urt when another, makes you feel his superiority, you will
certainly, upon the common rule of right, _do as you would be done by_,
take care not to let another feel your superiority, if you have it,
especially if you wish to gain his interest or esteem.

7. If disagreeable insinuations, open contradictions, or oblique sneers
vex and anger you, would you use them where you wished to please?
certainly not. Observe then with care the operations of your own mind;
and you may in a great measure read all mankind.

_I_ will allow that one bred up in a cloister or college, may reason
well on the structure of the human mind; he may investigate the nature
of man, and give a tolerable account of his head, his heart, his
passions; and his sentiments: but at the same time he may know nothing
of him; he has not lived with him, and of course can know but little how
those sentiments or those passions will work; he must be ignorant of the
various prejudices, propensities and antipathies, that always bias him
and frequently determine him.

8. His knowledge is acquired only from theory, which differs widely from
practice; and if, he forms his judgment from that alone, he must be
often deceived; whereas a man of the world, one who collects his
knowledge from his own experience and observation, is seldom wrong; he
is well acquainted with the operations of the human mind, prys into the
heart of man, reads his-words before they are utttered, sees his actions
before they are performed, knows what will please, and what will
displease; and foresees the event of most things.

9. Labour then to require this intuitive knowledge; attend carefully to
the address, the arts and manners of those acquainted with life, and
endeavour to imitate them. Observe the means they take to gain the
favour, and conciliate the affections of those they associate with;
pursue those means, and you will soon gain the esteem of all that know
you.

How often have we seen men governed by persons very much their inferiors
in point of understanding, and even without their knowing it? A proof
that some men have more worldly dexterity than others; they find out the
weak and unguarded part, make their attack there, and the man
surrenders.

10. Now from a knowledge of mankind we shall learn the advantage of two
things, the command of our temper and our countenance: a trifling,
disagreeable incident shall perhaps anger one unacquainted withlife, or
confound him with same; s