They must to joy the soul herself excite; Therefore it is, this patient, watchful kind With gentle friction stir the drowsy mind; Fix’d on their end, with caution they proceed, And sometimes give, and sometimes take the lead; 300 Will now a hint convey, and then retire, And let the spark awake the lingering fire; Or seek new joys and livelier pleasures bring, To give the jaded sense a quick’ning spring. “These arts, indeed, my son must not pursue; Nor must he quarrel with the tribe that do: It is not safe another’s crimes to know, Nor is it wise our proper worth to show.-- ‘My lord,’ you say, ‘engaged me for that worth;’-- True, and preserve it ready to come forth: 310 If question’d, fairly answer--and, that done, Shrink back, be silent, and thy father’s son; For they who doubt thy talents scorn thy boast, But they who grant them will dislike thee most. Observe the prudent; they in silence sit, Display no learning, and affect no wit; They hazard nothing, nothing they assume, But know the useful art of _acting dumb_. Yet to their eyes each varying look appears, And every word finds entrance at their ears. 320 “Thou art religion’s advocate--take heed, Hurt not the cause thy pleasure ’tis to plead; With wine before thee, and with wits beside, Do not in strength of reas’ning powers confide; What seems to thee convincing, certain, plain, They will deny, and dare thee to maintain; And thus will triumph o’er thy eager youth, While thou wilt grieve for so disgracing truth. “With pain I’ve seen, these wrangling wits among, Faith’s weak defenders, passionate and young; 330 Weak thou art not, yet not enough on guard, Where wit and humour keep their watch and ward: Men gay and noisy will o’erwhelm thy sense, Then loudly laugh at Truth’s and thy expense; While the kind ladies will do all they can To check their mirth, and cry, ‘_The good young man_!’ “Prudence, my boy, forbids thee to commend The cause or party of thy noble friend; What are his praises worth, who must be known To take a patron’s maxims for his own? 340 When ladies sing, or in thy presence play, Do not, dear John, in rapture melt away; ’Tis not thy part, there will be list’ners round, To cry ‘_divine_!’ and dote upon the sound; Remember too, that though the poor have ears, They take not in the music of the spheres; They must not feel the warble and the thrill, Or be dissolved in ecstacy at will; Beside, ’tis freedom in a youth like thee To drop his awe, and deal in ecstacy! 350 “In silent ease, at least in silence, dine, Nor one opinion start of food or wine: Thou know’st that all the science thou canst boast Is of thy father’s simple boil’d and roast;