the true knowledge of the world; and the world is a country which nobody ever yet knew by description; one must travel through it one's self to be acquainted with it. The scholar, who in the dust of his closet talks or writes of the world, knows no more of it than that orator did of war, who judiciously endeavored to instruct Hannibal in it. Courts and camps are the only places to learn the world in. [Oct. 2, 1747.]
Good Breeding.—Civility, which is a disposition
to accommodate and oblige others, is essentially the
same in every country; but good breeding, as it is
called, which is the manner of exerting that disposition,
is different in almost every country, and merely
local; and every man of sense imitates and conforms
to that local good breeding of the place which he
is at. A conformity and flexibility of manners is
necessary in the course of the world; that is, with
regard to all things which are not wrong in themselves.
The versatile ingenium is the most useful
of all. It can turn itself instantly from one object to
another, assuming the proper manner for each. It
can be serious with the grave, cheerful with the gay,
and trifling with the frivolous. Endeavor, by all
means, to accommodate this talent, for it is a very
great one. [Same date.]
