Page:Life of Sir William Petty 1623 – 1687.djvu/325

 after he comes home. Wee do not hope he shall make an interest with the great men abroade; but are content if he know their persons and can talk of them, and have their names in his album.'

To Sir Robert's regret, Charles appears to have inherited the faculty of imitation from his father, for Sir William, who had been evidently again put on his defence, continues as follows: 'As for the mimicall faculty I say that it was never planted by me, but one of the weeds mentioned in my former letters, and which I want pulled up by the roots. I never sent him to the Playhouse to be instructed in either tragic or comicall Recitations or Acting; nor is he a frequent spectator there, but when he is, he doth oftener offer to correct, than to applaud their performances. I doe neither indulge him in it, nor doth he value himself upon it; tho' I am much pleased 1. that he discerneth the persons who are fit matter for the stage.2. That he readily picks out the genius, words, action, voice and tone, of any mimicable man, and can turne them to sample them.3. That when he sees anything written, he can without art or industry, but by nature and instinct, adapt an action, speech, voice and tone, suitable to the matter and shape thereof.5. That he can execute a just and judicious punishment and revenge on his enemies by this faculty.6. Make himself loved by women, feared by men, at once.

'N.B.—He is taught to be careful in ridiculing nations, great posts of men, and coxcombs in commission, without a stake proportionable to the hazard thereof; and must prepare himself to justify by the sword what he justly does in this way. His sister hath a dash of the same.'

'Your Godson Charles,' he tells Southwell, 'grows like a weede without much culture or help of the gardiners. Perhaps it may be never the worse, for the race will not be to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. Nor will favour go to the men of skill, or bread to the men of understanding.' 'Henry,' he says, 'is more for the bar than the stage. His talent is in stating arguments impromptu, pro and contra, for every thing he meets with. In short I lett