"[A] little cunning is sufficient to enable us to take advantage of the discovery; for cunning attains its little ends more surely than wisdom; like the despicable mole which works its way through the greatest mountains, while the noble lion cannot penetrate one foot deep into the earth"
— Scott [née Robinson], Sarah (1720-1795)
Place of Publication
London
Publisher
Printed for A. Millar, [etc.]
Date
1766
Metaphor
"[A] little cunning is sufficient to enable us to take advantage of the discovery; for cunning attains its little ends more surely than wisdom; like the despicable mole which works its way through the greatest mountains, while the noble lion cannot penetrate one foot deep into the earth"
Metaphor in Context
A moderate portion of understanding suffices to discover the weaknesses even of people who are wiser than ourselves; and a little cunning is sufficient to enable us to take advantage of the discovery; for cunning attains its little ends more surely than wisdom; like the despicable mole which works its way through the greatest mountains, while the noble lion cannot penetrate one foot deep into the earth. On some creatures nature has bestowed strength, courage, and wisdom, on others fangs and claws; among these I rank the cunning of our own species, who seldom fail of biting and scratching out their way by means so low and despicable, that the[Page 52] nobler part of mankind, neither see nor suspect their aim. Had Mrs. Ellison openly shewn an intention of enslaving her husband, she would have found him better acquainted with the relative duties of matrimony, than to have submitted to a disgraceful and unnatural yoke. But on their first marriage, she restrained only with silken threads; the fetters were forged by degrees. By the little endearments of excessive fondness, she would bring him to compliance, when he raised objections from convenience, or politeness; and unwilling to appear insensible to so much tenderness, he would sometimes delay business, and break appointments. Every compliance of this sort rendered her applications more frequent, and if he shewed much reluctance, plaintive, affectionate reproaches of want of love, strengthened the request. Every conquest more fully convinced her of his weakness; she perceived that his greatest fear was to give pain; that he could not bear without [Page 53] severe pangs to be the cause of uneasiness to any person; but above all, to one who was rendered susceptible of it, chiefly by her love for him. Against this, therefore, as the most pregnable part of the fortress, she erected her battery of sighs, tears, caresses, and reproaches, which she played off with great art, and equal success. She became however, so lavish in the use of them, that Mr. Ellison at length saw reason to suspect there was more of policy than love in her behaviour; but before he conceived this suspicion, she had brought him to a habit of compliance, which he could not shake off without a stronger effort, than the gentleness of his nature would suffer him to exert. He was naturally passionate, his emotions were quick and violent, but soon over; a perfect knowledge of this failing in his temper, kept him so much on his guard, that it seldom broke out; and the fear of not being able to restrain his anger within proper bounds, if he indulged the smallest [Page 54]expression of it, made him pretend blindness to many things which he would otherwise have reproved; lest warmth of temper might lead him to say more than he thought right. This laudable delicacy assisted Mrs. Ellison's views; he bore much perverseness from the fear of becoming in the wrong, if he gave himself liberty to repent; and if at any time she had (what she soon learnt to esteem) the good fortune to teize him past his patience, she was sure of carrying every point for some time after; for the concern he felt, at having broken into angry expressions, against the woman whose affection had led her generously to put herself and so large a fortune into his power, (for in this light he saw her marrying him) and who therefore had a just title to his gratitude, as well as his protection, made him seek every means of making reparation for what he thought injurious treatment; though every other person would have considered it only as a necessary exertion [Page 55] of spirit, and must have wondered at his patience in not carrying his resentment farther. Mrs. Ellison was so sensible of the advantages these sudden sallies gave her, that whenever she had a point to carry, which she knew was extremely contrary to his inclination, she would contrive to teize him beyond the power of human patience to support without resentment, herself preserving such an air of calmness and moderation as well becomes her sex.
Categories
Provenance
Searching "mole" in HDIS (Prose)
Date of Entry
05/22/2006
