The delicate cheer and good wine
soon banish'd all reserve; the conversation grew as lively
as could be wished, without taking too loose a turn: these
professors of pleasure knew too well, to stale impressions
of it, or evaporate the imagination in words, before the time
of action. Kisses however were snatch'd at times, or where a
handkerchief round the neck interpos'd its feeble barrier, it
was not extremely respected: the hands of the men went to
work with their usual petulance, till the provocations on
both sides rose to such a pitch that my particular's proposal
for beginning the country-dances was received with instant
assent: for, as he laughingly added, he fancied the instru-
ments were in tune. This was a signal for preparation, that
the complaisant Mrs. Cole, who understood life, took for her
cue of disappearing; no longer so fit for personal service
herself, and content with having settled the order of battle,
she left us the field, to fight it out at discretion.
As soon as she was gone, the table was remov'd form the
middle, and became a side-board; a couch was brought into
its place, of which when I whisperingly inquired the reason,
of my particular, he told me that as it was chiefly on my
account that this convention was met, the parties intended
at once to humour their taste of variety in pleasures, and
by an open publick enjoyment, to see me broke of any taint
of reserve or modesty, which they look'd on as the poison
of joy; that though they occasionally preached pleasure,
and lived up to the text, they did not enthusiastically set
up for missionaries, and only indulg'd themselves in the
delights of a practical instruction of all the pretty women
they lik'd well enough to bestow it upon, and who fell pro-
perly in the way of it; but that as such a proposal might
be too violent, too shocking for a young beginner, the old
standers were to set an example, which he hoped I would not
be averse to follow, since it was to him I was devolv'd in
favour of the first experiment; but that still I was per-
fectly at my liberty to refuse the party, which being in its
nature one of pleasure, suppos'd an exclusion of all force
or constraint.
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