pleasure in mirth; laugh not aloud, nor at all without occasion. Deride no man's misfortune, though there seem to be some cause.

"26. Speak not injurious words neither in jest nor in earnest; scoff at none, though they give occasion.

"27. Be not forward, but friendly and courteous; the first to salute, hear, and answer; and be not pensive when it is time to

converse.

"28. Detract not from others; neither be excessive in commending.

29. Go not thither, where you know not whether you shall be welcome or not. Give not advice without being asked, and when desired, do it briefly.

30. Reprehend not the imperfections of others; for that belongs to parents, masters, and superiors.

31. Gaze not on the marks or blemishes of others, and ask not how they came. What you may speak in secret to your friend, deliver not before others.

32. When another speaks, be attentive yourself, and disturb not the audience. If any hesitates in his words help him not, nor prompt him without being desired; interrupt him not, nor answer him till his speech be ended.

33. Make no comparisons; and if any of the company be commended for any brave act of virtue, commend not another for the same.

34. Be not apt to relate news if you know not the truth thereof. In discoursing of things you have heard, name not your author always. A secret discover not.

35. Undertake not what you cannot perform, but be careful to keep your promise.

"36. Speak not evil of the absent, for it is unjust.

"37. Set not yourself at the upper end of the table, but if it

HALE'S CONTEMPLATIONS.

27

be your due, or that the master of the house will have it so, contend not lest you should trouble the company.

"38. When you speak of God, or his attributes, let it be seriously in reverence. Honour and obey your natural parents although they be poor.

"39. Let your recreations be manful, not sinful.

"40. Labour to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called conscience."

These rules of conduct claim the reader's special attention, because we are able to trace in the subsequent life of Washington their influence on his character and conduct. Not less worthy of notice are certain extracts which we shall take the liberty of making from Sir Matthew Hale's "Contemplations," to which we have already referred as forming a subject of Washington's early study, and as exerting a direct influence in the formation of his principles of action. His well-known habits of private devotion, as well as his frequent public acts of reverence to the Deity, we may suppose to have been influenced in some measure by his imprinting on his mind such passages of this excellent work as the following:

"But on the other side, an humble man leans not to his own understanding; he is sensible of the deficiency of his own power and wisdom, and trusts not in it; he is also sensible of the allsufficient power, wisdom, and goodness of almighty God, and commits himself to him for counsel, guidance, direction, and strength. It is natural for any man or thing that is sensible of his own deficiency, to seek out after that which may be a support and strength to him, and as Almighty God is essentially good and perfect, so he is (if I may use the expression) most naturally communicative of it to any that seek unto him for it in humility and sincerity. The air does not more naturally yield to our attraction in respiration, or to insinuate itself into those spaces that are receptive of it, than the Divine assistance, guidance, and beneficence does, to the desires, and exigencies, and wants, of an humble soul, sensible of its own emptiness and deficiency, and imploring the direction, guidance, and blessing, of the most wise and bountiful God. I can call my own experience to witness, that even in the external actions, occurrences, and incidences of my whole life, I was never disappointed of the best guidance and direction, when in humility and sense of my own deficiency, and diffidence of my ability to direct myself, or to grapple with the difficulties of my life, I have with humility and sincerity implored the secret direction and guidance of the Divine Wisdom and Providence.

And I dare therein appeal to the vigilant and strict observation of any man's experience, whether he has not found the same experience in relation to himself, and his own actions and successes; and whether those counsels and purposes which have been taken up after an humble invocation of the Divine direction, have not been always most successful in the end.

"Consider what it is thou pridest thyself in, and examine well the nature of the things themselves, how little and inconsiderable they are; at least how uncertain and unstable they are.

"Thou hast fine gay clothes, and this makes children and young men and women proud, even to admiration. But thou art not half so fine and gay as the peacock, ostrich or parrot; nor is thy finery so much thine own as their's is, but it is borrowed from the silk-worm, the golden mines, the industry of the embroiderer, weaver, tailor, and is no part of thyself. And hast thou the patience to suffer thyself to be abused into this childish, pitiful, foolish pride?

"Thou hast, it may be, wealth, stores of money, but how much of it is of use to thee? That which thou spendest is gone; that which thou keepest is as insignificant as so much dirt or clay; only thy care about it makes thy life the more uneasy.

But

"Thou hast honour, esteem; thou art deceived, thou hast it not, he hath it that gives it thee, and which he may detain from thee at pleasure it were as fixed and stable suppose a reputation and honour as a rock of marble or adamant, and that it were the best kind of honour imaginable, namely, the result of thy virtue and merit; yet still it is but a shadow, a reflection of that virtue or worth, which, if thou art proud of, thou degradest into vanity and ostentation; and canst thou think it reasonable to be proud of the shadow, where thou oughtest not to be proud of that worth that causeth it.

"Again; thou hast power, art in great place and authority; but thou art mistaken in this; the power thou hast is not inherent in thyself. One of the meanest of those whom it may be thou oppressest, is inherently as powerful as thee, and could, it may be, overmatch thee in strength, wit, or policy; but the power thou hast is, (next to the dispensation of Divine Providence,) from those men, that either by their promises, faith, or voluntary assistance, have invested thee with this power. This power is nothing inherent in thee, but it depends upon the fidelity or assistance of others, which, if they, either by perfidiousness to thee, or resistance against thee, or withdrawing their assistance from thee,

shall call again home to themselves, thou art like Samson, having lost his locks. Thy strength will go from thee, and thou wilt become weak, and be like another man.'"

Washington's punctuality and his rigid economy of time, as well as his habitual sense of religion, seem but the natural consequences of his attention to such passages as the following:

"How time is to be redeemed. The particular methods of husbanding time under both the former relations, viz., in relation to opportunity, and in relation to our time in life, shall be promiscuously set down. Now the actions of our lives may be distinguished into several kinds, and in relation to those several actions, will the employments of our time be diversified. 1. There are actions natural; such as eating, drinking, sleep, motion, rest. 2. Actions civil; as provision for families, bearing of public offices in time of peace or war; moderate recreations and diversions, employments in civil vocations, as agriculture, mechanical trades, liberal professions. 3. Actions moral. Whether relating to ourselves, as sobriety, temperance, moderation; or relating to others, as acts of justice, charity, compassion, liberality; 4. or lastly, Actions religious; relating to Almighty God, as invocation, thanksgiving, inquiring into his works, will, obedience to his law and commands, observing the solemn seasons of his worship and service, which must go through and give a tincture to all the rest, a habit of fear of him, love of him, humility and integrity of heart and soul before him; and, in sum, a habit of religion. towards God in his Son Jesus Christ, which is the one thing necessary and overweighs all the rest.

"Much time might be saved and redeemed, in retrenching the unnecessary waste thereof in our ordinary sleep, attiring and dressing ourselves, and the length of our meals, as breakfasts, dinners, suppers; which, especially in this latter age, and among people of the better sort, are protracted to an immoderate and excessive length.

"Beware of too much recreation. Some bodily exercise is necessary, for sedentary men especially; but let it not be too frequent or too long. Gaming, taverns, and plays, as they are pernicious, and corrupt youth; so, if they had no other fault, yet they are are justly to be declined in respect to their excessive expense of time, and habituating men to idleness and vain thoughts, and disturbing passions, when they are past, as well as while they are used. Let no recreation of any long continuance be used in