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LADY HESTER STANHOPE , 231
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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— — Much Has Been Said And Written Latel...
not ash . ain . ed of perpetual competition to get the better of eacli other , forgetting that there is an essential meanness in . all such vulgar
rivalry . No truer sign could be given of the degradation of this period than in its low triumph in a want of reverence , which
was boasted by minds endeavoring to escape their own littleness * ' by elevating themselves into antagonists of what was above them . "
Nothing was known then of that shame or feeling of profanation by -whichas Novalis says" the more sensitive natures protect , as by
& natural , instincttheir , most sacred treasures from the curiosity of , the vul . _" Reliionfriendshipand love were treated with the
utmost gar flippancy . g The , consequence , was , the world was distrustful of the truest and highest feelings . It jested about human love
with a bantering irony ; it tossed from it the solemnities of religion with a laugh of mocking doubt ; it not only laid a cold hand on
youthful visions of romance , but turned from the grandest realities with a scornful nil admirariy and jeered at the good and great with
bitter and detracting witticism . No wonder that such society as this should beget distrust and
pride ; no wonder that the sensitive heart could not bear to have its pearls trampled upon , but locked the doors of its treasure-house
and would not give the key to every passer-by . In this state of thingswe have the explanation of much of the hauteur and reserve
, of Lady Hester ' s character , and also of that cherished mania for self-aggrandisement and rank , which was afterwards developed
_almost into insanity . Some secret and strong feeling is often a desideratum in such a character . Enthusiasmwhen felt by women ,
, is generally experienced to a most intense degree . More impressionable and impulsive than menthe greater is the need for some
private and satisfying good , and , the greater the tendency to incorporate outward things with their own humanity . The history of
enthusiasm amongst women remains yet to be written . The devotional tendencies of such minds as Madame Guy on , S . Theresa ,
S . Catherine , the _uMeres Angeliques , Joan of Arc , the Maid of Saragossa , Elenora Prochaska , & e ., would form an
interestingphysiolo Amidst gical all stud the y . excitement of a residence with her uncle , , the
numerous attractions of society , and the enthusiasm with which sh © threw herself into political pursuits , Lady Hester seems never to
have thought seriously of marriage . Many surmises have been made as to the reality of her affection for Lord Camelford . This
cousin of hers was by her own description in every way a " true Pitt" strongly characterized by the family energy and pride . His
heig , ht was greatly above the average , and his reputation as a famous duellist gave him as much prestige amongst his military
friends as it caused horror in the private circles where he was this safely man admired was at wont a distance to seek . the With most a sort miserable of fanciful and generosit lected y , neg _,
creatures in . the bye-corners and taverns of London . When lie had
Lady Hester Stanhope , 231
LADY HESTER STANHOPE , 231
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Citation
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English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), June 1, 1862, page 231, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01061862/page/15/
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