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THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES ARE EXTRACTED FROM THE WORKS OF THE LATE LORD CHESTERFIELD.

Good-breeding.

OOD-BREEDING has been very juftly defined

Globe, The refult of much good fenfe, fome

"good-nature, and a little felf-denial for the fake of "others, and with a view to obtain the fame indulgence "from them."

Good-breeding alone can prepoffefs people in our fa your at first fight; more time being neceffary to disco ver greater talents. Good-breeding, however, does not confist in low bows and formal ceremony, but in an eafy, civil, and refpectable behaviour.

Indeed, good fense, in many cafes, muft determine good-breeding; for what would be civil at one time, and to one perfon, would be rude at another time, and to another perfon; there are, however, fome general tules of good-breeding. As for example: to answer only yes, or no, to any perfon, without adding, Sir, My Lord, or Madam (as it may happen) is always extremely rude; and it is equally fo not to give proper attention and a civil anfwer, when spoken to: fuch behaviour convinces the perfon who is fpeaking to us, that we defpife him, and do not think him worthy of our attention, or an answer.

A well-bred person will take care to anfwer with complaifance when he is fpoken to; will place himself at the lower end of the table, unless bid to go higher; will firft drink to the lady of the house, and then to the mafter; he will not eat awkwardly or dirtily, nor fit when others ftand; and he will do all this with an air of complaisance, and not with a grave ill-natured look, as if he did it all unwillingly.

There is nothing more difficult to attain, or so neceffary to poffefs, as perfect good-breeding; which is equally inconfiftent with a ftiff formality, an impertinent forwardness,

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forwardness, and an awkward bafhfulness. A little ce remony is sometimes neceflary, a certain degree of firmnefs is abfolutely fo; and an awkward modesty is extremely unbecoming.

Virtue and learning, like gold, have their intrinfic value; but, if they are not polished, they certainly lose a great deal of their luftre: and even polished brafs will pass upon more people than rough gold. What a number of fins does the cheerful, eafy, good-breeding of the French frequently cover?

My Lord Bacon fays, "That a pleafing figure is a perpetual letter of recommendation." It is certainly an agreeable forerunner of merit, and smooths the way for it.

A man of good-breeding fhould be acquainted with the forms and particular customs of Courts. At Vienna, men always make courtefies, instead of bows, to the emperor; in France, nobody bows to the king, or kifles his hand; but in Spain and England, bows are made, and hands are kiffed. Thus every Court has fome peculiarity, which those who visit them ought previously to inform themselves of, to avoid blunders and awkwardneffes.

Very few, fcarcely any, are wanting in the respect which they fhould fhew to thofe whom they acknowledge to be infinitely their fuperiors. The man of fafhion, and of the world, expreffes it in its fullest extent; but naturally, eafily, and without concern; whereas a man, who is not used to keep good company, expreffes it awkwardly one fees that he is not used to, and that it costs him a great deal: but I never faw the worst bred man living guilty of lolling, whistling, fcratching his head, and fuch like indecencies, in company that he refpected. In fuch companies, therefore, the only point to be attended to is, to fhew that refpect, which every body means to fhew, in an easy, unembarraffed, and graceful manner.

In mixed companies, whoever is admitted to make part of them, is, for the time at least, fuppofed to be

upon

upon a footing of equality with the reft; and, confequently, every one claims, and very juftly, every mark of civility and good-breeding. Eafe is allowed, but careleffness and negligence are strictly forbidden. If a man accosts you, and talks to you ever fo dully or frivolously, it is worse than rudenefs, it is brutality, to fhew him, by a manifeft inattention to what he says, that you think him a fool or a blockhead, and not worth hearing. It is much more fo with regard to women; who, of whatever rank they are, are entitled, in confideration of their fex, not only to an attentive, but an officious good-breeding from men.

