Reflection.
A frank, easy way of openness and candour agrees best with all humours; and he that is over solicitous to conceal a defect, often does as good as make proclamation of it. And it is a turn of art in many cases, where a man lies open to ridicule, to anticipate the jest, and make sport with himself first.
The epigram of Martial upon a lady, who, in a case in point, was for hiding a defect like that of the bald Knight, and made use of false hair, carries with it the severer sting, as she was willing and studious to conceal it. The Poet, made English, says:—
The golden hair that Galla wears
Is hers: who would have thought it?
She swears ’tis hers—and true she swears,
For I know where she bought it.
