’Tis one of the distinguishing Characters of an Englishman, to be intrepid in the Article of Death. We are forbid by Religion, to approve of that Contempt of Life; yet we can’t help admiring it in the Romans, from whom the English have, no doubt, derived the Practice of putting an End to their Days, when Life is a Burden to them. These Self-Murders are but too frequent here, and are committed by Persons of good Families, as well as by the Dregs of the People. I gave you an Instance in one of my Letters from Paris, of a certain Bookbinder and his Wife, who hang’d themselves at London, for fear of that Misery in Life which they thought unavoidable. I could give you other Instances as tragical, if I were not apprehensive, that such melancholy Catastrophes would give you Horror. Mean time you must agree with me in the Impossibility of accounting for such a strange odd Turn of Mind in these People; for in short, other Nations don’t seem by their Actions to have any more Religion than the English, and they are all equally sensible of Misfortunes; yet one rarely hears of a Foreigner makeing an Attempt upon himself. How come the English then to be so free with Life? Does it proceed
from a greater Sense of Courage, or of Cowardice?
A great many of ’em hang themselves purely for Love. I own to you, that if I were so forsaken by God, as to commit such a foolish Prank, it should be for an English Woman. They have, in my Opinion, such an Air of Modesty and Good-nature, and withal, such a bashful Simplicity, as charm me, and such tender languishing Eyes too, as tho’ not universally pleasing, yet captivate me to such a Degree, that if I was but twenty Years of Age, I should have gone very much astray. Most of the English Women are handsome; they have the finest Hair in the World, and are only obliged to pure Nature for the Beauty of their Complexions. ’Tis a Pleasure to see them blush. The frankest of ’em retain an Air of Modesty, which would persuade one, that they don’t affect to be wicked. They are commonly very richly dressed, but not altogether in the Taste of the French Ladies, which is the only Fault that I find with ’em. They seem to affect Dressing to their Disadvantage. Their Gowns so close before, with strait Sleeves, which don’t reach beyond the Elbow, make them look as if they had no Shoulders nor Breasts. And what is worse than all, they have broad flat Rumps to their Gowns, and Hoop-Petticoats, narrow at the Top, and monstrously wide at the Bottom. They are always laced, and ’tis as rare to see a Woman here without her Stays on, as it is to see one at Paris in a full Dress. I wish the English Ladies would take Pattern by the French a little more in their Dress; for in my Judgment, the Knots of Ribban in their Cornets, and a thousand Trinkets with which the latter set themselves off, are very becoming to the Sex. On the other hand, I should be glad, if the young Gentlemen did not imitate the French Air and
Dress so much as they do; but kept to the Manners of their own Country, which are more suitable to the Men. They say, that among the good Qualities of the Women here, they are equally susceptible themselves of the Passion of Love, which they are so apt to kindle in the Men. This is very good, and perfectly natural; for in my Opinion, nothing is so ill becoming to the Fair Sex as Hard-heartedness, the rather, because I believe ’tis possible for a Woman to be in Love, without abandoning Virtue.
The Ladies here have little to employ them; their Amusement being to give and receive Visits, to go often to Court, to have the Pleasure of being seen, which really is of all Pleasures that which they seem to take most Delight in. This is the Motive that carries them to the public Walks, Concerts, and Theatres; in all which Places they are mightily reserved, have but little Talk, and their chief Conversation is the Flutter of their Fans. I was one Day paying a Visit at a House where there was an Assembly of twenty Women, and not one Man besides myself: They look’d upon one another, but did not speak a Word. I may defy you to shew me any other Place where there’s a Score of Women in Company, and not one Tongue stirring. As for the rest, the Women here enjoy great Liberty. They turn out in a Morning, with a black velvet Mask on their Faces, a Coif on, in form of a Hat, with the Brims down, a round Gown, and a white Apron; and in this Trim they go to the Park, or whithersoever they please. They take the Air very much on Horseback. In short, they do what they have a Mind to. Mean time the Husbands are seldom of their Parties, and trouble themselves very little whither they go, being too much Philosophers, and of too good Sense,
to make their Honour dependent on the Virtue of their Wives, which at the same time, I verily believe, to be in less Danger here than elsewhere, it being not the Genius of the English, to take a great deal of Pains for an Amour; and I am persuaded, that Hercules’s Love for Omphale will never be equalled in this Country.
The Pleasures of this great City are of many and various Kinds; yet I have known Englishmen, at their Return from Paris, say, they thought London too dull a Place for ’em to live in. Others would argue with me, that there’s more Diversion at Rome. You know, Sir, what I have related to you, of the Pleasures both of Rome and Paris; and after I have given you an Account of those of London, such as they are, or may be taken, you shall be the Judge betwixt those Frenchify’d or Italianized Englishmen, and me.
A Man of Sense, a Scholar, a Devotee; in one Word, a Man, is never at a Loss here for suitable Company, and I defy him to meet with better on the other Side of the Herring-Pond: The irregular Man, or rather the Deboshee, has here his full Swing: And the fine Gentleman, whom I place in a Medium betwixt the two Extremes, has enough to regale his Appetite. As the Species of the latter, is the most prevailing, we will shew how he passes his Time: He rises late, puts on a Frock, (which is a close-body’d Coat, without Pockets or Plaits, and with strait Sleeves) and leaving his Sword at home, takes his Cane, and goes where he pleases. The Park is commonly the Place he walks to, because ’tis the Exchange for Men of Quality. There he has it at his Choice to make any Engagement whatsoever. Then he goes home to dress, and afterwards saunters to some Coffee-house, or Chocolate-house, frequented by the Person he would see; for ’tis a
sort of Rule with the English, to go, once a Day at least, to Houses of this Sort, where they talk of Business and News, read the Papers, and often look at one another, without opening their Lips; and ’tis very well they are so mute; for if they were as talkative as the People of many other Nations, the Coffee-houses would be intolerable, and there would be no hearing what one Man said, where there are so many. The Chocolate-house in St. James’s-street, whither I go every Morning, to pass away the Time, is always so full that a Man can scarce turn about in it. Here are Dukes, and other Peers, mixed with Gentlemen; and to be admitted, there needs nothing more than to dress like a Gentleman. At one o’Clock, they go to Court, to the King’s Levee, and from thence to the Queen’s Apartment, where is commonly a great Number of Ladies, very well dressed. At three o’Clock they all retire to their several Appointments. Dinners here are very expensive, and parties at Taverns very much in Fashion. At private Houses the Ladies retire as soon as Dinner is over, and the Men remain at the Table; upon which, the Cloth being taken off, the Footmen place a Bottle of Wine, or more, if all the Guests don’t drink the same Sort, with Glasses well rinsed, and then they withdraw, only one waits at the Beaufet. The Bottle now goes round; every one fills his Glass as he pleases, and drinks as much, or as little as he will; but they always drink too much, because they sit too long at it.
When the Company breaks up from Table, if it be fine Weather, they go out again for the Air, either in a Coach to Hide Park, where the Ring is, or else on Foot to St. James’s Park. In the Winter they make Visits till the Plays begin; but these Representations really deserve a separate Article, and you shall have it by-and-by at large. After