326 Anecdotes.
��cowardice. He hated disguise, and nobody penetrated it so readily 1 . I shewed him a letter written to a common friend, who was at some loss for the explanation of it : ' Whoever wrote it (says our Doctor) could, if he chose it, make himself under stood ; but 'tis the letter of an embarrassed man> Sir ; ' and so the event proved it to be.
Mysteriousness in trifles offended him on every side 2 : ' it commonly ended in guilt (he said) ; for those who begin by concealment of innocent things, will soon have something to hide which they dare not bring to light.' He therefore encouraged an openness of conduct, in women particularly, ' who (he ob served) were often led away when children, by their delight and power of surprising.' He recommended, on something like the same principle, that when one person meant to serve another, he should not go about it slily, or as we say under hand, out of a false idea of delicacy, to surprise one's friend with an unexpected favour, * which, ten to one (says he), fails to oblige your acquaintance, who had some reasons against such a mode of obligation, which you might have known but for that superfluous cunning which you think an elegance. Oh ! never be seduced by such silly pretences (continued he) ; if a wench wants a good gown, do not give her a fine smelling-bottle, because that is more delicate : as I once knew a lady 3 lend the key of her library to a poor scribbling dependant, as if she took the woman for an ostrich that could digest iron.' He said indeed, ' that women were very difficult to be taught the proper
1 ' Dr. Johnson talked of that imposture.' Shaftesbury's Character-
studied behaviour which many have isticks, ed. 1714, i. n.
recommended and practised. He * Ciceron laissait aux petits esprits
disapproved of it; and said, " I never leur constante gravite, qui n'est que
considered whether I should be a la masque de la mediocriteV VOL-
grave man, or a merry man, but just TAIRE : quoted in Warton's Pope's
let inclination, for the time, have its Works, iv. 222.
course." ' Life^ i. 470. 2 Horace Walpole (Letters, iii.
'La gravit^ est un mystere du 371) calls mystery 'the wisdom of
corps, invent^ pour cacher les de- blockheads.'
fauts de 1'esprit.' LA ROCHEFOU- 3 ' This lady was Mrs. Montagu.'
CAULD, Maximes, No. 265. Hay ward's Piozzi, i. 296.
' Gravity is of the very essence of
manner
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