“A fine subject,” said Miss Stapylton.  “Was the gentleman a man of wit, Madam?  Was the lady a woman of taste?” we condemn every man who dresses well, and is not a sloven, as a fop or a coxcomb?”

“No doubt, when this is the case.  But you hardly ever saw a man very nice about his person and dress, that had any thing he thought of greater consequence to himself to regard.  ’Tis natural it should be so; for should not the man of body take the greater care to set out and adorn the part for which he thinks himself most valuable?  And will not the man of mind bestow his principal care in improving that mind? perhaps to the neglect of dress, and outward appearance, which is a fault.  But surely, Madam, there is a middle way to be observed, in these, as in most other cases; for a man need not be a sloven, any more than a fop.  He need not shew an utter disregard to dress, nor yet think it his first and chief concern; be ready to quarrel with the wind for discomposing his peruke, or fear to put on his hat, lest he should depress his foretop; more dislike a spot upon his clothes, than in his reputation; be a self-admirer, and always at the glass, which he would perhaps never look into, could it shew him the deformity of his mind, as well as the finery of his person; who has a taylor for his tutor, and a milliner for his school-mistress; who laughs at men of sense (excusably enough, perhaps in revenge because they laugh at him); who calls learning pedantry, and looks upon the knowledge of the fashions as the only useful science to a fine gentleman.

“Pardon me, ladies; I could proceed with the character of this species of men, but I need not; for every lady present would despise such an one, as much as I do, were he to fall in her way:  or the rather, because he who admires himself, will never admire his lady as he ought; and if he maintains his niceness after marriage, it will be with a preference to his own person; if not, will sink, very probably, into the worst of slovens.  For whoever is capable of one extreme (take almost the cases of human life through) when he recedes from that, if he be not a man of prudence, will go over into the other.

“But to return to the former subject” (for the general attention encouraged me to proceed), “permit me, Miss Sutton, to add, that a lady must run great risks to her reputation, if not to her virtue, who will admit into her company any gentleman who shall be of opinion, and know it to be hers, that it is his province to ask a favour, which it will be her duty to deny.”

“I believe, Madam, I spoke these words a little too carelessly; but I meant honourable questions, to be sure.”