AS we have placed before the young ladies so many specimens of young
gentlemen, and have also in the dedication of this volume given them to
understand how much we reverence and admire their numerous virtues and
perfections; as we have given them such strong reasons to treat us with
confidence, and to banish, in our case, all that reserve and distrust of
the male sex which, as a point of general behaviour, they cannot do
better than preserve and maintain—we say, as we have done all this, we
feel that now, when we have arrived at the close of our task, they may
naturally press upon us the inquiry, what particular description of young
gentlemen we can conscientiously recommend.
Here we are at a loss. We look over our list, and can neither recommend
the bashful young gentleman, nor the out-and-out young gentleman, nor the
very friendly young gentleman, nor the military young gentleman, nor the
political young gentleman, nor the domestic young gentleman, nor the
censorious young gentleman, nor the funny young gentleman, nor the
theatrical young gentleman, nor the poetical young gentleman, nor the
throwing-off young gentleman, nor the young ladies’ young gentleman.
As there are some good points about many of them, which still are not
sufficiently numerous to render any one among them eligible, as a whole,
our respectful advice to the young ladies is, to seek for a young
gentleman who unites in himself the best qualities of all, and the worst
weaknesses of none, and to lead him forthwith to the hymeneal altar,
whether he will or no. And to the young lady who secures him, we beg to
tender one short fragment of matrimonial advice, selected from many sound
passages of a similar tendency, to be found in a letter written by Dean
Swift to a young lady on her marriage.
‘The grand affair of your life will be, to gain and preserve the esteem
of your husband. Neither good-nature nor virtue will suffer him to
_esteem_ you against his judgment; and although he is not capable of
using you ill, yet you will in time grow a thing indifferent and perhaps
contemptible; unless you can supply the loss of youth and beauty with
more durable qualities. You have but a very few years to be young and
handsome in the eyes of the world; and as few months to be so in the eyes
of a husband who is not a fool; for I hope you do not still dream of
charms and raptures, which marriage ever did, and ever will, put a sudden
end to.’
From the anxiety we express for the proper behaviour of the fortunate
lady after marriage, it may possibly be inferred that the young gentleman
to whom we have so delicately alluded, is no other than ourself. Without
in any way committing ourself upon this point, we have merely to observe,
that we are ready to receive sealed offers containing a full
specification of age, temper, appearance, and condition; but we beg it to
be distinctly understood that we do not pledge ourself to accept the
highest bidder.
These offers may be forwarded to the Publishers, Messrs. Chapman and
Hall, London; to whom all pieces of plate and other testimonials of
approbation from the young ladies generally, are respectfully requested
to be addressed.