Transcriber’s Note: Note the inconsistency of “Brummell” inone place of the original, and “Brummel” all other places. Also“Shakspeare,” “Don Quixotte,” “Sir Piercy,”and “Esop” are as in the original.
The author of the present volume has endeavoured to embody, in as short a spaceas possible, some of the results of his own experience and observation insociety, and submits the work to the public, with the hope that the remarkswhich are contained in it, may prove available for the benefit of others. Itis, of course, scarcely possible that anything original should be found in avolume like this: almost all that it contains must have fallen under the noticeof every man of penetration who has been in the habit of frequenting goodsociety. Many of the precepts have probably been contained in works of asimilar character which have appeared in England and France since the days ofLord Chesterfield. Nothing however has been copied from them in the compilationof this work, the author having in fact scarcely any acquaintance with books ofthis description, and many years having elapsed since he has opened even thepages of the noble oracle. He has drawn entirely from his own resources, withthe exception of some hints for arrangement, and a few brief reflections, whichhave been derived from the French.
The present volume is almost apart from criticism. It has no pretensions to bejudged as a literary work—its sole merit depending upon its correctnessand fitness of application. Upon these grounds he ventures to hope for it afavourable reception.
The great error into which nearly all foreigners and most Americans fall, whowrite or speak of society in this country, arises from confounding thepolitical with the social system. In most other countries, in England, France,and all those nations whose government is monarchical or aristocratic, thesesystems are indeed similar. So