duke, his brother, the care of tutoring the duchess's maids of honour,
and only to attend to the management of his own flock, unless his majesty
would in return allow her to listen to certain proposals of a settlement
which she did not think disadvantageous. This menace being of a serious
nature, the king obeyed; and Miss Jennings had all the additional honour
which arose from this adventure: it both added to her reputation, and
increased the number of her admirers. Thus she continued to triumph over
the liberties of others without ever losing her own: her hour was not yet
come, but it was not far distant; the particulars of which we shall
relate as soon as we have given some account of the conduct of her
companion.
Though Miss Temple's person was particularly engaging, it was
nevertheless eclipsed by that of Miss Jennings; but she was still more
excelled by the other's superior mental accomplishments. Two persons,
very capable to impart understanding, had the gift been communicable,
undertook at the same time to rob her of the little she really possessed:
these were Lord Rochester and Miss Hobart: the first began to mislead her
by reading to her all his compositions, as if she alone had been a proper
judge of them. He never thought proper to flatter her upon her personal
accomplishments; but told her that if heaven had made him susceptible of
the impressions of beauty, it would not have been possible for him to
have escaped her chains; but not being, thank God, affected with anything
but wit, he had the happiness of enjoying the most agreeable conversation
in the world without running any risk. After so sincere a confession he
either presented to her a copy of verses, or a new song, in which whoever
dared to come in competition in any respect with Miss Temple was laid
prostrate before her charms, most humbly to solicit pardon: such
flattering insinuations so completely turned her head that it was
a pity to see her.
The duchess took notice of it, and well knowing the extent of both their
geniuses, she saw the precipice into which the poor girl was running
headlong without perceiving it; but as it is no less dangerous to forbid
a connection that is not yet thought of, than it is difficult to put an
end to one that is already well established, Miss Hobart was charged to
take care, with all possible discretion, that these frequent and long
conversations might not be attended with any dangerous consequences: with
pleasure she accepted the commission, and greatly flattered herself with
success.
She had already made all necessary advances to gain possession of her
confidence and friendship; and Miss Temple, less suspicious of her than
of Lord Rochester, made all imaginable returns. She was greedy of
praise, and loved all manner of sweetmeats, as much as a child of nine or
ten years old: her taste was gratified in both these respects. Miss
Hobart having the superintendence of the duchess's baths, her apartment
joined them, in which there was a closet stored with all sorts of
sweetmeats and liqueurs: the closet suited Miss Temple's taste, as
exactly as it gratified Miss Hobart's inclination, to have something that
could allure her.
Summer, being now returned, brought back with it the pleasures and
diversions that are its inseparable attendants. One day, when the ladies
had been taking the air on horseback, Miss Temple, on her return from
riding, alighted at Miss Hobart's, in order to recover her fatigue at the
expense of the sweetmeats, which she knew were there at her service; but
before she began she desired Miss Hobart's permission to undress herself,
and change her linen in her apartment; which request was immediately
complied with: "I was just going to propose it to you," said Miss Hobart,
"not but that you are as charming as an angel in your riding habit; but
there is nothing so comfortable as a loose dress, and being at one's
ease: you cannot imagine, my dear Temple," continued she, embracing her,
"how much you oblige me by thus free unceremonious conduct; but, above
all, I am enchanted with your particular attention to cleanliness: how
greatly you differ in this, as in many other things, from that silly
creature Jennings! Have you remarked how all our court fops admire her
for her brilliant complexion, which perhaps, after all, is not wholly her
own; and for blunders, which are truly original, and which they are such
fools as to mistake for wit: I have not conversed with her long enough to
perceive in what her wit consists; but of this I am certain, that if it
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.
"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 persuaded that he can assign none, unless it
be her great red ears and broad feet. As for the pale Lady Yarborough,
who appeared so proud of her match, she is wife, to be sure, of a great
country bumpkin, who, the very week after their marriage, bid her take
her farewell of the town for ever, in consequence of five or six thousand
pounds a year he enjoys on the borders of Cornwall. Alas! poor Miss
Blague! I saw her go away about this time twelvemonth, in a coach with
four such lean horses, that I cannot believe she is yet half way to her
miserable little castle. What can be the matter! all the girls seem
afflicted with the rage of wedlock, and however small their portion of
charms may be, they think it only necessary to show themselves at court
in order to pick and choose their men: but was this in reality the case,
the being a wife is the most wretched condition imaginable for a person
of nice sentiments. Believe me, my dear Temple, the pleasures of
matrimony are so inconsiderable in comparison with its inconveniences,
that I cannot imagine how any reasonable creature can resolve upon it:
rather fly, therefore, from this irksome engagement than court it.
