This is mere gothic grandeur, something
like the barbarous, useless parade of having sentinels on horseback
at Whitehall, which I could never view without a mixture of
contempt and indignation.
How strangely must the mind be sophisticated when this sort of
state impresses it! But till these monuments of folly are levelled
by virtue, similar follies will leaven the whole mass. For the
same character, in some degree, will prevail in the aggregate of
society: and the refinements of luxury, or the vicious repinings
of envious poverty, will equally banish virtue from society,
considered as the characteristic of that society, or only allow it
to appear as one of the stripes of the harlequin coat, worn by the
civilized man.
In the superiour ranks of life, every duty is done by deputies, as
if duties could ever be waved, and the vain pleasures which
consequent idleness forces the rich to pursue, appear so enticing
to the next rank, that the numerous scramblers for wealth sacrifice
every thing to tread on their heels. The most sacred trusts are
then considered as sinecures, because they were procured by
interest, and only sought to enable a man to keep GOOD COMPANY.
Women, in particular, all want to be ladies. Which is simply to
have nothing to do, but listlessly to go they scarcely care where,
for they cannot tell what.
But what have women to do in society? I may be asked, but to
loiter with easy grace; surely you would not condemn them all to
suckle fools, and chronicle small beer! No.
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