The worlds olio written by the Right Honorable, the Lady Margaret Newcastle.

Of Boldness and Bashfulness

THE most of Mankind are either too bold or too bashfull; either so bold that they seem rude, or so bashfull that they seem simple: As for Boldness, it is worse in respect to others, but better in respect to themselves; And Bashfullness is better in re∣spect to others, but worse in respect to themselves; for Bashfull∣ness is allwaies humble and civil to others, but fearfull and timo∣rous as to it self; insomuch as those that have this Vertue Vice (as I may call it) have neither freedome nor liberty to express themselves after their natural accustomed manner, much less in waies of advantage; for they neither speak Sense, nor their words plain, but speak quite from the purpose, stuttering and sta∣mering; or else the Tongue is so tyed, that they become like those that are dumb; neither can they behave themselves well, and are so far from a gracefull Garb, that they behave themselves like Changlings or Innocents, puting their Faces into a hundred several Countenances, and their Bodies into as many several Po∣stures; nay Bashfullness hath such a forcible power over the Body & Mind, as it draws & distorts the Lims and Motions of the one, as the Disease of Convulsions doth; and distempers and distracts the other, as the Disease of Madness, in not knowing what they doe; it unthrones the Understanding, and blindfolds Judgement; and this Bashfulness proceeds from too great an apprehension of Misdeameanours; but this Bashfullness is a Tyrant, for it tortures the Mind upon the Rack of Imagination, and whips the Body with the pains of Restraint, giving no freedom to the Thoughts, Words, or Actions; it imprisons Wit, and inslaves noble En∣deavours; it obscures Vertue, and dims Beauty, it lames Beha∣viour, it takes away the Majesty of State, and the State of Ma∣jesty; it is affronted by the bold rude, or the mdely bold; it loseth respects from the half-witted men, and only gets pitty from the Wise; But those that are bashfull are not only Judicious and In∣genious, as Witty and Wise, but most commonly have sweet and kind Natures, noble and generous Dispositions, valiant and couragious Spirits, honest and temperate Lives; but the pleasure of their life is disturbed with their imaginations, and conception of the Opinions of the World; fearing their Censures, and * 1.1 doubting their Applause. This Bashfullness proceeds from a no∣ble Ambition, or a pious Intention, either to get Fame, or an ex∣ample to Humility; but Bashfulnes looks as thorow a Perspective∣glass, searching into obscurities; when Boldness is blindfold, either with a Muster of I gnorance, or Vain-Glory; it either wants Breeding or Wit: For a poor simple Pesant, many times, hath more Confidence than a noble Lord; a rude Clown than a well∣bred Gentleman; a Market-woman than a great Lady; because they neither examin, know, nor fear the Errors they may fall into:

Again, others are so vain-glorious as to think they cannot com∣mit faults; but this Courtly Vice, or Vice that is Courted, carries it self with haughty behaviour, and a proud demeanour, outfa∣ces Truth, yet shrinks at Dangers; speaks loud, but acts little; threatens much, but dares not fight: They can receive no affronts, because they will take none; for whatsoever is offerd as an Af∣front, they take as a Jest, or Rallerly, or out of an Insensibility, take all well as being meant well, or out of a Vain-glory think none dares offer it. But howsoever their behaviovr is to others, or others to them, they are at liberty, and free in themselves, not bound with the Chains of Bashfullness, nor manacled with the Irons of self mistrust; they have no repinings for what they have thought they have done amiss; nor blushing Cheeks, raised by surpitious doubts; nor tender eyed, that dare not look on an evill Object, or objects that they may falsly think are so; when they are innocent they know, but Boldness doth out-face, not only what evill might be thought, but what evill they have done; and strange it is, yet true, Boldness hath such a pow'r, to make great Crimes seem lesse than they are; and those that are bold, more great or nobler than they are; like Masking Scenes set with false Lights, present a City or a stately Tow'r, when it is nothing but Pastboard painted over.

Notes

• * 1.1

  I mean the World of Ac∣quaintance.