HISTORY OF VERMONT. 371 



virtue, utility, freedom, and public happiness, 

 have their foundations. In the useless specula- 

 tions produced by the other, common sense is 

 lost, folly becomes refined, and the useful branch- 

 es of knowledge are darkened, and forgot. 



Early Marriages. Another custom, 

 which every thing tends to introduce in a new 

 country, is early marriage. Trained up to a 

 regular industry and economy the young people 

 grow up to maturity, in all the vigour of health, 

 and bloom of natural beauty. Not enervated 

 by idleness, weakened by luxury, or corrupted 

 by debauchery, the inclinations of nature are di- 

 rected towards their proper objects, at an early 

 period ; and assume the direction, which nature 

 and society designed they should have. The 

 ease with which a family may be maintained, 

 and the wishes of parents to see their children 

 settled in the way of virtue, reputation, and fe- 

 licity, are circumstances, which also strongly 

 invite to an early settlement in life. The virtu- 

 ous affections are not corrupted nor retarded by 

 the pride of families, the ambitiop of ostenta- 

 tion, or the idle notions of useless and danger- 

 ous distinctions, under the name of honor and 

 titles. Neither parents nor children have any 

 other prospects, than what are founded upon in- 

 dustry, economy, and virtue. Where every 

 circumstance thus concurs to promote early 

 marriages, the practice becomes universal, and 

 it generally takes place, as soon as the laws of 

 society suppose the young people of sufficient 

 age and discretion to transact the business of 

 life. It is not necessary to enumerate the many 

 advantages, that arise from this custom of early 



