son, 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.

"Interest or pleasure are the motives of all their actions: those who are
led by the first would sell God Almighty, as Judas sold his Master, and
that for less money. I could relate you a thousand noble instances of
this, if I had time. As for the sectaries of pleasure, or those who
pretend to be such, for they are not all so bad as they endeavour to make
themselves appear, these gentlemen pay no manner of regard either to
promises, oaths, law, or religion; that is to say, they are literally no
respecters of persons; they care neither for God nor man, if they can but
gain their ends. They look upon maids of honour only as amusements,
placed expressly at court for their entertainment; and the more merit any
one has, the more she is exposed to their impertinence, if she gives any
ear to them; and to their malicious calumnies, when she ceases to attend
to them. As for husbands, this is not the place to find them; for unless
money or caprice make up the match, there is but little hopes of being
married: virtue and beauty in this respect here are equally useless.
Lady Falmouth is the only instance of a maid of honour well married
without a portion; and if you were to ask her poor weak husband for what
reason he married her, I am