202 The Duchess of Newcastle 



bashfulness is in my nature, not for any crime, and 

 though I have strived and reasoned with myself, yet 

 that which is inbred, I find is difficult to root out, but 

 I do not find that my bashfulness is concerned with 

 the qualities of the persons, but the number, for were 

 I to enter amongst a company of Lazarouses, I should 

 be as much out of countenance, as if they were all 

 Cesars or Alexanders, Cleopatras or Queen Didoes; 

 neither do I find my bashfulness riseth so often in 

 blushes, as contracts my spirits to a chill paleness, 

 but the best of it is, most commonl}^ it soon vanisheth 

 away, and many times before it can be perceived, 

 and the more foolish, or unworthy, I conceive the 

 company to be, the worse I am, and the best remedy 

 I ever found was, is to persuade myself that all those 

 persons I meet are wise and vertuous; the reason I 

 take to be is, that the wise and vertuous censure less, 

 excuse most, praise best, esteem rightly, judge justly, 

 behave themselves civilly, demeane themselves 

 respectfully, and speake modestly, when fools or 

 unworthy persons are apt to commit absurdities, as 

 to be bold, rude, uncivill both in words and actions, 

 forgetting or not well understanding themselves, 

 or the company they are with; and though I never 

 met such sorts of ill bred creatures, yet Naturally I 

 have such an aversion to such kinde of people, as I 

 am afraid to meet them, as children are afraid of 

 spirits, or those that are afraid to see or meet devills; 

 which makes me think this naturall defect in me, if it 

 be a defect, is rather a fear than a bashfulness, but 

 whatsoever it is, I find it troublesome, for it hath 

 many times obstructed the passage of my speech, 

 and perturbed my naturall actions, forcing a con- 

 strainedness or unusual motions, but, however, since 

 it is rather a fear of others than a bashfull distrust 



