As soon as he had disengag'd, the charming Emily got up,
and we crowded round her with congratulations and other offi-
cious little services; for it is to be noted, that though all
modesty and reserve were banished from the transaction of
these pleasures, good manners and politeness were inviolably
observ'd: here was no gross ribaldry, no offensive or rude
behaviour, or ungenerous reproaches to the girls for their
compliance with the humours and desires of the men. On the
contrary, nothing was wanting to soothe, encourage, and
soften the sense of their condition to them. Men know not
in general how much they destroy of their own pleasure, when
they break through the respect and tenderness due to our sex,
and even to those of it who live only by pleasing them. And
this was a maxim perfectly well understood by these polite
voluptuaries, these profound adepts in the great art and sci-
ence of pleasure, who never shew'd these votaries of theirs a
more tender respect than at the time of those exercises of
their complaisance, when they unlock'd their treasures of
concealed beauty, and shewed out in the pride of their native
charms, ever-more touching surely than when they paraded it
in the artificial ones of dress and ornament.
The frolick was now come round to me, and it being my
turn of subscription to the will and pleasure of my particu-
lar elect, as well as to that of the company, he came to me,
and saluting me very tenderly, with a flattering eagerness,
put me in mind of the compliances my presence there author-
iz'd the hopes of, and at the same time repeated to me that
if all this force of example had not surmounted any repug-
nance I might have to concur with the humours and desires of
the company, that though the play was bespoke for my benefit,
and great as his own private disappointment might be, he
would suffer any thing, sooner than be the instrument of im-
posing a disagreeable task on me.
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