��Anecdotes.
��on purpose for such mortals, to keep people, if possible, from being thus the heralds of their own shame : for what compassion can they gain by such silly narratives ? No man should be expected to sympathise with the sorrows of vanity. If then you are mortified by any ill usage, whether real or supposed, keep at least the account of such mortifications to yourself, and forbear to proclaim how meanly you are thought on by others, unless you desire to be meanly thought of by all.'
��The little history of another friend's superfluous ingenuity will contribute to introduce a similar remark. He had a daughter of about fourteen years old, as I remember, fat and clumsy : and though the father adored, and desired others to adore her, yet being aware perhaps that she was not what the French call paitrie des graces *, and thinking I suppose that the old maxim, of beginning to laugh at yourself first where you have any thing ridiculous about you, was a good one 2 , he comically enough called his girl Trundle when he spoke of her; and many who bore neither of them any ill-will felt disposed to laugh at the happiness of the appellation 3 . * See now (says Dr. Johnson) what haste people are in to be hooted. Nobody ever thought of this fellow nor of his daughter, could he but have been quiet himself, and forborne to call the eyes of the world on his dowdy and her deformity. But it teaches one to see at least, that if
��Rome I had won confidence enough to beg his advice how I might carry myself securely there, without offence of others, or of mine own conscience. " Signer Arrigo mio," says he, " i pensieri stretti ed il viso sciolto," that is, " your thoughts close and your countenance loose," will go safely over the whole world.' Milton's Prose Works, ed. 1806, vii. 88. See Johnson's Works, vii. 72.
' The height of abilities is to have volto sciolto and pensieri stretti; that is a frank, open and ingenuous exterior, with a prudent and re served interior.' Chesterfield's Let-
��ters to his Son, ii. 90.
1 Petrie des graces.
2 ' If it be a natural impediment, as a red nose, squint eyes, crooked legs, or any such imperfection, in firmity, disgrace, reproach, the best way is to speak of it first thyself, and so thou shalt surely take away all occasions from others to jest at or contemn, that they may perceive thee to be careless of it.' Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy, ed. 1660,
P- 359-
3 Johnson defines Trundle as 'any round rolling thing.'
nobody
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