to the Character of Shepherds, and nearly allied to Superftition; I mean the use of Proverbial Sayings. I take the common Similitudes in Paftoral to be of the Proverbial Order, which are fo frequent, that it is needless, and would be tiresome to quote them. I fhall only take Notice upon this Head, that it is a nice Piece of Art to raise a Proverb above the vulgar Stile, and ftill keep it easie and unaffected. Thus the old Wish, God reft his Soul, is finely turned. Then gentle Sidney liv'd the Shepherd's Friend, N° 24. J Wednesday, April 8. -Dicenda tacendaque calles? Perf. ACK LIZARD was about Fifteen when he was first entered in the University, and being a Youth of a great deal of Fire, and a more than ordinary Application to his Studies, it gave his Converfation a very particular Turn. He had too much Spirit to hold his Tongue in Company; but at the fame time fo little Acquaintance with the World, that he did not know how to talk like other People. AFTER a Year and half's ftay at the Univerfity, he came down among us to pass away a Month or two in the Country. The firft Night after his Arrival, as we were at Supper, we were all of us very much improved by Jack's Table-Talk. He told us, upon the Appearance of a Difh of Wild-Fowl, that according to the Opinion of fome Natural Philofophers they might lately come from the Moon. Upon which the Sparkler bursting out into a Laugh, he infulted her with leveral Queftions relating to the Bignefs and Distance of the Moon and Stars and after every Interrogatory would be winking upon me, and fmiling at his Sifter's Ignorance. Jack gained his Point; for the Mother was pleafed, and all the Ser ; vants stared at the Learning of their young Mafter. Jack was fo encouraged at this Succefs, that for the firft Week he dealt wholly in Paradoxes. It was a common Jeft with him to pinch one of his Sifter's Lap-Dogs, and afterwards prove he could not feel it. When the Girls were forting a Set of Knots, he would demonftrate to them that all the Ribbands were of the fame Colour; or rather fays Jack, of no Colour at all. My Lady Li zard her felf, though she was not a little pleas'd with her Son's Improvements, was one Day almoft angry with him; for having accidentally burnt her Fingers as she was lighting the Lamp for her Tea pot; in the midst of her Anguifh, Jack laid hold of the Opportunity to inftruct her that there was no fuch thing as Heat in Fire. In fhort, no Day pafs'd over our Heads, in which Jack did not imagine he made the whole Family wifer than they were before. 3 THAT part of his Converfation which gave me the most Pain, was what pafs'd among thofe Country Gentlemen that came to vifit us. On fuch Occafions Jack ufually took upon him to be the Mouth of the Company; and thinking himself obliged to be very merry, would entertain us with a great many odd Sayings and Abfurdities of their College-Cook. I found this Fellow had made a very strong Impreffion upon Jack's Imagination; which he never confidered was not the Cafe of the reft of the Company, 'till after many repeated Trials he found that his Stories feldom made any Body laugh but himfelf. I all this while looked upon Jack as a young Tree fhooting out into Bloffoms before its Time; the Redundancy of which, though it was a little unfeasonable, feemed to foretel an uncommon Fruitfulness. IN order to wear out the Vein of Pedantry which ran through his Conversation, I took him out with me one Evening, and first of all infinuated to him this Rule, which I had my felf learned from a very great Author, To think with the Wife, but talk with the Vulgar. Jack's good Senfe foon made him reflect that he had often expofed himself to the Laughter of the ignorant by a contrary Behaviour; upon which he told me, that he would take take Care for the future to keep his Notions to himself, and converse in the common received Sentiments of Mankind. He at the fame time defir'd me to give him any other Rules of Converfation which I thought might be for his Improvement. I told him I would think of it ; and accordingly, as I have a particular Affection for the young Man, I gave him next Morning the following Rules in Writing, which may perhaps have contributed to make him the agreeable Man he now is. THE Faculty of interchanging our Thoughts with one another, or what we exprefs by the Word Converfation, has always been reprefented by Moral Writers as one of the nobleft Privileges of Reason, and which more particularly fets Mankind above the Brute Part of the Cre⚫ation. THOUGH nothing fo much gains upon the Affections as this Extempore Eloquence, which we have conftantly Occafion for, and are obliged to practife every Day, we very rarely meet with any who excell in it. THE Conversation of moft Men is difagreeable, not fo much for Want of Wit and Learning, as of GoodBreeding and Discretion. IF you refolve to please, never speak to gratifie any particular Vanity or Paffion of your own, but always