simple mankind are," said she, "or however afraid they are of
death, they prefer dying in a regular manner to being cured by a
nostrum." She then expressed great pleasure at the account I
gave her of the beau monde. She said she had herself removed the
hundreds of Drury to the hundreds of Charing-cross, and was very
much delighted to find they had spread into St. James's; that
she imputed this chiefly to several of her dear and worthy
friends, who had lately published their excellent works,
endeavoring to extirpate all notions of religion and virtue; and
particularly to the deserving author of the Bachelor's Estimate;
"to whom," said she, "if I had not reason to think he was a
surgeon, and had therefore written from mercenary views, I could
never sufficiently own my obligations." She spoke likewise
greatly in approbation of the method, so generally used by
parents, of marrying children very young, and without the least
affection between the parties; and concluded by saying that, if
these fashions continued to spread, she doubted not but she
should shortly be the only disease who would ever receive a visit
from any person of considerable rank.

While we were discoursing her three daughters entered the room.
They were all called by hard names; the eldest was named Lepra,
the second Chaeras, and the third Scorbutia.[8] They were all
genteel, but ugly. I could not help observing the little respect
they paid their parent, which the old lady remarking in my
countenance, as soon as they quitted the room, which soon
happened, acquainted me with her unhappiness in her offspring,
every one of which had the confidence to deny themselves to be
her children, though she said she had been a very indulgent
mother and had plentifully provided for them all. As family