custom for every lady to have two husbands, one that bears the name, and another that performs the duties. And the engagements

are fo well known, that it would be a downright affront, and publickly resented, if you invited a woman of quality to dinner, without at the fame time, inviting her two attendants of lover and husband, between whom the fits in ftate with great gravity. The sub-marriages generally laft twenty years together, and the lady often commands the poor lover's estate, even to the utter ruin of his family. These connections, indeed, are as feldom begun by any real paffion, as other matches; for a man makes but an ill figure that is not in some commerce of this nature, and a woman looks out for a lover as foon as she is married as part of her equipage, without which she could not be genteel, and the first article of the treaty is establishing the penfion, which remains to the lady, in cafe the gallant should prove inconftant. This chargeable point of honour, I look upon as the real foundation of fo many wonderful inftances of con

ftancy.

ftancy. I really know feveral women of the first quality, whofe penfions are as well known as their annual rents, and yet no body esteems them the lefs; on the contrary, their discretion would be called in question if they should be fufpected to be mistresses for nothing. A great part of their emulation confifts in trying who shall get moft; and having no intrigue at all is fo far a difgrace, that I'll affure you, a lady who is very much my friend here, told me but yesterday, how much I was obliged to her for justifying my conduct in a converfation relating to me, where it was publickly afferted, that I could not poffibly have common fenfe, fince I had been in town above a fortnight, and had made no fteps towards commencing an mour. My friend pleaded for me, that my ftay was uncertain, and fhe believed that was the cause of my seeming stupidity, and this was all she could find to fay in my juftification." But one of the pleafanteft adventures I ever met in my life, was last night, and it will give you a juft idea, in what à delicate manner the

a

Belles

Belles Paffions are managed in this country. I was at the affembly of the Countess of

leading me down

and the young Count of ftairs, asked me how long I was to stay at Vienna; I made answer that my stay depended on the Emperor, and it was not in my power to determine it. Well, Madam, (said he) whether your time here is to be longer or fhorter, I think you ought to pass it agreeably, and to that end you must engage in a little affair of the heart.--My heart (answered I gravely enough) does not engage very easily, and I have no defign of parting with it. I fee, Madam, (faid he fighing) by the ill nature of that anfwer, I am not to hope for it, which is a great mortification to me that am charmed with you. But, however, I am ftill devoted to your fervice, and fince I am not worthy of entertaining you myself, do me the honour of letting me know, whom you like best amongst us, and I'll engage to manage the affair entirely to your fatisfaction. You may judge in what manner I fhould have received this compliment in my

own

own country; but I was well enough acquainted with the way of this, to know that he really intended me an obligation, and I thanked him with a very grave curtfey, for his zeal to ferve me, and only affured him, I had no occafion to make use of it. Thus you fee, my dear, that gallantry and good-breeding are as different, in different climates, as morality and religion. Who have the rightest notions of both, we fhall never know till the day of judgment, for which great day of eclairciffement, I own there little impatience in your, &c. &c.

is

very

LET.

LETTER XI.

To Mrs. J***.

Vienna, Sept. 26, O.S. 1716.

I WAS never more agreeably fur. prized than by your obliging letter. 'Tis a peculiar mark of my efteem that I tell you fo, and I can affure you, that if I loved you one grain less than I do, I should be very forry to see it fo diverting as it is. The mortal averfion I have to writing, makes me tremble at the thoughts of a new correfpondent, and I believe I disobliged no less than a dozen of my London acquaintance by refufing to hear from them, though I did verily think they intended to fend me very entertaining letters. But I had rather loose the pleasure of reading several witty things, than be forced to write many stupid ones. Yet in spite of these confiderations, I am charmed with the proof of your friendship, and beg a continuation of the fame goodness,