COMPLIMENTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 10 July 1890, Page 35

COMPLIMENTS.

To be addressed in words of rank flattery is not really gratifying to right-minded people ; but a neatly expressed compliment, that has in it the baokbone of truth, is a very different affiir. It has been said that "politeness is the oil which makes the wheels of society turn easily ; " arid a witty, happily-conceived compliment has often been found to assist the process. It is well sometimes for people to be put in good humour with themselves as a means of making them in good humour with their surroundings. There is often despondenoy in quarters where it ia least suspected, and a few gracious, appreciative words— especially from a superior— may give. hope and encouragement at a moment when they are much needed. We propose to give a few instances ©i" happy compliments, some of which may be called historical, though perhaps they are not so widely known as they ought to be. It is related of Dr Balguy, a celebrato* preacher, that after having preached an ezcellent sermon in Winchester Cathedral oa the text " In much wisdom is much grief ,° he receivod the following extempore compliment from Dr Watson, then at Winohest«r school : If wh«t you «dvnnoe, dear dootor, be true, That wiidoiu li «orrow, how wrofconed are you I

The following compliment, though <!«• livered in plain prose, mast have been quite as acceptable to the br*se soI&Wr to whom i» was addressed as thfi *bo»* couplet was to the learned prenohc-r. When Fredrick the Great o£ Prustia dined with the Emperor of Germany on the occasion of their meeting at Neiss, General Laudohn, who with other officers had been invited to join the party, was about to place himself on the sl^c {,-f,the table opposite the king ; but Frederick prevented his doing so, and pointing to a seat beside himself, exclaimed: "Come and sit here, general, for I have always wished to sps you at my side, rather than facing me." Boswell tells a very characteristic story of Dr Johnson and George 111. Johnson was altawed the privilege of rea^jng in th^rojaj.

library. On one occasion, the B3ng hearing of his presence! there, entered the, room in order to see and- converse with the great, author. After much interesting conversation about books and. the universities, the, King asked him if he were .writing anything. % He answered that he was not, for he had pretty well told the world what he knew, and must now read to acquire more knowledge. The King replied : " I do not think you borrow much from anybody." Then Johnson said he thought he had already done his part as a writer. " I should have thought so too, if you had not written so well," retored his Majesty. Johnson observed that "No man could have paid a handsomer compliment ; and it was fit for a king to pay." When someone asked him if he] made any reply to the King's speech, he answered : ." Sfr f when the King had said it, it was to be so. It was not for me to bandy civilities . with my sovereign." . , ■ In a conversation between George IV— when Prince Regent—and Sir Walter" Scott, the Prince, knowing the Jacobite tendency of the author of "Waverley," asked him if he would have joined the Jacobites. "It would bave been wretched taste, of me/ said Scott, when relating the anecdote to Thomas Moore, "to have said I would ; and I merely answered that I should at least have wanted one motive against doing so in not knowing bis Royal Highness." With all his faults Louis XIV knew bow to conduct himself as a great king; among bis other qualities he was, a master of the art of paying noble compliments,. On, one occasion he stood at the top of the grand staircase to receive .the heroic Conde after the battle of' Seneff (1674). The Prince, then in 51th year, v« as troubled with gout, and ascended the stairs slowly. When be had reached the top, he apologised for keeping his Majesty waiting so long. "My cousin," replied the, monarch, "make no apologies; one who is so laden with laurels at; you 'are cannot move quickly." — In an interview with the celebrated preacher Massillon, Louis remarked: "I have heard many great preachers, and the effect. they produced, on me was that I felt thoroughly satisfied. , with them* , Every time. l have heard you I bave been dissatisfied with myself."

