Whether is the laugher or the morose, the most disagreeable companion?

Reproof is a medicine like mercury or opium; if it be improperly administered, it will do harm instead of good. Nothing is more unmannerly than to reflect on any man's profession, sect, or natural infirmity. He who stirs up against himself another's self-love, provokes the strongest passion in human nature.

Be careful of your word, even in keeping the most trifling appointment. But do not blame another for a failure of that kind, till you have heard his excuse.

Never offer advice, but where there is some probability of its being followed.

If a great person has omitted rewarding your services, do not talk of it. Perhaps he may not yet have had an opportunity. For they have always on hand expectants innumerable; and the clamorous are too generally gratified before the deserving. Besides, it is the way to draw his displeasure upon you, which can do you no good, but make bad worse. If the services you did, were voluntary, you ought not to expect any return, because you made a present of them unasked. And a free gift is not to be turned into a loan, to draw the person you have served into debt. If you have served a great person merely with a view to self-interest, perhaps he is aware of that, and rewards you accordingly. Nor can you justly complain : He owes you nothing; it was not him you meant to serve. Fools pretend to foretel what will be the issue of things, and are laughed at for their awkward conjectures. Wise men, being aware of the uncertainty of human affairs, and having observed how small a matter often produces a great change, are modest in their conjectures.

He who talks too fast, outruns his hearers thoughts. He who speaks too slow, gives his hearer pain by hindering his thoughts, as a rider who frets his horse by reining him too much.

Never think to entertain people with what lies out of their way, be it ever so curious in its kind. Who would think of regaling a circle of ladies with the beauties of Homer's Greek, or a company of country squires with Sir Isaac Newton's discoveries?

Never fish for praise: It is not worth the bait.

F

Do well; but do not boast of it. For that will lessen the commendation you might otherwise have deserved.

He who is guilty of flattery, declares himself to be sunk from every noble and manly sentiment, and shows, that he thinks the person he presumes upon, void of modesty and discernment. Though flattery is so common in courts, it is the very insolence of rudeness.

To offer advice to an angry man, is like blowing against a tempest.

Too much preciseness and solemnity in pronouncing what one says in common conversation, as if one was preaching, is generally taken for an indication of self

conceit.

Make your company a rarity, and people will value it. Men despise what they can easily have.

Value truth, however you come by it. Who would not pick up a jewel that lay on a dunghill?

The beauty of behaviour consists in the manner, more than the matter of your discourse.

If your superior treats you with familiarity, it will not therefore become you to treat him in the same manner.

Men of many words are generally men of many puffs.

A good way to avoid impertinent and pumping inquiries, is by answering with another question. An evasion may also serve the purpose. But a lie is inexcusable on any occasion, especially, when used to conceal the truth, from one who has no authority to demand it.

To reprove with success, the following circumstances are necessary, viz. mildness, secrecy, intimacy, and the esteem of the person you would reprove.

If you be nettled with severe raillery, take care never to show that you are stung, unless you choose to provoke

more.

The way to avoid being made a butt, is not to set up for an archer.

To set up for a general critic, is bullying mankind.

Reflect upon the different appearances things make to you from what they did some years ago; and do not imagine that your opinion will never alter, because you are positive at present. Let the remembrance of your past changes of sentiment make you more flexible.

If ever you was in a passion, did you not find reason af

terwards to be sorry for it? And will you again allow yourself to be guilty of a weakness, which will certainly be in the same manner followed by repentance, besides being attended with pain?

Never argue with any but men of sense and temper.

It is ill manners to trouble people with talking too much either of yourself, or your affairs. If you are full of yourself, consider, that you, and your affairs, are not so interesting to other people as to you.

Keep silence, sometimes, upon subjects which you are known to be a judge of. So your silence, where you are ignorant, will not discover you.

Some ladies will forgive silliness; but none ill manners. And there are but few capable of judging of your learning or genius; but all of your behaviour.

Do not judge by a view of one person or thing.

Think like the wise, but talk like ordinary people. Never go out of the common road but for somewhat.

Do not dispute against facts well established, merely because there is somewhat unaccountable in them. That the world should be created of nothing, is to us inconceivable; but not therefore to be doubted.

