There is a sort of veteran women of condition, who having lived always in the ‘grande monde’, and having possibly had some gallantries, together with the experience of five-and-twenty, or thirty years, form a young fellow better than all the rules that can be given him.  These women, being past their bloom, are extremely flattered by the least attention from a young fellow; and they will point out to him those manners and attentions that pleased and engaged them, when they were in the pride of their youth and beauty.  Wherever you go, make some of those women your friends; which a very little matter will do.  Ask their advice, tell them your doubts or difficulties as to your behavior; but take great care not to drop one word of their experience; for experience implies age; and the suspicion of age, no woman, let her be ever so old, ever forgives.  I long for your picture, which Mr. Harte tells me is now drawing.  I want to see your countenance, your air, and even your dress; the better they all three are, the better I am not wise enough to despise any one of them.  Your dress, at least, is in your own power, and I hope that you mind it to a proper degree.  Yours, Adieu.

LETTER CII

London, January 18, O. S. 1750

My dear friend:  I consider the solid part of your little edifice as so near being finished and completed, that my only remaining care is about the embellishments; and that must now be your principal care too.  Adorn yourself with all those graces and accomplishments, which, without solidity, are frivolous; but without which solidity is, to a great degree, useless.  Take one man, with a very moderate degree of knowledge, but with a pleasing figure, a prepossessing address, graceful in all that he says and does, polite, ‘liant’, and, in short, adorned with all the lesser talents:  and take another man, with sound sense and profound knowledge, but without the above-mentioned advantages; the former will not only get the better of the latter, in every pursuit of every kind, but in truth there will be no sort of competition between them.  But can every man acquire these advantages?  I say, Yes, if he please, suppose he is in a situation and in circumstances to frequent good company.  Attention, observation, and imitation, will most infallibly do it.

When you see a man whose first ‘abord’ strikes you, prepossesses you in his favor, and makes you entertain a good opinion of him, you do not know why, analyze that ‘abord’, and examine, within yourself, the several parts that composed it; and you will generally find it to be the result, the happy assemblage of modesty unembarrassed, respect without timidity, a genteel, but unaffected attitude of body and limbs, an open, cheerful, but unsmirking countenance, and a dress, by no means negligent, and yet not foppish.  Copy him, then, not servilely, but as some of the greatest masters of painting have