ons, who, far from admitting these
savage and barbarous customs, give full liberty to your dear ribs, and
commit the care of their virtue to their own discretion, you pass without
alarms or strife your peaceful days, in all the enjoyments of domestic
indolence!

It was certainly some evil genius that induced Lord Chesterfield to
distinguish himself from his patient and good-natured countrymen, and
ridiculously to afford the world an opportunity of examining into the
particulars of an adventure which would perhaps never have been known
without the verge of the court, and which would everywhere have been
forgotten in less than a month; but now, as soon as ever he had turned
his back, in order to march away with his prisoner, and the ornaments she
was supposed to have bestowed upon him, God only knows what a terrible
attack there was made upon his rear: Rochester, Middlesex, Sedley,
Etheredge, and all the whole band of wits, exposed him in numberless
ballads, and diverted the public at his expense.

The Chevalier de Grammont was highly pleased with these lively and
humorous compositions; and wherever this subject was mentioned, never
failed to produce his supplement upon the occasion: "It is strange," said
he, "that the country, which is little better than a gallows or a grave
for young people, is allotted in this land only for the unfortunate, and
not for the guilty! poor Lady Chesterfield, for some unguarded looks, is
immediately seized upon by an angry husband, who will oblige her to spend
her Christmas at a country-house, a hundred and fifty miles from London;
while here there are a thousand ladies who are left at liberty to do
whatever they please, and who indulge in that liberty, and whose conduct,
in short, deserves a daily bastinado. I name no person, God forbid I
should; but Lady Middleton, Lady Denham, the queen's and the duchess's
maids of honour, and a hundred others, bestow their favours to the right
and to the left, and not the least notice is taken of their conduct. As
for Lady Shrewsbury, she is conspicuous. I would take a wager she might
have a man killed for her every day, find she would only hold her head
the higher for it: one would suppose she imported from Rome plenary
indulgences for her conduct: there are three or four gentlemen who wear
an ounce of her hair made into bracelets, and no person finds any fault;
and yet shall such a cross-grained fool as Chesterfield be permitted to
exercise an act of