During his long internment in the Tower of London Elizabethan adventurer and statesman Sir Walter Raleigh (1552 - 1618) took time to compose this thoughtful homily to his son. It consists of ten short chapters dealing with a variety of important issues such as the choice of friends and a wife, the maintenance of a good reputation, the management of one's estate and wealth and concludes with an exhortation to seek the wisdom and protection of God throughout life.