MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS, 



90$ 



of keenness is necessary to enable 

 a person, who is speaking to a 

 stranger, and one who is greatly 

 his superior, to give a proper re- 

 ply to a question, which we must 

 assent and deny at the same time. 

 My courage and firmness entirely 

 forsook me, and all my efforts to 

 re-gain my usual equanimity 

 proved inctJectiial ; nor was it iu 

 my power to utter one of the 

 many sentences, that I had framed 

 with so much care and reflection 

 in my owh mind, whilst I was 

 dressing. 



" I then set it down as a cer- 

 tainty that the duke would name 

 my book of devotion, which 

 would give me an opportunity of 

 making several moral and reli- 

 gious observation ; and to them I 

 meant to annex, as the first step 

 towards the improvement of the 

 minds of the lower classes of the 

 people, an amendment in the 

 public and charity schools. But 

 the duke did not make tiie least 

 mention of that work, and instead 

 of" doing so, enquired, with 

 seeming interest, if 1 did not soon 

 intend to publish something new ? 

 That question led me into the 

 same error that I had so lately 

 committed ; for I was sometimes 

 too circumstantial, and at others 

 too concise. 



" At one moment I mentioned 

 every circumstance relating to my 

 next publication, with as much 

 precision as if I was talking to the 

 editor; and then recollecting 

 myself that doing so was impro- 

 per, I the next minute spoke 

 of my manuscript in such ge- 

 neral terms as if the duke had 

 copied it. 



*' This inconsistency in my be- 

 bebaviour, and some ill-chosen 



" expressions, as well as two or 

 " three familiar terms that escaped 

 " me, and which 1 unfortunately 

 " feltthe impropriety of the moment 

 " I had uttered them, increased my 

 " confusison. I am certain my 

 " face must have glowed as if I had 

 " been standing near a furnace, my 

 " hands trembled, large drops of 

 " sweat trickled down my fore- 

 " head and cheeks, and I pressed 

 " my toes so close together, that 

 " they pained me as much as if 

 '' they had been pinched by tight 

 *' shoes. 



*' The duke seemed to perceive 

 *' and pity the uncomfortable situa- 

 " tion I was in, and which every 

 " moment became more painful. 

 " His questions were fewer and 

 " more studied, and my perturba.» 

 " tion and wish for deliverance 

 " increased to the highest pitch. 

 " An attendant at last entered, and 

 " said something to the duke, but 

 " the words ' just arrived,' were all 

 " 1 understood. The duke bowed 

 " to mc in a polite and gracious 

 " manner, and hastily left the room 

 " with the servant. 



" That which I had the moment 

 *' before so fervently prayed for 

 " was granted, for I stood alone in 

 " the midst of the room. A deep 

 " sigh escaped me ; I wiped my 

 " forehead, fanned myself with my 

 " jjorket handkerchief, and re- 

 " proachcd myself for my stupidity 

 " and awkwardness. Why did I 

 " not rellcct at the time how I 

 " should feel, and in what light I 

 " should be in the transactions of 

 " the last hour in a day or tw» 

 " hence, and how I should bt« 

 " amused and heartily laugh, at 

 " what had just vexed me ? IJut it 

 " was not in my power to do so ai 

 " that moment : besides, I had a 



* *' certain 



