t coming
from each one of them. The third class which I mentioned is that of
spontaneous and sincere friends, and this class you will have to make
more secure by expressions of your gratitude; by making your words tally
with the motives which it shall appear to you influenced them in taking
up your cause; by shewing that the affection is mutual; and by
suggesting that your friendship with them may ripen into intimacy and
familiar intercourse. In all these classes alike consider and weigh
carefully the amount of influence each possesses, in order to know both
the kind of attention to pay to each, and what you are to expect and
demand from each. For certain men are popular in their own
neighbourhoods and towns; there are others possessed of energy and
wealth, who, even if they have not heretofore sought such popularity,
can yet easily obtain it at the moment for the sake of one to whom they
owe or wish to do a favour. Your attention to such classes of men must
be such as to shew them that you clearly understand what is to be
expected from each, that you appreciate what you are receiving, and
remember what you have received. There are, again, others who either
have no influence or are positively disliked by their tribesmen, and
have neither the spirit nor the ability to exert themselves on the spur
of the moment: be sure you distinguish between such men, that you may
not be disappointed in your expectation of support by placing over-much
hope on some particular person.

VII. But although you ought to rely on, and be fortified by, friendships
already gained and firmly secured, yet in the course of the canvass
itself very numerous and useful friendships are acquired. For among its
annoyances a candidature has this advantage: you can without loss of
dignity, as you cannot in other affairs of life, admit whomsoever you
choose to your friendship, to whom if you were at any other time to
offer your society, you would be thought guilty of an eccentricity;
whereas during a canvass, if you don't do so with many, and take pains
about it besides, you would be thought to be no use as a candidate at
all. Moreover, I can assure you of this, that there is no one, unless he
happens to be bound by some special tie to some one of your rivals,
whom you could not induce, if you took pains, to earn your affection by
his good services, and to seize the opportunity of putting you under an
obligation--let him but fully understand that you value h