hose whose reputation they were
intended to destroy. She had likewise the malicious cunning to say many
trifling things in praise of the objects of her censure; that by thus
assuming an appearance of the strictest impartiality, and of the
sincerest good nature, she might more easily gain credit to the bad
things she said afterwards. By such artifices as these she frequently
succeeded with the innocent and the unwary, and set one acquaintance
and even one friend against another, without any sort of advantage to
herself but the mere pleasure of making mischief. Another trick which
she often employed for that purpose, was to examine into a young
gentleman or lady's constitutional foibles (for we all have some) and
when she had discovered these, to go immediately to the person and tell
him or her, that master or miss _such a one_ had publickly ridiculed
him for those very failings; by these means she was almost certain to
be believed without any farther inquiry; for every one, even upon the
slightest hint, will readily suspect that those things have been said
of him, which he most wishes to be concealed, because he is conscious
they are _really_ true; he will seldom trouble himself to inquire into
the veracity of the tale bearer, lest he should be reduced to the
necessity of defending himself on his weakest side. For a similar
reason, when Miss _Abigail_ had a mind to flatter any person (which she
frequently would, to answer the purposes of her malice) she always
commended him for those particular good qualities, or accomplishments
which she knew he most valued himself for, or chiefly wished to have
the credit of; because she was sensible that by this method she
effectually retained his own vanity as her advocate for whatever she
said afterwards. Nay, I have been informed by one who knew her
perfectly well, that, young as she was, she sometimes carried her
artifice so far as to begin a dispute with the person she intended to
deceive, and after a little sharp altercation _pro and con_ to flatter
his vanity by gradually giving up the argument, and at last yielding
him a victory, which gave him the more pleasure, because he thought it
to be entirely owing to the invincible strength of his judgment. But
she had another fault, which, if possible, was still more odious, than
any of those already mentioned--viz. to revile and backbite those from
whom she had received the greatest favours; for as she was too proud to
own herself to