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LADY HESTER STANHOPE. 297
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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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.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Part Ii. Fiiattery Is Sometimes A Low Re...
the cold tone of self-sufficiency in the letters of Lady Mary Wortley
Montague , are nothing to the contemptible puerilities of Lady Hester's latter days . There is a painful lesson to be learnt in all
this . Ambition is not ( as Pope called it ) the " glorious fault of angels and of gods" or at least true greatness is not ambitious to
attract observation , to ifcself . Let Nature teach us . That tree is the finest _which , without particularly attracting the eye , entwines its
"branches with others ; that hill is the most beautiful that rises with no abrupt transition from the surrounding level ; that sky is
most glorious where no cloud is particularly distinct , but each with golden edge melts and mellows into a flood of light ; that face is
the most pleasant to look upon where no one feature calls for most admirationbut the whole is the beautiful type of the invisible
spirit , lit up , with , changeful expression , the index of the soul . And again : two-thirds of the shades in a picture should be mere
mezzotint ; the _dej _3 th of the shadow and the brightness of the light could not be seen but for these graduated tints . It is the
unnoticed mortar which holds together the stones of the cathedral and protects it frora utter destruction . And so true greatness works in
silence and in strength . It is sometimes as the neglected shade on which the glory of others may appear , or as the tempered mortar
which consolidates the "well-being of society . To return from this digression , it is curious to find in Lady
Hester ' s words the echoes of Pitt's opinions on the men and events of his timesBuonaparteshe would had something naturally
. , say , vulgar in his composition . a He took a little from Ossian , and a little from _Caesara little from this bookand a little from that ,
, , and made up altogether a good imitation of a man . " With the strong party prejudices of her setshe could not endure Mr .
Canning , whose very name was sufficient , to irritate her . With her fastidiousness about personal appearance , she found out that he
had a low forehead , bad eyebrows , and was ill made every way . She pretended that he was the type of duplicity , and it was
impossible to hide from him her instinctive an _^ athy . The fashions of the did not prevent Lady Hester from passing the most severe
judgment age s on some of its favorites . Aristocratic as she was in her fanciesshe could not help exclaiming with indignation against
the miserable , ennui and coarse jokes by which some of the reunions did not were hesitate distinguished to say what . Speaking a mean cr of eatur the e Prince he was of ; Wales ' she , she did
not believe he had ever shown a spark of good feeling towards any human being . " How often" she would say" he would delight
,, in putting men of small incomes to inconvenience . " It was one of his favorite jokes to bring ten or a dozen , of his friends to drink
wine at the house of a companion whom he knew could hardly head raise over a penny ears . in One debt of by these this unfortunates systemwas , invited after being to be p present lunged
when the Prince was dressing himself , before four great mirrors ,
Lady Hester Stanhope. 297
LADY HESTER _STANHOPE . 297
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Citation
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English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), July 1, 1862, page 297, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01071862/page/9/
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