BOOK I PART III
that latter faculty, and to observe that they be-
stow on the ideas they present to us a force su-
perior to what attends any other. Every one
knows, there is an indirect manner of insinuat-
ing praise or blame, which is much less shock-
ing than the open flattery or censure of any per-
son. However he may communicate his senti-
ments by such secret insinuations, and make
them known with equal certainty as by the
open discovery of them, it is certain that their
influence is not equally strong and powerful.
One who lashes me with concealed strokes of
satire, moves not my indignation to such a de-
gree, as if he flatly told me I was a fool and cox-
comb; though I equally understand his mean-
ing, as if he did. This difference is to be at-
tributed to the influence of general rules.
Whether a person openly, abuses me, or slyly