There is no occasion to trample upon the meanest reptile, nor to sneak to the greatest prince. Insolence and baseness are equally unmanly.

As you are going to a party of mirth, think of the hazard you run of misbehaving. While you are engaged, do not wholly forget yourself. And after all is over, reflect how you have behaved. If well, be thankful: It is more than you could have promised. If otherwise, bę more careful for the future.

Do not sit dumb in company. It will be ascribed either to pride, cunning, or stupidity. Give your opinion modestly, but freely; hear that of others with candor; and ever endeavour to find out, and to communicate truth.

If you have seen a man misbehave once, do not from thence conclude him a fool. If you find he has been in a mistake in one particular, do not at once conclude him void of understanding. By that way of judging, you can entertain a favourable opinion of no man upon earth, nor even of yourself.

In mixed company, be readier to hear than to speak,

and put people upon talking of what is in their own way. For then you will both oblige them, and be most likely to improve by their conversation.

Humanity will direct to be particularly cautious of treating, with the least appearance of neglect, those who have lately met with misfortunes, and are sunk in life. Such persons are apt to think themselves slighted, when no such thing is intended. Their minds, being already sore, feel the least rub very severely. And who would be so cruel as to add affliction to the afflicted?

Too much company is worse than none.

To smother the generosity of those, who have obliged you, is imprudent, as well as ungrateful. The mention of kindnesses received may excite those who hear it to deserve your good word, by imitating the example which they see does others so much honour.

Learning is like bank-notes. Prudence and good behaviour are like silver, useful upon all occasions.

If you have been once in company with an idle person, it is enough. You need never go again. You have heard all he knows. And he has had no opportunity of learning any thing new. For idle people make no improvements.

Deep learning will make you acceptable to the learned; but it is only an obliging and easy behaviour, and entertaining conversation, that will make you agreeable to all companies.

Men repent speaking ten times, for once that they repent keeping silence.

It is an advantage to have concealed one's opinion. For by that means you may change your judgment of things (which every wise man finds reason to do) and not be accused of fickleness.

There is hardly any bodily blemish, which a winning behaviour will not conceal, or make tolerable; and there is no external grace, which ill-nature or affectation will not deform.

If you mean to make your side of the argument appear plausible, do not prejudice the people against what you think truth, by your passionate manner of defending it.

There is an affected humility more unsufferable than downright pride, as hypocrisy is more abominable than

libertinism. Take care that your virtues be genuine and unsophisticated.

If you put on a proud carriage, people will want to know what there is in you to be proud of. It is ten to one whether they value your accomplishments at the same rate as you. And the higher you aspire, they will be the more desirous to mortify you.

Nothing is more nauseous than apparent self-sufficiency. For it shows the company two things, which are extremely disagreeable; that you have a high opinion of yourself; and, that you have comparatively a mean opinion of them. It is the concurrence of passions, that produces a storm. Let an angry man alone, and he will cool of himself.

It is but seldom, that very remarkable occurrences fall out in life. The evenness of your temper will be in most danger of being troubled by trifles which take you by surprise.

It is as obliging in company, especially of superiors, to listen attentively, as to talk entertainingly.

Do not think of knocking out another person's brains, because he differs in opinion from you. It will be as rational to knock yourself on the head, because you differ from yourself ten years ago.

If you want to gain any man's good opinion, take particular care how you behave, the first time you are in company with him. The light you appear in at first, to one who is neither inclinable to think well nor ill of you, will strongly prejudice him either for or against you.

Good humour is the only shield to keep off the darts of the satirical railer. If you have a quiver well stored, and are sure of hitting him between the joints or the harness, do not spare him. But you had better not bend your bow than miss your aim.

The modest man is seldom the object of envy.

in the company of ladies, do not labour to establish learned points by long-winded arguments. They do not care to take much pains about finding out truth..

Talkativeness, in some men, proceeds from what is extremely amiable, I mean, an open, communicative temper. Nor is it an universal rule, that whoever talks much, must say a great deal not worth hearing. I have known men who talked freely, because they had a great deal to say,