The History of Sir Charles Grandison | Page 7

in some hurry.--I think very well of you.
I never saw a man, in my life, that I liked so well!
Your lordship does me honour. I say this the rather, as I may, on this
solemn occasion, taking leave of such honourable friends, charge my

future life with resolutions to behave worthy of the favour I have met
with in this family.
I passed from him to the general--Forgive, my lord, said I, the seeming
formality of my behaviour in this parting scene: it is a very solemn one
to me. You have expressed yourself of me, and to me, my lord, with
more passion, (forgive me, I mean not to offend you,) than perhaps you
will approve in yourself when I am far removed from Italy. For have
you not a noble mind? And are you not a son of the Marquis della
Porretta? Permit me to observe, that passion will make a man exalt
himself, and degrade another; and the just medium will be then forgot. I
am afraid I have been thought more lightly of, than I ought to be, either
in justice, or for the honour of a person who is dear to every one
present. My country was once mentioned with disdain: think not my
vanity so much concerned in what I am going to say, as my honour: I
am proud to be thought an Englishman: yet I think as highly of every
worthy man of every nation under the sun, as I do of the worthy men of
my own. I am not of a contemptible race in my own country. My father
lives in it with the magnificence of a prince. He loves his son; yet I
presume to add, that that son deems his good name his riches; his
integrity his grandeur. Princes, though they are entitled by their rank to
respect, are princes to him only as they act.
A few words more, my lord.
I have been of the hearing, not of the speaking side of the question, in
the two last conferences I had the honour to hold with your lordship.
Once you unkindly mentioned the word triumph. The word at the time
went to my heart. When I can subdue the natural warmth of my temper,
then, and then only, I have a triumph. I should not have remembered
this, had I not now, my lord, on this solemn occasion, been received by
you with an indignant eye. I respect your lordship too much not to take
notice of this angry reception. My silence upon it, perhaps, would look
like subscribing before this illustrious company to the justice of your
contempt: yet I mean no other notice than this; and this to demonstrate
that I was not, in my own opinion at least, absolutely unworthy of the
favour I met with from the father, the mother, the brothers, you so
justly honour, and which I wished to stand in with you.
And now, my lord, allow me the honour of your hand; and, as I have
given you no cause for displeasure, say, that you will remember me

with kindness, as I shall honour you and your whole family to the last
day of my life.
The general heard me out; but it was with great emotion. He accepted
not my hand; he returned not any answer: the bishop arose, and, taking
him aside, endeavoured to calm him.
I addressed myself to the two young lords, and said, that if ever their
curiosity led them to visit England, where I hoped to be in a few
months, I should be extremely glad of cultivating their esteem and
favour, by the best offices I could do them.
They received my civility with politeness.
I addressed myself next to Lady Laurana--May you, madam, the friend,
the intimate, the chosen companion of Lady Clementina, never know
the hundredth part of the woe that fills the breast of the man before you,
for the calamity that has befallen your admirable cousin, and, because
of that, a whole excellent family. Let me recommend to you, that tender
and soothing treatment to her, which her tender heart would shew to
you, in any calamity that should befall you. I am not a bad man, madam,
though of a different communion from yours. Think but half so
charitably of me, as I do of every one of your religion who lives up to
his professions, and I shall be happy in your favourable thoughts when
you hear me spoken of.
It is easy to imagine, Dr. Bartlett, that I addressed myself in this
manner to this lady whom I had never before seen, that she might not
think the harder of her cousin's prepossessions in favour of a Protestant.
I recommended myself to the favour