e, who thought herself
as much honoured by it as her aunt thought herself obliged by the care
she took of the young girl.

It was not long before the report, whether true or false, of this
singularity, spread through the whole court, where people, being yet so
uncivilized as never to have heard of that kind of refinement in love
of ancient Greece, imagined that the illustrious Hobart, who seemed so
particularly attached to the fair sex, was in reality something more
than she appeared to be.

Satirical ballads soon began to compliment her upon these new
attributes; and upon the insinuations that were therein made, her
companions began to fear her. The governess, alarmed at these reports,
consulted Lord Rochester upon the danger to which her niece was exposed.
She could not have applied to a fitter person: he immediately advised
her to take her niece out of the hands of Miss Hobart; and contrived
matters so well that she fell into his own. The duchess, who had too
much generosity not to treat as visionary what was imputed to Miss
Hobart, and too much justice to condemn her upon the faith of lampoons,
removed her from the society of the maids of honour, to be an attendant
upon her own person.

Miss Bagot was the only one who was really possessed of virtue and
beauty among these maids of honour: she had beautiful and regular
features, and that sort of brown complexion, which, when in perfection,
is so particularly fascinating, and more especially in England, where it
is uncommon. There was an involuntary blush almost continually upon her
cheek, without having anything to blush for. Lord Falmouth cast his eyes
upon her: his addresses were better received than those of Miss Hobart,
and some time after Cupid raised her from the post of maid of honour
to the duchess to a rank which might have been envied by all the young
ladies in England.

The Duchess of York, in order to form her new court, resolved to see all
the young persons that offered themselves, and, without any regard to
recommendations, to choose none but the handsomest.

At the head of this new assembly appeared Miss Jennings and Miss Temple;
and indeed they so entirely eclipsed the other two, that we shall speak
of them only.

Miss Jennings, adorned with all the blooming treasures of youth, had the
fairest and brightest complexion that ever was seen: her hair was of
a most beauteous flaxen: there was something particularly lively and
animated in her counten