them off soon.  When they come to be a little better acquainted with themselves, and with their own species, they discover that plain right reason is, nine times in ten, the fettered and shackled attendant of the triumph of the heart and the passions; and, consequently, they address themselves nine times in ten to the conqueror, not to the conquered:  and conquerors, you know, must be applied to in the gentlest, the most engaging, and the most insinuating manner.  Have you found out that every woman is infallibly to be gained by every sort of flattery, and every man by one sort or other?  Have you discovered what variety of little things affect the heart, and how surely they collectively gain it?  If you have, you have made some progress.  I would try a man’s knowledge of the world, as I would a schoolboy’s knowledge of Horace:  not by making him construe ‘Maecenas atavis edite regibus’, which he could do in the first form; but by examining him as to the delicacy and ‘curiosa felicitas’ of that poet.  A man requires very little knowledge and experience of the world, to understand glaring, high-colored, and decided characters; they are but few, and they strike at first:  but to distinguish the almost imperceptible shades, and the nice gradations of virtue and vice, sense and folly, strength and weakness (of which characters are commonly composed), demands some experience, great observation, and minute attention.  In the same cases, most people do the same things, but with this material difference, upon which the success commonly turns:  A man who hath studied the world knows when to time, and where to place them; he hath analyzed the characters he applies to, and adapted his address and his arguments to them:  but a man, of what is called plain good sense, who hath only reasoned by himself, and not acted with mankind, mistimes, misplaces, runs precipitately and bluntly at the mark, and falls upon his nose in the way.  In the common manners of social life, every man of common sense hath the rudiments, the A B C of civility; he means not to offend, and even wishes to please:  and, if he hath any real merit, will be received and tolerated in good company.  But that is far from being enough; for, though he may be received, he will never be desired; though he does not offend, he will never be loved; but, like some little, insignificant, neutral power, surrounded by great ones, he will neither be feared nor courted by any; but, by turns, invaded by all, whenever it is their interest.  A most contemptible situation!  Whereas, a man who hath carefully attended to, and experienced, the various workings of the heart, and the artifices of the head; and who, by one shade, can trace the progression of the whole color; who can, at the proper times, employ all the several means of persuading the understanding, and engaging the heart, may and will have enemies; but will and must have friends:  he may be opposed, but he will be supported too; his talents may excite the jealousy