It very commonly happens that fpeculation has no influence on conduct. Juft conclufions, and cogent arguments, formed by laborious ftudy, and diligent enquiry, are often repofited in the treafuries of memory, as gold in the mifer's cheft, useless alike to others and himfelf. As fome are not richer for the extent of their poffeffions, others are not wifer for the multitude of their ideas,

You have truly described the state of human beings, but it may be doubted whether you have accommodated your precepts to your defcription; whether you have not generally confidered your readers as influenced by the tragick paffions, and fufceptible of pain or pleafure only from powerful agents, and from great events.

To an author who writes not for the improvement of a fingle art, or the eftablishment of a controverted doctrine, but equally intends the advantage, and equally courts the perufal of all the claffes of mankind, nothing can justly Leem unworthy of regard, by which the pleasure of converfation may be increased, and the daily fatisfactions of familiar life fecured from interruption and disgust.

For this reafon you would not have injured your reputation, if you had fometimes defcended to the minuter duties of focial beings, and enforced the obfervance of thofe little civilities and ceremonious delicacies, which, inconfiderable as they may appear to the man of fcience, and difficult as they may prove to be detailed with dignity, yet contribute to the regulation of the world, by facilitating the intercourfe between one man and another, and of which the French have fufficiently teftified their efteem, by terming the knowledge and practice of them Sçavoir vivre-the art of living.

Politeness is one of thofe advantages which we never eftimate rightly but by the inconvenience of it's lofs. It's influence upon the manners is conftant and uniform, fo that, like an equal motion, it escapes perception. The circumftances of every action are fo adjusted to each other, that we do not fee where any error could have been committed, and rather acquiefce in it's propriety, than admire it's exactnefs.

But as fickness fhews us the value of eafe, a little familiarity with those who were never taught to endeavour the gra,

tification of others, but regulate their behaviour merely by their own will, will foon evince the neceffity of established modes and formalities to the happiness and quiet of common life.

Wisdom and virtue are by no means fufficient, without the fupplemental laws of good-breeding, to fecure freedom from degenerating to rudeness, or selfefteem from fwelling into infolence; a thousand incivilities may be committed, and a thousand offices neglected, without any remorfe of confcience, or reproach from reafon.

The true effect of genuine politeness feems to be rather eafe than pleasure. The power of delighting must be conferred by nature, and cannot be deliver. ed by precept, or obtained by imitation; but though it be the privilege of a very fmall number to ravish and to charm, every man may hope by rules and caution not to give pain, and may therefore, by the help of good-breeding, enjoy the kindness of mankind, though he Ahould have no claim to higher diftinctions.

The univerfal axiom in which all complaifance is included, and from which flow all the formalities which cuftom has established in civilized nations, is, That no man should give any prefe rence to himself. A rule fo comprehenfive and certain, that, perhaps, it is not eafy for the mind to image an incivility, without fuppofing it to be broken.

There are, indeed, in every place, fome particular modes of the ceremonial part of good-breeding, which, being arbi trary and accidental, can be learned only by habitude and conversation: fuch are the forms of falutation, the different gradations of reverence, and all the adjuftments of place and precedence. Thefe, however, may be often violated without offence, if it be fufficiently evident, that neither malice nor pride contribute to the failure; but will not atone, however rigidly obferved, for the tumour of infolence, or petulance of contempt.

I have, indeed, not found among any part of mankind, lefs real and rational complaifance, than among those who have paffed their time in paying and receiving vifits, in frequenting publick entertainments, in ftudying the exact measures of ceremony, and in watching all the variations of fashionable courtesy.

They know, indeed, at what hour

they

Try pherus is a man remarkable for Splendour and expence; a man that, having been originally placed by his fortune and rank in the firft clafs of the community, has acquired that air of dignity and that readiness in the exchange of compliments, which courts, balls, and Jevees, eafly confer.

But Trypherus, without any fettled purposes of malignity, partly by his ignorance of human nature, and partly by the habit of contemplating with great fatisfaction his own grandeur and riches, is hourly giving difguft to thofe whom chance or expectation fubject to his vanity.

To a man whofe fortune confines him to a fmall houfe, he declaims upon the pleasure of fpacious apartments, and the convenience of changing his lodgingroom in different parts of the year; tells him, that he hates confinement; and concludes, that if his chamber was lefs, he fhould never wake without thinking of a prison.

