Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 17.djvu/371

Rh very decent behaviour in the drawing room, and restrained themselves from those innocent freedoms, and little levities, so commonly incident to young ladies of their profession. So many birthday suits were countermanded the next day, that most of the tailors and mantuamakers discharged all their journeymen and women. A grave elderly lady of great erudition and modesty, who visits these young ladies, seemed to be extremely shocked by the apprehensions, that she was to appear naked before the whole world; and no less so, that all mankind was to appear naked before her; which might so much divert her thoughts, as to incapacitate her to give ready and apt answers to the interrogatories, that might be made her. The maids of honour, who had both modesty and curiosity, could not imagine the sight so disagreeable as was represented; nay one of them went so far as to say, she perfectly longed to see it; for it could not be so indecent, when every body was to be alike; and they had a day or two to prepare themselves to be seen in that condition. Upon this reflection, each of them ordered a bathing-tub to be got ready that evening, and a looking-glass to be set by it. So much are these young ladies both by nature and custom addicted to cleanly appearance.

A west-country gentleman told me, he got a church-lease filled up that morning for the same sum, which had been refused for three years successively. I must impute this merely to accident; for I cannot imagine, that any divine could take the advantage of his tenant in so unhandsome a manner; or that the shortness of the life was in the least his consideration; though I have heard the same worthy prelate aspersed and maligned since upon this very account. The