is not better than her feet, it is no great matter. What stories have I
heard of her sluttishness! No cat ever dreaded water so much as she
does: fie upon her! Never to wash for her own comfort, and only to
attend to those parts which must necessarily be seen, such as the neck
and hands."

Miss Temple swallowed all this with even greater pleasure than the
sweetmeats; and the officious Hobart, not to lose time, was helping her
off with her clothes, while the chambermaid was coming. She made some
objections to this at first, being unwilling to occasion that trouble to
a person, who, like Miss Hobart, had been advanced to a place of dignity;
but she was overruled by her, and assured that it was with the greatest
pleasure she showed her that small mark of civility. The collation being
finished, and Miss Temple undressed: "Let us retire," said Miss Hobart,
"to the bathing closet, where we may enjoy a little conversation secure
from any impertinent visit." Miss Temple consented, and both of them
sitting down on a couch: "You are too young, my dear Temple," said she,
"to know the baseness of men in general, and too short a time acquainted
with the court to know the character of its inhabitants. I will give you
a short sketch of the principal persons, to the best of my knowledge,
without injury to any one; for I abominate the trade of scandal.

"In the first place, then, you ought to set it down as an undoubted fact
that all courtiers are deficient either in honesty, good sense, judgment,
wit, or sincerity; that is to say, if any of them by chance possess some
one of these qualities, you may depend upon it he is defective in the
rest: sumptuous in their equipages, deep play, a great opinion of their
own merit, and contempt of that of others, are their chief
characteristics.