1 693-] ^ CHA^rpiON OF the fair sex. 123 



that he did not believe any one of the Company thought then 

 of Marriage or Debauchery ; but that in truth 'twas very hard 

 to him, to think he must for ever be depriv'd of the Com- 

 pany of a "Woman ; and the more, because God had otherwise 

 order'd things from the Beginning.^ That all that had been 

 said against them in General, seem'd to him to be very 

 imjust; and for his part he own'd he lookt upon them as the 

 most lovely half of the World. 



Reader, 'Tis at your own choice to look over, or pccss hy this- 

 Biscoiirse ; ivhen once it vjas a foot^ our young Men ivho did 

 not luant wit, said several pleasant things which I put here 

 together, and the more willingly because these sorts of Subjects 

 are rarely disagreeable. 



'Tis not enough, said he with a loud Voice who had de- 

 manded Eve's for the Adams of our Eden ; the Women are 

 not only the most lovely half of the World, they are also 

 the best half. (His Temper being a little quick, his expres- 

 sions also were sometimes a little Vigorous.) 'Tis a shame, 

 added he, to talk of Women, as some among us have done, 

 and I cannot bear their Injurious Eeflections. If there are 

 wicked Women, there are without Comparison, a much 

 greater Number of Eogues of our own Sex. If there are 

 Impudent Women, 'twas certainly the infamous Temptation 

 of Men that corrupted them. Whoever* have said or Thought, 

 that the Wickedness of Men is Preferable to the Goodness of 

 Women, have said so Impertinent and Extravagant a thing, 



1 " Comrae cela avoit ete dit/' omitted by translator. 



2 " II est a votre choix, Lecteur, de lire ou du doit, ou des yeux, les 

 suites de eet Entretien." " Lii-e du doigt,''^ a naive expression for turning 

 over the pages without stopping. {Midler.) 



3 In orig. : " quand une fois la matiere eut ete mise en mouveraent." 



* Vide supra. Solomon's text in Ecclesiasticus is here criticised, but 

 it is quoted without the context of the English version. Benelle says 

 (in orig.) : " les mechancetez des Homraes sont preferables aux bonnes 

 actions des Femmes." The old French version is: " Mieux vaut la 

 malice de rhomnie que la femme qui fait bien ; & la femme desbauchee 

 est en opprobre.'' (See old French version of 1678.) 



