is a vice that has no temptation to plead, but is, in every respect, as vulgar as it is wicked. 22. Never accustom yourself to scandal, nor listen to it; for though it may gratify the malevolence of some people; nine times out of ten, it is attended with great disadvantages. The very persons you tell it to, will, on reflection, entertain a mean opinion of you, and it will often bring you into very disagreeable situations. And, as there would be no evil speakers, if there were no evil hearers; it is in scandal as in robbery; the receiver is as bad as the thief. Besides, it will lead people to shun your company, supposing that you will speak ill of them to the next acquaintance you meet. 23. Carefully avoid talking either of your own, or other people's domestic concerns. By doing the one, you will be thought vain; by entering into the other, you will be considered as officious. Talking of yourself is an impertinence to the company; your affairs are nothing to them; besides they cannot be kept too secret. And as to the affairs of others, what are they to you? In talking of matters that no way concern you, you are liable to commit blunders, and should you touch any one in a sore part, you may possibly lose his esteem. Let your conversation then in mixed companies always be general. 24. Jokes, bon-mots, or the little pleasantries of one company, will not often bear to be told in another; they are frequently local, and take their rise from certain circumstances, a second company may not be acquainted with; these circumstances, and of course your story may be misunderstood, or want explaining; and if after you have prefaced it with, "I will tell you a good thing," the sting should not be immediately perceived, you will appear exceedingly ridiculous, and wish you had not told it. Never then repeat in one place, what you hear in another. 25. In most debates, take up the favourable side of the question; however, let me caution you against being clamorous, that is, never maintain an argument with heat, though you know yourself right; but offer your sentiments modestly and coolly, and if this does not prevail, give it up, and try to change the subject by saying something to this effect; "I find we shall hardly convince one another, neither is there any necessity to attempt it; so let us talk of something else." 26. Not that I would have you give up your opinion always; no, assert your own sentiments and oppose those of others, when wrong, but let your manner and voice be gentle and engaging, and yet no ways affected. If you contradict, do it with, I may be wrong, but I won't be positive, but I really think-1 should rather suppose-if I may be permitted to say-and close your dispute with good humour, to shew that you are neither displeased yourself, nor meant to displease the person you dispute with. 27. Acquaint yourself with the character and situations of the company you go into, before you give a loose to your tongue; for should you enlarge on some virtue, which any one present may notoriously want; or should you condemn some vice, which any of the company may be particularly addicted to, they will be apt to think your reflections pointed and personal, and you will be sure to give offence. This consideration will naturally lead you, not to suppose things said in general, to be leveded at you. 28. Low-bred people, when they happen ocɔasionaly to be in good company, imagine themselves to be the subject of every separate conversation. If any part of the company whispers, it is about them; if they laugh, it is at them; and if any thing is said which they do not comprehend, they immediately suppose it is meant of them. This mistake is admirably ridiculed in one of our celebrated comedies. "I am sure, says Scrub, they were talking of me, for they laughed consumedly." Now, a wellbred person never thinks himself disesteemed by the company, or laughed at, unless their reflections are so gross, that he cannot be supposed to mistake them, and his honour obliges him to resent it in a proper manner; however, be assured, gentlemen never laugh at or ridicule one another, unless they are in joke, or on a footing of the greatest intimacy. If such a thing should happen once in an age, from some pert coxcomb, or some flippant woman, it is best not to seem to know it, than make the least reply. 29. It is a piece of politeness not to interrupt a person in a story, whether you have heard it before or not., Some are fond of telling a story, because they think they tell it well, others pride themselves in being the first teller of it, and others are pleased at being thought entrusted with it. 30. Be not ashamed of asking questions, if such questions lead to information; always accompany them with some excuse, and you never will be reckoned impertinent. But, abrupt questions, without some apology, by all means avoid, as they imply design. There is a way of fishing for facts, which, if done judiciously, will answer every purpose, such as, taking things you wish to know for granted; this will perhaps lead some officious person to set you right. So again, by saying, you have heard so and so, and sometimes seeming to know more than you do, you will often get at information, which yon would lose by direct questions, as these would put people upon their guard, and frequently defeat the very end you aim at. 31. Make it a rule never to reflec. on any body of peopic, for, by this means you will create a number of enemies. There are good and bad of all professions, lawyers, soldiers, parsous, or citizens. They are all men, subject to the same passions, differing only in their manner, according to the way they have been bred up in. For this reason, it is unjust as well as indiscreet to attack them as a corps collectively. Many a young man has thought himself extremely clever in abusing the clergy. Can you suppose a black gown can make any alteration in his nature? 32. But above all, let no example, no fashion, no witticism, no foolish desire of rising above what knaves call prejudices, tempt you to excuse, extenuate, or ridicule the least breach of morality, but upon every occasion, shew the greatest abhorrence of such proceedings, and hold virtue and religion in the highest veneration. 