cowardice, or vanity; but it generally misses of its aim in every one of these views; for lies are always detected sooner or later. If we advance a malicious lie in order to affect any man's fortune or character, we may, indeed, injure him for some time, but we shall certainly be the greatest sufferers in the end for as soon as we are detected, we are blasted for the infamous attempt; and whatever is said afterwards to the disadvantage of that person, however true, passes for calumnny. To lie, or to equivocate (which is the same thing,)—to excuse ourselves for what we have said or done, and to avoid the danger or the shame that we apprehend from it,-we discover our fear as well as our falsehood, and only increase, instead of avoiding, the danger and the shame: we show ourselves to be the lowest and meanest of mankind, and are sure to be always treated as such. If we have the misfortune to be in the wrong, there is something noble in frankly owning it; it is the only way of atoning for it, and the only way to be forgiven. To remove a present danger by equivocating, evading, or shuffling, is something so despicable, and betrays so much fear, that whoever, practises them deserves to be chastised.

There are people who indulge themselves in another sort of lying, which they reckon innocent, and which, in one sense, is so: for it hurts nobody but themselves: this sort of lying is the spurious offspring of vanity begotten upon folly. These people deal in the marvellous: they have seen some things that never existed; they have seen other things which they never really saw, though they did exist, only because they were thought worth seeing. Has any thing remarkable been said or

done in any place, or in any company, they imme. diately present and declare themselves eye or ear witnesses of it. They have done feats themselves, unattempted, or at least unperformed, by others. 'They are always the heroes of their own fables, and think that they gain consideration, or at least present attention, by it: whereas, in truth, all that they get is ridicule and contempt, not without a good degree of distrust: for one must naturally conclude, that he who will tell a lie from iure vanity, will not scruple telling a greater for interest. Had I really seen any thing so very extraordinary as to be almost incredible, I would keep it to myself, rather, than, by telling it, give any one body room to doubt for one minute of my veracity. It is most certain, that the reputation of chastity is not so necessary for a woman, as that of veracity is for a man: and with reason for it is possible for a woman to be virtuous, though not strictly chaste; but it is not possible for a man to be virtuous, without strict veracity. The slips of the poor woman are sometimes mere bodily frailties; but a lie in a man is a vice in the mind and of the heart.

Nothing but truth can carry us through the world with either our conscience or our honour unwounded. It is not only our duty, but our interest; as a proof of which it may be observed, that the greatest fools are the greatest liars. We may safely judge of a man's truth by his degree of understanding.

DIGNITY OF MANNERS.

A CERTAIN dignity of manners is absolutely necessary to make even the most valuable character either respected or respectable in the world.

Romping, &c.

Horse-play romping, frequent and loud fits of laughter, jokes, waggery, and indiscriminate familiarity, will sink both merit and knowledge into a degree of contempt. They compose, at most, a merry fellow; and a merry fellow was never yet a respectable man. Indiscriminate familiarity either offends your superiors, or else dubs you their dependent and led captain. It gives your inferiors just, but troublesome and improper, claims of equality. A joker is near akin to a buffoon; and neither of them is the least related to wit. Whoever is admitted or sought for in company, upon any other account than that of his merit or manners, is never respected there, but only made use of. We will have Such-a-one, for he sings prettily; we will invite Such-a-one to a ball, for he dances well; we will have Such-a-one at supper, for he is always joking and laughing; we will ask another, because he plays deep at all games, or because he can drink a great deal. These are all vilifying distinctions, mortifying preferences, and exclude all ideas of esteem and regard. Whoever is had (as it is called) in company for the sake of any one thing singly, is singly that thing, and will never be considered in any other light, and consequently never respected, let his merits be what they will.

Pride.

Dignity of manners is not only as different from pride as true courage is from blustering, or true wit from joking, but is absolutely inconsistent with it; for nothing vilifies and degrades more than pride.*

*There are people so untractable in their behaviour,

The pretensions of the proud man are oftner treated with sneer and contempt than with indignation; as

that there is no possibility of conversing with them upon any tolerable terms; for they always run counter to the rest of the company, or make them wait, and never cease to incommode and be troublesome to them; never vouchsafing to explain their intentions, or what they would be at. Thus, for instance, when every one else is ready to sit down to dinner, and the table is covered; and every one is washed, then they, forsooth, as if they were going to write something, will call for a pen and ink (or, perhaps, for a chamber-pot to make water); or will complain that they have not yet taken their morning's walk, and pretend that it is yet time enough to go to dinner; and that the company must wait a little; and wonder what the dence they are in such a hurry for to-day! and thus they put every one in confusion; as if they alone were of any consequence, and nothing was to be regarded but their pleasure and convenience.

This sort of people expect also to have the preference upon every other occasion. Wherever they go, they will be sure to make choice of the best bed-chambers and the softest beds: they will sit down in the principal and most couvenient place at table: in short they expect all mankind to be solicitous to oblige them, as if they alone were to be honoured and respected: yet nothing pleases them but what they themselves have contrived or execu ted: they ridicule others; and at every kind of diversion, whether in the field or in the drawing-room, a constant deference is to be paid to them by the rest of the world.

There is another set of people, so very testy, crabbed, and morose, that no one can ever do any thing to their satisfaction; and who, whatever is said to them, answer with a frowning aspect: neither is there any end of their chiding and reproaching their servants. And thus they disturb a whole company with continual exclamations of this kind: So! how early you called me up this morn

we offer ridiculously too little to a tradesman who asks ridiculously too much for his goods: but we do not haggle with one who only asks a just and rea sonable price.

Abject flattery.

Abject flattery and indiscriminate ostentation degrade, as much as indiscriminate contradiction and noisy debate disgust: but a modest assertion of one's own opinion, and a complaisant acquiescence to other people's, preserve dignity.

Vulgar, low expressions, awkward motions and address, vilify, as they imply either a very low turn of mind, or low education and low company.

Frivolous curisoity."

Frivolous curiosity about trifles, and a laborious attention to little objects, which neither require nor deserve a moment's thought, lower a man, who thence is thought (and not unjustly) incapable of

ing "Pray look; how cleverly you have japanned these shoes! How well you attended me to church to-day! 'You rascal' I have a good mind to give you my fist in your chops; I have, sir.' These kind of expostulations are extremely odious and disagreeable; and such people ought to be avoided, as one would fly from the plague. For though a man may be really, and in his heart, modest and humble, and may have contracted this sort of behaviour, not so much from a bad disposition, as from negligence and bad habit; nevertheless, as he betrays evident marks of pride in his external appearance, he cannot but make himself extremely odious to mankind: for pride is nothing less than a contempt of other people; whereas the most insignificant person in the world fancies himself a man of consequence, and of course entitled to respect.-Galateo.