which people meet together than to part unsatisfied with each other or themselves.

There are two faults in conversation, which appear very different, yet arise from the same root, and are equally blameable; I mean an impatience to interrupt others; and the uneasiness of being interrupted ourselves. The two chief ends of conversation are to entertain and improve those we are among, or to receive those benefits ourselves; which whoever will consider, cannot easily run into either of these two errors; because, when any man speaks in company, it is to be supposed he does it for his hearers' sake, and not his own; so that common discretion will teach us not to force their attention, if they are not willing to lend it; nor, on the other side, to interrupt him who is in possession, because that is in the grossest manner to give the preference to our own good sense.

There are some people, whose good manners will not suffer them to interrupt you, but, what is almost as bad, will discover abundance of impatience, and lie upon the watch until you have done, because they have started something in their own thoughts, which they long to be delivered of. Meantime, they are so far from regarding what passes, that their imaginations are wholly turned upon what they have in reserve, for fear it should slip out of their memory; and thus they confine their invention, which might otherwise range over a hundred things full as good, and that might be much more naturally introduced.

There is a sort of rude familiarity, which some people, by practising among their intimates, have introduced into their general conversation, and would have it pass for innocent freedom or humour; which is a dangerous experiment in our northern climate, where all the little decorum and politeness

*

we have, are purely forced by art, and are so ready to lapse into barbarity. This, among the Romans, was the raillery of slaves, of which we have many instances in Plautus. It seems to have been introduced among us by Cromwell, who, by preferring the scum of the people, made it a court entertainment, of which I have heard many particulars; and, considering all things were turned upside down, it was reasonable and judicious: although it was a piece of policy found out to ridicule a point of honour in the other extreme, when the smallest word misplaced among gentlemen ended in a duel.

There are some men excellent at telling a story, and provided with a plentiful stock of them, which they can draw out upon occasion in all companies; and, considering how low conversation runs now among us, it is not altogether a contemptible talent; however, it is subject to two unavoidable defects, frequent repetition, and being soon exhausted; so that, whoever values this gift in himself, has need of a good memory, and ought frequently to shift his company, that he may not discover the weakness of his fund; for those who are thus endued have seldom any other revenue, but live upon the main stock.

Great speakers in public are seldom agreeable in private conversation, whether their faculty be natural, or acquired by practice, and often venturing. Natural elocution, although it may seem a paradox, usually springs from a barrenness of invention, and of words; by which men who have only one stock of notions

* Cromwell's taste for buffoonery is well known. Captain Hodgson describes him as greatly diverted with the predicament of a soldier, whose head stuck fast in a butter-churn, as he attempted to drink the cream; and adds, "Oliver loved an innocent jest."-Hodgson's Memoirs, p. 131.

upon every subject, and one set of phrases to express them in, they swim upon the superficies, and offer themselves on every occasion; therefore, men of much learning, and who know the compass of a language, are generally the worst talkers on a sudden, until much practice has inured and emboldened them; because they are confounded with plenty of matter, variety of notions and of words, which they cannot readily choose, but are perplexed and entangled by too great a choice; which is no disadvantage in private conversation; where, on the other side, the talent of haranguing is, of all others, most unsupportable.

Nothing has spoiled men more for conversation, than the character of being wits; to support which, they never fail of encouraging a number of followers and admirers, who list themselves in their service, wherein they find their accounts on both sides by pleasing their mutual vanity. This has given the former such an air of superiority, and made the latter so pragmatical, that neither of them are well to be endured. I say nothing here of the itch of dispute and contradiction, telling of lies, or of those who are troubled with the disease called the wandering of the thoughts, so that they are never present in mind at what passes in discourse; for whoever labours under any of these possessions, is as unfit for conversation as a madman in Bedlam.

I think I have gone over most of the errors in conversation that have fallen under my notice or memory, except some that are merely personal, and others too gross to need exploding; such as lewd or profane talk; but I pretend only to treat the errors of conversation in general, and not the several subjects of discourse, which would be infinite. Thus we see how human nature is most debased, by the

we have, are purely forced by to lapse into barbarity. Thi was the raillery of slaves, of instances in Plautus. It see duced among us by Cromw the scum of the people, m. ment, of which I have heard considering all things were was reasonable and judici piece of policy found out honour in the other ex word misplaced among g There are some men and provided with a pl they can draw out up and, considering how among us, it is not alt however, it is subjec frequent repetition, that, whoever valu of a good memory. company, that he of his fund; for seldom any oth stock.

Great speak private conver or acquired by elocution, al springs from by which r

* Cromw Hodgson d of a soldie!

tempted to jest."-He

..y of human nature, without which it crate into everything that is sordid, w. If there were no other use in on of ladies, it is sufficient that it estraint upon those odious topics of l indecencies, into which the rudeness rn genius is so apt to fall. And, observable in those sprightly gentlebe town, who are so very dexterous at a vizard mask in the park or the playa the company of ladies of virtue and y are silent and disconcerted, and out of

nt.

re some people who think they sufficiently emselves, and entertain their company, with acts of no consequence, nor at all out of the uch common incidents as happen every day;

I have observed more frequently among ts than any other nation, who are very careto omit the minutest circumstances of time e; which kind of discourse, if it were not a relieved by the uncouth terms and phrases, ll as accent and gesture, peculiar to that ry, would be hardly tolerable. It is not a in company to talk much; but to continue it is certainly one; for, if the majority of those are got together be naturally silent or cautious, conversation will flag, unless it be often renewed one among them, who can start new subjects, ovided he does not dwell upon them, that leave om for answers and replies.

* Persons of this country are at present prone to entertain company rather by the display of their argumentative than of their narrative powers.

VOL. IX.

M