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to your country, and to your nature; and let theſe objects inſpire you with even growing ardour in the career of merit.
Attend diligently to the divine precept, "Know thyself." This precept not only requires a general knowledge of the powers and intereſts of human nature, but a particular acquaintance with your own powers and your own intereſts. Eſtimate with as much accuracy as you can the ſtrength of your abilities, in order to know in what undertakings you may engage with a fair probability of ſuccess, and what would be unſuitable to your talents, or above your capacity. Obſerve attentively the natural turn of your diſpoſition and temper, that you may diſcover where it is chiefly neceſſary to be upon your guard. Remark diſtinctly the connections in which you are placed, the ſtation you hold in ſociety, and the circumſtances, whether favourable or otherwiſe, which attend you; that you may be apprized both of your difficulties and your advantages; and that by providing againſt the former, and improving the latter, you may make the moſt of your ſituation. The better you are acquainted with yourſelf, the more likelv you will be to preſerve propriety and conſiſtency of character;—the more effectually you will be guarded againſt conceit and preſumption on the one hand, and againſt meanneſs and irreſolution on the