I should have more regard for her,
however, if she had been more constant in the object of her
affection; but, truly, she aimed at conquest, and flirted at the
same time with my uncle's footman, Humphrey Clinker, who is
really a deserving young man, and one Dutton, my brother's valet
de chambre, a debauched fellow; who, leaving Win in the lurch,
ran away with another man's bride at Berwick.
My dear Willis, I am truly ashamed of my own sex -- We complain of
advantages which the men take of our youth, inexperience,
insensibility, and all that; but I have seen enough to believe,
that our sex in general make it their business to ensnare the
other; and for this purpose, employ arts which are by no means to
be justified -- In point of constancy, they certainly have nothing
to reproach the male part of the creation -- My poor aunt, without
any regard to her years and imperfections, has gone to market
with her charms in every place where she thought she had the
least chance to dispose of her person, which, however, hangs
still heavy on her hands -- I am afraid she has used even religion
as a decoy, though it has not answered her expectation -- She has
been praying, preaching, and catechising among the methodists,
with whom this country abounds; and pretends to have such
manifestations and revelations, as even Clinker himself can
hardly believe, though the poor fellow is half crazy with
enthusiasm.
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