The works of the Rev. William Thom, late minister ... - waughfamily.ca

440 LETTERS, TRACTS, \^C.have no votes in the county ;you have no friend onthe bench •, the judges do not know you ;you canneither give them expenfive treats in public, nor inyour own pitiful houfes. Whatever criminal, or evenillegal methods may have been ufed to intoxicate andimpofe upon you, make not the dangerous experimentto obtain juflice in courfe of law jyou will thrt>w awayany money you have, and, in the iiTue, find yourfelvesdreadfully difappointed. You have fuffered yourfelvesto be played upon by* tl^e laird; you mufteven fufFer for your folly, and make%he beft youcan of the bargains you have imprudently made.I have been longer than I intended, in defcribingthe principle, the progrefs, and ilTue of a roup : But Imav, for that reafon, (horten the remaining part ofmy work ; for, if the very defign of a roup of corn,or of tacks, is -to enfnare and trick you out of yourmoney ; if a roup is condu6led v/ith fuch dangerousfngacity, and artful addrefs ; if it iiTues in your impoverifhment,and often in your ruin ; one wouldthink, there fhould be no need of cautioniiig you a-gainft it :If thefe roups are fo pernicious and deltructiveto you, will not your ov/n good fenfe dirtO: you.how to behave with refpedl to them ?I have, however, two advices to give you, wKichj,I am fure, are of the utmoft importance : Thefirftis, that, if ycu attend any fuch roups as I have fpokenof, you never open your mouths ta become biddersat them. The fecond is, that you ccntroul theinclination you have to be at thefe meetings, and nevergo to fuch roups at all.Firft, I advife you, that, if you attend any of theA*oups I have fpoken of, you never become bidders atany of them : I know you have a wonderful itch ar.dcuriofity to gono fairs and markets, and other placesof public refort, where you are oftentim.es very illemployed ; it is that fame itch which carries ycu toroups : But though you foolifhiy go to a roup,, it is^