These persons may live free from debaucheries; they may be friends of religion, so far as to praise and speak well of it: but it cannot govern their hearts, and be the spirit of their actions, till they change their way of life.
For a woman that loves dress, that thinks no expence too great to bestow upon the adorning of her person, cannot stop there; for that temper draws a thousand other follies along with it, and will render the whole course of her life, her business, her conversation, her hopes, her fears, her taste, her pleasures and diversions, all suitable to it.
5. *Flavia and Miranda are two maiden sisters, that have each of them two hundred pounds a year: they buried their parents twenty years ago, and have since that time spent their estate as they pleased.
*Flavia has been the wonder of all her friends, for her excellent management, in making so surprizing a figure in so moderate a fortune. Several ladies that have twice her fortune, are not able to be always so genteel, and so constant at all places of pleasure and expence. She has every thing that is in the fashion, and is in every place where there is any diversion. Flavia is very orthodox; she talks warmly against heretics and schismatics, is generally at church, and often at the sacrament. She once commended a sermon that was against the vanity of dress, and thought it was very just against Lucinda, whom she takes to be a great deal finer than she need be. If any one asks Flavia to do some thing in charity, if she likes the person that makes the proposal, or happens to be in a right temper, she will toss him half a crown, or a crown; and tell him, if he knew what a long millener’s bill she had just received, he would think it a great deal for her to give. A quarter of a year after this, she hears a sermon upon the necessity of charity; she thinks the man preaches well; that it is a very proper subject; that people want much to be put in mind of it; but she applies nothing to herself, because she remembers that she gave a crown some time ago when she could so ill spare it.
6. As for poor people themselves, she will admit of no complaints from them: she is very positive they are all cheats and liars, and will say any thing to get relief; and therefore, it must be a sin to encourage them in their evil ways.
You would think Flavia had the tenderest conscience in the world, if you was to see how scrupulous she is of the guilt and danger of giving amiss.
7. She buys all books of wit and humour, and has made an expensive collection of all our English poets. For she says, one cannot have a true taste of any of them, without being conversant with them all.
She will sometimes read a book of piety, if it is a short one, if it is much commended for stile and language, and she can tell where to borrow it.
Flavia is very idle, and yet very fond of fine work. This makes her often sit working in bed until noon, and be told many a long story before she is up; so that I need not tell you her morning devotions are not always rightly performed.
Flavia would be a miracle of piety, if she was but half so careful of her soul as she is of her body. The rising of a pimple in her face, the sting of a gnat, will make her keep her room two or three days; and she thinks they are very rash people, that don’t take care of things in time. This makes her so over-careful of her health, that she never thinks she is well enough; and so over-indulgent, that she can never be really well. So that it costs her a great deal in sleeping-draughts and waking-draughts, in spirits for the head, in drops for the nerves, in cordials for the stomach, and in saffron for her tea.