33. It is a great piece of ill manners to interrupt any one while speaking, by speaking yourself, or calling off the attention of the company to anv foreign matter. But this every child knows. you 34. The last thing to be mentioned is that of concealing your learning, except on particular occasions. Reserve this for learned you, than men, and let them rather extort it from be too willing to display it. Hence you will be thought modest, and to have more knowledge than you really have. Never seem wise or more learned than the company you are in. He who affects to shew his learning will be frequently questioned; and if found superficial, will be sneered at; if otherwise, he will be deemed a pedant. Real merit will always shew itself, and nothing can lessen it in the opinion of the world, but a man's exhibiting it himself. CHAP. VII. HERALDIC TERMS, AND ENGLISH TITLES OF HONOUR. THE art of heraldry consists in blazoning and marshalling. The word blazoning is a term of art, borrowed from the French word emblazoner; and signifies displaying or explaining the several emblems and colours of an achievement in proper terms. The blazoning of the arms of gentlemen, esquires, knights, and baronets, is derived from metals and colours; those of barons, viscounts, earls, marquises, and dukes, from precious stones; and those of princes, kings, and emperors, from the planets. Marshalling is the orderly disposition of several coats of arms, be 23. 3 z longing originally to different families, within one shield or escocheon, together with all the proper armorial ensigns, ornaments, and decorations. Order of the Garter. This order is military, and was instituted by Edward III. in 1344, under the title of the Sovereign, and Knights-companions of the most noble order of the Garter. There were some alterations made in 1557, and in 1788. It consists of twenty-six knights or companions, generally all peers or princes; of whom the king of England is sovereign, or chief. They are a corporation, having a great and little seal; their officers are, a prelate, chancellor, register, king at arms, and usher. They have also a dean and twelve canons, with petty canons, vergers, and twenty-six pensioners, or poor knights. The order is under the patronage or protection of St. George of Cappadocia, the tutelar saint of this kingdom. Their college is held in Windsor-castle, within the chapel of St. George, and the chapter-house, erected by the founder for that purpose. The origin of this order is differently related by different authors. The common account is, that it was erected in honour of a garter of the countess of Salisbury, which she dropped in dancing, and which was picked up by king Edward; but our best antiquaries denounce this as fabulous. Camden, Fern, and others, think it was instituted on occasion of the victory obtained over the French at the battle of Cressy; when Edward ordered his garter to be displayed as a signal of battle; to commemorate this, he made a garter the principal ornament of the order, erected in memory of this signal victory, and a symbol of the indissoluble union of the knights. The habit and ensign of the order, are, a surcoat, garter, mantle, hood, george, collar, cap, and feathers. The motto on the garter and star is, Honi soit qui mal y pense, (evil be to him that evil thinks.) The garter is of blue velvet bordered with gold. The george is the figure of St. George, on horseback, in armour, encountering a dragon with a tilting spear, the whole of gold enamelled. It may be enriched with jewels at the pleasure of the possessor. It is worn across the right shoulder pendant to a garter of blue or dark riband. The collar is of gold. Charles II. ordained that the knights should always wear in public, embroidered on the left side of their coats, or cloaks, the cross of St. George, surrounded with the garter, with rays of silver, forming a star of eight points. This is the most ancient and noble lay order in the world, and the only one which has been granted to foreign princes. Of this illustrious order there have been eight emperors of Germany; five kings of France; three kings of Spain; one king of Arragon; seven kings of Portugal; one king of Poland; two kings of Sweden; six kings of Denmark; two kings of Naples; one king of Sicily and Jerusalem; one king of Bohemia; two kings of Scotland: five princes of Orange; and 34 foreign electors, dukes, margraves, and counts. At a chapter held June 3d, 1786, it was ordained that in future this order should consist of the sovereign, and twentyfive knights, exclusive of the sons of his majesty, or his successors, who have been or shall be elected knights of this most noble order. Order of the Thistle. This order was instituted by Achaius, king of Scotland, in 787, restored by James V. 1540, reviv ed by king James II. in 1687, and re-established by queen Anne, in 1703. It consists of the sovereign and twelve brethren or knights, making in the whole thirteen, and four officers The star is worn on the left side of the coat or cloak, and consists of a St. Andrew's cross, of silver embroidery, with rays going out between the points of the cross; on the middle a thistle of gold and green upon a field of green, and round the thistle and field a circle of gold, having on it the following motto, in green letters: NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT, (no man provokes me with impunity.) The badge or jewel is worn pendant to a green riband over the left shoulder, and tied under the arm. It consists of the image of St. Andrew, with the cross before, enamelled and chased on rays of gold, the cross and feet resting upon a ground of enamelled green; and on the back enamelled on a green ground, a thistle gold and green, the flower reddish, with the above motto round it. The collar consists of thistles and sprigs of rue interspersed, and from the centre is suspended the image of St. Andrew; the whole of gold, enamelled. Order of the Bath.-This order was instituted in England at the coronation of Henry IV. 1339, revived by George I. and made a statutable order in 1725. The number of the knights is at the pleasure of the sovereign. The badge or ensign of this order is a rose, thistle, and shamrock, issuing from a sceptre between three imperial crowns, surrounded with this motto, TRIA JUNCTA IN UNO, signifying the three theological virtues. The whole is of pure gold, chased and pierced, and is worn by the knight elect, pendant from a red riband across the right shoulder. The collar is of gold, and is composed of nine imperial crowns, and eight roses, thistles and shamrocks issuing from a sceptre, enamelled in their proper colours, and tied or linked together with seventeen gold knots, enamelled white. The star consists of three imperial crowns of gold, surrounded by the motto upon |