Government of the Tongue.

The Art or Virtue of holding your Tongue is the next topic I shall recommend to your át. tention, which is both a rare and an excellent quality, and what contributes greatly to our ease and prosperity. In general, therefore, remember that it is as dangerous to fall in love with one's own voice as one's own face. Those that talk much cannot always talk well, and may much, oftener incur censure than praise; few people like to be eclipsed, and a superiority of sense is as ill-brooked as a superiority of beauty or fortune. If you are wise, therefore, talk little, but hear much; what you are to learn from yourself must be by thinking, and, from others, by speech: let them find tongue, then, and you ear; by which means, such as are pleased with themselves, which are the gross of mankind, will likewise be pleased with you, and you will be doubly paid for your attention, both in affection and knowledge.

Talking of One's Self.

When people talk of themselves, lend both your ears---it is the surest way to learn mankind; for, let men be ever so much upon their guard, they cannot help sometimes dropping expressions and sentiments

sentiments that will be a complete clew to the whole character. I need not observe to you, that, for the very same reason, you are never to make yourself the subject of your own conversation and though it is to be hoped you will have no vices to conceal, all men have infirmities; and, next to the rooting them out, which is perhaps impossible, is the concealing them.

Of ill-natured Jests.

If it be dangerous to speak of ourselves, it is much more so to take freedoms with other people. A jest may tickle many, but, if it hurt one, the resentment that follows may do you more injury than the reputation service.

Of offending Women.

But it is more especially dangerous to make free with the persons or characters of women, or to offend them; for they are naturally prone to rage, and, through the very frailty of their natures, seldom fail to avenge what braver minds overlook or forgive. Besides, conscious of their own feebleness, they lay their designs more cunningly, and prosecute their little quarrels more implacably, than could be expected from creatures so nearly resembling angels: fearful of disappoint

ments,

ments, they never trust to after-games, but effect all their purposes by one single blow; being taught by Nature, likewise, that policy of aiming at the head, not the heel, and of accomplishing their vengeance after the Italian mode; for, however great they esteem the provocation, they seldom suffer their anger to break out till sure of striking home, Hence it is manifest, from history, that no hatred is so extreme, no revenge so close covered, or so inexorable, as a woman's: witness Sir Thomas Overbury's case, who was poisoned in the Tower by the Countess of Nottingham, and whom friendship itself could not rescue from falling a victim to female rage. Neither does the truth or falsehood of what is said alter the case in the least, unless that the truer it is, so much the more provoking it is deemed. In a word, as to conceal is their principal artifice, they hate none so much as those who endeavour to pry into their actions.

But this must not be understood too comprehensively, for there are many of the female sex whose innocence corresponds with the delicacy of their constitutions; genuine turtles, who, being free from guilt, are equally free from suspicion and malice. These deserve to be distinguished from the gloomy, desperate tribe, above alluded to, and have nothing to fear from the licentious tongues of our sex, if they can escape those of their own.

of

Of Family Secrets.

But, in addition to these general cautions respecting the government of the tongue, you must, in a more particular manner, be careful of the Secrets of the Family where you live, out of which hardly the most indifferent circumstance should be divulged; for he that will drop any thing indiscreetly, may very justly be thought to retain nothing; and those who are on the watch for information, will, from a very remote hint, conjecture all the rest.

Of Secrets reposed in you.

I would not advise you to be eager in seeking the confidence of others, or to wish to have Secrets reposed in you; for if the secret intrusted should happen to get wind, though you may be innocent of the discovery, it is not unlikely to be imputed to your infidelity; but if any such trust is reposed in you, suffer any thing, rather than disclose it; for, besides the mischief it may occasion to him who confided in you, it must argue an extreme weakness and levity of mind. to blab out to one man what was communicated to you by another; which last must, likewise, in his heart, despise you for your imbecility, and

secretly

secretly resolve never to trust his affairs to such

a character.

Of your own Secrets.

Hence I am naturally led to caution you not to be talkative of such designs as you may have in your head, of bargains to buy, or business to do; for, by this means, you will give others an opportunity to forestall or be beforehand with you, if they think it worth their while; and those whose interest interferes with your's will take the alarm, and endeavour to disappoint you to their own advantage; besides, it is no bad policy to take such as we mean to deal with unprepared. In short, never talk of your designs till you have put them into execution; and, even then, you had better continue silent, lest it should prejudice your future dealings.

It must, however, be acknowledged to be a very difficult task (self being always uppermost in the mind), not to give vent sometimes to the satisfaction of having acted with superior shrewdness and address; but that man does not possess half enough of either who cannot bring himself to stifle all pretensions to both. To proclaim one's skill, is to beat an alarm to those we deal with; as he that draws his sword puts every body else on their guard; and whoever