even then, he acts beneath the dignity of a rational creature, while he fubmits to fuch a low dependance and flavery. Add to this, that he is in perpetual danger of being detected in his defpicable tricks, and becoming an univerfal hils and odium. In short, I advise all my readers to fpeak fincerely, till they are demonftratively affured that their fraud will never be unmasked.

If flattery be mean and dangerous in the Aatterer, tis no lefs fo in him who allows it. A defire after reputation built on a meaner bafis than merit, betrays a narrow foul, and renders the perfon ridiculous. I cannot fee what advantage it will be of to me, to be commended for actions which I never performed, and admired for talents I was never the owner of. Perhaps thofe gentlemen who are so celebrated as the writers of thefe my elaborate fpeculations, would be altogether as great genius's, if it were more generally known that they have no manner of hand in them.

However, the meanness of him who courts flattery, is not greater than the danger he runs by allowing thofe falfe applaufes. It tends to fwell up his rand with pride and arrogance, which will render him infupportable in this world, and ruin him in the next. The man who hears every mouth filled with his worth and excellencies, learns to deify himfelf,to fpurn his fellow-creatures, and rival his Maker.

The injuftice of flattery appears from many confiderations, of which I hall only mention one or two. It is unju to the man himself, as it puts hm out of a capacity ever to be ap proved when he deferves well. If he is complimented with Excellencies when he thows none, what can they Tay more of him when he really dif covers them? If the words, a fine gentleman, a compleat fcholar, together with generofity, candor, penetration and impartiality, fland for nothing how fhail we cloath the ideas we have for them, when we have really occafion to express them.

By thus admiring every one equal, we fhall not be true to any. What is a direction to pacts, may, perhaps

indifferently ferve for dedicators, and and other branches of the plain dealing world;

For fure this truth to poets should be known,

That praifing all alike is praifi ng

none.

I must freely acknowledge that it feems to me but a piece of equity, to give the true characters of perfons, when we are obliged to fpeak about them. And if fo, as it is a fault to flatter perfons to their faces, fo it is wrong to give then too good a character when they are abfent. I know fome for whom I have the highest_value, who feem fond of the chara&er, of being never heard to speak a harsh word of an abfent perfon: But, with all due fubmission to their better judgments, I could never fee the beauty and propriety of fuch over officious circumspection. I think it would be much more for the good of mankind, if we allowed our felves fometimes to fpeak freely of one another, provided that we always keep within the limits of truth and prudence. By this means men would have ftronger excitations and motions to fquare their actions by the rules of decency, than they have, when they are confcious that let them do what they will, people will never dare to condemn them, left they should be guilty of fcandal.

Though flattery be vile and detertable, yet moft certainly, the amiable Arokes in the character of a man of worth ought to be obferved and (poken of. Fame and reputation are the undoubted tribute of defert, and ought to be paid by every one who has any fenfe of honour and generofity. It is from this principle, that I have always acknowledged merit wherever I have difcovered it; nor have I been backward, while I have confcienciously adhered to what I was perfuaded to be ftri& truth, to hint fuch things to the perfon himself, which I have always afferted more largely and emphatically to others. I do not look upon it as flattery, if I fometimes give a gentleman or lady to underftand, what I fincerely believe in their favour. I know the world

imprefs mankind with the charms of virtue, and to convince them that the path of duty was the path of honour, and real happiness. To effe this, bis good fenfe told him, nothing would have a readier tendency than to give life to a fyftem of morality. "He faw (fays a modern writer) that "man was compofed of paffions and "imagination, as well as understand"ing. And farther, that example "was the great point which formed "the young. Thefe were his general "principles; and upon these princi"ples be reafoned thus. A young "perfon coming into the world withes "to be perfect. But how fhall he "learn? The world is a bad school; and precept will not engage his at"tention. An example would form him; but where is it to be found? "None exifts. I will then create one " for him. I will fet before him a "model of perfection. The more he "imitates it, the more perfect he will "be; the more perfect he is, the hap

pier he will be." This reafoning furely, cannot be condemned by those who exhort us to imitate the divine author of our religion; and to be perfect as our Creator is perfect.

Convinced therefore, of its great efficacy in forming the heart of a young perfon,I cannot but recommend the frequent and ferious contemplation of this character, and thank the author of the parody for his encomium upon it. Thus employed, a youth, will have the bet fecurity for his morals. He will dare to be virtuous at a feafon of life, when others are devoted to forbidden pleatures. empty coxcomb, and the profeffed libertine will excite his contempt. And he will obtain univerfal applaufe by nobly afpiring to deserve it.

The

T. P.

To the Printers of the BOSTON MA CAZINE.

YOUR correfpondent A. A. has

given us fome very useful obfervations on the effects of heczing of water, which when congealed,and has become ice, occupies more pace than betore; hence he jufly obferves, our veffels are burfted, our pavements become loofe, &c. He farther ob

ferves, "that the fame principle ae"counts for the remarkable fertility in "ground after repeated frofts; pro"vided they are not continued too "late in the fpring. A divifion of the "particles of the earth is necessary "that the roots of the plants may "feek their way through the foil, "and may spread round to a fuffici"ent extent, to colle& their nourish"ment."

