i S21.] L'Ape Italiana 
della Virgine, Le Lagrime Christi, He¬ 
brew and Sacred Melodies, and nume¬ 
rous other peace offerings at the shrine 
of offended manners. Upon the whole, 
therefore, we think this excellent little 
essay upon good behaviour now before 
us, is rather a proof than otherwise of 
Giovanni's having written, at one time 
or other, something of a very contrary 
tendency. But, how far the censures 
of his arch critics are borne out by facts, 
we must leave to such moral censors 
and casuists in the art as Mr. Bowles. 
At present our readers need not be 
alarmed lest we should conjure up the 
sins of his youth, as it is our honest 
intention to give them only his re¬ 
deeming work upon propriety of man¬ 
ners, describing the peculiar excellen¬ 
cies to be acquired, and the errors to 
be shunned in the social intercourse of 
life. It is addressed in the person of 
an old and accomplished veteran, to a 
flippant and unpractised youth, in the 
following words, 44 Galateo, or Po¬ 
lite Ethics.” 
44 As you are now, my dear boy, 
about to set out on that troublesome 
journey which I have well-nigh finish¬ 
ed, as, indeed, you may perceive from 
these grey (or rather we presume pow¬ 
dered) hairs,—I propose, as one who 
has had some experience of the way, to 
give you some notion of the places you 
have to pass, the inconveniences of the 
road, the thousand intricacies that mis¬ 
lead, and the stumbling-blocks over 
which you may probably fall. By ear¬ 
nestly observing the advice I am 
enabled to afford you, I trust that 
you may keep in the sure path, and 
not only 44 save your soul alive” but, 
with a generous thirst of praise, reflect 
credit and honour upon the noble fa¬ 
mily from which you spring. Since 
your tender years will not yet admit 
either of very strong, or very subtle 
arguments, in the way of tuition, re¬ 
serving them for a riper season, I shall 
begin with such as are more applicable, 
though by some considered light, re- 
diculous, and frivolous. It is no joke, 
however, to know what is becoming in 
action and in speech, and to appear 
with a noble and pleasing presence in 
the company of others. If this be not a 
virtue, it is something so nearly re¬ 
sembling it, that though perhaps not 
comparable to the finer qualities of 
magnanimity, generosity, and resolu¬ 
tion of character, a sweetness of temper 
and ease of mannerare often of real value 
to their possessors. They are often also 
— No . XXIIL ] l 
not less useful, though less splendid than 
the former, as they are in every-day 
practice with those to whom we speak, 
and those among whom we visit and live. 
But justice, fortitude, and all the mag¬ 
nanimous virtues are of much rarer 
use and occurrence. The great man 
cannot always be exhibiting his mag¬ 
nificence, and the brave are seldom 
called upon to give proofs of valour: 
while superior and commanding spirits 
are of still more uncommon growth and 
rarely seen but in their works. How¬ 
ever estimable for the strength and 
majesty they display, in number and 
frequency, we think the minor virtues 
redeem themselves, and become of 
equal importance with the great. In¬ 
deed, I have known men of no stamina 
or solidity of mind, by the mere force 
of a happy manner and appearance, not 
only loved and courted for their com¬ 
pany, but thus accomplished, to have 
arrived at very high situations in the 
state. Leaving far behind them those 
of superior sense and learning, even 
gifted with extraordinary virtue, they 
have shewn the invincible power of 
graceful and noble manners in winning 
the good opinion of the world, and in¬ 
gratiating themselves into the favour 
and protection of those they pleased. 
The more careless, rude, and unculti¬ 
vated, on the other hand, are either 
hated or neglected, and often appear to 
merit the contempt and aversion we 
feel but dare not venture to express. 
Now, though there be no penal regula¬ 
tions respecting disobliging mauners ♦ 
and a rough outside, being considered, 
in the eye of the law, a mat ter of trivial 
account—and certainly it is not in the 
criminal list,—we generally perceive 
that as it is left to nature, she takes 
care to visit the offence against society 
with adequate punishment by depriving 
us of those pleasures we should other¬ 
wise meet with in the mutual kindness, 
the good will and admiration of those 
around us. 
44 If more enormous crimes are attend¬ 
ed with more danger, they are scarcely 
more obnoxious and disagreeable to 
civil society, and do not stare us in 
the face so frequently as those of an 
equally savage kind—the offspring of 
rude and uncultivated nature. 
44 As mankind hold wild beasts in a 
kind of dread, having nothing of the 
same fear for gnats and flies, yet we 
perceive they more frequently com¬ 
plain of the trouble and torment which 
the latter inflict in a small way: thus 
it 