Jealousy, formerly a stranger to these happy isles, is now coming into
fashion, with many recent examples of which you are acquainted. However
brilliant the phantom may appear, suffer not yourself to be caught by its
splendour, and never be so weak as to transform your slave into your
tyrant: as long as you preserve your own liberty, you will be mistress of
that of others. I will relate to you a very recent proof of the perfidy
of man to our sex, and of the impunity they experience in all attempts
upon our innocence. The Earl of Oxford fell in love with a handsome,
graceful actress belonging to the duke's theatre, who performed to
perfection, particularly the part of Roxana, in a very fashionable new
play, insomuch that she ever after retained that name: this creature
being both very virtuous and very modest, or, if you please, wonderfully
obstinate, proudly rejected the addresses and presents of the Earl of
Oxford. This resistance inflamed his passion: he had recourse to
invectives, and even to spells; but all in vain. This disappointment had
such effect upon him that he could neither eat nor drink; this did not
signify to him; but his passion at length became so violent, that he
could neither play nor smoke. In this extremity love had recourse to
Hymen; the Earl of Oxford, one of the first peers of the realm, is, you
know, a very handsome man: he is of the order of the garter, which
greatly adds to an air naturally noble. In short, from his outward
appearance, you would suppose he was really possessed of some sense;
but as soon as ever you hear him speak, you are perfectly convinced of
the contrary. This passionate lover presented her with a promise of
marriage, in due form, signed with his own hand: she would not, however,
rely upon this, but the next day she thought there could be no danger,
when the earl himself came to her lodgings attended by a clergyman, and
another man for a witness: the marriage was accordingly solemnized with
all due ceremonies, in the presence of one of her fellow players, who
attended as a witness on her part. You will suppose, perhaps, that the
new countess had nothing to do but to appear at court according to her
rank, and to display the earl's arms upon her carriage. This was far
from being the case. When examination was made concerning the marriage,
it was found to be a mere deception: it appeared that the pretended
priest was one of my lord's trumpeters, and the witness his kettle
drummer. The parson and his companion never appeared after the ceremony
was over; and as for the other witness, they endeavoured to persuade her
that the Sultana Roxana might have supposed, in some part or other of a
play, that she was really married. It was all to no purpose, that the
poor creature claimed the protection of the laws of God and man, both
which were violated and abused, as well as herself, by this infamous
imposition: in vain did she throw herself at the King's feet to demand
justice: she had only to rise up again without redress; and happy might
she think herself to receive an annuity of one thousand crowns, and to
resume the name of Roxana, instead of Countess of Oxford. You will say,
perhaps, that she was only a player; that all men have not the same
sentiments as the earl; and, that one may at least believe them, when
they do but render justice to such merit as yours. But still do not
believe them, though I know you are liable to it, as you have admirers;
for all are not infatuated with Miss Jennings: the handsome Sydney ogles
you; Lord Rochester is delighted with your conversation; and the most
serious Sir Lyttleton forsakes his natural gravity in favour of your
charms. As for the first, I confess his figure is very likely to engage
the inclinations of a young person like yourself; but were his outward
form attended with other accomplishments, which I know it is not, and
that his sentiments in your favour were as real as he endeavours to
persuade you they are, and as you deserve, yet I would not advise you
to form any connections with him, for reasons which I cannot tell you
at present.
"Sir Lyttleton is undoubtedly in earnest, since he appears ashamed of the
condition to which you have reduced him; and I really believe if he could
get the better of those vulgar chimerical apprehensions, of being what is
vulgarly called a cuckold, the good man would marry you, and you would be
his representative in his little government, where you might merrily pass
your days in casting up the weekly bills of housekeeping, and in darning
old napkins. What a glory would it be to have a Cato for a husband,
whose speeches are as many lectures, and whose lectures are composed of
nothing but ill-nature and censure!