It feems to be the intention of your correfpondent to establish an idea,that the fertility of the ground depends on a feparation of its particles, and that the plant flourishes in proportion to the eafe, with which its roots find their way through the foil.

Being perfuaded, that he was influenced to offer his fentiments to the public, from the beft of motives, the caule of truth, I fatter myself that he will not be displeased with the following obfervations, which I am fure flow from the fame good intentions, though in fome degree they may feem to militate with his own opini

ons.

Although a fearch into the principles of vegetation is among the most interefting and pleafing enquiries, which have happily fallen to our lot; yet from their intricacy, the queftion remains involved in obfcurity, and it is quite uncertain, at this day,whether the plant is fed folely, either from the earth or atmosphere, or jointly from both.

Your correfpondent fuppofes, that the plant is fed from the former, for he tells us, that the frofts caufe a divifion of the particles of the earth, that the roots of the plants thereby hoot around, with ease. fufficient to colle&t their nourishment. That the frofts do pulverize the earth, andthat the roots afterwards fhoot with more ease, none I fuppofe will deny. Bot it may be queftioned whether this mu tation of the earth, merely as it affords an easy progrefs to the roots, adds much to the luxurient growth of the plant, or we find it true by every day's experience, that foils the most open and the moft easily perforated are not the moft fertile.

A judicious farmer will plow his clayey and ftubborn ground in the fall of the year, that its tenacity may

be

be fubdued by the frofts, during the fucceeding winter. This will not only make it easy of culture, but it will prepare it to receive, and unable it to retain the dews and rains, with which undoubtedly, fall a large proportion of thofe qualities neceffary to vegetation. Were not the particles thus feparated, the rains, which fall upon the earth, would not penetrate with the fame ease, or in the fome proportion, but the greateft part would run off and fweep away with them that food for the plant which always falls with the dews and rains.

To plow open and fandy lands in the fall of the year, would be as inju dicious as to leave the clayey and ftubborn ones unplowed; for a coat of grafs on fuch lands is highly to be valued, not only for its attractive qualities, but because a body of grafs with its roots ferve to retain the rains and dews, while the foil of itself without this covering, would be too open, and like a fieve, let every thing through.

Clayey foils fhould be intermixed with thofe of this kind, for thereby they will become more compact, and will, in time, contract a degree of tenacity fufficient duly, to reclaim the waters, which fall upon them. The undue cohesion of clayey and tubborn foils may, with the fame eafe, be reduced by intermixing fand with them. An attention to thefe things fhould be among the juft cares of the hufbandman. He may affe&t, in a degree, this defirable object, by highly manuring his lands, if regard is had to the different kinds of manure. Those which are heavy, fuch as marl, wood afhes, before and after the lees are drawn off, &c. muft be laid upon open and fandy lands, while minures of a different and lighter kind, fhould be referved for his heavy foils. A practice of this kind will greatly avail him, and inattention thereto will as certainly deprive him not only of the benefits of his manure, but in fome cafes will really injure his foil.

Manuring our lands is indifpenfible whether the plant is fed from the earth or atmosphere. If from the earth, we add thereto in our manures

certain qualities neceffary to vegitation, upon which the plant may conftantly feed. If from the atmosphere those fame particles in the manure ferve to attract like particles floating in the air, upon the principle that fimilar bodies attract each other, and in their way to the earth, fall upon and being drunk in by the plant ferve to nourish it.

If the obfervation be just that there are thofe attractive qualities in different kinds of manure, we fee the advantages which are reaped therefrom by the attentive and industrious husbandman, more than are enjoyed by the inattentive and indolent.

Much depends on the time when our lands are manured. If in the fpring, unless it may be very early, the manure should be plowed in,other wife it will be exposed to the heat of the fun, which will caufe an evapo. ration of the dampnefs in the manure, and exhauft it of many of its vegetating qualities.

Although fewer evils will be experienced by covering the manure in the fpring, than will be fuffered by its remaining on the furface, yet I am fully of opinion, that it cannot be ufed with equal advantage in the fpring as in the fall, and that it ought to be spread on our land, the latter end of October, however they are to be improved the next year; at this feafon the fun will have but little effect upon the manure, the attracting quality will be great through the winter, and the ground, by the spring, be greatly impregnated with nutritive particles.

While I am confidering the advantages which refult from frofts, I may not omit to mention that our grain is often injured thereby. Hard frofts continuing for a confiderable time without rain, prove very injurious to our grain, on dry fandy open foils, which very foon loofe the little cohefion, they acquire by frequent rains, this being deftroyed, they are blown off by hard gales of wind, and the roots being left bare, the grain foon withers and dies.

Frofts of this kind do not injure the grain on our clayey and ftubborn foils. In fuch lands it is only injured when the froft-takes immediately after hea