PREFACE 



to 

 THE FIRST EDITION 



Whenever a man ventures to give hints or offer 

 advice to others on the management of their pro- 

 perty or affairs (be the nature of them what it 

 may), he lays himself open to a charge of both 

 arrogance and presumption, unless he can bring 

 forward a good reason for fancying himself quali- 

 fied for the task ; for it not merely implies, but 

 plainly states, that he conceives he knows more 

 about the matter than the generality of those for 

 whose perusal he writes. It, therefore, becomes 

 not only a matter of proper respect to them, but 

 a duty he owes himself, to explicitly state that, 

 in offering advice, he does not consider his quali- 

 fications for the task to arise from any fancied 

 superiority or particular perspicuity of intellect 

 in general matters, but from the very homely cir- 

 cumstance 0^ practical experience in those on which 

 he writes. 



