society, founded on no more solid basis than the unmeaning attentions he has himself beheld without alarm or censure. He recalls to mind every incident, however trivial, connected with her general demeanour; and none of them are now viewed impartially.

Influenced by his irritated vanity, he has already prejudged and condemned her; without any proof, save the slander of a newspaper, confirmed, perhaps, by an indelicate and injudicious appeal to his domestics, who have drawn their conclusions from the same source.

These very domestics, who had never attached an idea of culpability to her conduct until they had read the flagrant statements of it, now become spies, curious to satisfy themselves of the existence of the guilt they imagine.

Her looks, words, and actions, are narrowly watched. Every note received, every male visitor admitted, becomes, to their jaundiced

optics, presumptive conviction; so that, when questioned on the subject, they report rather what they believe, than what they have seen. Thus, a chain of evidence, based on erroneous conclusions, establishes a legal case: and the victim is expelled from society, seared and branded with dishonour, though perhaps free from crime, who might, if countenanced by her husband, have continued in it, though universally believed to be culpable.

It is not thus in France or Italy, where women, in losing one virtue, are not necessarily exposed to the loss of all. There, our sex are saved from the necessity of hypocrisy; and are not compelled to pull down the reputations of their contemporaries, in order to erect on the ruins a pedestal for the elevation of their own.

So few women in fashionable society here can afford to be merciful to others, that they

are often led to a severity they are far from feeling, to avoid incurring the imputation of impropriety. It is never the guilt or innocence of the accused that is made the point of debate as to her reception; it is, simply whether Lady So-and-so, and a certain clique, will countenance her. As it is only the perfectly virtuous and irreproachable that can risk being lenient, you may conclude that, in the exclusive circle, few are the examples of mercy: but, en revanche, innumerable are the instances of forbearance towards those whose amatory adventures furnish the daily topic, and who are blessed with husbands whose charity covereth a multitude of sins.

You ask me whether English husbands are, in general, bons et aimables? Pas du tout, ma chère; tout au contraire. They are, as far as I can judge from the specimens I have seen, the most selfish beings imaginable.

Numerous are the examples pointed out to me here of men who, a year ago, were the most passionate lovers to their wives, yet who now scarcely conceal the symptoms of the satiety they feel, even from the lately cherished objects that excite it. Men of large fortunes rarely marry from pecuniary motives in England: not that they are exempt from cupidity; very much the contrary is the case; but because heiresses are scarce,- estates being generally entailed on heirs-male. It is only when some rich parvenu has a daughter whom he wishes to engraft on a noble stock, that great fortunes are to be obtained by marriage; when the gold acquired by trade returns to support the exhausted coffers of the aristocracy, whose prodigality assisted its accumulation.

The unmarried men in London are remark⚫able for a degree of selfishness, indulged even to an oblivion of all else, and for a prudent fore

thought, even in their affections, not so much the result of wisdom, as the dictate of this all-engrossing egotism. Venus herself, without a fortune, could hardly tempt them to wear any other fetters than those of her cestus; while a very Gorgon, with a large domain, would soon find them eager candidates for the hymeneal chains. They regard every young beauty with distrust and alarm, as having designs on their freedom; or as being likely, by their fascinations, to tempt them into a rash marriage, which they consider as the premature grave of their selfish enjoyments. They look on dowerless wedlock as on death, a misfortune to be encountered perhaps at some remote period, when age and infirmity prevent the pursuit of pleasures, or satiety has palled them. With the distant prospect of settling down at last with some fair young being, who is to be the soother of his irritability, and the nurse of his