544 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804 



Selves in such trifles to" the conveni- 

 ence and pleasure of others ? And 

 this constitutes true politeness. It 

 is a perpetual attention (by habit it 

 grows easy and natural to us,) to 

 the little wants of those we are with, 

 by which we cither prevent or re- 

 move them. Bowing, ceremonious, 

 formal compliments, stiff civilities, 

 ■will never be politeness ; that must 

 be easy, natural, unstudied, manly, 

 noble. And what will give this, 

 but a mind benevolent, and perpe- 

 tually attentive to exert that amiable 

 disposition in trifles towards all you 

 converse and live with ? Benevo- 

 lence in greater matters takes a 

 higher name, and is the queen of 

 virtues. Nothing is so incompatible 

 ■with politeness as any trick of ab- 

 sence of mind. I would trouble you 

 ■\vith a word or two more upon some 

 branches of behaviour, which have 

 a more serious moral obligation in 

 them, than those of mere politeness, 

 which are equally important in the 

 eye of the world. I mean a proper 

 behaviour, adapted to the respective 

 relations we stand in, towards the 

 diflerent ranks of superiors, equals, 

 and inferiors. Let your behaviour 

 towards superiors, in dignity, age, 

 learning, or any distinguished ex- 

 cellence, be full of respc(5t, defer- 

 ence, and modest}'. Towards e- 

 quals, nothing becomes a man so 

 well, as well bred ease, polite free- 

 dom, generous frankness, manly 

 spirit, alwaj's tempered with gentle- 

 ness and sweetness of manner, no- 

 ble sincerity, candour, and openness 

 of heart, qualified and restrained 

 within the bounds of discretion and 

 prudence, and ever limited by a 

 sacred regard to sccresy, in all 

 things entrusted to it, and an invi- 

 olable attachment to your word. 

 To inferiors^ gentleness^ condescen- 



sion, and affability is the only dig^ 

 nity. Towards servants, never ac- 

 custom yourself to rough and pas. 

 sionate language. When they are 

 good we should consider them as 

 humiles amici., as fellow christians, 

 ut conservi; and when they are bad, 

 pity, admonish, and part with them 

 if incorrigible. On all occasions 

 beware, my dear child, of anger, 

 that daemon, that destroyer of our 

 peace. Ira furor brcvis est, ani^ 

 mum rege qui nisi paret imperat^ 

 hunc frcenis hunc iu compesce ca- 

 tenis. 



AVrite soon, and tell me your 

 studies. 



Your ever affeftionate, &c. 



From such ample specimens of 

 the stylo and substance of these let- 

 ters, our readers will judge for them- 

 selves of their value both as to sub- 

 je6t and composition ; ■we may, 

 however, be permitted to observe, 

 that, although not uniformly excel- 

 lent, they, throughout, indicate a 

 mind of no ordinary capacity; that 

 their style is perfectly natural and 

 easy ; and that they abound in ex- 

 pressions of that touching tender- 

 ness which could alone be excited 

 in the breast of an amiable and good 

 man, and by a most worthy objcdt. - 

 Indeed the chara6tefs of the person j 

 to whom they are addressed and of 

 their noble writer, rise upon one in 

 every page ; and we conclude the 

 perusal of the book ■ivith the most 

 perfe*^ esteem for both parties. It 

 is but justice to add, that lord 

 Camelford m as in every sense of the 

 word worthy of the care and pains 

 here bestowed upon him, by his il- 

 lustrious and venerable uncle, as 

 we find from the words of the edi- 

 tor, that he was distinguished thro' 

 life for " that suavity of manners 



and 



