silly as to hope, that every servant I had might be made a friend: I am now convinced that the nature of servitude generally bears a contrary tendency. People's characters are to be chiefly collected from their education and place in life: birth itself does but little. Kings in general are born with the same propensities as other men; but yet it is probable, that from the licence and flattery that attends their education, they will be more haughty, more luxurious, and more subjected to their passions, than any men beside. I question not but there are many attorneys born with open and honest hearts; but I know not one, that has had the least practice, who is not selfish, trickish, and disingenuous. So it is the nature of servitude to discard all generous motives of obedience; and to point out no other than those scoundrel ones of interest and fear. There are however, some exceptions to this rule, which I know by my own experience.

ON DRESS.

1. Dress, like writing, should never appear the effect of too much study and application. On this account I have seen parts of dress, in themselves extremely beautiful, which, at the same time, subject the wearer to the character of foppishness and affectation. 2. A man's dress in the former part of life, should rather tend to set off his person, than to express riches, rank, or dignity: in the latter, the 3. Extreme elegance in liveries, I mean such as is expressed by the more languid colours, is altogether absurd. They ought to be rather

reverse.

gaudy than genteel; if for no other reason, yet for this, that elegance may more strongly distinguish the appearance of the gentleman. 4. It is a point out of doubt with me, that the ladies are most properly the judges of men's dress, and the men of that of the ladies. 5. I think, till thirty, or with some a little longer, people should dress in a way that is most likely to procure the love of the opposite sex.

6. There are many modes of dress, which the world esteems handsome, which are by no means calculated to shew the human figure to advantage. 7. Love can be founded on nature only or the appearance of it for this reason, however a peruke may tend to soften the human features, it can very seldom make amends for the mixture of artifice which it discovers. 8. A rich dress adds but little to the beauty of a person, it may possibly create a deference, but that is rather an enemy to love:

"Non bene conveniunt nec in una sede morantur

Majestas & amor."-Ovid.

9. Simplicity can scarcely be carried too far: provided it be not so singular as to excite a degree of ridicule. The same caution may be requisite in regard to the value of your dress: tho' splendor be not necessary, you must remove all appearance of poverty; the ladies being rarely enough sagacious to acknowledge beauty through the disguise of poverty. Indeed, I believe sometimes they mistake grandeur of dress, for beauty of person. 10. A person's

manner is never easy whilst he feels a consciousness that he is fine. The country-fellow, considered in some lights, appears genteel; but it is not when he is dressed on Sundays, with a large nose-gay in his bosom. It is when he is reaping, making hay, or

It is then

when he is hedging in his hurden frock. he acts with ease, and thinks himself equal to his apparel. 11. When a man has run all lengths himself, with regard to dress, there is but one mean remaining, which can add to his appearance. And this consists in having recourse to the utmost plainness in his own apparel, and at the same time richly garnishing his footman or his horse. Let the servant appear as fine as ever you please, the world must always consider the master as his superior. And this is that peculiar excellence so much admired in the best painters as well as poets; Raphael as well as Virgil: where somewhat is left to be supplied by the spectator and reader's imagination. 12. Me thinks apparel should be rich in the same proportion as it is gay: it otherwise carries the appearance of somewhat unsubstantial: in other words, of a greater desire than ability to make a figure. Persons are oftentimes misled in regard to their choice of dress by attending to the beauty of colours, rather than selecting such colours as may encrease their own beauty. 14. I cannot see why a person should be esteemed haughty, on account of his taste for fine clothes, any more than one who discovers a fondness for birds, flowers, moths, or butterflies. Imagination influences both to seek amusement in glowing colours; only the former endeavours to give them a nearer relation to himself. It appears to me, that a person may love splendor without any degree of pride; which is never connected with this taste but when a person demands homage on account of the finery he exhibits. Then it ceases to be taste, and commences mere ambition. Yet the world is not enough candid to make this essential distinction.

13.

15. The first instance an officer gives you of his courage, consists in wearing clothes infinitely superior to his rank. 16. Men of quality never

appear more amiable than when their dress is plain. Their birth, rank, title, and it's appendages, are at best invidious; and as they do not need the assistance of dress, so, by their disclaiming the advantage of it, they make their superiority sit more easy. It is otherwise with such as depend alone on personal merit; and it was from hence, I presume, that Quin asserted he could not afford to go plain.

17. There are certain shapes and physiognomies of so entirely vulgar a cast, that they could scarcely win respect even in the country, tho' they were embellished with a dress as tawdry as a pulpit-cloth.

18.

A large retinue on a small income, like a large cascade on a small stream, tends to discover it's tenuity. 19. Why are perfumes so much decryed? When a person on his approach diffuses them, does he not revive the idea which the ancients ever entertained con

cerning the descent of superior beings "veiled in a cloud of fragrance?" 20. The lowest people are generally the first to find fault with shew or equipage; especially that of a person lately emerged from his obscurity. They never once consider that he is breaking the ice for themselves.

ON WRITING AND BOOKS.

1. Fine writing is generally the effect of spontaneous thoughts and a laboured style. 2. Long sentences in a short composition are like large rooms in 3. The world may be divided

a little house.

into people that read, people that write, people that think, and fox-hunters. 4. Instead of whining complaints concerning the imagined cruelty of their mistresses, if poets would address the same to their muse, they would act more agreeably to nature and to truth. 5. Superficial writers, like the mole, often fancy themselves deep, when they are exceedingly near the surface.

"Sumite materiam vesiris, qui scribitis, æquam

viribus."

6.

Authors often fail by printing their works on a superroyal, that should have appeared on ballad-paper, to make their performance appear laudable.

7. There is no word in the Latin language that signifies a female friend. "Amica" means a mistress: and perhaps there is no friendship betwixt the sexes wholly disunited from a degree of love.

8. The chief advantage that ancient writers can boast over modern ones, seems owing to simplicity. Every noble truth and sentiment was expressed by the former in the natural manner; in word and phrase, simple, perspicuous, and incapable of improvement. What then remained for later writers but affectation, witticism, and conceit? 9. One can, now

and then, reach an author's head when he stoops; and, induced by this circumstance, aspire to measure height with him. 10. The national opinion of a book or treatise is not always right—“ est ubi peccat."-Milton's "Paradise Lost" is one instance. I mean, the cold reception it met with at first.

11. Perhaps an acquaintance with men of genius is rather reputable than satisfactory. It is as unaccountable, as it is certain, that fancy heightens sensibility; sensibility strengthens passion; and passion