ROBERTSON.' 313 



and lively than they were, partly because he had an 

 insuperable aversion to extremes in all things, partly 

 because, for fear of any semblance of pretension, to 

 which he was yet more averse, he preferred appearing 

 less moved than he really was, in order to avoid the 

 possibility of feeling less than he externally showed. 

 But he was of opinions respecting conduct which led 

 to keeping the feelings under curb, and never giving 

 way to them ; he leant in this towards the philosophy 

 and discipline of the Stoics ; and he also held, which 

 was apt to beget the same mistake as to the warmth of 

 his heart, that exhibitions of sorrow, any more than of 

 boisterous mirth, were unfit to be made ; that such 

 emotions should as far as possible be reduced to mode- 

 ration, even in private ; but that in society they were 

 altogether misplaced and mistimed. He considered, 

 and rightly considered, that if a person labouring under 

 any afflictive feelings be well enough at ease to go 

 into company, he gives a sort of pledge that he is so 

 far recovered of his wound, or at least can so far con- 

 ceal his pains, as to behave like the rest of the circle. 

 He held, and rightly held, that men frequent society, 

 not to pour forth their sorrows, or indulge their un- 

 wieldy joys, but to instruct, or improve, or amuse each 

 other, by rational and cheerful conversation. For 

 himself, when he left his study, leaving behind him, 

 with the dust of his books, the anxious look, the 

 wrinkled brow, the disturbed or absent thoughts, he 

 also expected others to greet his arrival with the like 

 freedom from cares of all sorts, and especially he dis- 

 liked to have his hours of relaxation saddened with 

 tales of misery, interesting to no one, unless, which is 



