the Countess of Coniac shall be bottle-holder; it is an office she likes." By Jemima's orders they might use dexterity, as well as prowess, and sometimes fall without a blow. At wrestling let them bar tripping, unless the antagonist be a man, for then it is fair. To illustrate, by example, the characters which she wished to form, as the Squaws and Otaheites were at too great a distance, she mentioned the ladies that attended the fruit-markets at Covent-Garden, and the fish-markets at Billingsgate. These, however, were far surpassed by their sisters in France, the dames du Halles, and the poissardes. The English fair abovementioned, only unsex themselves as far as feminine softness extends; but the French fair laid aside all feminine tenderness, and being as ferocious as the most savage soldier of Attila or Kouli Khan, were much more complete models of the
Page:Modern Literature Volume 3 (1804).djvu/217
This page needs to be proofread.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Modern_Literature_Volume_3_%281804%29.djvu/page217-1024px-Modern_Literature_Volume_3_%281804%29.djvu.jpg)