’Behold, you who dare, that charming Virgin.  Behold the Beauty of her Person chastised by the Innocence of her Thoughts.  Chastity, Good-Nature, and Affability, are the Graces that play in her Countenance; she knows she is handsome, but she knows she is good.  Conscious Beauty adorned with conscious Virtue!  What a Spirit is there in those Eyes!  What a Bloom in that Person!  How is the whole Woman expressed in her Appearance!  Her Air has the Beauty of Motion, and her Look the Force of Language.’

It was Prudence to turn away my Eyes from this Object, and therefore I turned them to the thoughtless Creatures who make up the Lump of that Sex, and move a knowing Eye no more than the Portraitures of insignificant People by ordinary Painters, which are but Pictures of Pictures.

Thus the working of my own Mind, is the general Entertainment of my Life; I never enter into the Commerce of Discourse with any but my particular Friends, and not in Publick even with them.  Such an Habit has perhaps raised in me uncommon Reflections; but this Effect I cannot communicate but by my Writings.  As my Pleasures are almost wholly confined to those of the Sight, I take it for a peculiar Happiness that I have always had an easy and familiar Admittance to the fair Sex.  If I never praised or flattered, I never belyed or contradicted them.  As these compose half the World, and are by the just Complaisance and Gallantry of our Nation the more powerful Part of our People, I shall dedicate a considerable Share of these my Speculations to their Service, and shall lead the young through all the becoming Duties of Virginity, Marriage, and Widowhood.  When it is a Woman’s Day, in my Works, I shall endeavour at a Stile and Air suitable to their Understanding.  When I say this, I must be understood to mean, that I shall not lower but exalt the Subjects I treat upon.  Discourse for their Entertainment, is not to be debased but refined.  A Man may appear learned without talking Sentences; as in his ordinary Gesture he discovers he can dance, tho’ he does not cut Capers.  In a Word, I shall take it for the greatest Glory of my Work, if among reasonable Women this Paper may furnish Tea-Table Talk.  In order to it, I shall treat on Matters which relate to Females as they are concern’d to approach or fly from the other Sex, or as they are tyed to them by Blood, Interest, or Affection.  Upon this Occasion I think it but reasonable to declare, that whatever Skill I may have in Speculation, I shall never betray what the Eyes of Lovers say to each other in my Presence.  At the same Time I shall not think my self obliged by this Promise, to conceal any false Protestations which I observe made by Glances in publick Assemblies; but endeavour to make both Sexes appear in their Conduct what they are in their Hearts.  By this Means Love, during the Time of my Speculations, shall be carried on with the same Sincerity as any other Affair of less Consideration.  As this is the greatest