Sir Walter Raleigh owed his promotion to an act of gallantry to Queen Elizabeth, and Sir Christopher Hatton owed his preferment to his dancing: Queen Elizabeth, observes Granger, with all her sagacity, could not see the future lord chancellor in the fine dancer. The same writer says, "Nothing could form a more curious collection of memoirs than _anecdotes of preferment_." Could the secret history of great men be traced, it would appear that merit is rarely the first step to advancement. It would much oftener be found to be owing to superficial qualifications, and even vices. NOBILITY. Francis the First was accustomed to say, that when the nobles of his kingdom came to court, they were received by the world as so many little _kings_; that the day after they were only beheld as so many _princes_; but on the third day they were merely considered as so many _gentlemen_, and were confounded among the crowd of courtiers.--It was supposed that this was done with a political view of humbling the proud _nobility_; and for this reason Henry IV. frequently said aloud, in the presence of the princes of the blood, _We are all gentlemen._ It is recorded of Philip the Third of Spain, that while he exacted the most punctilious respect from the _grandees_, he saluted the _peasants_. He would never be addressed but on the knees; for which he gave this artful excuse, that as he was of low stature, every one would have appeared too high for him. He showed himself rarely even to his grandees, that he might the better support his haughtiness and repress their pride. He also affected to speak to them by half words; and reprimanded them if they did not guess the rest. In a word, he omitted nothing that could mortify _his nobility._ MODES OF SALUTATION, AND AMICABLE CEREMONIES, OBSERVED IN VARIOUS NATIONS. When men, writes the philosophical compiler of "_L'Esprit des Usages et des Coutumes_," salute each other in an amicable manner, it signifies little whether they move a particular part of the body, or practise a particular ceremony. In these actions there must exist different customs. Every nation imagines it employs the most reasonable ones; but all are equally simple, and none are to be treated as ridiculous. This infinite number of ceremonies may be reduced to two kinds; to reverences or salutations, and to the touch of some part of the human body. To bend and prostrate oneself to express sentiments of respect, appears to be a natural motion; for terrified persons throw themselves on the earth when they adore invisible beings; and the affectionate touch of the person they salute is an expression of tenderness. As nations decline from their ancient simplicity, much farce and grimace are introduced. Superstition, the manners of a people, and their situation, influence the modes of salutation; as may be observed from the instances we collect.