Lord Chesterfield's advice to his son, on men and manners: or, A new system of education. In which the principles of politeness, the art of acquiring a knowledge of the world, with every instruction necessary to form a man of honour, virtue, taste, and fashion, are laid down in a plain, easy, familiar manner, adapted to every station and capacity. : The whole arranged on a plan entirely new.

USEFUL MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS ON MEN AND MANNERS.

Selected from Lord Chesterfield's LETTERS.

A MAN who does not solidly establish, and really deserve, a character of truth, probity, good manners, and good morals, at his first setting out in the world, may impose, and shine like a meteor for a very short time, but will very soon vanish, and be extinguish∣ed with contempt. People easily pardon, in young men, the common irregularities of the senses; but they do not forgive the least vice of the heart.

The greatest favours may be done so awk∣wardly and bunglingly as to offend; and dis∣agreeable things may be done so disagreeably as almost to oblige.

There are very few Captains of foot, who are not much better company than ever De∣scartes or Sir Isaac Newton were. I honour

and respect such superior geniuses; but I de∣sire to converse with people of this world, who bring into company their share, at least, of chearfulness, good-breeding, and know∣ledge of mankind. In common life, one much oftener wants small money, and silver, than gold. Give me a man who has ready cash about him for present expences; six∣pences, shillings, half-crowns, and crowns, which circulate easily: but a man who has only an ingot of gold about him, is much above common purposes, and his riches are not handy nor convenient. Have as much gold as you please in one pocket, but take care always to keep change in the other: for you will much oftener have occasion for a shilling than a guinea.

Advice is seldom welcome, and those who want it the most, always like it the least.

Envy is one of the meanest and most tor∣menting of all passions, as there is hardly a person existing that has not given uneasiness to an envious breast; for the envious man cannot be happy, while he beholds others so.

A great action will always meet with the approbation of mankind, and the inward pleasure which it produces, is not to be ex∣pressed.

Humanity is the particular characteristic of great minds; little vicious minds abound with anger and revenge, and are incapable

of feeling the exalted pleasure of forgiving their enemies.

The ignorant and the weak only are idle, those who have acquired a good stock of knowledge, always desire to increase it. Knowledge is like power in this respect, that those who have the most, are most desirous of having more. Idleness is only the refuge of weak minds, and the holiday of fools.

Every man has a natural right to his liber∣ty; and whoever endeavours to ravish it from him, deserves death more than the robber who attacks us for our money on the high∣way.

Modesty is a commendable quality, and generally accompanies true merit; it engages and captivates the minds of people; for no∣thing is more shocking and disgustful than presumption and impudence. A man is de∣spised who is always commending himself, and who is the hero of his own story.

Not to perform our promise is a folly, a dishonour, and a crime. It is a folly, be∣cause no one will rely on us afterwards; and it is a dishonour, and a crime, because truth is the first duty of religion and morality; and whoever is not possessed of truth, cannot be supposed to have any one good quality, and must be held in detestation by all good men.

Wit may create many admirers, but makes few friends. It shines and dazzles like the

noon-day sun, but, like that too, is very apt to scorch; and therefore is always feared. The milder morning and evening light and heat of that planet, soothe and calm our minds. Never seek for wit: if it presents itself, well and good; but even in that case, let your judgment interpose: and take care that it be not at the expence of any body. POPE says very truly,

"There are whom Heav'n has blest with store of wit, "Yet want as much again to govern it."

And in another place, I doubt with too much truth,

"For wit and judgment ever are at strife, "Though meant each other's aid, like man and wife."

A proper secrecy is the only mystery of able men; mystery is the only secrecy of weak and cunning ones.

To tell my friend, wife, or mistress, any secret with which they have nothing to do, is discovering to them such an unretentive weakness, as must convince them that you will tell it to twenty others, and consequently that they may reveal it without the risk of being discovered. But a secret properly com∣municated, only to those who are to be con∣cerned in the question, will probably be kept by them, though they should be a good

many. Little secrets are commonly told a∣gain, but great ones generally kept.

