CHAPTER persons, and abstain from too much freedom Ofdiscourse amongst them, it is very natural to infer that you should watch against the working of these evil qualities inyour own breast, if you hap- pen to be tainted with any of them yourself. Men of learning and ingenuity will justly avoid your acquaintance, when they find such an unhappy andunsociable temper prevailing in you. XXIX. To conclude : when you retire from company, then converse with yourself in solitude, and enquire what you have learnt for the improvement of your understanding, or for the rectifying your inclinations, for the increase of your virtues, or the meliorating your conduct and behaviour in any future parts of life. If you have seen some of your company candid, modest, humble in their manner, wise and sagacious, just and pious in their sentiments, polite and graceful, as well as clear and strong in their expression, and universally acceptable and lovely in their behaviour, endeavour to impress the idea of all these upon your memory, and treasure them up for your imitation. XXX. If the laws of reason, decency, and civility, havenot been well observed among your associates, take notice of these defectsforyour own improvement : and from every occurrence of this kind, remark something to imitate or to avoid, in elegant, polite, and useful conversation. Perhaps you will find that some persons present hive really displeased the company by an exces- sive and too visible an affectation to please, that is, by giving loose to servile flattery, or promiscuous praise ; while others were as ready to oppose and contradict every thing that was said. Some have deserved just censure for a morose and affected taciturnity, and others have been anxious and careful lest their silence should be interpreted a want of sense, and therefore they have ventured to make speeches, tho' they had nothing to say which was worth hearing. Perhaps you will observe, that one was ingenious in his thoughts and bright in his language, but he was so top full of himself, that he let it spill on all the company; that he spoke well indeed, but that he spoke too long, and did not allow equal timeor liberty to his associates. You will remark that another was full charged to let out his words before his friend had done speaking, or impatient of the least opposition to any thing he said. You will remember that some persons have talk- ed at large, and with great confidence, of things which they un- derstood not, and others counted every thing tedious and intoler- able that was spoken upon subjects out of their sphere, and they would fain confine the conference entirely within the limits oftheir own narrow knowledge and study. The errors of conversation are almost infinite. XXXI. By aview of such irregularities as these, you may learn to avoid those follies and pieces of ill conduct which spoil good conversation, or make it less agreeable and less useful ;
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