Observe the best and most well-bred of the French people; how agreeably
they insinuate little civilities in their conversation. They think it
so essential that they call an honest and a civil man by the same name,
of “honnete homme;” and the Romans called civility, “humanitas,” as
thinking it inseparable from humanity: and depend upon it, that your
reputation and success will, in a great measure, depend upon the degree
of good breeding of which you are master.
From what has been said, I conclude with the observation, that
gentleness of manners, with firmness of mind, is a short but full
description of human perfection, on this side of religious and moral
duties.