A man who tells nothing, or who tells all, will equally have nothing told him.

If a fool knows a secret, he tells it be∣cause he is a fool: if a knave knows one, he tells it wherever it is his interest to tell it. But women, and young men, are very apt to tell what secrete they know, from the vanity of having been trusted. Trust none of these, wherever you can help it.

In your friendships, and in your enmities, let your confidence and your hostilities have certain bounds: make not the former dan∣gerous, nor the latter irreconcilable. There are strange vicissitudes in business.

Smooth your way to the head through the heart. The way of reason is a good one: but it is commonly something longer, and perhaps not so sure.

Spirit is now a very fashionable word: to act with spirit, means only, to act rashly, and to talk indiscreetly. An able man shows his spirit, by gentle words and resolute ac∣tions: he is neither hot nor timid.

Patience is a most necessary qualification for business: Many a man would rather you heard his story, than granted his request. One must seem to hear the unreasonable demands of the petulant, unmoved; and the tedious details

of the dull, untired. That is, the least price that a man must pay for a high station.

It is always right to detect a fraud, and to perceive a folly; but it is often very wrong to expose either. A man of business should always have his eyes open, but must often seem to have them shut.

In courts (and every where else) bashfulness and timidity are as prejudicial on one hand, as impudence and rashness are on the other. A steady assurance and a cool intrepidity, with an exterior modesty, are the true and neces∣sary medium.

Never apply for what you see very little pro∣bability of obtaining; for you will, by asking improper and unattainable things, accustom the ministers to refuse you so often, that they will find it easy to refuse you the properest and most reasonable ones. It is a common, but a most mistaken rule at court, to ask for every thing in order to get something: you do get something by it, it is true; but that something is refusals and ridicule.—This maxim, like the former, is of general application.

A chearful easy countenance and behaviour are very useful: they make fools think you a good-natured man; and they make designing men think you an undesigning one.

There are some occasions in which a man must tell half his secret, in order to conceal the rest; but there is seldom one in which a man

should tell it all. Great skill is necessary to know how far to go, and where to stop.

Ceremony is necessary, as the out work and defence of manners.

A man's own good-breeding is his best security against other people's ill manners.

Good-breeding carries along with it a dig∣nity, that is respected by the most petulant. Ill breeding invites and authorizes the fami∣liarity of the most timid. No man ever said a pert thing to the Duke of Marlborough. No man ever said a civil one (though many a flat∣tering one) to Sir Robert Walpole.

Knowledge may give weight, but accom∣plishments only give lustre; and many more people see than weigh.

Most arts require long study and applica∣tion; but the most useful art of all, that of plea∣sing, requires only the desire.

It is to be presumed that a man of common sense, who does not desire to please, desires nothing at all; since he must know that he cannot obtain any thing without it.

A skilful negociator will most carefully distinguish between the little and the great objects of his business, and will be as frank and open in the former, as he will be secret and pertinacious in the latter—This maxim holds equally true in common life.

The Duc de Sully observes very justly, in his Memoirs, that nothing contributed more

to his rise than that prudent economy which he had observed from his youth; and by which he had always a sum of money before hand, in case of emergencies.

It is very difficult to fix the particular point of economy: the best error of the two, is on the parsimonious side. That may be correct∣ed, the other cannot.

The reputation of generosity is to be pur∣chased pretty cheap; it does not depend so much upon a man's general expence, as it does upon his giving handsomely where it is proper to give at all. A man, for instance, who should give a servant four shillings, would pass for covetous▪ while he who gave him a crown would be reckoned generous; so that the difference of those two opposite cha∣racters turns upon one shilling. A man's cha∣racter, in that particular depends a great deal upon the report of his own servants; a mere trifle above common wages makes their re∣port savourable.

Take care always to form your establish∣ment so much within your income, as to leave a sufficient fund for unexpected contingencies, and a prudent liberality. There is hardly a year, in any man's life, in which a small sum of ready money may not be employed to great advantage.

FINIS.