"Lord Rochester is, without contradiction, the most witty man in all
England; but then he is likewise the most unprincipled, and devoid even
of the least tincture of honour; he is dangerous to our sex alone; and
that to such a degree that there is not a woman who gives ear to him
three times, but she irretrievably loses her reputation. No woman can
escape him, for he has her in his writings, though his other attacks be
ineffectual; and in the age we live in, the one is as bad as the other in
the eye of the public. In the mean time nothing is more dangerous than
the artful insinuating manner with which he gains possession of the mind:
he applauds your taste, submits to your sentiments, and at the very
instant that he himself does not believe a single word of what he is
saying, he makes you believe it all. I dare lay a wager, that from the
conversation you have had with him, you thought him one of the most
honourable and sincerest men living; for my part I cannot imagine what he
means by the assiduity he pays you not but your accomplishments are
sufficient to excite the adoration and praise of the whole world; but had
he even been so fortunate as to have gained your affections, he would not
know what to do with the loveliest creature at court: for it is a long
time since his debauches have brought him to order, with the assistance
of the favours of all the common street-walkers. See then, my dear
Temple, what horrid malice possesses him, to the ruin and confusion of
innocence! A wretch! to have no other design in his addresses and
assiduities to Miss Temple, but to give a greater air of probability to
the calumnies with which he has loaded her. You look upon me with
astonishment, and seem to doubt the truth of what I advance; but I do not
desire you to believe me without evidence: 'Here,' said she, drawing a
paper out of her pocket, 'see what a copy of verses he has made in your
praise, while he lulls your credulity to rest, by flattering speeches and
feigned respect.'"
After saying this, the perfidious Hobart showed her half-a-dozen couplets
full of strained invective and scandal, which Rochester had made against
the former maids of honour. This severe and cutting lampoon was
principally levelled against Miss Price, whose person he took to pieces
in the most frightful and hideous manner imaginable. Miss Hobart had
substituted the name of Temple instead of Price, which she made to agree
both with the measure and tune of the song. This effectually answered
Hobart's intentions: the credulous Temple no sooner heard her sing the
lampoon, but she firmly believed it to be made upon herself; and in the
first transports of her rage, having nothing so much at heart as to give
the lie to the fictions of the poet: "Ah! as for this, my dear Hobart,"
said she, "I can bear it no longer: I do not pretend to be so handsome as
some others; but as for the defects that villain charges me with, I dare
say, my dear Hobart, there is no woman more free from them: we are alone,
and I am almost inclined to convince you by ocular demonstration." Miss
Hobart was too complaisant to oppose this motion; but, although she
soothed her mind by extolling all her beauties, in opposition to Lord
Rochester's song, Miss Temple was almost driven to distraction by rage
and astonishment, that the first man she ever attended to should, in his
conversation with her, not even make use of a single word of truth, but
that he should likewise have the unparalleled cruelty falsely to accuse
her of defects; and not being able to find words capable of expressing
her anger and resentment, she began to weep like a child.
Miss Hobart used all her endeavours to comfort her, and chid her for
being so much hurt with the invectives of a person whose scandalous
impostures were too well known to make any impression: she however
advised her never to speak to him any more, for that was the only method
to disappoint his designs; that contempt and silence were, on such
occasions, much preferable to any explanation, and that if he could
once obtain a hearing, he would be justified, but she would be ruined.
Miss Hobart was not wrong in giving her this counsel: she knew that an
explanation would betray her, and that there would be no quarter for her
if Lord Rochester had so fair an opportunity of renewing his former
panegyrics upon her; but her precaution was in vain: this conversation
had been heard from one end to the other, by the governess's niece, who
was blessed with a most faithful memory; and having that very day an
appointment with Lord Rochester, she conned it over three or four times,
that she might not forget one single word, when she should have the
honour of relating it to her lover. We shall show in the next chapter,
what were the consequences resulting from it.
ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:
Better to partake with another than to have nothing at all
How I must hate you, if I did not love you to distraction
So weak as to transform your slave into your tyrant
Terrible piece of furniture for the country (educated girl)
What a glory would it be to have a Cato for a husband