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