Perhaps one of the grandest, compliments overpaid by one human being to another was that rendered by Nicholas,! the, tfmperor. of all the Russias to Mdlle Rachel, the celebrated Frenoh actress. J When she was introduced to him she knelt; but the Emperor raised her, and himself falling on one knee, said : " Thus should the royalty, of rank pay homage to the royalty, of genius,", : t There is another form of compliment, not so delicate t in quality,, as the foregoing,' though often very amusing, and which may be termed the hyperbolic. The exclamation, of the dustman to the, beautiful Duohess,of Devonshire ", is a oase in' point .f ' Lord love your grace," said the man ; '.'let me light my pipe , at your eyes,!'* Though bo different, still of the, same class are the following polished lines, said to t have been written by the father, of the late. Lord Palrqerston on presenting a white rose %o a' lady': ' If this fair roieoffead thy light, < Iton thyboßom.w«ar, < . - , Twill blueh. t» find Itielf Ims wbitft , t And torn umcutrißß there. ' ' ' Or If thy ruby lip it fc'p'yi At kin ifcthou ma'yßt deign, With envy pale 'fcvrJUlote iti dye,: ." And Yorkist turn again. , ,-. ; ,i . f r Compliments which express high approval by implication are especially noteworthy.. When the great Duke of Wellington said. "He always slept well when Stapleton Cotton was on guard,", he paid a sterling! compliment, which must have gratified that officer— if he heard of it—as much asa promotion in rank wpuld have, done, i Sailors bave rathez a happy knack of saying pretty things to ladies. . We, remember long yearsjago spending a week at Plymouth in the company of a lady who was especially j enthusiastic, about maritime affairs. Ship*,, that is to say the great men-of-war, if not so redoubtable as they are at present, were certainly more beautiful, and we were enchanted with naval sights, and especially with going over the St. Vincent. We had established quite an acquaintance with the boatmen employed by us on various occasions, and these were delighted with the enthusiasm of our companion. One day, when helping her to step ashore, the more loquacious of the two men, exclaimed : " Ah, you ought, to be an admiral's lady I " Some time ago we were in Greenwich Park with a very beautiful American lady. It was the time when there were still many Greenwich pensioners to be seen lounging about, old men who remembered Nelson and talked of Trafalgar. Mutilated heroes they often were, who richly deserved the repose they had found. They always loved talking, and appreciated good listeners, and with one of them the fair American got into animated conversation. She listened well, but spoke . well, also, telling the pensioner what she was and many things about Amerioa. After the good-bye had been said he looked at her so. examiningly that she could not but pause a moment by the gate. Then the old sailor said, as if. he bad just made a discovery: " They've sent you over for a show ; they are not all like you." At which we laughed and hurried off.

A little absurdity about a compliment often gives it point. A Spanish lover is reported to have said to his mistress : " Lend me your eyes ; I want to-night to kill a man." Mrs Moore, the wife of the poet, was noted for her benevolence . to the poor in the vicinity of their oountry residence. On one occasion . a guest observed : " I take it for granted that no one is dying in our neigh* bourhood, or we should not be favoured with Mrs Moore's company."

Not long ago, when a brief matrimonial engagement was broken off, a near relation of the gentleman, one who fully appreciated the high qualities of her from whom the sometime lover was sundered, said to the young lady : " You have only lost an ideal ; Jie has lost a reality." A very sweet compliment this, under the circumstances, it seems to us.

One more little anecdote -we will give, and it is a husband's compliment to his wife. They were visitors for a few da>s at a country house, and on being shown into their rooms, the lady, who was nearer 40 years of age than 30, prepared to take off her bonnet. Now, bo it observed, that the lookingfkssea fary- sqcy> mrjcb, in quality; «ome

distort, and some flatter the countenance. These different qualities in glass-making are I no new things, for we may remember that 1 when Queen Elizabeth was dying she 'asked fora true glass, into whioh she bad not allowed herself to look for 20 years. The glass that was on the dressing table, on the occasion to which we refer was a delightful one— that is to say, a " flattering" one, and as the lady saw herself reflected in it she merrily exclaimed : " Ob, what a charming glass I I look about 18 in it." " It is just like my .eyes, then," the husband promptly replied, On tbe whole, we think that well-expressed, well-applied compliments bave their uses, and that society would be very dull and lite very bleak without them* — Chambers' Journal.