many mice. To such a poor devil as I they are as respectful and attentive as if I were a lord. It would please you to see how attentive he is upon all occasions to keep out of sight every idea of protection—everything that would give me to understand that he looked upon it as a favour done me to introduce me to great people." "His manner was generally calm." "The only instances of fire I have seen him exhibit," says Bentham, "have been when he has been declaiming about politics; yet though I frequently oppose him, and scarce ever join with him, he takes it all in the best part imaginable."
Some passages in the philosopher's letters however go far to explain the imputations of insincerity which pursued Lord Shelburne through life. "There was a prodigious deal of ambiguity," he says, "in the general tenor of his language on party subjects; whether genuine or affected I cannot be certain. I rather believe it genuine, because I find it the same on subjects in which party has nothing to do. He used frequently to say, 'Tell me what is right and proper—tell me what a man of virtue would do in this matter.' I told him that Balak, the son of Zippor, wanted Balaam to prophesy, who answered, 'That which the Lord puts into my mouth will I prophesy'; and that was the answer I made. There was artifice in him, but also genuine good feelings."
Lord Shelburne was prone to suspicion. Bentham, though quite unaware of his own failings in that respect, soon found out this defect in others. "Lord Shelburne," he says, "had a wildness about him, and conceived groundless suspicions about nothing at all. I remember going to ride out with one of his servants, and being accosted by some man, whom I spoke to out of pure civility; and on mentioning it to Lord Shelburne he seemed to think I was deserving of suspicion. About the last time I was at his house I mentioned something about Count Woronzof, and he fancied I had been sent by Woronzof to communicate it. He asked me what he could do for me. I told him 'nothing'; and he found this so different to the universal spirit of those about him, as to endear me to him.
