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COMPANY.

TO keep good company, especially at our first setting out, is the way to receive good impressions. Good company is not what respective sets of company are pleased either to call or think themselves. It consists chiefly (though not wholly) of people of considerable birth, rank, and character; for people of neither birth nor rank are frequently and very justly admitted into it, if distinguished by any peculiar merit, or eminency in any liberal art or science. So motley a thing is good company, that many people, without birth, rank, or merit, intrude into it by their own forwardness, and others get into it by the protection of some considerable person. In this fashionable good company the best manners and the purest language are most unquestionably to be learned; for they establish and give the Ton to both, which are called the language and manners of good company, neither of them being ascertained by any legal tribunal.

A company of people of the first quality cannot be called good company, in the common acceptation of the phrase, unless they are the fashionable and accredited company of the place; for people of the first quality can be as silly, as ill-bred, and as worthless, as people of the meanest degree. And a company consisting wholly of people of very low condition, whatever their merit or talents may be, can never be called good company; and therefore should not be much frequented, though by no means despised.

A company wholly composed of learned men, though greatly to be respected, is not meant by the words good company: they cannot have the easy

and polished manners of the world, as they do not live in it. If we can bear our parts well in such a company, it will be proper to be in it sometimes, and we shall be more esteemed in other companies for having a place in that.

A company consisting wholly of professed wits and poets, is very inviting to young men who are pleased with it, if they have wit themselves; and, if they have none, are foolishly proud of being one of it. But such companies should be frequented with moderation and judgment. A wit is a very unpopular denomination, as it carries terror along with it; and people are as much afraid of a wit in company, as a woman is of a gun, which she supposes may go off of itself and do her a mischief. Their acquaintance, however, is worth seeking, and their company worth frequenting; but not exclusively of others, nor to such a degree as to be considered only as one of that particular set.

Above all things, endeavour to keep company with people above you; for there you rise, as much as you sink with people below you. When I say company above you, I do not mean with regard to their birth, but with regard to their merit, and the light in which the world considers them.

There are two sorts of good company: one, which is called the Beau monde, and consists of those people who have the lead in courts, and in the gay part of life; the other consists of those who are distinguished by some peculiar merit, or who excel in some particular or valuable art or science.

Be equally careful to avoid that low company, which in every sense of the word, is low indeed; low in rank, low in parts, low in manners, and low in merit. Vanity, that source of many of our fol

lies, and some of our crimes, has sunk many a man into company in every light infinitely below him, for the sake of being the first man in it. There he dictates, is applauded and admired; but he soon disgraces himself, and disqualifies himself for any better company.

Having thus pointed out what company you should avoid, and what company you should associate with, I shall next lay down a few

Cautions to be observed in adopting the manners of a company.

When a young man, new in the world, first gets into company, he determines to conform to and imitate it but he too often mistakes the object of his imitation. He has frequently heard the absurd term of genteel and fashionable vices. He there observes some people who shine, and who in general are admired and esteemed; and perceives that these people are rakes, drunkards, or gamesters; he therefore adopts their vices, mistaking their defects for their perfections, and imagining that they owe their fashion and their lustre to these genteel vices. But it is exactly the reverse; for these people have acquired their reputation by their parts, their learning, their good-breeding, and other real accomplishments; and are only blemished and lowered in the opinions of all reasonable people by these general and fashionable vices. It is therefore plain that, in these mixed characters, the good part only makes people forgive, but not approve, the bad.

If a man should unfortunately have any vices, he ought at least to be content with his own, and

not adopt other people's. The adoption of vice has ruined ten times more young men, than natural inclinations.

Let us imitate the real perfections of the good company into which we may get; copy their politeness, their carriage, their address, and their easy and well-bred turn of their conversation; but we should remember, that, let them shine ever so bright, their vices, if they have any, are so many blemishes, which we should no more endeavour to imitate than we would make artificial warts upon our faces because some very handsome man had the misfortune to have a natural one upon his. We should, on the contrary, think how much handsomer he would have been without it.

Having thus given you instructions for making you well received in good company,* I proceed

*Rules for behaviour in company.

Nothing ought to be said or done which may by any means discover, that those whose company we are in are not much beloved, or, at least, much esteemed by us.

It should seem, therefore, not a very decent custom (which yet is practised by some people,) to affect to be drowsy, and even fall asleep (on purpose as it were,) where a genteel company is met together for their mutual entertainment: for, certainly, those that behave in this manner declare, in effect, that they do not much esteem those who are present, or pay any regard to their conversation; not to mention, that something may happen in their sleep, (especially if they are any ways indisposed) that may be disagreeable either to the eyes or the ears of the company: for one often sees in such sleepy folks the sweat run down their faces, or their saliva down their beards, in no very decent manner.

For the same reason, it is rather a troublesome prac

next to lay hefore you, what you will find of equal use and importance in your commerce with the world, some directions, or

RULES FOR CONVERSATION.

Talking.

WHEN you are in company, talk often, but ne

tice for any one to rise up in an assembly thus conversing te together, and to walk about the room.

You meet with some people, likewise, who are continually wriggling and twisting themselves about; stretching and gaping, and turning themselves sometimes on one side, sometimes on another, as if they were seized with a sudden fever; which is a certain indication that they are tired and disgusted with their present company.

In like manner, they act very improperly who pull out of their pockets first one letter, then another, and read them before the company.

And much worse does he behave, who, taking out his scissors or his penknife, sets himself, with great composure, to cut and polish his nails; as if he had an utter contempt for those that are present, and therefore, to deceive the time, was endeavouring to amuse himself in some other manner.

We ought also carefully to abstain from those little ways which are much in use, of humming a tune to ourselves, imitating the beating of a drum with our fingers 1 upon a table, or kicking out our feet alternately in an insolent manner; for these are all indications of our contempt for others.

Moreover, it is by no means decent to sit in such a manner as either to turn our backs upon any part of the company, or to lift up our legs so as to discover to the feyes of others those parts of the body which are usually #concealed; for we never act thus but in the presence of those for whose good opinion we have not the least regard.-Galateo.