Compliment is the language of intercourse from men to women.  But be careful to avoid elaborate and common-place forms of gallant speech.  Do not strive to make those long eulogies on a woman, which have the regularity and nice dependency of a proposition in Euclid, and might be fittingly concluded by Q. E. D. Do not be always undervaluing her rival in a woman’s presence, nor mistaking a woman’s daughter for her sister.  These antiquated and exploded attempts denote a person who has learned the world more from books than men.

The quality which a young man should most affect in intercourse with gentlemen, is a decent modesty:  but he must avoid all bashfulness or timidity.  His flights must not go too far; but, so far as they go, let them be marked by perfect assurance.

Among persons who are much your seniors behave with the utmost respectful deference.  As they find themselves sliding out of importance they may be easily conciliated by a little respect.

By far the most important thing to be attended to, is ease of manner.  Grace may be added afterwards, or be omitted altogether:  it is of much less moment than is commonly believed.  Perfect propriety and entire ease are sufficient qualifications for standing in society, and abundant prerequisites for distinction.

There is the most delicate shade of difference between civility and intrusiveness, familiarity and common-place, pleasantry and sharpness, the natural and the rude, gaiety and carelessness; hence the inconveniences of society, and the errors of its members.  To define well in conduct these distinctions, is the great art of a man of the world.  It is easy to know what to do; the difficulty is to know what to avoid.

Long usage—­a sort of moral magnetism, a tact acquired by frequent and long associating with others—­alone give those qualities which keep one always from error, and entitle him to the name of a thorough gentleman.

A young man upon first entering into society should select those persons who are most celebrated for the propriety and elegance of their manners.  He should frequent their company and imitate their conduct.  There is a disposition inherent, in all, which has been noticed by Horace and by Dr. Johnson, to imitate faults, because they are more readily observed and more easily followed.  There are, also, many foibles of manner and many refinements of affectation, which sit agreeably upon one man, which if adopted by another would become unpleasant.  There are even some excellences of deportment which would not suit another whose character is different.  For successful imitation in anything, good sense is indispensable.  It is requisite correctly to appreciate the natural differences between your model and yourself, and to introduce such modifications in the copy as may be consistent with it.