Advice to a Mother on the Management of her Children

Advice to a Young Man upon
First Going to
by Edward
Berens

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Title: Advice to a Young Man upon First Going to Oxford In Ten
Letters, From an Uncle to His Nephew
Author: Edward Berens
Release Date: March 29, 2007 [EBook #20932]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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TO A YOUNG MAN ***

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{Transcriber's note:
Greek has been transliterated and is surrounded with ++:
+makrothymei+}

LETTERS, &c.

ADVICE TO A YOUNG MAN
UPON FIRST GOING TO OXFORD,
IN TEN LETTERS,
FROM AN UNCLE TO HIS NEPHEW.
* * * * *
BY THE REV. EDWARD BERENS, M.A. LATE FELLOW OF
ORIEL COLLEGE.
* * * * *
LONDON: PRINTED FOR J. G. & F. RIVINGTON, ST. PAUL'S
CHURCH YARD, AND WATERLOO PLACE, PALL MALL.
* * * * *
1832.

LONDON: GILBERT & RIVINGTON, PRINTERS, St. John's Square.

I have long thought that a book was wanted, of the nature of that which
I have here attempted. How far I have succeeded in the attempt, the
public will determine.
I have had,--have at present,--and (if I live,) expect to have
hereafter,--several nephews at Oxford; all having to make their own
way in the world, and all, consequently, having abundant reason for
being economical, both of their time and of their money, during their
residence at the University. These Letters were not addressed to any
one of them in particular, but are intended, like some official
documents, "for all whom they may concern." Perhaps I had more
especially in view, those of them who are destined for my own
profession.
E. B.

CONTENTS.
LETTER. PAGE.
I. Sense of Religion 1
II. Choice of Friends 13
III. Conversation 27
IV. Against yielding to the Influence of Numbers 45
V. Improvement of Time 55
VI. Punctuality 72
VII. Amusements 85
VIII. Expenses, and running into Debt 99

IX. Temperance 114
X. English Reading 137

LETTER I.
SENSE OF RELIGION.
MY DEAR NEPHEW,
It gives me sincere pleasure to hear that you have actually become a
member of the University of Oxford. This satisfaction, perhaps, may in
some degree be attributed to the pleasing recollection of my own
Oxford life, but certainly it arises principally from anticipation of the
substantial benefits which you, I trust, will derive from your connexion
with that seat of learning. At the same time, I will own that my
satisfaction is not entirely unmixed with something like apprehension.
An University education has many and great advantages, but it also is
attended with many temptations;--temptations to which too many
young men have yielded, sometimes to the great injury of their
character, and the utter ruin of all their future prospects.
In fact, you are now entering upon the most important period--the
turning point--of your whole life. You have become, in a great measure,
your own master. For though you will be under a certain degree of
discipline and surveillance, yet in a multiplicity of cases you will have
to act for yourself--to take your own line. You will have to contend
against the allurements of pleasure and dissipation, and you have just
reached the age when the natural passions and appetites become most
impatient of restraint. At the same time, you will be exposed to the
influence both of the example and of the solicitations of lively young
men, who will try to carry you along with them in their career of
thoughtlessness and folly, and who will think it strange, and show you
that they think it strange, if you run not with them to the same excess of
riot. Against all these moral trials and temptations, your best safeguard
will be found in a strong sense of religion, kept habitually present to

your mind. You must endeavour, according to the language of
Scripture--(and in writing to you I shall always gladly make use of the
very words of Scripture, when they suit my purpose, as having a force
and an authority which no other words can possess)--you must
endeavour to set the Lord always before you. Never for a moment
forget that you are continually in the presence of that awful Being, who
can, and who will, call you to a strict account for all that you