When we use no envelope, and the third page of the letter is all written upon, we should leave a small blank space where the seal is to be put; without this precaution, many very important words will be covered.
We should not seal a letter of respect with an antique device. It is more polite to use our coat of arms or cipher.
Persons of taste, who have no coat of arms, adopt a seal bearing some ingenious device, in keeping with their profession, sentiments, &c.
A letter which is to be shown, as a letter of introduction or recommendation, ought never to be sealed, since the bearer ought necessarily to know the contents. But to seal it without having first allowed the bearer to read it, would be very impolite. You should prove to the person recommended, that you have spared no pains to render him a service.
It is only conscripts, and peasants, who fold a letter like an apothecary’s packet, who omit to press [p143] the wafer with a seal, or secure it by pricking it in every part with the point of a pin.
We never seal petitions which are to be presented to the king, and to the members of the royal family.
Some distinguished persons are flattered in writing to them, by our omitting to designate precisely their address. It is an error; we should indicate with exactness the town, and the province, state, &c. if there is more than one town of the same name. In a large city, it is well to write the name of the street and number, and the quarter of the city where the street is. People of business, abbreviate this by putting N and the number, or the number alone; this practice is more expeditious than polite.
We generally address a letter to one person only; but in certain cases we may address to two or more collectively.
It is well to add to the name, the title or profession, in order to prevent mistake. However, if circumstances have obliged any one of your acquaintance to act in an inferior situation, it would be a want of delicacy to join to his name that of his business.
When we write to the king, we put simply in the address, To the King. To foreign kings we say, To his Catholic Majesty, his Britannic Majesty, &c.