his
particular.

3. To be well received, you must also pay some attention to your
behaviour at table, where it is exceedingly rude to scratch any part of
your body; to spit, or blow your nose, if you can possibly avoid it, to
eat greedily, to lean your elbows on the table, to pick your teeth
before the dishes are removed, or to leave the table before grace is
said.

4. Drinking of healths is now growing out of fashion, and is very
unpolite in good company. Custom once had made it universal, but the
improved manners of the age now render it vulgar. What can be more rude
or ridiculous, than to interrupt persons at their meals with an
unnecessary compliment? Abstain then from this silly custom, where you
find it out of use; and use it only at those tables where it continues
general.

5. A polite manner of refusing to comply with the solicitations of a
company, is also very necessary to be learnt, for a young man who seems
to have no will of his own, but does every thing that is asked of him,
may be a very good-natured fellow, but he is a very silly one. If you
are invited to drink at any man's house, more than you think is
wholesome, you may say, "you wish you could, but that so little makes
you both drunk and sick, that you shall only be bad company by doing it:
of course beg to be excused."

6. If desired to play at cards deeper than you would, refuse it
ludicrously; tell them, "If you were sure to lose, you might possibly
sit down; but that as fortune may be favourable, you dread the thought
of having too much money, ever since you found what an incumbrance it
was to poor Harlequin, and therefore you are resolved never to put
yourself in the way of winning more than such and such a sum a day."
This light way of declining invitations to vice and folly, is more
becoming a young man, than philosophical or sententious refusals, which
would only be laughed at.

7. Now I am on the subject of cards, I must not omit mentioning the
necessity of playing them well and genteelly, if you would be thought to
have kept good company. I would by no means recommend playing at cards
as a part of your study, lest you should grow too fond of it, and the
consequences prove bad. It were better not to know a diamond from a
club, than to become a gambler; but, as custom has introduced innocent
card playing at most friendly meetings, it marks the gentleman to handle
them genteelly, and play them well; and as I hope you will play only
for