< 04 F 'R A 
gained a battle, or to a minider high in favour. A par¬ 
ticular manner is (hewn to perfons of an uncertain rank, 
which is to fignify to them that they are countenanced : 
but, if they affume too much, an interrogation in a 
marked tone, terminating with a fltrill accent, apprizes 
them of their prefumption. More addrefs is neceffary 
among perfons of nearly the fame rank. Tafle and feel¬ 
ing regulate the conduit of the miftrel's of a great houfe ; 
and thefe are her guides in the difliinStions which fhe 
makes in the niidft of her faloon. Women of condition, 
women of quality, titled women, women ofhiftoric name, 
women of high perfonal’birth, but united to a hufband 
w ho is inferior to them, women who have railed tliem- 
felves by tlteir marriage, women who attract by play or 
flippers,—a German may afeertain the heraldic claims of 
thefe perfons : but to feize immediately the imperceptible 
differences, and to adapt tile tone, forms, and manner, to 
them, is quite another matter: French dexterity, and ex- 
tenlive intercourfe with the world, are alone equal to ef¬ 
fect tills. It is with felf-Iove, which is mod eafily irri¬ 
tated, that all this dealing takes place ; for which reafon, 
the tiighted fault is fare to be noticed. The fame nicety 
and refinement regulate the conduct of individuals, with 
regard to the rank which they claim in fociety. Thefe, 
the moment they have entered the faioon, have a manner 
of accoding others, of feating themfelves, and of looking 
around them, which fnew in what light they behold 
themfelves as compared with others. They convey their 
meaning alio by a fort of drawl or languor of the voice, 
and by the referve or franknefs which they aIfume ; and 
w hen they apportion the refpedbto be fliewn, they effect it 
by the varied mode of their reverence, which admits of 
eiid.lefs gradations, from a flight movement of the fhoulder 
to that noble and refpeiSlful homage which fo few, even 
of tlie court ladies, know how to pay. The flow bend, 
the downcaft eyes, the figure upright, the manner of re¬ 
fuming one’s pofitien, modeflly regarding the accofled, 
and gracefully throwing the l ody back ; all this is more 
fine and delicate than any thing expreffed by words can 
be, and is mod exj redive as a mark .of refpedl. 
“ Tlie pafTage from the drawing to the dining room 
awakens a lingular conflict between jarring claims to pre¬ 
cedence. Tlie men no longer give the hand to tlie wo¬ 
men, as in former times; this ufage, it is probable, grew 
obfolete as the fyflem of vanities became more fubtle; it 
was neceflfary to put the men out of the quedion, becaufe 
they would inevitably introduce what was pofitive into 
the affair. Behold the women in a body approach the 
door of the drawing-room.: obferving their compo.fed air, 
we fhould conclude that no idea of rivaifhip poiFeffed their 
minds; wdiile mod probably it is the only one which en¬ 
gages their thoughts at that moment. Some, feigning 
utter inattention, are tlie flrfl at the door; there, per- 
ceivingall at once that they are not followed, theyexprefs 
themfelves fnrprjzed at their own forwardnefs, or burft 
out into a loud laugh: they retreat a iittle way at the 
fame time. They are then told, “Come, ladies, walk on ;” 
thole who addretled them thus have recovered their ad¬ 
vantage ; fo r walk on is a fort of permiflion. The fuperio- 
rity is dill more marked when they fay, “ Walk on, ladies, 
you are next tiie door,” dnee tlie reafon of tlie permiflion 
is dated. Malice is gratified by faying, “Come, madame 
la marechale, nobody will walk on before von.” Tlie 
.marechale complies, and walks on firfl. Others then 
follow; while fonve, dreading the conflift, remain be¬ 
hind ; one drops her fan in order to have a pretence for 
retreating to pick it up ; another takes a gentleman’s arm, 
and flackens her pace in order to talk to him ; and a third 
flops at.a glafs to adjufl her hair; thus in this fliort march 
high claims are preferred, oppofed, fupported, difenffed, 
and fettled by (igns intelligible only to adepts, and with 
little of tlie help of language. 
