12.  The wit and humour of a Vanbrugh, or a Congreve, is frequently interrupted by a brilliant dialogue between two persons of fashion; and a love scene in the side box has often been more attended to, than that on the stage.  As to their loud bursts of laughter at the theatre, they may very well be excused, when they are excited by any lively strokes in a comedy:  but I have seen our ladies titter at the most distressful scenes in Romeo and Juliet, grin over the anguish of a Monimia, or Belvidera, and fairly laugh king Lear off the stage.

13.  Thus the whole behaviour of these ladies is in direct contradiction to good manners.  They laugh when they should cry, are loud when they should be silent, and are silent when their conversation is desirable.  If a man in a select company was thus to laugh or whisper me out of countenance, I should be apt to construe it as an affront, and demand an explanation.

14.  As to the ladies I would desire them to reflect how much they would suffer, if their own weapons were turned against them, and the gentlemen should attack them with the same arts of laughing and whispering.  But, however free they may be from our resentment, they are still open to ill-natured suspicions.  They do not consider, what strange constructions may be put on these laughs and whispers.

15.  It were indeed, of little consequence, if we only imagined, that they were taking the reputation of their acquaintance to pieces, or abusing the company round; but when they indulge themselves in this behaviour, some perhaps may be led to conclude, that they are discoursing upon topics, which they are ashamed to speak of in a less private manner.

16.  If the misconduct which I have described, had been only to be found, Mr. Town, at my friend’s table, I should not have troubled you with this letter:  but the same kind of ill breeding prevails too often, and in too many places.  The giglers and the whisperers are innumerable; they beset us wherever we go; and it is observable, that after a short murmur of whispers, out comes the burst of laughter:  like a gunpowder serpent, which, after hissing about for some time, goes off in a bounce.

17.  Some excuse may perhaps be framed for this ill-timed merriment, in the fair sex. Venus, the goddess of beauty, is frequently called laughter-loving dame; and by laughing, our modern ladies may possibly imagine, that they render themselves like Venus.  I have indeed remarked, that the ladies commonly adjust their laugh to their persons, and are merry in proportion as it sets off their particular charms.

18.  One lady is never further moved than to a smile or a simper, because nothing else shews her dimples to so much advantage; another who has a fine set of teeth, runs into a broad grin; while a third, who is admired for a well turned neck and graceful chest, calls up all her beauties to view by breaking into violent and repeated peals of laughter.