ain that their lovers
do not come up to the mark do not affect me in the least. Inquire into
the reason, and you will perceive that their stupidities, their
imprudences are the cause. It was their desire to be found wanting.

Defect in culture may expose us to the same inconveniences, for with a
woman without mind, and without talents what else is there to do but
undertake her conquest? When in her company, the only way to kill
time is to annoy her. There is nothing to talk about but her beauty,
and of the impression she has made upon the senses, and sensual
language is the only one that can be employed for that purpose. She
herself is not convinced that you love her, and she does not respond,
she does not recompense you but by the assistance of the senses, and
exhibits an agitation equal to yours, or else, her decency gone, she
has nothing but bad humor with which to oppose you. This is the last
ditch of a woman without mind, and what a culmination! On the
contrary, what are not the advantages of an intelligent, resourceful
woman? A lively repartee, piquant raillery, a quarrel seasoned with a
trifle of malice, a happy citation, a graceful recitation, are not
these so many distractions for her, and the time thus employed, is it
not so much gained for virtue?

The great misfortune with women is, without doubt, the inability to
find occupations worthy of their attention, and this is the reason why
love with them is a more violent passion than with men, but they have
a characteristic which, properly directed may serve as an antidote.
All women, to say the least, are as vain as they are sensitive,
whence, the cure for sensitiveness is vanity. While a woman is
occupied in pleasing in other ways than by the beauty of her figure,
she loses sight of the sentiment which inspires her to act. In truth,
this sentiment will not cease to be the "determining motive" (you must
permit me to use some technical term of art), but it will not be the
actual object presented to her attention, and that is something
gained. Wholly devoted to the care of becoming perfect in the species
of glory to which she aspires, this same desire, of which love will be
the source, will turn against love, by dividing the attention of the
mind and the affections of the heart; in a word it will create a
diversion.

But perhaps you will tell me that there are women of spirit and
talents beyond the reach of attack. Whence you infer that men who do
not dislike