with a Defign either to divert or inform the Company. A Man who only aims at one of thefe, is always eafie in his Difcourfe. He is never out of Humour at being interrupted, because he confiders that those who hear him are the beft Judges whether what he was faying could either divert or inform them. A modeft Pefon feldom fails to gain the Good-Will of those he converses with, because no body envies a Man, who does not appear to be pleased with himself. WE fhould talk extreamly little of our felves. Indeed what can we fay? It would be as imprudent to difcover our Faults, as ridiculous to count over our fancied Virtues. Our private and domeftick Affairs are no less improper to be introduced in Converfation. What does it concern the Company how many Horfes you keep in your Stables? Or whether your Servant is moft Knave or Fool? A A Man may equally affront the Company he is in, by engroffing all the Talk, or obferving a contemptuous Silence. BEFORE you tell a Story it may be generally not amifs to draw a fhort Character, and give the Company a true Idea of the principal Perfons concerned in it. The Beauty of moft things confifting not fo much in their being faid or done, as in their being faid or done by such a particular Perfon, or on fuch a particular Occafion. NOTWITHSTANDING all the Advantages of Youth, few young People please in Conversation; the Reafon is, that Want of Experience makes them pofitive, and what they fay is rather with a Design to please themfelves than any one else. IT is certain that Age it felf fhall make many things pafs well enough, which would have been laughed at in the Mouth of one much younger. NOTHING, however, is more infupportable to Men of Senfe, than an empty formal Man who fpeaks in Proverbs, and decides all Controverfies with a fhort Sentence. This piece of Stupidity is the more infufferable, as it puts on the Air of Wisdom. A prudent Man will avoid talking much of any particular Science, for which he is remarkably famous. There is not methinks an bandfomer thing faid of Mr. Cowley in his whole Life, than that none but his intimate Friends ever discovered he was a great Poet by his Difcourfe : Befides the Decency of this Rule, it is certainly founded in good Policy. A Man who talks of any thing he is already famous for, has little to get, but a great deal to lofe. I might add, that he who is fometimes filent on a Subject where every one is fatisfied he could fpeak well, will often be thought no lefs knowing in other Matters, where perhaps he is wholly ignorant. WOMEN are frightened at the Name of Argument, and are fooner convinced by an happy Turn, or witty Expreffion, than by Demonftration. WHENEVER you commend, add your Reafons for doing fo; it is this which diftinguishes the Approbation of a Man of Sense from the Flattery of Sycophanes, and Admiration of Fools.. VOL. 1. F RAIL RAILLERY is no longer agreeable than while the whole Company is pleafed with it. I would least of all be understood to except the Perfon rallied. THOUGH Good-humour, Senfe and Difcretion can feldom fail to make a Man agreeable, it may be no ill Policy fometimes to prepare your felf in a particular manner for Converfation, by looking a little farther than your Neighbours into whatever is become a reigning Subject. If our Armies are befieging a Place of Importance abroad, or our House of Commons debating a Bill of Confequence at home, you can hardly fail of being heard with Pleafure, if you have nicely informed your felf of the Strength, Situation, and Hiftory of the firft, or of the Reafons for and against the latter. It will have the fame Effect if when any fingle Perfon begins to make a Noise in the World, you can learn fome of the fmalleft Accidents in his Life or Converfation, which though they are too fine for the Obfervation of the Vulgar, give more Satisfaction to Men of Senfe, (as they are the beft Openings to a real Character) than the Recital of his most glaring Actions. I know but one ill Confequence to be feared from this Method, namely, that coming full charged into Company, you fhould refolve to unload whether an handfome Opportunity offers it felf or no. THOUGH the asking of Queftions may plead for it felf the fpecious Names of Modefty, and a Defire of Information, it affords little Pleasure to the rest of the Company who are not troubled with the fame Doubts; befides which, he who asks a Question would do well to confider that he lies wholly at the Mercy of another before he receives an Anfwer. NOTHING is more filly than the Pleasure fome People take in what they call Speaking their Minds. N Man of this Make will fay a rude thing for the meer Pleasure of faying it, when an oppofite Behaviour, full as Innocent, might have preferved his Friend, or made his Fortune. IT is not impoffible for a Man to form to himself as exquifite a Pleasure in complying with the Humour and -Sentiments of others, as of bringing others over to his ownej |