The third fort of good-breeding is local, and is variously modified, in not only different countries, but in different towns of the fame country. But it must be founded upon the two former forts; they are the matter; in which, in this case, Fashion and Custom only give the different shapes and impreffions. Whoever has the two first forts, will eafily acquire this third fort of good-breeding, which depends fingly upon attention and obfervation. It is properly the polifh, the luftre, the laft finishing stroke of good-breeding. A man of sense, therefore, carefully attends to the local manners of the respective places where he is, and takes for his models thofe perfons whom he obferves to be at the head of the fashion and good-breeding. He watches how they addrefs themselves to their fuperiors, how they accoft their equals, and how they treat their inferiors; and lets none of those little niceties escape him, which are to good-breeding what the laft delicate and masterly touches are to a good picture; and which the vulgar have no notion of, but by which good judges diftinguifh the mafter. He attends even to their air,- drefs, and motions, and imitates them liberally, and not fervilely; he copies but does not mimic. Thefe perfonal graces are of very great confequence. They anticipate the fentiments, before merit engages the understanding; they captivate the heart, and give rife, I believe, to the extravagant notions of Charms and Philters. Their

effects

effects were so furprising, that they were reckoned fupernatural.

In short, as it is neceffary to poffefs learning, honour, and virtue, to gain the esteem and admiration of mankind, fo politenefs and good-breeding are equally neceffary to render us agreeable in converfation and common life

Great talents are above the generality of the world; who neither poffefs them themselves, nor are competent judges of them in others: but all are judges of the leffor talents, fuch as civility, affability, and an agreeable addrefs and manner; because they feel the good effects of them, as making fociety eafy and agreeable.

Be affured that the profoundeft learning, without good-breeding, is unwelcome and tiresome pedantry = that a man who is not perfectly well-bred, is unfit for good company and unwelcome in it; and that a man who is not well-bred, is full as unfit for business as for company.

Make, then, good-breeding the great object of your thoughts and actions. Obferve carefully the behaviour and manners of those who are diftinguished by their good-breeding; imitate, nay, endeavour to excel, that you may at leaft reach them, and be convinced that good-breeding is, to all worldly qualifications, what charity is to all Chriftian virtues. Obferve how it adorns merit, and how often it covers the want of it.

Dignity of Manners.

A certain dignity of manners is abfolutely neceffary to make even the most valuable character either respected or refpectable in the world.

Horse-play, romping, frequent and loud fits of laughter, jokes, waggery, and indifcriminate familiarity, will fink both merit and knowledge into a degree of contempt. They compose at most a merry fellow, and a merry fellow was never yet a refpectable man. Indif

criminate

criminate familiarity either offends your fuperiors, or elfe dubs you their dependent, and led captive. It gives your inferiors juft, but troublesome and improper claims of equality. A joker is near akin to a buffoon; and neither of them is the least related to wit. Whoever is admitted or fought for, in company, upon any other account than that of his merit and manners, is never refpected there, but only made ufe of. We will have fuch-a-one, for he fings prettily; we will invite fuch-aone to a ball, for he dances well; we will have fucha-one at fupper, for he is always joking and laughing; we will ask another, because he plays deep at all games, or because he can drink a great deal. Thefe are all vilifying diftinctions, and mortifying references, and exclude all ideas of esteem and regard. Whoever is bad (as it is called) in company, for the fake of any one thing fingly, is fingly that thing, and will never be confidered in any other light; and confequently never refpected, let his merits be what they will.

Dignity of manners is not only as different from pride, as true courage is from bluftering, or true wit from joking, but it is abfolutely inconfiftent with it; for nothing vilifies or degrades more than pride. The pretenfions of the poor man are oftener treated with fneer and contempt, than with indignation; as we offer ridiculously too little to a tradesman, who asks ridiculously too much for his goods: but we do not haggle with one who only asks a just and reasonable price.

Abject flattery and indiscriminate affentation degrade, as much as indifcriminate contradiction and noify debate difguft. But a modeft affertion of one's own opinion, and a complaisant acquiescence to other people's, preferve dignity.

Vulgar, low expreffions, awkward motions and addrefs, vilify, as they imply either a very low turn of mind, or low education and low company.

Frivolous curiofity about trifles, and a laborious attention to little objects, which neither require nor deferve a moment's thought, lower a man; who from

thence

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