ON DECEIT. 269 



affect the contrary. This is the same principle in both, but inverted : 

 but the latter we admire. This admiration may arise from the 

 amiableness of the person or of the principle, or because we do not feel 

 him raising himself above us ; so that it may be a selfish admiration. 



No man is so fond of being thought a man of gallantry as he who has 

 no passion for the female sex ; yet would feel proud if it were conceived 

 he had always some intrigue on his hands, even at the expense of the 

 reputation of the innocent ; while the man who is really passionately 

 fond of the sex, and perhaps their dupe, would rather choose to hide 

 that turn of mind, as if it were a defect. 



We even choose to make our past sufferings a matter of admiration ; 

 and those who have the least fortitude under calamities, generally recite 

 them with triple energy ; which is a natural consequence, to excite 

 either horror at their sufferings or admiration at their fortitude. 



The same turn of mind is twisted into present distresses or suffer- 

 ings, where it is to excite pity on false pretences, instead of admiration. 

 There are many whose finger never aches but it is torture, who never 

 measure anything that affects them by a common scale or standard, 

 always over-acting their part, that you might pity ; while, at the same 

 time, you should think they were suppressing their sufferings that you 

 might admire their fortitude or philosophy. This might pass with 

 those who live by it, or have a secondary view ; but when it is simply 

 vanity, or simply to excite compassion, it shows a weak mind. 



It only requires a stronger disposition of mind to continue the deceit, 

 [as in a patient] when the disease is gone ; when, if the complaint 

 be such as cannot be wholly imitated, the patient will contrive some 

 other symptom of another disease, or, if he has a lively imagination, 

 even wholly a new one. 



These general remarks must come home to the observation of most, 

 if not a little to their feelings ; and that which concerns disease must 

 strike the medical man most. 



'Whoever has paid attention to this subject will agree with me in 

 thinking that those minds are far from what they really wish us to 

 think them to be ; and that they are little minds. If medical gentle- 

 men wordd apply this to their practical knowledge of mankind, they 

 would see that their opinions of such minds and practice perfectly 

 coincided ; and, to strengthen this idea, let us see who they are that 

 are most subject to practise this kind of deceit. 



There are two classes of minds capable of carrying on this deceit. 

 One is [influenced by] the love of imposition, and rather relates to 

 those about them than to themselves, — a desire to make every one 

 about them stare. Yet it cannot be called an amiable mind, for they 



