roved, to those who had any
penetration, that it was his prevailing weakness, and they applied to it
with success."[8] And Lord Hervey reports that the Queen remarked of
Walpole's mistress, "dear Molly Skerritt": "She must be a clever
gentlewoman to have made him believe she cares for him on any other
score [but his money]; and to show you what fools we all are in some
point or other, she has certainly told him some fine story or other of
her love and her passion, and that poor man--_avec ce gros corps, ces
jambes enflees, et ce vilain ventre_--believes her. Ah! what is human
nature!"[9]

With this sketch of Walpole compare the account of Ochihatou, Prime
Minister of Hypotofa. "This great Man was born of a mean Extraction, and
so deformed in his own Person, that not even his own Parents cou'd look
on him with Satisfaction.... As he was extremely amorous, and had so
little in him to inspire the tender Passion, the first Proof he gave of
his Art, was to ... cast such a Delusion before the Eyes of all who saw
him, that he appeared to them such as he wished to be, a most comely and
graceful Man.

"With this Advantage, join'd to the most soothing and insinuating
Behaviour, he came to Court, and, by his Artifices, so wound himself
into the Favour of some great Officers, that he was not long without
being put into a considerable Post. This he discharged so well, that he
was soon promoted to a better, and at length to those of the highest
Trust and Honour in the Kingdom. But that which was most remarkable in
him, and very much contributed to endear him to all Sorts of People, was
that his Elevation did not seem to have made the least Change in his
Sentiments. His natural Pride, his Lust, his exorbitant Ambition, were
disguised under the Appearance of Sweetness of Disposition, Chastity,
and even more Condescension, than was consistent with the Rank he then
possest. By this Behaviour, he render'd himself so far from exciting
Envy, that those, by whose Recommendation he had obtained what he
enjoy'd, and with some of whom he was now on more than an Equality,
wish'd rather to see an Augmentation, than Diminution of a Power he so
well knew to use; and so successful was his Hypocrisy, that the most
Discerning saw not into his Designs, till he found means to accomplish
them, to the almost total Ruin of both King and People."[10] Ochihatou
worms his way into the favor of the king, and after gaining complete
ascendancy over his royal m