To Eucretas, a man of birth equal to himself, but of much less estate, he fhewed his fervices of plate, and remarked that fuch things were, indeed, nothing better than coftly trifles, but that no man muft pretend to the rank of a gentleman without them; and that for

his part, if his eftate was smaller, he fhould not think of enjoying but encreafing it, and would enquire out a trade for his eldest fon.

He has, in imitation of fome more acute obferver than himself, collected a great many fhifts and artifices by which poverty is concealed; and among the ladies of fmall fortune, never fails to talk of frippery and flight filks, and the convenience of a general mourning.

I have been infulted a thousand times with a catalogue of his pictures, his jewels, and his rarities, which, though he knows the humble neatness of my habitation, he feldom fails to conclude by a declaration, that wherever he fees a houfe meanly furnished, he despises the owner's tafte, or pities his poverty.

This, Mr. Rambler, is the practice of Trypherus, by which he is become the terror of all who are lefs wealthy than himself, and has raised innumerable enemies without rivalry, and without malevolence.

Yet though all are not equally culpable with Trypherus, it is fcarcely poffible to find any man who does not frequently, like him, indulge his own pride by forcing others into a comparison with himself, when he knows the advantage is on his fide, without confidering, that unneceffarily to obtrude unpleafing ideas, is a fpecies of oppreffion; and that it is little more criminal to deprive another of fome real advantage, than to inter rupt that forgetfulness of it's abfence which is the next happiness to actual poffeffion. I am, &c.

EUTROPIUS.

OVID.

T has been ordained by Providence, for the confervation of order in the immenfe variety of nature, and for the egular propagation of the feveral claffes

with his tafte for fome particular species of curiofities, by relishing the same wine, or applauding the fame cookery.

Even thofe whom wifdom or virtue have placed above regard to fuch petty recommendations, muft nevertheless be gained by fimilitude of manners. The highest and nobleft enjoyment of familiar life, the communication of knowledge and reciprocation of fentiments, must always prefuppofe a difpofition to the fame inquiry, and delight in the fame difcoveries.

With what fatisfaction could the politician lay his fchemes for the reformation of laws, or his comparisons of different forms of government, before the chemift, who has never accustomed his thoughts to any other object than falt and fulphur? or how could the aftronomer, in explaining his calculations and conjectures, endure the coldness of a grammarian, who would lofe fight of Jupiter and all his fatellites, for a happy etymology of an obfcure word, or a better explication of a controverted line? Every man loves merit of the fame kind with his own, when it is not likely to hinder his advancement or his reputation; for he not only beft undertands the worth of thofe qualities which he labours to cultivate, or the usefulnefs of the art which he practifes with fuccefs, but always feels a reflected pleature from the praifes which, though given to another, belong equally to himfelf.

There is indeed no need of research and refinement to difcover that men muft generally felect their companions from their own ftate of life, fince there are not many minds furnifhed for great variety of converfation, or adapted to

multiplicity of intellectual entertains

ments.

The failor, the academick, the law. yer, the mechanick, and the courtier, have all a caft of talk peculiar to their own fraternity, have fixed their attention upon the fame events, have been engaged in affairs of the fame fort, and make ufe of allusions and illustrations which themfelves only can understand.

To be infected with the jargon of a particular profeffion, and to know only the language of a fingle rank of mortals, is indeed fufficiently defpicable. But as limits must be always fet to the excurfions of the human mind, there will be fome ftudy which every man more zealously profecutes, fome darling fubject on which he is principally pleafed to converfe; and he that can most inform or best understand him, will certainly be welcomed with particular regard.

Such partiality is not wholly to be avoided; nor is it culpable, unless fuffered fo far to predominate as to produce averfion from every other kind of excellence, and to fhade the luftre of diffimilar virtues. Those, therefore, whom the lot of life has conjoined, fhould endeavour conftantly to approach towards the inclination of each other, invigorate every motion of concurrent defire, and fan every spark of kindred curiofity.

It has been justly observed, that discord generally operates in little things; it is inflamed to it's utmost vehemence by contrariety of taste, oftener than of principles; and might therefore commonly be avoided by innocent conformity, which, if it was not at first the motive, ought always to be the confequence of indissoluble union,

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