“ This druggie between vanities does not take place 
.among men; whole rival pretentions extend to objedls 
more marked. We all know that the firfl ranks of fociety 
N C 'E. 
have fuccedively adopted marks of didimflion, Which they 
have quitted only at the moment when perfons of the fe- 
cond clafs affumed them. They have run the courfe of 
every emblem of this kind, from the high feathers dowii 
to the beaked fhoe ; and front the multiplication of titles 
to the .ufage of thee and thou, as p radii fed by the Spanifli 
grandees of the mod ancient race. Every thing of this 
fort feems to be exbauded : but let vanity alone ; it will 
find new modes of aflerting its claim. A Montmorenci 
maintained, in a circle in which I was, that all the turns 
of language, which defignated fuperiority of rank and 
condition, l ad funken into diferedit by the ufes to which 
they had been applied. A little time afterward, this 
fame Montmorenci, fpeaking of a perfon fuppofed to be 
connected with his houfe, faid that it was a miflake, and 
added, “ this perfon and ourfelves (nous autres ) are at va¬ 
riance.” The nous autres was a chofen ex predion; it is in 
appearance fimple, and is in common ufe, but it was 
meant to denote the fuperior lineage of this high family.” 
The prefent bold and confident affumption of manners 
amongd the upper orders of men, is founded on the fol¬ 
lowing principles: ,f We ought to be fenfible to our own 
value, and it is proper that others fhould perceive it ; we 
ought as it were to accredit ourfelves within certain 
limits. Our opinion of ourfelves cannot be without con- 
fequences; for we mud have a better knowledge of our 
own abilities, than it is in the power of others to acquire. 
By too great modefly we run the rifk of being wrocgly 
appreciated, of being taken for what we pafs ourfelves to 
be. This humility may be amiable, but it will never 
raife us to confeauertce.” 
According to Mr. Holcroft, the ladies in Paris dill 
maintain their empire over tlie men, and compel a mod 
refpeiflful exterior, even from thofe they admit to their 
fonded favours. They proclaim the law of times and 
fea forts. Manners among tlie biffk of the people, he de- 
feribes thus : “ Kindnefs of heart is the effence of good 
breeding in France ; and attention to others is one mode 
of tedilying this kindnefs: hut good breeding ought not 
to degenerate into .infipid formalities, or difplay the af¬ 
fected and ap'di flouiifhes of vanity: much lefs fhould it 
be exafted as an acknowledgment of fuperiority, which 
would render vvifdom itfelf a (lave to the frothy, tlie pert, 
and the proud -. if it do not flow from habitual urbanity, 
under no apprehenfion of giving offence, though delirous 
to pleafe, neither obtrufive, exigent, nor fervile, gene¬ 
rally apt, though feldom alert, in aClive exidence, yet 
only vifible to its equals ; if it be not this, it is a counter¬ 
feit, exciting pity, or giving pain. Bows, falutations, 
tlie taking charge of cloaks, the reaching of chairs, and 
the handing of' tea-cups, are tlie good-breeding of tlie 
great vulgar and fmall, it is their only currency, and this 
bafe coinage may have its life where the derling is not to 
be had. Wherever there is real kindnefs of heart, if there 
be not good-breeding, it is tlie failure of ignorance and 
not of intention : while the parroted airs of the governefs, 
the dancing fcliool, and tlie fencing academy, are but tlie 
ridiculous efforts of Aupidity, with all tlie fu.percilious 
pretendons of extraordinary acquirement and afleCled 
knowledge. The challenges thus thrown out to demand 
admiration, are overlooked with a dlent fmile by com¬ 
mon fenfe ; as is the defiance of a bully by the brave.” 
Tlie city of Paris has long exercifed her influence over 
Europe, in difpenling fafhions and models of drefs ; and 
(lie (fill maintains tiffs fantaflic authority : it was obferved 
to be on the decline, however, after tlie abolition of the 
royal court, and the fall of Antoinette. The drefs of the 
Parifian ladies, notvvitlidanding, is diftingnifhed both by 
eafe and elegance. As a republic, it was natural for 
them to refort back to the decorative fancies of ancient 
Greece and Rome, that the ladies might refemble in drefs, 
and the legions in arms, the famed elegancies, and war¬ 
like demeanour, of thofe renowned people. The infal¬ 
lible confequence was, that the fafhions took their names, 
though not exactly their forms, from thofe republics. 
It 
