he Order of St. _Francis_: But for the Sake of
some of her Relations, I shall give my _Fair Jilt_ a feign'd Name, that
of _Miranda_; but my Hero must retain his own, it being too illustrious
to be conceal'd.

You are to understand, that in all the Catholick Countries, where Holy
Orders are establish'd, there are abundance of differing Kinds of
Religious, both of Men and Women. Amongst the Women, there are those we
call _Nuns_, that make solemn Vows of perpetual Chastity; There are
others who make but a simple Vow, as for five or ten Years, or more or
less; and that time expir'd, they may contract anew for longer time, or
marry, or dispose of themselves as they shall see good; and these are
ordinarily call'd _Galloping Nuns_: Of these there are several Orders;
as _Canonesses_, _Begines_, _Quests_, _Swart-Sisters_, and
_Jesuitesses_, with several others I have forgot. Of those of the
_Begines_ was our _Fair Votress_.

These Orders are taken up by the best Persons of the Town, young Maids
of Fortune, who live together, not inclos'd, but in Palaces that will
hold about fifteen hundred or two thousand of these _Filles Devotes_;
where they have a regulated Government, under a sort of _Abbess_, or
_Prioress_, or rather a _Governante_. They are oblig'd to a Method of
Devotion, and are under a sort of Obedience. They wear a Habit much like
our Widows of Quality in _England_, only without a _Bando_; and their
Veil is of a thicker Crape than what we have here, thro' which one
cannot see the Face; for when they go abroad, they cover themselves all
over with it; but they put 'em up in the Churches, and lay 'em by in the
Houses. Every one of these have a Confessor, who is to 'em a sort of
Steward: For, you must know, they that go into these Places, have the
Management of their own Fortunes, and what their Parents design 'em.
Without the Advice of this Confessor, they act nothing, nor admit of a
Lover that he shall not approve; at least, this Method ought to be
taken, and is by almost all of 'em; tho' _Miranda_ thought her Wit above
it, as her Spirit was.

But as these Women are, as I said, of the best Quality, and live with
the Reputation of being retir'd from the World a little more than
ordinary, and because there is a sort of Difficulty to approach 'em,
they are the People the most courted, and liable to the greatest
Temptations; for as difficult as it seems to be, they receive Visits
from all the Men of the best Quality, espec