of a man of pleasure; whereas, there are not in the world two characters more different. A rake is a composition of all the lowest, most ignoble, degrading, and shameful vices; they all conspire to disgrace his character, and to ruin his fortune; while wine and disease contend which shall soonest and most effectually destroy his constitution. A dissolute, flagitious footman, or porter, makes full as good a rake as a man of the first quality. By the by, let me tell you, that in the wildest part of my youth I never was a rake, but, on the contrary, always detested and despised the character.[1] [Nov. 8, 1750.]
Keep the Peace.—Keep carefully out of all
scrapes and quarrels. They lower a character extremely;
and are particularly dangerous in France;
where a man is dishonored by not resenting an affront,
and utterly ruined by resenting it. The young
Frenchmen are hasty, giddy, and petulant; extremely
national, and avantageux. Forbear from
any national jokes or reflections, which are always
improper, and commonly unjust. The colder northern
nations generally look upon France as a whistling,
singing, dancing, frivolous nation; this notion
is very far from being a true one, though many
- ↑ Strong as this reprobation is, it is as much needed to-day as when written; the whole English race (if we credit Westminister Review, March, 1869), especially the upper class, is suffering from the awful effects of vice.
