ration cannot, under any of
these disguises, appear so invincible as that of the men. You may easily
take notice, that in all their actions there is a secret approbation,
either in the tone of their voice, the turn of their body, or cast of
their eye, which shows that they are extremely in their own favour. Take
one of your men of business, he shall keep you half an hour with your
hat off, entertaining you with his consideration of that affair you
spoke of to him last, till he has drawn a crowd that observes you in
this grimace. Then when he is public enough, he immediately runs into
secrets, and falls a whispering. You and he make breaks with adverbs;
as, "But however, thus far"; and then you whisper again, and so on, till
they who are about you are dispersed, and your busy man's vanity is no
longer gratified by the notice taken of what importance he is, and how
inconsiderable you are; for your pretender to business is never in
secret, but in public. There is my dear Lord Nowhere, of all men the
most gracious and most obliging, the terror of all _valets-de-chambre_,
whom he oppresses with good breeding, in inquiring for my good lord, and
for my good lady's health. This inimitable courtier will whisper a privy
councillor's lackey with the utmost goodness and condescension, to know
when they next sit; and is thoroughly taken up, and thinks he has a part
in a secret, if he knows that there is a secret. "What it is," he will
whisper you, "that time will discover"; then he shrugs, and calls you
back again--"Sir, I need not say to you, that these things are not to be
spoken of--and hark you, no names, I would not be quoted." What adds to
the jest is, that his emptiness has its moods and seasons, and he will
not condescend to let you into these his discoveries, except he is in
very good humour, or has seen somebody in fashion talk to you. He will
keep his nothing to himself, and pass by and overlook as well as the
best of them; not observing that he is insolent when he is gracious, and
obliging when he is haughty. Show me a woman so inconsiderable as this
frequent character. But my mind (now I am in) turns to many no less
observable: thou dear Will Shoestring![380] I profess myself in love
with thee: how shall I speak thee? How shall I address thee? How shall I
draw thee? Thou dear outside! Will you be combing your wig,[381] playing
with your box, or picking your teeth? Or choosest thou rather to be
speaking; to be speaking for