A FLATTERER

Is a dog that fawns when he bites. He hangs bells in a man's ears, as a

carman does by his horse while he lays a heavy load upon his back. His

insinuations are like strong wine, that pleases a man's palate till it

has got within him, and then deprives him of his reason and overthrows

him. His business is to render a man a stranger to himself, and get

between him and home, and then he carries him whither he pleases. He is

a spirit that inveighs away a man from himself, undertakes great matters

for him, and after sells him for a slave. He makes division not only

between a man and his friends, but between a man and himself, raises a

faction within him, and after takes part with the strongest side and

ruins both. He steals him away from himself (as the fairies are said to

do children in the cradle), and after changes him for a fool. He

whistles to him, as a carter does to his horse while he whips out his

eyes and makes him draw what he pleases. He finds out his humour and

feeds it, till it will come to hand, and then he leads him whither he

pleases. He tickles him, as they do trouts, until he lays hold on him,

and then devours and feeds upon him. He tickles his ears with a straw,

and while he is pleased with scratching it, picks his pocket, as the

cutpurse served Bartl. Cokes. He embraces him and hugs him in his arms,

and lifts him above ground, as wrestlers do, to throw him down again and

fall upon him. He possesses him with his own praises like an evil

spirit, that makes him swell and appear stronger than he was, talk what

he does not understand, and do things that he knows nothing of when he

comes to himself. He gives good words as doctors are said to give physic

when they are paid for it, and lawyers advice when they are fee'd

beforehand. He is a poisoned perfume that infects the brain and murders

those it pleases. He undermines a man, and blows him up with his own

praises to throw him down. He commends a man out of design, that he may

be presented with him and have him for his pains, according to the mode.

Character Writings of the Seventeenth Century · 第 385 / 429 题