th incurring the
censure of the world; that she in question was old enough to act more
circumspectly; and wondered that her mother would permit any young
fellow to approach the chamber while her daughter was naked in bed.
As for the servants peeping through the key-hole, to be sure it was an
unlucky accident; but people ought to be upon their guard against
such curiosity, and give their domestics no cause to employ their
penetration. These and other such reflections were occasionally
whispered as secrets among those who were known to be communicative; so
that, in a few hours, it became the general topic of discourse; and,
as it had been divulged under injunctions of secrecy, it was almost
impossible to trace the scandal to its origin; because every person
concerned must have promulgated her own breach of trust, in discovering
her author of the report.

Peregrine, instead of allaying, rather exasperated this contention,
by an artful distribution of his attention among the competitors; well
knowing, that, should his regard be converged into one point, he would
soon forfeit the pleasure he enjoyed in seeing them at variance; for
both parties would join against the common enemy, and his favourite
would be persecuted by the whole coalition. He perceived, that, among
the secret agents of scandal, none were so busy as the physicians, a
class of animals who live in this place, like so many ravens hovering
about a carcase, and even ply for employment, like scullers at
Hungerford-stairs. The greatest part of them have correspondents
in London, who make it their business to inquire into the history,
character, and distemper of every one that repairs to Bath, for the
benefit of the waters, and if they cannot procure interest to recommend
their medical friends to these patients before they set out, they at
least furnish them with a previous account of what they could collect,
that their correspondents may use this intelligence for their own
advantage. By these means, and the assistance of flattery and assurance,
they often insinuate themselves into the acquaintance of strangers, and,
by consulting their dispositions, become necessary and subservient to
their prevailing passions. By their connection with apothecaries and
nurses, they are informed of all the private occurrences in each family,
and therefore enabled to gratify the rancour of malice, amuse the spleen
of peevish indisposition, and entertain the eagerness of impertinent