often in danger as they imagine, and that there are many male creatures
to whom they may safely shew politeness without being drawn into any
concessions inconsistent with the strictest honor. We are not half such
terrible animals as mammas, nurses, and novels represent us; and, if my
opinion is of any weight, I am inclin'd to believe those tremendous
men, who have designs on the whole sex, are, and ever were, characters
as fabulous as the giants of romance.

Women after twenty begin to know this, and therefore converse with
us on the footing of rational creatures, without either fearing or
expecting to find every man a lover.

To do the ladies justice however, I have seen the same absurdity in
my own sex, and have observed many a very good sort of man turn pale at
the politeness of an agreeable woman.

I lament this mistake, in both sexes, because it takes greatly from
the pleasure of mix'd society, the only society for which I have any
relish.

Don't, however, fancy that, because I dislike _the Misses_, I
have a taste for their grandmothers; there is a golden mean, Jack, of
which you seem to have no idea.

You are very ill inform'd as to the manners of the Indian ladies;
'tis in the bud alone these wild roses are accessible; liberal to
profusion of their charms before marriage, they are chastity itself
after: the moment they commence wives, they give up the very idea of
pleasing, and turn all their thoughts to the cares, and those not the
most delicate cares, of domestic life: laborious, hardy, active, they