A GUIDE TO YOUTH; OR, THE CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHER'S LESSONS ON MORAL DUTIES, VIRTUE, AND ETIQUETTE. BY LEON DE LANDFORT, MEMBER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FRANCE. 1 LONDON: PUBLISHED BY RELFE, BROTHERS, 150, ALDERSGATE STREET. 1856. 260... PREFACE. THERE has been long wanted a book for the purpose of teaching children those religious duties incumbent upon them as Christians; those laws of moral society to which they are equally bound as citizens; and, finally, those principles they must observe to bear the stamp of a refined, gentlemanly education. Besides this, to answer in an efficient way the wants of Youth, their capacities required such a work to be at once concise and complete; this difficulty, considering the importance of the subject, could not easily be conquered. To equally interest Parents and Instruc tors, the style of this work had primarily to offer correctness, precision, and elegance as its characteristics, without, however, excluding a familiar tone, and, indeed, this task offered no less difficulty than the former. As to the importance of this book, it needs not to be long demonstrated: for it is a well established fact that Morality, Virtue, and Etiquette, are the true and sole means of insuring to mankind that amount of earthly happiness which has been allotted to them; that it is solely in this treble basis that we have to seek for true moral education, solid precepts of righteousness, and refinement of becoming manners; for, 1-The upright man injures no one, which prevents him from being the object of one's attacks; any 2-The virtuous man delights in doing good, which renders him estimable in the eyes of everybody; 3-The polite man observes all the regulations practised in good society, which entitles him to a gratifying reception everywhere. The main object which this work has had in view, has been to afford food to the heart, which is too often neglected for giving brilliancy to the mind; since it is unhappily too true that the greater part of the youth of both sexes, though sometimes receiving a superior instruction, remain entire strangers to that which is of the utmost importance to them :namely, their condition as members of a religion, a family, and a society; nevertheless, nothing can prove more indispensable than to make a serious study of |