and Graces as Females. Men of true Tafte feel a natural Complaifance for Women when they converfe with them, and fall, without knowing it, upon every Art of pleafing; which is the Difpofition at once the most grateful to others, and the most fatisfactory to ourselves. An intimate acquaintance with the other Sex fixes this Complacence into a Habit, and that Habit is the very Ef fence of Politeness Nay, I prefume to fay, Politeness can be no o ther way attained. Books may furnish us with right Ideas, Experience may improve our Judg ments; but it is the Acquaintance of the Ladies only, which can beftow that Eafimefs of Address, whereby the fine Gentleman is diftinguifhed from the Scholar, and the Man of Business. That my Readers may be perfectly satisfied in a Point, which I think of fo great Importance, let us examine this a little more ftri&ly. There is a certain conftitutional Pride in Men, which hinders their yielding, in point of Knowledge, Honour, or Virtue, to one another. This immediately forfakes us at the Sight of Woman. And the being accustomed to fubmit to the Ladies, gives a new turn to our Ideas, and opens a Path to Reason, which fhe had not trod before. Things appear in another Light; and that Degree of Complacency feems now a Virtue, which heretofore we regarded as a Meanness. I have dwelt the longer on the Charms of the Sex, arifing from the Perfection visible in their exterior Compofition; because there is the ftrongoft Analogy between them, and the Excellencies which, from a nicer Enquiry, we discover in the Minds of the Fair. As they are distinguished from the robuft Make of Man by that Delicacy, expreffed by Nature, in their Form; fo the Severity of mafculine Senfe is foftened by a Sweetness peculiar to the female Soul. A native Capacity of pleasing attends them through every CircumЯtance of Life; and what we improperly call the Weakness of the Sex, gives them a Superiority unattainable by Force. The Fable of the North-wind and the Sun contending to make the Man throw off his Cloak, is not an improper Picture of the specific Difference between the Powers of either Sex. The bluftering Fierceness of the former, inftead of producing the Effect at which it aimed, made the Fellow but wrap himself up the clofer; yet no fooner did the Sun-beams play, than that which before protected became now an Incumbrance. Juft fo, that Pride which makes us tenacious in Difputes between Man and Man, when applied to the Ladies, inspires us with an Eagerness not to contend, but to obey. To speak fincerely and philosophically, Women seem defigned by Providence to fpread the fame Splendour and Chearfulness through the intellectual OEconomy, that the celeftial Bodies diffufe over the material Part of the Creation. Without them, we might indeed contend, destroy, and triumph over one another. Fraud and Force would divide the World between them; and we fhould pass our Lives, like Slaves, in continual Toil, Toil, without the Profpect of Pleasure or Relaxa tion. It is the Converfation of Women that gives a proper Bias to our Inclinations, and, by abating the Ferocity of our Paffions, engages, us to that Gentleness of Deportment, which we style Humanity. The Tenderness we have for them, foftens the Ruggedness of our own Nature; and the Virtues we put on to make the better Figure in their Eyes, keep us in Humour with ourselves. Ifpeak it without Affectation or Vanity, that no Man has applied more affiduously than myself to the Study of the Fair Sex; and I aver it with the greatest Simplicity of Heart, that I have not only found the most engaging and most amiable, but also the most generous and most heroic Qualities amongst the Ladies; and that I have difcovered more of Candour, Difintérestednefs, and Fervour in their Friendships, than in those of our own Sex, though I have been very careful, and particularly happy in the Choice of my Acquaintance. My Readers will, I dare fay, obferve, and indeed I defire they should, a more than ordinary Zeal for inculcating a high Esteem of, and a fincere Attachment to, the Fair. What I propose from it is, to re&tify certain Notions, which are not only destructive of all Politeness, but, at the fame Time, detrimental to Society, and incompatible with the Dignity of Human Nature. These 'have, of late Years, fpread much amongst those who affume to themselves the Title of fine Gentlemen; and, in Confequence thereof, talk with great Freedom of thofe from whom they are in no no Danger of being called to an Account. There is fo much of Bafeness, Cowardice, and Contempt of Truth in this Way of treating those who are alone capable of making us truly and rationally happy, that, to confider the Crime, must be fufficient to make a reasonable Man abhor it. Levity is the best Excuse for a tranfient Slip of this Kind; but to perfist in it is evidently defcending from our own Species, and, as far as we are able, putting on the Brute. Fram'd to give Foy, the lovely Sex are seen ; I choose to put an End to my Lecture on Politenefs here, because, having spoke of the Ladies, I would not descend again to any other Subject. In the Current of my Difcourfe, I have taken Pains to fhew the Ufe and Amiablenefs of that Art which this Treatife was written to recommend; and have drawn, in as ftrong Colours as I was able, thofe Solecifms in Behaviour, which Men, either either through Giddinefs, or a wrong Turn of Thought, are moft likely to commit. Perhaps the grave may think I have made. Politeness too important a Thing, from the Manner in which I have treated it; yet, if they will but reflect, that a Statesman, in the most august Affembly, a Lawyer of the deepest Talents, and a Divine of the greatest Parts, muft, notwithstanding, have a large Share of Politeness, in order to engage the Attention, and bias the Inclinations of his Hearers, before he can perfuade them; they'll be of another Opinion; and confefs, that fome Care is due to acquiring that Quality which must fet off all the rest. The gayer Part of my Readers may probably find Fault with thofe Restraints which may refult from the Rules I have here laid down; but I would have thefe Gentlemen remember, that I point out a Way whereby, without the Trouble of Study, they may be enabled to make no defpicable Figure in the World; which, on mature Deliberation, I flatter myself they will think no ill Exchange. The Ladies will, I hope, repay my Labours, by not being displeased with this Offer of my Service. And thus, having done all in my Power towards making Folks agreeable to one another, I please me with the Hopes of having procured a favourable Reception for myself. When gay Petronius, to correct the Age, When, |