( 36? ) 



to enjoy a certain proportion of the comforts 

 of life, muft certainly awaken their attention 

 to any propofal which offers to make their fi- 

 tuation more eafy and agreeable. And, I be- 

 lieve, there never was any time when fuch a 

 propofal feemed to be more necefFary than at 

 prefent. This is evident from the general 

 fpirit of adventure in the commercial way, 

 which now fo univerfally takes place among; 

 us. I need not fay how precarious the fuc- 

 cefs of thefe adventures frequently is, and 

 how often, even thofe who feemed to proceed 

 on the fureft foundation, involve not only 

 themfelves, but others alfo in the mofl inex- 

 tricable difficulties. 



Adventures in trade, indeed, offer the per- 

 fon who engages in them a fudden and great 

 increafe of money, and thus allure by that 

 natural indolence which makes us dread lon 

 and continual employment of any kind. Any 

 fcheme, however, merely commercial, while 

 it holds out golden views at a diftance, of teft 

 leaves the adventurer, in the mean time, def- 

 titute of the neceflary means of fubfiftence. 

 Thus his mind muft be continually uneafy 

 and embarrafied, as well by the thoughts of 

 the prefent, as of keeping his credit for the 



future. 



