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anticipates　a　〃coffin'd　doom；〃　and　utters　his　profoundly　pathetic

cry　〃for　restful　death。〃



It　might　naturally　be　supposed　that　Shakspeare's　profession　of　an

actor；　and　his　repeated　appearances　in　public；　would　speedily

overcome　his　shyness；　did　such　exist。　But　inborn　shyness；　when

strong；　is　not　so　easily　conquered。　（11）　　Who　could　have　believed

that　the　late　Charles　Mathews；　who　entertained　crowded　houses

night　after　night；　was　naturally　one　of　the　shyest　of　men？　　He

would　even　make　long　circuits　（lame　though　he　was）　along　the

byelanes　of　London　to　avoid　recognition。　　His　wife　says　of　him；

that　he　looked　〃sheepish〃　and　confused　if　recognised；　and　that　his

eyes　would　fall；　and　his　colour　would　mount；　if　he　heard　his　name

even　whispered　in　passing　along　the　streets。　（12）



Nor　would　it　at　first　sight　have　been　supposed　that　Lord　Byron　was

affected　with　shyness；　and　yet　he　was　a　victim　to　it；　his

biographer　relating　that；　while　on　a　visit　to　Mrs。　Pigot；　at

Southwell；　when　he　saw　strangers　approaching；　he　would　instantly

jump　out　of　the　window；　and　escape　on　to　the　lawn　to　avoid　them。



But　a　still　more　recent　and　striking　instance　is　that　of　the　late

Archbishop　Whately；　who；　in　the　early　part　of　his　life；　was

painfully　oppressed　by　the　sense　of　shyness。　　When　at　Oxford；　his

white　rough　coat　and　white　hat　obtained　for　him　the　soubriquet　of

〃The　White　Bear；〃　and　his　manners；　according　to　his　own　account　of

himself；　corresponded　with　the　appellation。　　He　was　directed；　by

way　of　remedy；　to　copy　the　example　of　the　best…mannered　men　he　met

in　society；　but　the　attempt　to　do　this　only　increased　his　shyness；

and　he　failed。　　He　found　that　he　was　all　the　while　thinking　of

himself；　rather　than　of　others；　whereas　thinking　of　others；　rather

than　of　one's　self；　is　of　the　true　essence　of　politeness。



Finding　that　he　was　making　no　progress；　Whately　was　driven　to

utter　despair；　and　then　he　said　to　himself：　〃Why　should　I　endure

this　torture　all　my　life　to　no　purpose？　I　would　bear　it　still　if

there　was　any　success　to　be　hoped　for；　but　since　there　is　not；　I

will　die　quietly；　without　taking　any　more　doses。　　I　have　tried　my

very　utmost；　and　find　that　I　must　be　as　awkward　as　a　bear　all　my

life；　in　spite　of　it。　　I　will　endeavour　to　think　as　little　about

it　as　a　bear；　and　make　up　my　mind　to　endure　what　can't　be　cured。〃

From　this　time　forth　he　struggled　to　shake　off　all　consciousness

as　to　manner；　and　to　disregard　censure　as　much　as　possible。　　In

adopting　this　course；　he　says：　〃I　succeeded　beyond　my

expectations；　for　I　not　only　got　rid　of　the　personal　suffering　of

shyness；　but　also　of　most　of　those　faults　of　manner　which

consciousness　produces；　and　acquired　at　once　an　easy　and　natural

mannercareless；　indeed；　in　the　extreme；　from　its　originating　in

a　stern　defiance　of　opinion；　which　I　had　convinced　myself　must　be

ever　against　me；　rough　and　awkward；　for　smoothness　and　grace　are

quite　out　of　my　way；　and；　of　course；　tutorially　pedantic；　but

unconscious；　and　therefore　giving　expression　to　that　goodwill

towards　men　which　I　really　feel；　and　these；　I　believe；　are

the　main　points。〃　（13）



Washington；　who　was　an　Englishman　in　his　lineage；　was　also　one　in

his　shyness。　　He　is　described　incidentally　by　Mr。　Josiah　Quincy；

as　〃a　little　stiff　in　his　person；　not　a　little　formal　in　his

manner；　and　not　particularly　at　ease　in　the　presence　of　strangers。

He　had　the　air　of　a　country　gentleman　not　accustomed　to　mix　much

in　society；　perfectly　polite；　but　not　easy　in　his　address　and

conversation；　and　not　graceful　in　his　movements。〃



Although　we　are　not　accustomed　to　think　of　modern　Americans　as

shy；　the　most　distinguished　American　author　of　our　time　was

probably　the　shyest　of　men。　　Nathaniel　Hawthorne　was　shy　to　the

extent　of　morbidity。　　We　have　observed　him；　when　a　stranger

entered　the　room　where　he　was；　turn　his　back　for　the　purpose　of

avoiding　recognition。　　And　yet；　when　the　crust　of　his　shyness　was

broken；　no　man　could　be　more　cordial　and　genial　than　Hawthorne。



We　observe　a　remark　in　one　of　Hawthorne's　lately…published

'Notebooks；'　（14）　that　on　one　occasion　he　met　Mr。　Helps　in　society；

and　found　him　〃cold。〃　　And　doubtless　Mr。　Helps　thought　the　same　of

him。　　It　was　only　the　case　of　two　shy　men　meeting；　each　thinking

the　other　stiff　and　reserved；　and　parting　before　their　mutual　film

of　shyness　had　been　removed　by　a　little　friendly　intercourse。

