outh; and we daily see it among persons of the best understanding,
who wholly neglect every essential to real happiness in the pursuit of
those very toys which children cry to be indulged in; even such as a
bit of ribband, or the sound of a monosyllable tacked to the name;
without considering that those badges of distinction, like bells about
an ideot's neck, frequently serve only to render their folly more
remarkable, and expose them to the contempt of the lookers on, who
perhaps too, as nature is the same in all, want but the same
opportunity to catch no less eagerly at the tawdry gewgaw.

Natura felt not the loss of his dear mother, till he beheld another in
her place. His father entered into a second marriage before much more
than half his year of widowhood was expired, with a lady, who, though
pretty near his equal in years, had yet remains enough of beauty to
render her extremely vain and affected, and fortune enough to make her
no less proud.--These two qualities occasioned Natura many rebuffs, to
which he had not been acoustomed, and he felt them the more severely,
as the name of mother had made him expect the same proofs of
tenderness from this, who had the title, as he had remembered to have
received from her who had been really so.

He endeavoured at first to insinuate himself into her favour by all
those little flattering artifices which are so becoming in persons of
his tender years, and which never fail to make an impression on a
gentle and affable disposition; but finding his services not only
rejected, but also rejected with scorn and moroseness, his spirit was
too great to continue them for any long time; and all the assiduity he
had shewn to gain her good-will, was on a sudden converted into a
behaviour altogether the reverse: he was sure to turn the deaf ear to
all the commands she laid upon him, and so far from doing any thing to
please her, he seemed to take a delight in vexing her. This
occasioning many complaints to his father, drew on him very severe
chastisements both at home and abroad; but though while the smart
remained, he made many promises of amendment in this point, the hatred
he had now conceived against her, would not suffer him to keep them.

His sister, who was five years older than himself, and a girl of great
prudence, took a good deal of pains to convince him how much it was
both his interest and his duty to pay all manner of respect to a lady
whom their father had thought fit to