Before　pronouncing　a　hasty　judgment　in　such　cases；　it　would　be

well　to　bear　in　mind　the　motto　of　Helvetius；　which　Bentham　says

proved　such　a　real　treasure　to　him：　〃POUR　AIMER　LES　HOMMES；　IL

FAUT　ATTENDRE　PEU。〃



We　have　thus　far　spoken　of　shyness　as　a　defect。　　But　there　is

another　way　of　looking　at　it；　for　even　shyness　has　its　bright

side；　and　contains　an　element　of　good。　　Shy　men　and　shy　races　are

ungraceful　and　undemonstrative；　because；　as　regards　society　at

large；　they　are　comparatively　unsociable。　　They　do　not　possess

those　elegances　of　manner；　acquired　by　free　intercourse；　which

distinguish　the　social　races；　because　their　tendency　is　to　shun

society　rather　than　to　seek　it。　　They　are　shy　in　the　presence　of

strangers；　and　shy　even　in　their　own　families。　　They　hide　their

affections　under　a　robe　of　reserve；　and　when　they　do　give　way　to

their　feelings；　it　is　only　in　some　very　hidden　inner…chamber。　　And

yet　the　feelings　ARE　there；　and　not　the　less　healthy　and　genuine

that　they　are　not　made　the　subject　of　exhibition　to　others。



It　was　not　a　little　characteristic　of　the　ancient　Germans；　that

the　more　social　and　demonstrative　peoples　by　whom　they　were

surrounded　should　have　characterised　them　as　the　NIEMEC；　or　Dumb

men。　　And　the　same　designation　might　equally　apply　to　the　modern

English；　as　compared；　for　example；　with　their　nimbler；　more

communicative　and　vocal；　and　in　all　respects　more　social

neighbours；　the　modern　French　and　Irish。



But　there　is　one　characteristic　which　marks　the　English　people；　as

it　did　the　races　from　which　they　have　mainly　sprung；　and　that　is

their　intense　love　of　Home。　　Give　the　Englishman　a　home；　and　he　is

comparatively　indifferent　to　society。　　For　the　sake　of　a　holding

which　he　can　call　his　own；　he　will　cross　the　seas；　plant　himself

on　the　prairie　or　amidst　the　primeval　forest；　and　make　for　himself

a　home。　　The　solitude　of　the　wilderness　has　no　fears　for　him；　the

society　of　his　wife　and　family　is　sufficient；　and　he　cares　for　no

other。　　Hence　it　is　that　the　people　of　Germanic　origin；　from　whom

the　English　and　Americans　have　alike　sprung；　make　the　best　of

colonizers；　and　are　now　rapidly　extending　themselves　as　emigrants

and　settlers　in　all　parts　of　the　habitable　globe。



The　French　have　never　made　any　progress　as　colonizers；　mainly

because　of　their　intense　social　instinctsthe　secret　of　their

graces　of　manner；and　because　they　can　never　forget　that　they

are　Frenchmen。　（15）　　It　seemed　at　one　time　within　the　limits　of

probability　that　the　French　would　occupy　the　greater　part　of　the

North　American　continent。　　From　Lower　Canada　their　line　of　forts

extended　up　the　St。　Lawrence；　and　from　Fond　du　Lac　on　Lake

Superior；　along　the　River　St。　Croix；　all　down　the　Mississippi；　to

its　mouth　at　New　Orleans。　　But　the　great；　self…reliant；

industrious　〃Niemec；〃　from　a　fringe　of　settlements　along　the

seacoast；　silently　extended　westward；　settling　and　planting

themselves　everywhere　solidly　upon　the　soil；　and　nearly　all　that

now　remains　of　the　original　French　occupation　of　America；　is　the

French　colony　of　Acadia；　in　Lower　Canada。



And　even　there　we　find　one　of　the　most　striking　illustrations　of

that　intense　sociability　of　the　French　which　keeps　them　together；

and　prevents　their　spreading　over　and　planting　themselves　firmly

in　a　new　country；　as　it　is　the　instinct　of　the　men　of　Teutonic

race　to　do。　　While；　in　Upper　Canada；　the　colonists　of　English　and

Scotch　descent　penetrate　the　forest　and　the　wilderness；　each

settler　living；　it　may　be；　miles　apart　from　his　nearest　neighbour；

the　Lower　Canadians　of　French　descent　continue　clustered　together

in　villages；　usually　consisting　of　a　line　of　houses　on　either　side

of　the　road；　behind　which　extend　their　long　strips　of　farm…land；

divided　and　subdivided　to　an　extreme　tenuity。　　They　willingly

submit　to　all　the　inconveniences　of　this　method　of　farming　for　the

sake　of　each　other's　society；　rather　than　betake　themselves　to　the

solitary　backwoods；　as　English；　Germans；　and　Americans　so　readily

do。　　Indeed；　not　only　does　the　American　backwoodsman　become

accustomed　to　solitude；　but　he　prefers　it。　　And　in　the　Western

States；　when　settlers　come　too　near　him；　and　the　country　seems　to

become　〃overcrowded；〃　he　retreats　before　the　advance　of　society；

and；　packing　up　his　〃things〃　in　a　waggon；　he　sets　out　cheerfully；

with　his　wife　and　family；　to　found　for　himself　a　new　home　in

the　Far　West。



Thus　the　Teuton；　because　of　his　very　shyness；　is　the　true

colonizer。　　English；　Scotch；